by Kate Lewis for fluxo
As remote and hybrid work structures continue to be largely favored by employees across the globe, coffee shops are filling up—filling up with laptops, sound bites of Zoom meetings, and people who are tired of working from their apartments.
In New York City especially, the coffee shop seating has become scant. With so many people working from home—home being tiny shoebox NYC apartments—the need for somewhere to work during the day is higher and more unavoidable than ever.
But coffee shops are starting to crack down on laptop users in their space. Time limits have been set on tables and some places aren’t allowing laptops at all anymore. Why? First of all, it’s not great for business to have so many tables constantly taken up by people who might not be purchasing drinks and food in alignment with how long they stay.
Secondly, a lot of coffee shops and cafes want to have people conversing, meeting, and gathering in their space. Cafe culture has been getting lost in the mix of technology and work, social conversations replaced by work meetings, and books or notebooks replaced by screens.
But are remote workers wrong for looking for other places besides their bedrooms to get some work done? No. It’s not good for your mental health or productivity to stay cooped up in your apartment all day while you work, with no separation between home space and work space.
Coffee shops aren’t the only places you can work from in New York City. Plenty of bars and breweries open up early enough to spend hours of the work day there. Plus, they are usually very quiet during the day and often serve non-alcoholic drinks and coffee.
Hotel lobbies are one of the most solid options as well, as they usually serve a whole menu of coffee at their lobby bar and have ample seating that stays largely used throughout the day. These are a personal favorite of mine for the quiet, clean atmosphere and comfy seating options.
So next time you want to do some work outside of your apartment but aren’t in the mood to fight for a table at the coffee shop around the corner, try another kind of neighborhood spot. They’ll be glad for the business, and the coffee shops will be thankful for one less laptop.
