So I try to work as much as possible from a café. Boulder has quite a few excellent ones. But some of them are better suited to studying than others.
This review is done from the point of view of a grad student who wants to get some work done. Ideally I want access to the net, to caffeine, to reasonable chairs and desks, and to some degree of quiet.
If you have comments or suggestions, please contact me. I know that the list is
tragically incomplete. I look forward to adding and revising entries
while I procrastinate from Boulder’s other fine offerings!
- Allison Boutique
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This place has some atmosphere. The furniture is a very esoteric collection of antiques, refinished odds and ends, etc… some of the chairs are very small; if you’re funny-shaped you might find a perfect fit here.Location Pearl St., a couple of blocks east of the mall. Hours Quiet variable. On warm days they open the garage door onto Pearl St, and traffic noise can be impressive. Internet Free and fast. Power A sideboard in back has many outlets and is aimed at laptop users, but natural light is scarce. The few outlets near the windows are always in demand. Busy I don’t know yet… Drinks Organic espresso is very dark and flavourful. Food Looks good but I have yet to try it. Next to Mountain Sun and on Pearl St, so getting a snack should be easy. Smoke On warm days the sole outdoor table may attract a smoker or three. If the garage door is open, the area near the window may be unpleasant. Also, Allison is close enough to the street to smell of exhaust, especially during rush hour. Neither problem should be noticeable in cold weather. - Brewing Market
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They even play classical music! Unfortunately, it’s the most trite, elevator-grade classical I’ve ever heard, but it’s the thought that counts. I’ve also been frustrated by their router making me log in again every 30 minutes or so. But it’s nice and open, next to a bike shop and a Wild Oats (among things), and a good place to work.Location Base-Mar, although I believe there are others about. Quiet Good. Internet Free, with web login every 30 minutes?? Power Superb Busy No Drinks Good Food Pastries, snacks, sandwiches, chocolate! Smoke Little. - Buchanan’s Coffee Pub
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Students come here to work, to play, to talk in weird foreign languages… the music is sometimes unobtrusive, and sometimes horrible, depending on the hour. There are usually enough people to keep the conversations at the white-noise level.Location Broadway and Pennsylvania Ave, on the Hill. Hours Quiet Sometimes good, but it depends on who’s running the stereo. The upstairs study area is dead :( Internet Free. Encrypted. Get the key when you buy your drink. They change it occasionally. Power Poor—only at the east wall. Busy Usually. Drinks Caffeine is good. There are sometimes other interesting drinks that I haven’t tried. Food Pastries, sandwiches, cookies, sandwiches-in-a-bottle. Smoke There are usually a bunch of people smoking down on the porch despite the No Smoking sign. But I don’t think the windows open, so this should not be a problem indoors. - Caffè Sole
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Caffè Sole is divided into two rooms. The counter is in the loud room, where music plays and people come to socialise. Next door is a (usually) quieter room with a plethora of well-placed electrical outlets. In the afternoon you may have to wait for some time to get a table.Location Table Mesa and Broadway Hours 6:00–22:00 daily. Quiet Excellent in the study room. Internet Free. Click-through webpage once per day. Power Superb outlet placement in the study room. Busy Yes! Drinks Coffee is substandard, but also cheaper than average. Tea selection is good, though. Food Prefab sandwiches, pastries, organic this-and-that… Smoke NEW: there are now signs on the windows asking that clients not smoke within 15 feet. If the clients actually respect this, then not much smoke will blow inside. I have seen staff ignoring the signs, though; expect bad air on rainy days. Sole is very friendly to groups. There was a bluegrass group that took over the café once a week for a while, the Linux Users’ Group meets there, there’s a well-used community message board… Sole also has a free printer (bring your own paper), and extra power strips.
There is outdoor seating, but many many clients, and most of the staff, smoke. In rainy weather, the only dry outdoor seating is a couple of benches right next to the doors. Since the doors are on very slow dampers, smoke is no stranger inside the café—many of the smokers have absolutely no idea (or just don’t care) that they’re atmospherically indoors.
The thermostat is next to the bar, and the AC outlets are all in the study room. On hot summer days there can be an 8°C difference between the two rooms. Bring a sweater.
Afternoon sunlight reflects off car windows in the parking lot. It’s quite accepted to get up and adjust the blinds so you don’t have to sit with sun in your eyes.
- Folsom Street Coffee
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Medium-large sized, very open, well naturally lit cafe. The main attractions of this cafe are the huge windows, the tables big enough to accommodate multiple computers (or board games even), the amazingly comfortable chairs, and the asthetics. Free parking is always a plus, and the tea selection is impressive. Unfortunately no biscotti, which only affects a select few of us. The staff is nice and the music is enjoyable and diverse. Downside is that the lovely windows do not look out upon a lovely view. Overall, this cafe is the most conducive to getting work done for us engineering types who like big tables to spread ideas on!Location Folsom and Canyon. Quiet Conversation is ever-present. The music is louder than most, and is frequently what a trained musician or theorist would call “without any musical merit whatsoever, performed with no discernible skill: painfully bad.” ;) Internet Free, encrypted, somewhat flakey. Power Lots of outlets. Busy This is a mystery. There is usually about one free place to sit no matter what time I go. Drinks Good! Very nice tea selection, too. Food Pastries, snacks, lunch-like items. Smoke Not a problem indoors. The outdoor seating is well-shielded from their ventilation. Actually, some of the outdoor seating is marked as non-smoking, but of course that is not terribly useful if the smokers are upwind, and tends to be ignored anyway. Nice tree outside! But very loud, as it is right on Canyon. Review courtesy of Katie M.
- Starbuck’s
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Internet They charge for it! - Traveller’s Juice & Java
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6 small tables indoors, but I’ve never seen a crowd here. Bikes can easily be parked in plain sight. There’s even a for-pay computer in the corner in case you don’t have your own. The atmosphere is fun, comfortable, and homey. Not enough space to really spread out a bunch of paper, but if your real estate needs are small, it is a great place to work.Location 1932 14th (just off Pearl). Quiet Excellent Internet Free, encrypted Power Excellent Busy Not that I’ve seen Drinks Great. Smoothies, too! Food Pastries, bagels, sandwiches, wraps… Smoke The wall is usually open in summer, and smoking is allowed on the patio. So it can get thick inside. But the café is not popular enough for this to be a frequent problem. - Trident Café
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Location Pearl St., west of the mall. Quiet OK, but this is a social spot. Internet Free Power None, as far as I can tell. They seem to have taken measures to ensure that laptops will starve. Busy ? Drinks Excellent Food A few pastries Smoke I haven’t tried the seats by the door. Most of the seating is in back. People could smoke on the back porch, but they don’t seem to.