[dropcap size=big]A[/dropcap]s a person who has always worked from home, the worst part of the pandemic—aside from the catastrophic loss of life, the exacerbation of inequality, the abject failure of our institutions, the devastation of small business, the isolation and loneliness, the anxiety and survivors guilt—has been the inability to camp out in coffee shops.
Coffee shop writing is more fun than a home office and a whole lot cheaper than a coworking situation (even when you buy multiple items at the shop and tip extremely generously, as you should), and there’s always interesting eavesdropping for inspiration. I miss it dearly, even the crowded days when there was barely any space, the WiFi was busted, the power outlets were full, and when the college kids were a little too excited about their engineering final.
But over the last year, we’ve all had to learn to make do. So to recreate a fruitful coffee shop environment, here’s what I recommend: Turn off your WiFi, cover up your power outlets, spill something sticky on your table, ask your partner to shout about real estate or the Rihanna remix that they’re working on....and make sure you grab some killer coffee beans.
The first few are easy, but for that last one, here are some of the best local, under-the-radar coffee roasters, in no particular order.