Updated 10th September 2024
New York City, NYC, the Big Apple, the city that never sleeps! New York City is truly a one-of-a-kind experience!
New York City on the East Coast of the USA is undoubtedly one of the world’s most iconic cities and the buzz is simply electrifying. For many people, it’s way too loud, brash and hectic, for others, there’s simply no place like it.
So many celebrities choose to call New York City home, from Jerry Seinfeld and Denzel Washington to Al Pacino, Robert Dinero, Justin Timberlake and Taylor Swift to name just a few.
New York City has been the backdrop to countless films and TV shows such as Seinfeld, Friends, Sex & the City, The Wolf of Wall Street, the classic Wall Street and many many more. Walk the streets of New York and you’re bound to recognize so many iconic locations.
As a native Londoner, I’ve always loved New York City as there are so many parallels, from the financial centre to media, fashion, music, theatre and film.
London is almost twice the physical size of New York, 1572 sq km compared to 789 sq km for New York. However, New York has only a slightly smaller population of 8.1 million compared to London’s 9.7 million so the density of people per sq km is way higher in New York hence the noise, hectic energy and competition for everything!
We have compiled a list of best cafes to work in NYC where you can rock up with your laptop and enjoy the distinctive New York City vibe and buzz while getting some work done.
Most are in Manhattan and also Brooklyn. We will be adding more laptop-friendly cafes to our guide so do check back often and do drop us a line if you have any personal recommendations.
Feeling hungry? There is a dazzling array of choices when thinking about breakfast or brunch options in NYC and of course, New York City is famous for its bagels, do give them a try, you’ll be spoilt for topping options!
For more tips check out our guide to New York City for tips on where to go and popular food that makes New York what it is
As we always recommend in our laptop-friendly guides, do use cafes responsibly if you are planning to work there on a laptop.
As a rule of thumb and also often a policy for some coffee shops you should be buying something every hour to ninety minutes if you are planning to stay for a while.
Cafes can be great places to work from and many times beat an office, working from home, a co-working space or an office.
If you have a favourite laptop-friendly cafe in New York that should be on our list or you have any feedback on the coffee shops on our list please drop a message in the comments section at the bottom of this page or contact our editorial team.
Enjoy our guide to some of the best cafes to work in New York City!
Let’s not waste another New York minute and get right onto our list of the best cafes & coffee shops to work in NYC.
DEVOCIÓN COFFEE, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
69 Grand St. (at Wythe), Brooklyn, NY 11249, United States
Devoción Coffee is without doubt devoted to their coffee (pun intended). They claim to be the world’s only coffee company that roasts farm fresh coffee only ten days after leaving their place of origin. Therefore if you are a coffee aficionado Devoción should be at the top of your list of laptop friendly cafes in New York.
Devoción has five coffee shops in NYC, three in Brooklyn (Williamsburg, downtown and Dumbo) and two in Manhattan (Midtown and Flatiron). In our guide we have focused on the Devoción coffee in Williamsburg which you will find to be bright and spacious with a bit of a hipster vibe.
We do recommend getting there early as it’s a popular cafe for people to work on their laptops. Enjoy the coffee and ambience while getting some work done, perfect!
AMANO CAFE, WEST VILLAGE, NEW YORK
172 West 4th Street, New York, NY 10014, United States
Amano Cafe in the West Village district of New York City is a great coffee shop on the corner of a street that could easily be in a New York movie scene.
Amano Coffee is a great place to work with free WIFI and outlets too. Their Rocket Coffee is very popular! Amano seems to use the coffee beans from Devoción, a coffee shop also on our list of laptop-friendly cafes that is very serious about the high quality of their coffee so if you are into decent barista coffee and looking for a nice place to work in the West Village area of NYC, Amano could be a great bet!
As always please let us know in the comments if you’ve been to Amano and what your thoughts are. Should it make our list?
For more info on Amano Coffee and to see their menu you can follow the links below.
Amano website: https://www.amano-cafe.com/amano-manhattan
Amano coffee menu: https://amano-cafe.square.site/#2
COFFEE PROJECT EAST VILLAGE NEW YORK
239 E 5th St, New York, NY 10003, United States
Coffee Project New York is an independent chain of New York coffee shops that began with their first passion project cafe in the East Village back in 2015.
Since then, Coffee Project New York has opened seven more locations. Coffee Project New York is a go-to place for serious NYC coffee aficionados. Coffee Project New York are roasters themselves and also run barista and coffee tasting classes so you can be sure they know their stuff!
If you are visiting New York and want to get the authentic NYC coffee shop feeling this could be a great bet.
Coffee Project East Village is on the small and cute side so do keep this in mind in terms of finding a place to sit and work during busy hours.
Please note that laptops and tablets are not permitted on weekends.
Tip – Coffee Project New York offers great pour-over coffee and also their black sesame latte is nice.
Do let us know in the comments if you have been to Coffee Project New York and what you thought of it.
Coffee Project New York website: https://www.amano-cafe.com/amano-manhattan
PERK COFFEE, UPPER EAST SIDE, NEW YORK
1867 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10029, United States
Perk Coffee is a popular laptop-friendly cafe on the Upper East Side with a funky arty feel. Perk Coffee isn’t very large but does pack a punch for laptop users looking for a space to work in NYC. There are power outlets, free WIFI of course and a restroom (toilets) which is rarer and rarer in NYC. Some people say the WIFI is fast, others complain it’s slow and resort to a hotspot (always essential for remote workers). Perk offers a nice selection of coffees and pastries. Try out their cappuccinos, lattes and chat lattes.
Should Perk Coffee be on our list of laptop-friendly cafes in NYC? Let us know in the comments.
Perk Coffee New York website: http://www.perkcoffee.com/
GROUND CENTRAL COFFEE COMPANY (8TH AVE), NEW YORK
888 8th Ave, New York, NY 10019, United States
Ground Central Coffee Company is one of the most popular coffee joints in New York City blending high-quality coffee with cool vibes.
Pop in for a quick coffee or stay and work with your laptop. The music can be a bit loud sometimes so do keep that in mind in case you are looking for somewhere quiet, if that level of quiet even exists in NYC, still if you’re looking to work in a nice buzzing cafe, maybe get a bit inspired then Ground Central Coffee Company on 8th Ave could be for you.
Some people have complained about poor wifi in the past. If you experience any problems or have any comments about your experience at Ground Central Coffee in New York do drop your comments at the bottom of the page.
STUMPTOWN COFFEE ROASTERS (GREENWICH VILLAGE), NEW YORK
30 W 8th St, New York, NY 10011, United States
Stumptown Coffee is a small chain, well compared to Starbucks it is currently with cafes in Portland, New York, Los Angeles and Kyoto, Japan.
Stumptown coffee has three locations in New York, we are told the Greenwich Village one is probably the best one to try. The other outlets are in Brooklyn and at the Ace Hotel.
Let us know what you think of Stumptown and if it deserves to be on our list!
VARIETY COFFEE ROASTERS (LEXINGTON AVE), NEW YORK
1269 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10028, United States
Variety Coffee Roasters has several outlets in New York. They started out in 2008 with their cafe on Graham Ave. in Williamsburg. Since then Variety Coffee Roasters has continued to grow with more outlets and no sign of a slowdown.
In our NYC laptop-friendly guide we have featured Variety Coffee Roasters on the Upper East Side on Lexington but the others are also worth a visit depending on where you are.
One of the things that people like about Variety Coffee Roasters is access to the bathrooms or restrooms in the US. You would think this would be a given as in most of Europe but it’s not always the case.
So if you are looking for quality coffee and easy access to bathroom (restroom) facilities Variety Coffee Roasters could be a great spot. There’s easy access to WIFI without a password and space to sit down and work.
Do bear in mind that this changes from day to day and hour to hour as is common in cafes around the world.
Also, the clue is in the name, Variety Coffee Roasters. They are simply not another cafe but also a roaster in their own right so you can be sure they are serious about their coffee!
Let us know in the comments what you think of Variety Coffee Roasters.
THE BEAN, NEW YORK
2nd Ave, 54 2nd Avenue New York, New York 10003, United States
The Bean has an interesting history and story dating back to 2003 when they first opened their doors on the corner of 1st Ave & East 3rd St where they served up their delicious coffee to their faithful customers until 2011 when their space was leased to Starbucks.
Not ones to give up easily, The Bean carried on and continues to grow until this day. It’s great to see that they have such a loyal following!
It’s a good place to work and has some outlets however some people have claimed to have experienced poor service. Many people also seem to like The Bean so we’re keeping it on our list, however, if you have personal experiences please do let us know in the comments.
Cafes are changing day to day, hour by hour, team members change so it’s difficult to gauge how good a place really is. One person may experience lousy service and the very next one something totally different. We all know how this is.
Let us know what you think of The Bean in the comments, is it laptop-friendly and a good place to work in New York City?
THINK COFFEE (MERCER), NEW YORK
248 Mercer St, New York, NY 10012, United States
Think Coffee on Mercer St. is a popular spot to work with free wifi and bathroom (restroom) access. Being close to NYU it attracts students and remote workers looking for free wifi, coffee and food.
Think Coffee isn’t necessarily mindblowing in terms of the quality of the food and coffee but it’s large enough that you should be able to find a place to sit and good enough food and coffee to keep you going.
From what we hear the hygiene in the toilets can be questionable at times as can the service but many people also like it as well. As with all busy cafes especially in large metropolitan areas like New York City it’s rarely constant.
One person may have an exceptional experience and another person on a different day not so much.
We have added Think Coffee Mercer to our list as it is popular and could just hit the spot if you’re looking for free wifi and a place to remote work around the Mercer St area.
As always if you have any experience or thoughts about Think Coffee or any other cafe on our list or maybe not on our list do add a comment at the bottom of this page.
REMI43 FLOWER & COFFEE, 2ND AVE, NEW YORK
810 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10017, United States
If you’re looking for a natural oasis in the centre of the concrete jungle that is New York City then Remi43 Flower & Coffee could be the place for you. Remi43 Flower & Coffee is a coffee shop and florist all in one.
Their coffees and pastries are nice and above all the serenity and lovely smells as a result of the coffee and plants is something to relish in the city.
Remi43 does have wifi, some have complained about the speed and stability but this can change day to day.
Have you been to Remi43 Flower & Coffee? Do let us know your thoughts in the comments.
CAFÉ-FLOR / BAR 21, NEW YORK
218 8th Ave, New York, NY 10011, United States
Cafe-Flor / Bar 21 is a cafe and wine bar combination so depending on the time of day and your mood you can go work during the day while sipping a coffee or late afternoon evening hangout and enjoy a glass of wine or a beer.
A latte will set you back around $4, a glass of wine around $12 and a beer around $5.50. Cafe-Flor / Bar 21 has a really nice decor and ambience, a place you would like to linger for a while and soak up the atmosphere.
Some people have complained that the music can get a bit loud so if you’re looking for somewhere quiet to concentrate, Cafe Flor may not be your place.
On the other hand, if you are looking for a buzzing atmosphere then give it a go.
We’ve had mixed reviews on the WIFI, some say it’s great, others say it’s unusable and had to use their hotspot. This can really vary so to be safe it’s best to have access to a mobile hotspot and best not to go to Cafe Flor if you need to make a business call due to the louder music and perhaps spotty WIFI.
Let us know in the comments if you have any experience with Cafe Flor
BLACK CAT LES, LOWER EAST SIDE, NEW YORK CITY
172 Rivington St, New York, NY 10002, United States
Black Cat LES is a cozy tea and coffee house on the Lower East Side offering the vibe of an old English or Irish pub in the heart of NYC.
Black Cat LES is the brainchild of Aaron Ho, who alongside being a business owner is also a criminology professor at a local university. His vision was to create a true neighbourhood community spot where locals can hang out, study, work and also enjoy live events.
At Black Cat you’ll be able to satisfy your needs for a proper cup of tea, a decent coffee or a snack if you are feeling peckish.
Looking for a comfy place to work? You’ll find it here surrounded by vintage furniture, free WIFI and even access to a printer should the need arise!
Have you been to Black Cat? Let us know what you think in the comments at the bottom of the page.
TELEGRAPHE CAFE, CHELSEA, NEW YORK CITY
107 W 18th St, New York, NY 10011, United States
Telegraphe Cafe in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City is a small and cute coffee shop that offers free WIFI, food and of course coffee.
If you are looking for an alternative NYC work cafe experience to the big coffee chains like Starbucks and want to try a local neighborhood coffee shop head over to Telegraphe Cafe in Chelsea. It is quite small so best to get there early to grab a seat.
Many people like the fact that they won’t rush you and you can be free to linger, enjoy the vibes, coffee and snacks while you get some work done.
Have you been to Telegraphe Cafe? Let us know what your experience is in the comments section