By Sarah Thomson, Peer Coach Team Lead
As winter looms in Boston, we aren’t able to take advantage of some of our favorite outdoor studying and writing spots. However, there are still plenty of options if you’re hoping to stay productive as you move indoors. Writing in public places is also a great way to be social while getting your work done. Writing can be a lonely thing, especially when you have to tell your friends you can’t go out because of a looming paper. Sitting in café or library gives you a chance to be with people, have some casual social interactions, and get your work done.
We’ve created a list of some of our favorite indoor places to write in Boston and hope this list will serve you well throughout the winter months!
Boston Public Library (BPL)
While the central branch of the Boston Public Library is located in beautiful Copley Square, there are branches scattered across nearly all Boston neighborhoods so you’re never far from a BPL location. BPL has space to study, read, write and also offers research and library services to community members. It’s a great place to write when you need a quiet escape.
Cambridge Public Library
With your library card, the world is your oyster at the Cambridge Public Library. Take advantage of free WiFi, public computers, extensive space for studying, writing and reading and community meeting spaces if you’ll be working in a group. With multiple branches, this library system is accessible to anyone living or working near Cambridge and is accessible by public transit.
Alumni Medical Library
If you’re on campus, look no further than the Alumni Medical Library. Located on the 12th and 13th floors of the Boston University Medical School, you can take advantage of research services, book a study room, order/check out books and articles and sit wherever you’re comfortable. This is a great space for quiet productivity and the perfect campus spot to write and work.
Trident Booksellers and Café
Trident brands itself as your “third place”—not your home, not your workplace, but a place where you can come to drink coffee, engage in conversation, and get down to business. A Boston staple for the past 40 years, Trident is both a bookstore and a café and the perfect spot to grab a snack, a drink, and get writing. The cozy ambiance is a bonus, too.
JAHO Coffee
Conveniently located on Washington Street, JAHO is the ideal place for lovers of coffee, tea, bubble tea, baked goods, good eats and productive Sundays alike. The South End location is down the street from BUSPH, but you’ll also find JAHO in Chinatown and Back Bay. The Chinatown and Back Bay locations are a also wine bars (if you’re hoping to sip a spiked coffee while you work). If you’re feeling adventurous you can also visit JAHO in Salem, MA and Tokyo, Japan.
The Sipping Room by Breeze
The Sipping Room by Breeze provides a wide variety of teas and coffee directly sourced from Asia, and the drinks are fantastic for writers who like to sip while they work. The ambiance is also lovely, and the matcha tea is a must for those who venture to the Sipping Room.
Café Nero
This Italian-inspired coffeehouse is the perfect place to work if you like a bustling spot. Café Nero also has locations across the city (our favorites are in Fenway and Fort Point) and you’ll always be inspired by the people around you, hard at work, as the café is often busy. They offer delicious drinks, snacks, and a large menu of food items. It’s the perfect place to be in winter when the fireplaces are blazing.
Farmer Horse Coffee
Located on Massachusetts Avenue, this small local coffee shop offers quick service, stunning décor, and a variety of places to sit where you can get comfortable and start your work for the day. They also serve various drinks and snacks throughout the day. Their sandwiches are something special and this is a relaxing spot to dive into whatever project you’re working on.
Pavement Coffee House
Pavement Coffee House boasts eight locations in Boston and is independent and locally-owned. They sell a wide array of drinks, and you can purchase their coffee grounds to bring a taste of Pavement home with you as well. They make their own bagels in house, and patrons love the atmosphere here, while students frequent the various locations to write and collaborate with their peers.
Forge Baking Company
If you’re in Somerville or looking for a good destination for a walk across the river, check out Forge Baking Company. Always shifting art exhibits, great sandwiches and desserts, and the best mochas north of the Charles. The Forge owners have two other excellent cafés in Somerville: Diesel in Davis Square and Bloc 11 in Union.
Caffé Bene
You walk past it all the time, right on Mass Ave and Huntington (opposite the BSO), and up a short flight of stairs. One member of our team has been passing it for years and finally went in. The space is cozy but fairly large. You can get your beverages in actual ceramic mugs (just be sure to ask). And the ice cream desserts are massive. While there’s only one Caffé Bene in Boston, it’s the largest coffee house chain in South Korea. If you go there to work, you can imagine that you are part of a community of writers toiling away over hot drinks across the globe.
