clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile
The interior of a restaurant. There is a couch with multiple assorted pillows. There are chairs. The walls are wood paneled.
C.C. Ferns in Humboldt Park
Courtesy of C.C. Ferns

The best places to work when you aren’t going into the office

These spots have free wifi, good coffee, and plenty of outlets

View as Map
C.C. Ferns in Humboldt Park
| Courtesy of C.C. Ferns

We originally created this list of places to work for the folks who regularly work remotely—and as we learn more about the novel coronavirus it’s clear this might become a resource for more people in Chicago.

Related: How to work from home, according to Curbed editors

While plugging away from your apartment can be convenient, sometimes it’s more productive to head to the local library or coffee shop. If you’re new to working from home visiting one of these places for a few hours might help you be a bit more productive in your new routine, too. Especially, if you’ve got roommates with different schedules, a partner who also works from home, or other circumstances that make it hard to concentrate at home.

Whether you’re just working remotely for the day or you’re a full-time freelancer, hit up one of these libraries, coffee bars, or hotel coworking spaces to refresh your workday. Every place has free wifi, accessible outlets, and table space.

Note: This map is arranged geographically from north to south.

Read More

Sol Cafe

Copy Link

This is much more than a coffee shop, the self-declared plant haven is an ideal place to post up for the work day. Way up on the North Side, this refreshing space will give you all the energy needed for a heads-down day.

Botanical Cafe

Copy Link

What’s better than caffeine and greenery? This hybrid plant-and-coffee shop will answer all of your Fiddle Leaf Fig questions and provide a serene place for you to get all your tedious work done. The shop has two-top table and a couch area—obviously, all surrounded by lush plants. Rare Tea Cellar and Conscious Cup Coffee Roasters are on the menu, too.

Sleeping Village

Copy Link

By day, the bar at Sleeping Village serves coffee all day and is used as a chill workspace with two long tables, several booths, outside picnic tables. At night, the space turns into a concert venue and gets packed with music lovers on most nights, so you’ll probably want to leave in the early evening—unless a little distraction keeps you motivated.

Bourgeois Pig Cafe

Copy Link

This Lincoln Park duplex coffee shop has been a neighborhood mainstay for years, largely thanks to its unique, retro aesthetic. Gold-framed portraits and mirrors, ornate chandeliers, and stacks of weathered books make the Pig a one-of-a-kind spot. It gets a bit crowded when DePaul is in session, but it’s never hard to find a table here. There’s also a printer available to the public for a fee, and it’s adjacent to a FedEx store.

The Robey

Copy Link

You probably know The Robey for its two rooftop bars and trendy, ground-level restaurant. However, if you head upstairs to the second-floor you’ll find a lounge that’s perfectly equipped for getting into a good work flow. There’s a long library table, seating clusters, and good lighting. It’s typically populated with other remote workers and a few hotel guests. Plus, there’s a service window where you can order from a limited menu with food and specialty coffee.

Caffe Streets

Copy Link

The warm, wood interior of this coffee shop is ideal for a calming workplace. The one-room space has multi-level seating options with a row of work stations against the far wall for individual work. Love to people watch? Grab a seat on the stools in front of the sidewalk-facing window.

Newberry Library

Copy Link

This historic research library isn’t a Chicago Public Library, but it’s still free to attend. Once you sign up for a library membership, cozy up in one of the upstairs reading rooms overlooking Washington Square Park. Founded in 1887, the Newberry Library specializes in Western European and American history from the Renaissance through the 20th century. If you’re looking to recreate that college library feel, an afternoon at the Newberry should get the job done.

C.C. Ferns

Copy Link

Is it a Polynesian dive bar? Is it your parents’ basement? Is it a midcentury furniture sale? Nope, it’s an almost-too-precious cafe in Humboldt Park. This Brendan Sodikoff coffee shop is one of the coziest, most Instagrammable spots in the city, but also makes for an excellent workplace. C.C. Ferns serves excellent coffee concoctions in mason jars and Doughnut Vault pastries. Really, there is nothing else your morning needs.

FieldHouse Jones

Copy Link

The lobby of this boutique hotel is a tennis-themed coffeebar, DropShot. The industrial yet cozy space has upholstered armchairs, bench seating, and couches. There’s lots of natural light, strong coffee, and plenty of folks hunkered down with laptops.

Standing Passengers

Copy Link

This transit-focused, artsy cafe gives off friendly neighborhood vibes. Claim a two-top, communal table, or sink into one of the couches for an all-day workspace. Plus, there’s small patio out back with a few tables when you need a change of scenery.

ACME Hotel Company

Copy Link

Bodega, the second-floor lounge at this River North hotel is a dedicated coworking space with cozy seating, desks, and couches. Bonus: There’s a fireplace. What more do you need to hunker down and get some work done?

Marshall's Landing

Copy Link

This lounge in the Merchandise Mart gets quite busy, but if you can snag a table or one of the hooded chairs it’s a decent place to spend the work day. At the top of the grand staircase there’s a coffee bar window, or steps away there’s a full restaurant with giant booths overlooking the river.

West Loop Library

Copy Link

Once part of Oprah’s Harpo Studios, the architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) redesigned this old bow-truss building inta a Chicago Public Library branch. The renovated 16,500-square-foot space has creative work spaces, long elegant tables, and comfortable chairs.

Harold Washington Library

Copy Link

The flagship Chicago Public Library location is beloved and for good reason. Named for the city’s first African-American mayor, the South Loop library houses nine floors of research materials, a children’s library, 3D printers, and meeting spaces. The sun-soaked Winter Garden, located on the ninth floor, is a particularly idyllic reading room. It should be a problem finding open table space at this massive public library.

Chinatown Library

Copy Link

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) designed this award-winning circular building. It references Feng Shui principles in an effort to resonate with the Chinatown community and offers stellar skyline views. The library is right next to Ping Tom Memorial Park—perfect for an after-work stroll.

Bridgeport Coffeehouse

Copy Link

This South Side coffee chain has locations in Hyde Park, the Roosevelt Collection and the Loop, but we like its original Bridgeport coffeeshop the best. Bridgeport Coffee Company, founded in 2004, keeps coffee snobs satisfied with its array of organic and fair-trade roasts. This space itself is as inviting as the drinks. It has two rooms for seating, gorgeous ceiling molding and outdoor tables.

Blackstone Library

Copy Link

Spend your workday in a piece of history at this Kenwood library, which was the first branch of the Chicago Public Library system. Founded in 1904, the building is modeled after the Erechtheoin, a temple on the Acropolis in Athens. The ornate decor includes stained-glass ceilings, mosaics tile floors, carved marble and mahogany paneling, and the painted rotunda in the foyer. It’s unlike any other workspace in the city.

Plein Air Cafe & Eatery

Copy Link

Nestled up right against Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House, this Hyde Park coffee and lunch spot is a must-try. Who wouldn’t want to work in the open air with views of Wright’s masterpiece? It tends to get quite busy during the week, given its location on the University of Chicago campus, so get there early in the day to snag a seat.

Robust Coffee Lounge

Copy Link

Perched at the bottom of the University of Chicago campus, Robust Coffee Lounge is a popular spot for South Side freelancers and students. The Woodlawn coffee shop opened in 2010, and features a full, inexpensive breakfast and lunch menu. The polished concrete and industrial atmosphere inspires a heads-down work mode.

Sol Cafe

This is much more than a coffee shop, the self-declared plant haven is an ideal place to post up for the work day. Way up on the North Side, this refreshing space will give you all the energy needed for a heads-down day.

Botanical Cafe

What’s better than caffeine and greenery? This hybrid plant-and-coffee shop will answer all of your Fiddle Leaf Fig questions and provide a serene place for you to get all your tedious work done. The shop has two-top table and a couch area—obviously, all surrounded by lush plants. Rare Tea Cellar and Conscious Cup Coffee Roasters are on the menu, too.

Sleeping Village

By day, the bar at Sleeping Village serves coffee all day and is used as a chill workspace with two long tables, several booths, outside picnic tables. At night, the space turns into a concert venue and gets packed with music lovers on most nights, so you’ll probably want to leave in the early evening—unless a little distraction keeps you motivated.

Bourgeois Pig Cafe

This Lincoln Park duplex coffee shop has been a neighborhood mainstay for years, largely thanks to its unique, retro aesthetic. Gold-framed portraits and mirrors, ornate chandeliers, and stacks of weathered books make the Pig a one-of-a-kind spot. It gets a bit crowded when DePaul is in session, but it’s never hard to find a table here. There’s also a printer available to the public for a fee, and it’s adjacent to a FedEx store.

The Robey

You probably know The Robey for its two rooftop bars and trendy, ground-level restaurant. However, if you head upstairs to the second-floor you’ll find a lounge that’s perfectly equipped for getting into a good work flow. There’s a long library table, seating clusters, and good lighting. It’s typically populated with other remote workers and a few hotel guests. Plus, there’s a service window where you can order from a limited menu with food and specialty coffee.

Caffe Streets

The warm, wood interior of this coffee shop is ideal for a calming workplace. The one-room space has multi-level seating options with a row of work stations against the far wall for individual work. Love to people watch? Grab a seat on the stools in front of the sidewalk-facing window.

Newberry Library

This historic research library isn’t a Chicago Public Library, but it’s still free to attend. Once you sign up for a library membership, cozy up in one of the upstairs reading rooms overlooking Washington Square Park. Founded in 1887, the Newberry Library specializes in Western European and American history from the Renaissance through the 20th century. If you’re looking to recreate that college library feel, an afternoon at the Newberry should get the job done.

C.C. Ferns

Is it a Polynesian dive bar? Is it your parents’ basement? Is it a midcentury furniture sale? Nope, it’s an almost-too-precious cafe in Humboldt Park. This Brendan Sodikoff coffee shop is one of the coziest, most Instagrammable spots in the city, but also makes for an excellent workplace. C.C. Ferns serves excellent coffee concoctions in mason jars and Doughnut Vault pastries. Really, there is nothing else your morning needs.

FieldHouse Jones

The lobby of this boutique hotel is a tennis-themed coffeebar, DropShot. The industrial yet cozy space has upholstered armchairs, bench seating, and couches. There’s lots of natural light, strong coffee, and plenty of folks hunkered down with laptops.

Standing Passengers

This transit-focused, artsy cafe gives off friendly neighborhood vibes. Claim a two-top, communal table, or sink into one of the couches for an all-day workspace. Plus, there’s small patio out back with a few tables when you need a change of scenery.

ACME Hotel Company

Bodega, the second-floor lounge at this River North hotel is a dedicated coworking space with cozy seating, desks, and couches. Bonus: There’s a fireplace. What more do you need to hunker down and get some work done?

Marshall's Landing

This lounge in the Merchandise Mart gets quite busy, but if you can snag a table or one of the hooded chairs it’s a decent place to spend the work day. At the top of the grand staircase there’s a coffee bar window, or steps away there’s a full restaurant with giant booths overlooking the river.

West Loop Library

Once part of Oprah’s Harpo Studios, the architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) redesigned this old bow-truss building inta a Chicago Public Library branch. The renovated 16,500-square-foot space has creative work spaces, long elegant tables, and comfortable chairs.

Harold Washington Library

The flagship Chicago Public Library location is beloved and for good reason. Named for the city’s first African-American mayor, the South Loop library houses nine floors of research materials, a children’s library, 3D printers, and meeting spaces. The sun-soaked Winter Garden, located on the ninth floor, is a particularly idyllic reading room. It should be a problem finding open table space at this massive public library.

Chinatown Library

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) designed this award-winning circular building. It references Feng Shui principles in an effort to resonate with the Chinatown community and offers stellar skyline views. The library is right next to Ping Tom Memorial Park—perfect for an after-work stroll.

Bridgeport Coffeehouse

This South Side coffee chain has locations in Hyde Park, the Roosevelt Collection and the Loop, but we like its original Bridgeport coffeeshop the best. Bridgeport Coffee Company, founded in 2004, keeps coffee snobs satisfied with its array of organic and fair-trade roasts. This space itself is as inviting as the drinks. It has two rooms for seating, gorgeous ceiling molding and outdoor tables.

Blackstone Library

Spend your workday in a piece of history at this Kenwood library, which was the first branch of the Chicago Public Library system. Founded in 1904, the building is modeled after the Erechtheoin, a temple on the Acropolis in Athens. The ornate decor includes stained-glass ceilings, mosaics tile floors, carved marble and mahogany paneling, and the painted rotunda in the foyer. It’s unlike any other workspace in the city.

Plein Air Cafe & Eatery

Nestled up right against Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House, this Hyde Park coffee and lunch spot is a must-try. Who wouldn’t want to work in the open air with views of Wright’s masterpiece? It tends to get quite busy during the week, given its location on the University of Chicago campus, so get there early in the day to snag a seat.

Robust Coffee Lounge

Perched at the bottom of the University of Chicago campus, Robust Coffee Lounge is a popular spot for South Side freelancers and students. The Woodlawn coffee shop opened in 2010, and features a full, inexpensive breakfast and lunch menu. The polished concrete and industrial atmosphere inspires a heads-down work mode.