Spike Your Creativity: Cafes That Serve Booze, Too
Updated: May 26, 2009
A caffeine fix and a croissant aren't always enough for the work-from-cafe set: Sometimes, only liquor will do. Now more than ever, New Yorkers doing (and desperately seeking) freelance work need a buzz to spark their creative juices--which is to say nothing of the jolt that alcohol will add to your desperately-in-need-of-an-update resume. And then there's unemployment, which comes with its own set of early drinking hours and the need to look busy, but we digress. Wherever you sit on the coffee to booze scale, we've got five comfy cafes where you can have both.
Booze While You Work
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Arlo & Esme
Read Reviews42 E 1st St, New York, NY 10003 (map)
This East village hangout is split between a ground level coffee house (with Wi-Fi) and a full-scale subterranean bar and lounge. By day, customers go for the java and the clean white space--because it's conducive to creativity and because the staff lets you order from the drink list well before that space opens, at 6pm. Just wait for the early morning crowd to dissipate and at the reasonable hour of noon, any specialty cocktail, wine or beer is yours for ordering.
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Doma
Read Reviews17 Perry St, New York, NY 10014 (map)
Even without Wi-Fi, this small Eastern European cafe in the West Village is like a second home to eccentric literary types--the kind who like to read and write, and booze while they're at it. As at other cafes, people gather with books, papers and writing utensils. What's less typical is that you're just as likely to see glasses of wine or European brews as you are cappuccinos.
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Epistrophy
Read Reviews200 Mott St, New York, NY 10012 (map)
The free Wi-Fi, laid-back environs and plates of olives and cheeses attract a regular clientele. But what truly sets this Nolita nook apart is the drink list--including a host of international wines, liquor and beer--available to cafe-goers day and night. You're sure to find patrons commiserating at the communal tables over how tough it is to find work these days. 'Cause, hey, you need money to pay for the important things in life, like more drinks.
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Grey Dog's Coffee
Read Reviews33 Carmine St, New York, NY 10014 (map)
Strong, rich coffees and canine-themed decor draw caffeine fiends and dog lovers. But locals also go for the list of brews (including Pacifico and Corona) and the short but seasonal selection of wines. At breakfast, lunch or dinner you're likely to find hipsters eating eggs, salads or burgers, pontificating on the latest indie flick, and--of course-- "working."
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Housing Works Used Book Cafe
Read Reviews126 Crosby St, New York, NY 10012 (map)
Drinking promotes productivity at this Soho spot that also benefits New Yorkers living with AIDS. Here you'll join others who are hard at work with a glass of wine (there's a Shiraz and a sauvignon blanc) or a beer (Stella, Amstel Light, PBR and Brooklyn Lager are on the menu). Surrounded by stacks of books and do-gooders diligently working while drinking, you'll tap into your inspiration like a pro--or at least get in some good Facebooking.
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