20 Spots for Remote Workers Who Are About That Latte and Laptop Life

Between six and a half years in post-secondary education, six years in a cubicle corporate environment, and nearly one year as a remote worker, I found my most commonly visited place to read, study, brainstorm, and work is a coffee shop. Between roughly 35 cities spread across 20 states in the U.S. (and counting), whether for business or leisure, my most common first stop is a coffee shop.

Earlier this year, I wrote about why remote working became my first step towards lifestyle innovation. And I talked about how, as a remote working newbie, different environments seemed to help drive inspiration and productivity, and how, as a result, working wherever WiFi and a seat were available quickly became my new normal.

A coffee shop used to be my quick stop for a morning cup of coffee or tea before heading to the office. Now, often times, it is the office, where I expect to spend anywhere from 15–18 hours a week.

Confession: I love tea more than coffee. But both are great to fill up the hours until it’s acceptable to drink wine.

Do you have days when you’ve said your motivational mantras, have your Brain Food playlist on Spotify and you’re ‘bout your business, pumped and plugging through tasks? But do you also have days where you’ve had the same 80 internet tabs open for hours and counting blades of grass sounds more captivating than your current to-do list?

Because remote workers spend the majority of time in physical isolation from our colleagues and professional networks, a heightened sense of self-awareness is often developed and ultimately, a keen understanding of our respective work styles. In reflection, I’ve found I’ve become especially perceptive to my mood and environment, and my needs to navigate the varying work days in response to those moods and environments.

(outside the Sugar Hill Cafe — Harlem, New York)

For most professionals, work is what has to get done before life starts for the day (frankly, night). For many remote workers, that line is blurred, and with good reason, because we’ve been granted the unique opportunity to blend work into our lifestyle.

Coffee shops offer an experience that their street-side promotional chalkboards try so hard to convey. And having typically been the haven for writers, artists, and other creative types, there’s something to be said about their ability to foster that work/lifestyle blend (via stable WiFi).

So, if you’ve got loads in different area codes (I’m talking about work), here are my top 20 coffee shops across the country worth checking out. Let me know your favorites!

1. Morgan Library Cafe — New York, NY
2. The Warehouse — Jersey City, NJ
3. La Colombe — Philadelphia, PA
4. Pavement Coffeehouse — Boston, MA
5. Tryst — Washington, DC
6. Trinosophes — Detroit, MI
7. Not Just Coffee — Charlotte, NC
8. Panther Coffee — Miami, FL
9. Octane Coffee — Atlanta, GA
10. Gallery Espresso — Savannah, GA
11. HiVolt Coffee — New Orleans, LA
12. Hero Coffee Bar — Chicago, IL
13. Buzzmill — Austin, TX
14. Weekend Coffee — Dallas, TX
15. Carbon Beverage Cafe — Denver, CO
16. Makers and Finders Coffee — Las Vegas, NV
17. Hive — Oakland, CA
18. Sightglass Coffee — San Francisco, CA
19. Wanderlust Cafe — Los Angeles, CA
20. Moniker General — San Diego, CA