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Tired of working from home, Erin embarks on a tour of spots—from bars to coffee shops—where she can log on sans fee.

Monday Aug 06, 2007.     By Erin Brereton

Lifestyle Feed

I am sick of my home.

Sure, it has air conditioning, sinks and everything else you need or want, but I work from home, so I rarely walk out my front door. That's why I set out on a quest to find quiet, public places to work, with snacks, coffee and, most importantly, free wi-fi.

I have two rules in life: I don't wear fur (although my bangs are frequently mistaken for a pelt), and I don't pay for wi-fi. And you shouldn't either, because I'm here tell you about sweet spots where you can score it for free.

The first locale on my journey confirmed my findings that local, quirky coffee shops often charge a fee for access, while smaller chains and bars do not. Map Room, for instance, offers speedy, free wi-fi, coffee to kick start your morning, more than 200 types of beer for later on and, if your work involves geography, plenty of travel books for your reference. But there was a downside to working at a bar; you spend more time shooing away the smoke clouds than typing. (On the day I was there, the cigarette smoke was actually curling around my friend's head like a genie emerging from a lamp.)

My second bar stop scored big points with its ample seating and easy access. At Emerald Loop, not only did they leave me and my freelancing friend alone while we hung out in the nearly empty bar area (even when we only ordered Diet Cokes), but they were also kind enough to move us to a quieter dining area when things got rowdy after 5 p.m. Bonus: When I left, my hair didn't smell like Joe Camel had been sitting on it.

For my first coffeehouse-type spot, I trekked to the Argo Tea (Lakeview) on what felt like the rainiest day of the year. It didn't help that I forgot a sweater and the shop felt like Antarctica…with scones. But the staff warmed me up with their friendliness, even offering to toss my Tea Sparkle drink and make another if I didn't like it. The only drawback here was that the free wi-fi came with a time limit. You receive an access code with your drink order, but you're kicked off after two hours. (The staff usually will give you another card, though.)

I succeeded in my attempt to get online at Caffe Baci (20 N. Michigan), but I failed to find a plug when my laptop battery ran low. After searching the entire place, I found one remaining outlet, underneath a table and just to the left of a woman's leg. Not willing to crawl under her knee, I instead rolled down the street to an empty Cosi, which had plenty of plugs and a hummus platter, served with bread triangles and cucumber rounds, that proved the perfect snack.

Two Panera Bread locations ended my tour. Panera (Diversey) near Clark offers ample seating, with tables big enough to easily fit two to three laptops and enough plugs that you could work while at the same time blow drying your hair, charging your iPod and heating up some ramen on a hotplate, should you be so inclined. (But why would you want to when Panera's broccoli cheese soup tastes so good?) Panera (Loop) draws in a hefty college crowd from nearby campuses, but the staff doesn't care if you hang out for eight hours, refilling your soda. The chirping bird noise around 3 p.m. signals the hot baked goods coming out of the oven, which for me means cookie time.

It's moments like that when I appreciate working from home, even if I need to leave it sometimes. Try finding any oatmeal raisin delights in a real office.

Erin Brereton is our resident urban cowgirl on a bi-weekly search for life on the cheap. If you know of the mythic happy hour that she missed, do clue her in.