by Kate Lewis for fluxo
Shortly after “work from home” became a commonplace term, “work from anywhere” started popping up, especially in job listings. Companies would describe themselves and their positions as “work from anywhere” opportunities, meaning it didn’t matter where in the country you lived for the role.
“Work from anywhere” is also used as a way for companies to tell their employees that it’s okay for them to not just work from their house, but also not go into the office (and sometimes there’s not an office for them to go into). This means people have to take advantage of the third spaces in their communities—but those spaces also have to be good working environments.
Below is a list, and a few NYC recommendations, of the different types of places to go “work from anywhere” from.
Bars
Bars are actually a great place to work from if you want to spend the first half of the day in your apartment and the afternoon out of the house. Since most don’t open until lunchtime, working from bars is a great option if your meetings are usually in the morning. Not to say you couldn’t take a meeting from a bar, but to each their own.
Another great thing about working from bars in the afternoon is that they are usually empty until the normal 9-5 working hours are up. So you’ll actually have peace and quiet—not what most people picture when they think of working from a bar.
Restaurants
Not all restaurants are cool with you bringing in a laptop, but a lot are! Walking around the Lower East Side on a late Wednesday morning, I see plenty of people working on laptops at casual brunch or lunch spots. If you’re buying something and it’s a slow weekday, they’re usually pretty relaxed about the laptop usage. And most places have wifi.
Some restaurants even encourage people to come in and use their space for work! To name a few in NYC: The Queensboro (Jackson Heights), Marie’s (Bushwick), Gnocco (East Village).
Breweries
Similar to bars, this might be a bit of an unexpected work option, but the great thing about breweries is that they tend to be a bit bigger and have more seating options than bars. Large tables means more space to meet up with coworkers or other WFH friends for the day/afternoon. The breweries in New York City are especially spacious and filled with natural light. Plenty of them serve coffee as well!
Hotels
My personal favorite, hotel lobbies. They’re quiet, offer free wifi, usually have plenty of seating and tables, and almost always serve coffee at their lobby bar or cafe. A comfy hotel lobby is the best place to work from if you want to get out of the house on the earlier side, since some of the other types of venues on this list don’t open first thing in the morning.
Honorable mention that doesn’t fit into any of these categories
The New York Public Library. Classic, quiet, and open all day.
