Trident Booksellers & Cafe is where you should head if you’re looking for an atmosphere that’s quite a few steps above the average coffee shop or cafe.

Of course you can sip on a cup of coffee while you’re surfing the internet at Trident, but you can also eat an amazing gourmet meal. How does lemon ricotta stuffed french toast sound? Or perhaps some pumpkin and brie ravioli? And nothing will motivate you to get your work done like a creamy, delicious chicken pot pie.

Trident also has a large selection of espessos, smoothies, and desserts,

Just make sure you don’t get distracted by the huge selection of books and magazines; Trident is Boston Proper’s last remaining independent bookstore. Books, coffee, gourmet food, and Wi-Fi…it doesn’t get any better!

Another distraction I’ve been known to give into: Trident is located on Newbury St., which has pretty much the best shopping in Boston. It can be crazy difficult to get any work done when there are hundreds of stores screaming your name just feet away (think BCBG, Juicy Couture, DKNY, and many, many more).

Huge bonus that Trident is open until midnight every night! And by that time, the stores are long closed and I’m finally starting to get work done.

It can be tough to find free wireless in Beacon Hill, so Au Bon Pain is the place to go if you’re looking to get out of your apartment and into the public. There’s an awesome Starbucks across the street, but if you don’t have AT&T phone service, you cannot use it. Trust me, I’ve tried many times.

You’ll probably be tempted by Au Bon’s pastries, cookies, and bagels, but if you’re going to be hanging out there a couple times a week, maybe you should stick to the soups. They’re fabulous, by the way; My personal favorite is the Harvest Pumpkin.

There are plenty of tables and chairs, but you might need to check to make sure there’s an outlet near you before you sit down! They don’t have too many and there’s nothing more annoying than sitting down, setting up shop with your laptop, and then realizing your battery is dead and your cord doesn’t reach across the shop to an outlet.

As if you needed another excuse to hang out and chow down on paninis, pastries, bagels, and other carb-licious foods all day. Panera offers free wireless internet, so you can bring your laptop and do work while you eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Not that I’ve done this…OK, maybe I have. But I need fuel to get my work done, right?

Panera does ask that you limit your wireless time during their busy lunch hours and on occasion they shut their wireless off. I find this extremely annoying, but I can understand why they want to open up seating for customers who want to buy lunch.

You might have to ask yourself to limit your carb-intake by choosing some of their healthier soup and salad options. But hey, at least you’ll be getting work done! The Fandango Salad is one of my favorites, as is the French Onion Soup. Yum.

1 Hour Free Wireless in Brookline

Did you know you have access to 1 hour of free wireless Internet in certain areas of Brookline, MA? These areas include Coolidge Corner, Washington Square, Brookline Village, Downes Field, Cypress Playground, Warren Playground, Larz Anderson Park, and Armory Playground.

So whether you want to sit on a bench in Coolidge Corner or use your laptop while swinging on the swingset at Warren Playground, you can at least get an hour of fresh air.

Peet’s Coffee & Tea is my favorite place to hang out and take advantage of the free Brookline wireless. The clientele is extremely friendly and if you hang out there enough, you’ll find yourself making new friends. I’m actually quite surprised they haven’t asked me to pay rent there yet as I tend to be there all the time.

Wireless Internet Etiquette

It’s a fabulous thing to take advantage of a place’s free wireless internet, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t practice some etiquette!

• If the cafe or shop is crowded and people are waiting for a seat, limit your time.
• You don’t have to spend the whole day ordering food and chowing down, but don’t utilize a place’s wireless if you’re not going to buy anything from them.
• If you’re by yourself, sit at a table for one if possible.
• Use headphones if the work you’re doing on your computer involves some sort of audio.
• Be friendly to the staff. Who knows, they might even start bringing coffee right to your table!

Boston Public Library an excellent destination if you’re looking for free wireless internet AND quiet. You can sit at a table in one of the open halls or squeeze yourself into a nook and cranny between book shelves and get just the right amount of privacy.

If you are sans laptop, you can use one of the library’s computers in their labs, but will have a time limit (generally an hour). And beware, because there are often some sketchy characters hanging out and taking advantage of the free computers and internet. And in the experiences I’ve had there, these sketchy characters often smell bad. And will probably stare at you a lot, making you pretty uncomfortable.

And that is why I highly recommend bringing your own laptop and finding your own little hiding space at the BPL.

Do you occasionally feel torn by your various personalities? Maybe you’re a computer nerd who also enjoys hanging out at a bar now and then. Miracle of Science is perfect for anyone who’s feeling a bit conflicted.

Coffee shops can be boring. And nothing says “let’s get a lot of work done” like a beer or two. So stop in, grab a beer, and take advantage of the bar’s free Wi-FiI. I don’t really recommend whipping out your laptop on a Friday or Saturday night as the bar can get crowded, but in general, the bar is a great place to get work done or have a little business meeting.

The menu is written on the wall within the periodic table of elements. And while the food isn’t the best, the beer selection and bar atmosphere are fabulous.

Attention girls: This bar is the perfect place to find a hot techy-geek man. You know they’re smart (chances are he goes to MIT), but that they also know how to have fun (he’s at a bar after all). This place is always filled with smart cuties. Ask him if he minds helping you with some programming on your website, or whether or not he recommends the newest MacBook. He’ll eat it right up. And that’s the “Miracle of Science.”

Bring your laptop to Grand Prix Cafe if you’re looking for looking for really, really good coffee and a fun atmosphere.

If you’re a formula 1 fan, you’re in luck because it’s usually showing on the cafe’s plasma TV. I’m not so much a Formula 1 fan, but I still think theme cafes are fun and I find myself getting sucked into watching even though I have no idea what exactly I’m looking at.

The staff at Grand Prix Cafe is super nice and don’t mind if you stay and hang out for a while.

More Free Wireless Internet in Boston

• b.good- 131 Dartmouth St., Boston
• Cactus Club- 939 Boylston St., Boston
• Bruegger’s Bagels- 375 Longwood Ave., Boston
• JP Licks- 311 Harvard St., Brookline
• La Luna Cafe- 403 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge