If you prefer to work away from work, bring your laptop and get online for free at these locations near Boston-area universities and hospitals.
Rachael Moeller Gorman
Boston brims with coffee shops. Add free wireless, and you’ve got a well-serviced mobile office. Here’s a roundup of some of our favorites.
Grand Prix Café: low-key atmosphere, fast Internet (Davis Square)
The Grand Prix Café’s laid-back attitude and personal service makes patrons feel like family. The smell of toast and home fries hangs in the air in the mornings as staff fry up eggs made-to-order and brew cups of organic Arabica coffee. Louis Armstrong sings in the background, and the wireless connection is fast. The menu also includes panini sandwiches—the prosciutto and provolone shines—and a variety of desserts. Laptop work here is welcomed by the owners. If you need a break, a big-screen TV showing sports hangs on the wall. Don’t worry—the sound is usually turned off.
The Grand Prix Café near Davis Square offers fast Internet access and tasty sandwiches.
Seating: seven small tables, with two more outside, and one comfortable leather chair. Electrical outlets: Four, easily accessible. Music: jazz and swing, played at low volume. Price of small coffee: $1.35. Best time to go: any time.
2257 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge
Near Tufts University
(617) 547-4700
Editor’s note: The Grand Prix Cafe has recently closed.
Darwin’s Ltd.: a sandwich mecca with cozy seating (Harvard Square)
Students crowd Darwin’s Ltd. at lunchtime, but the sandwiches are worth the wait—the gooey A.R.C. is luscious, packed with warm roast beef and melted cheddar—and the line moves fairly quickly. A short walk from Harvard Square, Darwin’s Mount Auburn Street location has a lunch counter on one side and a café on the other, with comfortable chairs and warm orange walls. The eclectic mix of music (Bon Jovi to Prince to the Beach Boys) can be a bit loud, but the hum of conversation provides a nice balance. The wireless connection is sometimes slow, but outlets rim the outer walls and the productive vibe can be quite motivating.
Seating: eight small tables and four big comfortable chairs. Electrical outlets: five, well distributed. Music: mix of rock and alternative music at medium volume. Price of small coffee: $1.30. Best time to go: crowded during lunch, but seats are usually still available.
148 Mount Auburn St., Cambridge
(617) 354-5233
1629 Cambridge St., Cambridge
(617) 491-2999
La Luna Caffé: a little bit of Europe in Cambridge (Central Square)
With a colorful array of gelato flavors and oversized windows that let in the breeze, La Luna Caffé has a Mediterranean feel. The bacio gelato—hazelnut and chocolate—is creamy and rich, and coffee lovers say that La Luna has some of the best espresso in Boston. The wireless speed is good, but the big downside for workers is the café’s single electrical outlet, which is accessible from only two tables. Still, the place rarely gets crowded, so during a long, lazy summer afternoon typing over gelato, one of the two tables is bound to open up.
Seating: 11 small tables. Electrical outlets: one. Music: none, though sounds of construction can be heard when the windows are open. Price of small coffee: $1.50. Best time to go: any time.
403 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge
(617) 576-3400
Bruegger’s: bagels and booths (Longwood medical area)
This Bruegger’s location has fast wireless and plenty of seating, especially secluded booths. Unfortunately, the pop music is loud and the store is a bit dirty, with few outlets. But the bagels are still great and the sandwiches healthy by fast-food standards. With outdoor seating under umbrellas, you can surf the Web while enjoying some fresh air.
Seating: 10 tables, with more outside, and two large comfortable chairs. Electrical outlets: three. Music: pop, played at high volume. Price of small coffee: $1.59. Best time to go: most crowded during breakfast, quieter in the afternoon.
375 Longwood Ave., Boston
(617) 731-8993
Au Bon Pain: a calm workplace with a view (Charles/MGH)
Working upstairs at Au Bon Pain near the Massachusetts General Hospital main campus is like studying in your college library, but with good food and music. People on laptops quietly tap away over pastries and coffee, and big windows offer views of Cambridge Street and Beacon Hill. The one drawback is the shortage of plugs, but the fast wireless makes up for it.
Seating: more than 20 tables, with more outside, and two comfortable chairs. Electrical outlets: four. Music: soft rock, played at medium volume. Price of small coffee: $1.46. Best time to go: consistently semi-crowded, but tables are usually available.
209 Cambridge St., Boston
(617) 723-1278
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