14 Brooklyn bars with wifi that can double as your home office

Working from home is hard. You get distracted by your roommates, your cat feels neglected and sits on your computer, you get the insatiable urge to catch up on the latest episode of whatever you’re binge watching, the next door neighbor is rehearsing with their experimental Satanic grindcore band and your walls are made of paper. So, you go to the local coffee shop, but how long can you really hang out in a coffee shop before succumbing to the caffeine jitters and going into debt from all that expensive fair trade coffee? Wouldn’t it be great if, instead, you could bring your laptop to a bar with a great happy hour? Somewhere where instead of getting distracted by your cat, you could take work breaks where you shoot the shit with a bartender, who are known to provide great inspiration?

GUESS WHAT? You totally can do that, because there’s a bunch of Brooklyn bars with wifi, happy hours that start early and best of all, plenty of space for you to get some work done.

THE COBRA CLUB
6 Wyckoff Avenue (between Jefferson Street and Troutman Street), Bushwick
Happy Hour: 4pm-9pm daily

This Bushwick staple is a coffee shop by day, bar/ music venue by night. Open from 7am to 4am on weekdays and 8am to 4am on the weekends, Cobra is a great place to buckle down and get a caffeine buzz to go with your work flow. When it’s time to take a break, take in a yoga class (yes, a yoga class), grab one of their specialty cocktails which are all named after Misfits songs (TV Casualty is like the pumpkin spice latte your dreams are made of) or check out some great local music in the back room.

THE WEST
379 Union Avenue (between Hope Street and Ainslie Street), Williamsburg
Happy Hour: 5pm-8pm daily

Open 18 hours a day, The West has people working on laptops around the clock. There’s a great patio with wifi, which gives you the option to sit outside or in. Boasting a full espresso menu, seasonal cocktail menu, and a fully stocked bar, bartenders will  “Booze Your Coffee” with any hot or cold coffee or tea drink. Need extra inspiration for those TPS reports? Get your double buzz on with Irish Coffee, a Stout w/ shot of espresso, or Nitro Coffee Porter.

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SOUTH 4TH BAR
90 South 4th Street, Williamsburg
Happy Hour: 4pm-8pm Monday-Friday

Opening at 7am on the weekdays, you can go for the coffee, but just as easily order a $5 Hi-Life and shot from the start. Take a break with a game of foosball or Big Buck Hunter, document your humble beginnings in their sweet photo booth or, on the weekends, REALLY get down to business with their build-your-own-Bloody Mary bar.

PACIFIC STANDARD
82 4th Avenue (between Bergen Street and St. Mark’s Place), Park Slope
Happy Hour: 4pm-8pm Monday-Friday

Although it doesn’t double as a coffee shop like some of the other bars on our list, this traditional pub can meet your internet, beer, and office space needs all in one Park Slope location, thanks to their huge back room that has tables and a couple couches in case you’re looking to have a very relaxing work day. Making it a more attractive space for frequent working/drinking, the bar has a Frequent Drinker Card membership program, which you should be able to make work for you if you’re constantly finishing up freelance assignments there. Check out an extensive beer list on their blog, and distract your boss from your missed deadline with some handy trivia- they host everything from traditional pub quizzes to boozy astronomy seminars.

MUCHMORE’S
2 Havemeyer Street (between North 8th Street and North 9th Street), Williamsburg

This triple-threat is a coffeehouse, bar, AND music venue, boasting cheap drinks and free shows. They open at 10am everyday, which makes it the perfect spot to start working in the morning; they also feature tasty menu items, so you can settle in for the day. And what, you must be asking, if you also need to do some laundry? Fear not! They have a small coin-operated laundromat in the back of the bar. Talk about getting muchmore than just a bar with WiFi. (See what I did there?)

SODA BAR
629 Vanderbilt Avenue (at St. Marks Avenue), Prospect Heights
Happy Hour: 12pm- 7pm daily

With its daily happy hour going from 12 pm to 7 pm, this former old school soda shop-turned-bar offers arguably one of the best bar deals in Brooklyn. Cozy up with your laptop on one of their many couches and dig into something tasty from their lunch and dinner menu.

ABILENE
442 Court Street (at 3rd place), Carroll Gardens
Happy Hour: 4pm-7pm daily

This cozy spot offers a fully stocked bar, delicious burgers, and Southern comfort food (like fried okra!) in a relaxed setting. WiFi is available inside OR from a spot in their sidewalk seating area.

SUGARBURG 
519 Metropolitan Avenue (between Union Avenue and Lorimer Street), Williamsburg
Happy Hour: 5pm-7pm Monday-Friday

Nestled in the heart of Williamsburg, this weekend brunch spot is a coffee shop and bar (read: your new office) during the week. Come for the free WiFi, stay for the extensive menu of salads and Louisiana style po’ boy sandwiches.

BLACK SWAN
1048 Bedford Avenue (between Lafayette Avenue and Clifton Place), Bed-Stuy
Happy Hour: 11am – 7pm, midnight – close, daily

Remember that time we talked about Soda Bar’s all-day happy hour? Here’s another one: Black Swan’s happy hour goes from 11am – 7pm, then starts again from midnight – close (although we don’t recommend trying to do work there past 6pm). Boasting menu items like lobster mac n cheese and their signature Bloody Swan, a bloody mary loaded with cheese, bacon and olives, just make sure to proofread your work for tipsy errors and grease stains.

MISSION DOLORES
249 4th Avenue (between President Street and Carroll Street), Park Slope
Happy Hour: 2pm – 7 pm

Have you ever wanted to finish writing that screenplay in a former tire shop? We know you have, so look no further than Mission Dolores. Though there’s no kitchen, they’ve got a few snacks available for purchase, and the Oaxaca Taco right across the street will run a delivery order out to you. They’ve got ample laptop space and a wide selection of draft beers, plus pinball if you decide to take a break from looking at pictures of cats… er… working.

LUCKYDOG
303 Bedford Avenue (between South 2nd Street and South 1st Street), Williamsburg
Happy Hour: 2pm – 7 pm

Need to get some working and drinking done at the same time, but don’t want to leave Fido at home? Don’t have a dog, but want to get down with O.P.D. (other people’s dogs) while finishing that PowerPoint presentation? Look no further than Luckydog, Williamsburg’s premiere dog-friendly drinkery. They have shuffleboard, a patio, and a jukebox for breaks between strokes of genius.

BROOKLYN ICE HOUSE
318 Van Brunt Street (between Pioneer Street and Visitation Place), Red Hook
Happy Hour: 12pm – 8pm daily

Though this hidden gem in a hidden neighborhood is not super big on outlets, they make sure to charge YOUR batteries with deals like two pulled pork sandwiches for $5, plus $2 PBRs and ANOTHER all-day happy hour. That makes us, and our wallets… though maybe not our deadlines… very happy.

THE BRAZEN HEAD
228 Atlantic Avenue (between Court Street and Boerum Pl), Cobble Hill
Happy hour 4pm – 7pm Monday-Friday

Bring your laptop to this neighborhood spot from noon onward daily. Things stay pretty low key, so park yourself in a corner booth so you can stare out the window when your computer screen becomes too much. Later in the day, there’s a rush of lawyers and Brooklyn Law students who come in for happy hour, but while that’s not great for productivity, it can be handy – if you’re in need of any cheap legal guidance, ply one of those lawyers with one the Brazen Head’s excellent drink specials. Feeling fancy? Grab a Founders IPA and a shot of Bulleit for $12. Feeling significantly less fancy? A PBR and a shot of well whiskey is $7.

SKYTOWN
921 Broadway (between Melrose Street and Stockton Street), Bushwick
Happy hour 4pm – 7 pm

Another coffee shop/ bar hybrid, this chill spot opens at 10am and offers plenty of table space where you can work and a killer brunch on the weekends (can we say chicken and waffles?!). Stick around for happy hour and harness those muses with a $5 beer and shot special.

2 Comments

1. 

   MT Work Sep 30, 2015

   Good read! I foresee me getting plenty of drinking done and not much work…

   Sep 30, 2015 at 6:06 pm

   Reply
2. 

   Richard Oct 2, 2015

   The 14 bars recommended are all North of Prospect Park. What’s available South of the Park?

   Oct 2, 2015 at 1:12 pm

   Reply

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