by Rachel Smith
12 August 2016
Anyone who writes around a toddler knows there’s often only one solution: find a good coffice (cafe/office), and go there regularly.
The rise of the coffice isn’t new; there are Twitter accounts devoted to the trend, but I’m fast becoming a convert – despite having written before about how I need absolute silence to write.
It seems you can break your own rules when you know your options are a) try to write in your home office while a pudgy toddler tries to sit on your keyboard and demands you open a tab for a Peppa Pig YouTube marathon; b) negotiate with partner to look after said toddler while you try to write in the bedroom, only to have two-year-old knock on the door repeatedly saying, ‘Helllooooooooo mama, mama, hello!’
Thankfully, there’s c): go to a cafe.
Yeah, I’ll take the clink of cutlery and chit-chat of nearby cafe patrons any day when it comes to actually meeting a deadline. And, surprisingly, I’m finding my coffice sessions are far more productive than I expected.
I finally organised child minding for my son 3 mornings a week, and if he’s being looked after at home, I grativate to cafes to write. The added perk is that I can meet clients there and conduct phone calls if I need to. It’s cheaper than office space, cosier and someone cooks for me / makes me cups of tea. Win-win.
But the big question is, of course, what makes a good coffice? For me, there has to be a comfy couch of some kind (or a seat with cushions), free WIFI and tables large enough for a bowl of soup, a teapot and your laptop. They also have to have friendly wait staff who are happy to let you be for a few hours while you sweat it out trying to get the first draft of your article done. The ideal coffice should also be far enough away from the office that you can get some exercise getting there, but not too far that you have to bother with driving and parking.
I came close to finding the perfect coffice with the former Berkelouw Cafe Bookstore off Newtown’s King St. It was a gorgeous converted warehouse space, quiet and bookish, with a yummy menu and chilled-out vibe. Then it shut down, to the howls of Newtown freelancers everywhere. The space downstairs was replaced with the crazy-popular Brewtown, which is airy and spacious and has a huge white communal table at the front where you could easily plonk a laptop – but it’s often so busy it’s really a place I’d rather go to eat than work.
At a pinch, I can bang out a draft or two at the Milk Bar on King Street (there’s no WIFI but good zucchini fritters and lots of space). Or I could walk down to Gather on the Green or the newly opened Acre in Camperdown.
But to be honest, I still haven’t found what I’m looking for, coffice-wise… so my search continues.
Have you got a coffice where you live? Sharing is caring! Especially if it’s somewhere in the inner west… and has a couch.
Photo by Sabri Tuzcu, Unsplash
I quite like a bit of bustle around me as I write, depending what it is I’m working on.
In the Melbourne CBD I’d suggest Krimper in Guildford Lane as a good ‘coffice’; no sofas, but nice big solid tables that are great for a laptop to sit on. Also the cafe is big enough that you don’t feel too much hassle to move on. And it has spectacular food.
Thanks for sharing Tim, I’m guessing there are enough nice big solid tables there that you didn’t feel the need to keep your coffice on the downlow 🙂
I love a cafe with one big table, if I can find it, especially if I need to spread out all my notes (I suspect cafe owners don’t like me quite as much!).
I moved to Sydney’s Inner West from Toronto, Canada a year ago, and trying to find a good coffee shop to work in has been my greatest hurdle. Sydney is one of the few cities in the world that I’ve visited (and worked from) where working in cafes almost seems to be a cultural faux-pas.
However, the folks at Illi Hill in Marrickville are open to having more freelancers frequent their cafe (the owner was thinking about trying to actively promote this) and if you ask nicely, they’ll hook you up with the WiFi password. Other suggestions: 2204 on Addison Road (no WiFi, but they’re friendly to freelancers) and Belljar Coffee on Alice Street (has WiFi).
Oh thanks for those Jessica! Will have to check them out. Not sure I agree that it’s a faux pas here though – wherever I go in Newtown I see people with their laptops working so I think it’s quite a trend around my ‘hood. On King Street the Milk Bar is good for working from and I also like Barmuda on Australia Street and, when it’s quiet, Black Star has a tiny inside area with cushions that can be cosy. But the WIFI thing is sucky. I love the Surry Hills Library for that reason – free wifi and really cool place to work.
I refer to The Letter Lounge in Windsor Road at Red Hill, Brisbane, as my coffice. I love that the owners have used newsprint and typography for décor, that they’re quite happy to have patrons sit on one coffee, use their wifi and work — and that they have break-out meeting rooms (useful for interviews). Oh, and did I mention the masseur in a corner who sets up on Tuesday mornings for shoulder and neck work… Truly my weekly (okay sometimes twice weekly) visit to the coffice is a sanity saver!
That sounds seriously awesome… you lucky thing!
I have done interviews etc at Urban Bites up the other end of Newtown. Tables are big and it’s relatively quiet during the day. Staff are always really nice and friendly.
Will have to check that out Lynne, thanks for the tip. I also keep walking past The Pie Tin (I think that’s what it’s called) and it looks conducive to a good bunk-down-and-write session… haven’t been there though.
Your quest is much like ours, Rachel. But we’re not looking for the best coffice, but the best coffices! As, there are sure to be dozens across Australia.
Here are our Top 5 Melbourne coffices:
https://worcere.com/blog/5-best-coffices-melbourne