12 Best Cafes to Work on the Upper West Side NYC (with WiFi)

Some time ago, I told you about the best cafes to work on the Upper East Side and today, it is time to tell you about the best cafes to work on the Upper West Side – with power outlets and free WiFi.

I’ve always been crazy about laptop friendly cafes, whether we’re talking about cool cafes to read in NYC, cafes to work in london, or super cute laptop friendly cafes in Lisbon.

Compared to the Upper East Side, the Upper West Side is a little bit more accessible if you’ve got a lower budget.

Still trendy amongst freelancers and digital nomads, which is I have decided to tell you about the best places to study on the Upper West Side – coffee shops in which you can stay for hours if needed.

And if you’d like to learn more about places to work around the world, check out the following guides:

• The Best Cafes to Work in Midtown
• The Best Cafes to Work in Brooklyn NYC
• The Best Cafes to Work in Astoria & Queens
• The Best Cafes to Work in East Village NYC

12 Best Cafes to Work on the Upper West Side NYC (with WiFi)

A long time ago, I started writing about all the best cafes to work in West London, Central London, and other cities like Barcelona, Rome, coffee shops to work in Paris, and many many more.

It was really high time I told you about working coffee shops in the city.

I started with Brooklyn, the East Village, and Manhattan, and later on, I will write about the best laptop friendly cafes in Chelsea, and Soho NYC as well.

There are lots of freelancers, students, and digital nomads living or visiting NYC at all times of the year.

As a digital nomad myself, it is of the utmost importance I find good coffee shops for studying and working on my laptop, as it is the one item I never depart from.

So if you’re looking for the best cafes to work on the Upper West Side, you will find everything you need today to stay for an hour, five hours or the whole day!

Best Cafes to Work on the Upper West Side: Irving Farm

First up, you have Irving Farm, which is nothing if not the coolest cafe to study on the Upper West Side. It does close a little bit early, like most coffee shops in NYC, though.

But even if Irving Farm closes at 5 p.m., it does open at 7:30 am, which means you still have plenty of time to be productive with work, read a great book, or just have some breakfast and coffee before starting the day.

Irving Farm is quite spacious, and you not only have a lot of power plugs, but also amazing background music. If you choose to use it as your work spot for the day, be aware there is no WiFi there, so you’ll have to hotspot.

However, this is probably one of the most comfortable cafes to work on the Upper West Side for a while – and surrounded by other freelancers!

Read: The Best Cafes to Work in Canary Wharf

Best Laptop Friendly Cafe Upper West Side NYC: Birch Coffee

Then, you have Birch Coffee, which is an amazing spot for freelancers students looking for cute coffee shops on the Upper West Side to work for a while.

At Birch Coffee, you have free WiFi, and just a few power outlets, so I would recommend coming with your laptop charged.

Located on Columbus Avenue, Birch Coffee offers some of the best coffee on the Upper West Side.

They do have super comfortable seating space, and you’re most likely going to find other people working on their laptops when you visit this gem of the Upper West Side.

Birch Coffee opens from 7.30 am to 4 p.m. every day of the week, so even if it closes quite early, you still have lots of time to work – even if you want to stay for a few hours.

Read: The Best Cafes to Work in Covent Garden

Best Coffee Shops to Work Upper West Side: Black Press Coffee

Black Press Coffee is probably one of the smallest cafes to work on the Upper West Side, but if you come early enough, you are sure to find free seats to settle at.

The great thing about Black Press Coffee is its opening hours since it is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day of the week.

Also, whether you’re looking for cafes to read or write in NYC or just really good laptop friendly cafes, you can basically do whatever you want at Black Press Coffee.

If there is one thing you won’t want to miss there, it is their specialty coffee, really delicious, and coupled with really friendly service.

Read: The Best Cafes to Work in East London

Best Cafes to Study Upper West Side: Boule & Cherie

To be honest, Boule & Cherie is best known for its delicious pastries, snacks, and sandwiches, however, if you’re looking for the best cafes to work in the Upper West Side, Boule & Cherie is one of the top picks for digital nomads and locals.

Boule & Cherie is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the week, and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at weekends, and since it is such a famous spot for laptop people, I would definitely recommend coming as early as possible.

It’s actually a piece of advice I give to anyone looking for cafes to work in Brick Lane, in Manhattan, or the East Village, just because NYC is so large that it is bound to be busy in laptop friendly cafes.

You have free WiFi at Boule & Cherie, however, there are very few power outlets, so I would recommend coming with your devices charged if you’re planning to stay for a bit.

Read: The Best Cafes to Work in South London

Best Cafes to Work on the Upper West Side: About Coffee

I have never talked to that much about About Coffee, but it is a great place to work if you’re looking for a comfortable working coffee shop.

It is located only a few minutes away from the Natural History Museum, one of the most famous landmarks in NYC, and one you really can miss if you are visiting.

About Coffee closes very early, around 4 pm. However, if you’re coming in the morning, you will find there are single tables that you can snatch as well as communal tables to share with other people working on their laptops.

This is personally something that has never been an issue for me, as I really love working close to other freelancers and students in coffee shops.

Just for that, About Coffee definitely is one of the best cafes to work on the Upper West side for anyone looking for that work atmosphere and some extra study motivation.

Read: The Best Cafes to Work in Bethnal Green

Best Cafes to Work in Manhattan UWS: Charlotte Cafe

Charlotte Cafe is a little bit different from other coffee shops like Black Press Coffee I mentioned at the beginning of this post, as it is really a coffee shop that revolves around pastries and premium fare.

However, if you’re looking for a cafe to work on the Upper West Side and really cannot find anything suitable for you, you will find that at Charlotte Cafe, you have power outlets and free WiFi, which makes it one of the best places to study on the Upper West Side.

The opening hours are great since Charlotte Cafe is open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. during the week and from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at weekends.

You really have to plenty of time to read a full book, work on your notes, or type away on your laptop.

I don’t know about you, but rustic types of instagrammable coffee shops in NYC always give me that work and study vibe so if you’re really looking to be productive, take a look at Charlotte Cafe.

Read: The Best Cafes to Work in Notting Hill

Best Cafes to Work on the Upper West Side: Plowshares Coffee Roasters

On Broadway, you have Plowshares Coffee Roasters, located in Bloomingdale’s.

This one is much closer to Harlem and really at the limit of the Upper West Side, but since Plowshares Coffee Roasters opens from 8 a.m. during the week, if you’re in the surroundings, you’ll find it’s an amazing study cafe.

Plowshares Coffee Roasters is aimed at people who would like to discover or re-discover the greatness of coffee, since they roast their own beans, and the menu is one of the finest in the whole of Manhattan.

I would say that if you’re looking for the best cafes to work on the Upper West Side and would like to stay for a few hours, Plowshares Coffee Roasters might not be the perfect place.

You do have great WiFi and power outlets, and the only reason why I am not recommending Plowshares Coffee Roasters to stay all day is simply the price of the almost fine dining menu.

Still, if your budget allows it, it is one of the best cafes to work in NYC, have breakfast, or just read a few pages of a great book. If you’re tight on a budget, by the way, you’ll find plenty of great parks in NYC – why not pop by the beautiful Brooklyn when the weather allows it?

Read: The Best Cafes to Work in Kensington London

Best Cafes to Work in NYC Upper West Side: Tap NYC

Then, you have Tap NYC, which has great opening hours from 8 a.m. to 8 pm and is one of the most famous places to eat if you like Brazilian food.

I would recommend visiting Tap NYC in the morning, or outside of lunchtime and dinnertime so you can really enjoy the empty space and the free WiFi.

It’s located really close to Strawberry Fields, on Columbus Avenue, and whether you are vegan or have to follow a gluten-free diet, Tap NYC is an amazing place to eat.

Of course, we are looking for the best cafes to work on the Upper West Side, laptop friendly cafes and not restaurants, but the single tables are comfortable and you can get some work done for an hour or two, before taking a stroll in the nearby park.

Read: The Most Instagrammable Cafes in Dubai

Best Coffee Shops to Work Upper West Side: The Hungarian Pastry Shop

I mentioned the Hungarian Pastry Shop in my guide to the best cafes to work in Manhattan some time ago, and here it is again, one of the highlights of the Upper West Side – and one of the most historical places in the area.

Although this is not a laptop friendly coffee shop per se, the Hungarian Pastry Shop attracts plenty of students, freelancers, and digital nomads all day, every day.

What you are going to want there is not only your classic espresso, since there are plenty of traditional Hungarian pastries available at the Hungarian Pastry Shop – and Hungarian coffee!

It is open from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. during the week and from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. at weekends, which means you have more than enough time to be productive and type away on your laptop without being disturbed by anyone.

However, since the Hungarian Pastry Shop is such a famous place, I would definitely recommend you come as early as you can so you can snatch a seat in the back where you will be able to work for hours on end.

Read: The Most Instagrammable Cafes in London

Best Cafes to Work on the Upper West Side: Paris Baguette

I have found for you one of the best cafes open late in NYC to work and study until you drop: Paris Baguette. That place is very well known for its French type of pastries, and they had quite a few branches all over Manhattan.

While most people would visit Paris Baguette to get breakfast, brunch, or just a cup of coffee and be on their way, it offers great WiFi.

There are almost no power outlets, but the fact that it is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. every single day of the week makes it one of the best cafes to work on the Upper West Side in my book.

Super spacious, with great coffee and pastries, you have literally everything you might wish for at Paris Baguette.

Read: The Most Instagrammable Cafes in Paris

Best Cafes to Work in Manhattan UWS: Blu Cafe

On Riverside Boulevard, close to Joe and the Juice that I will mention right after, you have Blu Cafe, another one of the ultimately best cafes to work on the Upper West Side.

This is a really basic, classic, and minimalist coffee shop in which you will come for your usual Americano or latte, and Blu Cafe also offers some really delicious pastries, sandwiches, and lunch snacks to keep you going throughout the day.

Blu Cafe doesn’t have a lot of power outlets at all, so I would recommend charging your laptop on your phone before you go.

However, they have pretty good WiFi and even their outdoor space has access to the WiFi, which is amazing if you’re looking for a study cafe during the warmer days.

It’s really overall a modern, beautiful cafe, open from 7 am to 7 pm every day, and really a perfect coffee shop for studying if you’re around Riverside Boulevard.

Read: The Most Colorful Cities in The World

Best Cafes to Work on the Upper West Side: Joe and the Juice

I love Joe and the Juice in London, and there is no reason why I wouldn’t love it in NYC, since the branch on Columbus Avenue, really close to Lincoln Square, is one of the best cafes to work on the Upper West Side.

Joe and the Juice always has that kind of similar vibe and they offer free WiFi as well as power outlets, and the background always feels super comfortable and worker-friendly.

That is one sure spot to visit for whoever is looking for the best cafes to read in NYC, or just laptop friendly cafes where they won’t feel out of place.

And I cannot stress this enough, Joe and the Juice on Columbus Avenue has plenty of power outlets, and great fast WiFi – really a digital nomad’s paradise.

Read: The Most Colorful Cities in Europe

12 Best Cafes to Work on the Upper West Side NYC (with WiFi)

There you have them, all the best cafes to work on the Upper West Side with your laptop, your books, and your notebooks!

I have tried to choose the really cute coffee shops that would motivate you to study and help you finish that novel or revise your notes.

As I said at the beginning of this post, I will be sharing other laptop friendly cafes in Soho, Chelsea, as well as other places in NYC and the USA very soon, so stick around!

Until next time!

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