I’ve never been a coffee snob. Always brewed my own–figured I could only guarantee liking it if I made it myself. Plus, as much as I like coffee, I rarely drink it. I’m not like the “coffee achievers“ of old who polish off three or four cups every morning–I drink it maybe a couple of times a month. But when I do want coffee, I want it done right.
All of this has changed for one simple reason: I finally put a wireless card on my laptop.
I had to go to Miami at the end of April for work. Most hotels provide some form of high speed broadband in the rooms–all you have to do is plug in once you arrive. But Hyatt Regency Miami’s high speed access is strictly wi-fi. I was ‘Net deprived all week, and not a happy camper.
I’ve deliberately avoided wireless because of security issues. I’d heard about war-driving and the like, and wanted no part of it. But more hotels are going to wireless broadband–and not providing a plug-in option–so it was clearly time to re-think going to wi-fi.
I spoke to a buddy of mine who’s an IT pro. He told me what I needed to know, and answered my security questions. And come Easter Sunday, I took advantage of CompUSA’s online sale to buy a wireless router and a wireless card for my laptop.
The card arrived first, and was easy to install and set up. Now the question was–did it work? I could wait another couple of days for my wireless router to arrive, but (a) I didn’t want to wait, and (b) if I set it the router up incorrectly or the router didn’t work, that still wouldn’t answer the question of “Does my wireless card work?”
So, how to find out?
I noticed a lot of coffeeshops advertising free wi-fi internet access, so the next time I was in Berea–which, coincidentally, was the afternoon of the day that the wi-fi card arrived–I stopped by Ground Effects. And since I consider it rude to use a free service from a business without buying something from them, I ordered a cafe mocha to sip while there.
Bastards. Now I’m hooked.
The card worked, obviously. And now I can’t go buy a coffeeshop without dragging my laptop in with me just for the novelty of it. (What can I say–it’s the simple things that bring me joy). That means I wind up buying designer coffee–because if I’m going to sit there for a hour and websurf, the least I can do is buy a chai latte or something.
And dammit, now I’ve developed a taste for this stuff.
The end result is I’ve scouted out all the local free wireless coffeehouses in Madison County I can find. The list includes:
Ground Effects in Berea. Inexpensive, decorated in modern Amercian futon, live music during the weekends, and a great chai latte.
LiveWire Cafe in Richmond. Also inexpensive, more upscale-y with its decorations, and also features local performances. I’ve only had their Italian sodas, but I can recommend them without fear.
(Update 2-7-2008: I’m sorry to report that the LiveWire Cafe has gone out of business.)
(Update 10-28-2009: I’m sorry to report that Ground Effects in Berea went out of business earlier this year. As far as I know, there are no remaining free wi-fi sources available in Berea.)
R. T.’s Cafe – not a coffeehouse, but a restaurant/bar in Richmond. Good food–I liked their steaks– and the bar has pool tables. Brand new, too–they’ve been open about six weeks as of this posting.
Near my home in Louisville we have….
Logos Coffee House – Frankfort Avenue. Reportedly Christian-owned (hence the name) and has a very laid-back, college-student-y vibe with its decorating (think Early American Goodwill). Great coffee, also serves yummy ice cream. My favorite of all the places, even though I’ve been out of college for fifteen years.
(UPDATE, 5-30-2007: I’m sorry to report that Logos Coffee House is no longer in business. Another cafe moved into that building a few months ago. I can’t say that I’m too suprised, as Logos was literally just a few doors down from Java Brewing, and as much as I liked them Java was definitely going to crush them competitively.)
Java Brewing Company – Also on Frankfort Avenue, but has other locations around town. Decadent pastries in addition to their great selection of coffees and teas. Get the caffe mocha and don’t be ashamed of it.
Heine Brothers - Frankfort Avenue and other locations. I haven’t checked their wireless out yet, but I’ve had their coffee and it’s outstanding. AFAIK, they’re the great-grandaddies of local coffeehouses. House blend is the best in town.
We have Starbucks in Louisville, but they’re a national chain, and as you can see I vastly prefer to support the local businesses. Plus, not all Starbucks offer wi-fi–the one in Frankfort, KY that I stopped by on my way home didn’t have it, for example. And from what I can tell, the wi-fi may not be free–it’s T-Mobile’s “HotSpot”, and apparently they charge for that service.
Near my workplace I found out that–joy of joys–the Embassy Suites hotel nearby offers free wi-fi, and not just to hotel guests. I asked the desk clerk and he confirmed that anyone who walks in with a wi-fi enabled laptop is welcome to use their service. This is great news as I eat at their hotel restaurant’s excellent lunch buffet on occasion–now I have even more reason to eat lunch there.
No coffee is served at the Louisville Free Public Libraries, obviously, but they reportedly offer free wi-fi as well. There’s a branch near me that I’ll have to check out.
I didn’t expect to enjoy being wi-fi enabled as much as I thought I would. I thought that there was no point in getting set up for it because of (a) security issues and (b) anywhere I went I’d have to pay an outrageous wi-fi access fee. Instead, free wi-fi abounds in public–at least, for now.
By the way, my router arrived a few days later and works fine. I now have the luxury of sitting with my laptop in my living room and having net access whenever I want–instead of having to drop everything and go into my home office. And of course, I can drink all the designer coffee I care to make.
