Coffee shops are home to a blend of patrons as unique as their beans and brews. Wilkes-Bashford suited financiers flocking for their morning fix, mutton-chopped pseudo-intellectuals reading Notes From Underground for the tenth time, and hopeful, out-of-work professionals banging the LinkedIn and Craigslist bushes for that next opportunity create a scene worth more than a mere glance up from your laptop. Since Gav Newsom’s plan to cast an all-encompassing Spidey-net of WiFi across the city fell short, those of us who telecommute and can’t mooch a connection off an unsuspecting neighbor need to have a trusty map of hotspots throughout the city; preferably ones that have stimulants on hand. These hubs of communication, both online and off, are ready to whip up your specific caffeine concoction, supply ample WiFi, and host a plethora of personalities all in search of an uppity buzz.

The Grove
With permanent wooden tables and benches gracing the sidewalk right outside its doors, The Grove churns out not only great coffee but also a range of micro-brews and Euro suds to calm the nerves if your caffeine buzz reaches OD status. They also offer an extensive menu, and you pay before you sit down, which means no bill at the end of the meal. God I love that. You do have to open your wallet again for WiFi but it's usually worth a few bucks. After all, would you really rather be in the office? Their formula for coziness, comfort food, and coffee has been replicated on Chestnut Street, Fillmore, Hayes Valley, and at the Yerba Buena Gardens on Mission Street, so no matter where you reside, the goodness of at least one Grove is just a Muni ride away. 

Jane on Fillmore
Take a pinch of SoMa, slice up some Mission, add a spoon full of Dogpatch, stir for almost a year on one of Fillmore Street's the most stylish blocks, and you get Jane on Fillmore. Modish with black accents throughout, a prominent buffalo’s head (taxidermy being staple for any hip eatery or lounge) surveys the coffee bar and downstairs tables. The space is perfect for a catch-up convo or some solitary work. Baked goods are created with superb ingredients and, on top of free WiFi, the subtle soundtrack is designed for those who enjoy actual music, not stale radio top 50. 

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
For Northern Californians (please, stop saying NorCal) with overly sunny dispositions or transplants from down south, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has three San Francisco locales. The space of every The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is designed with bright pastels and hints of neon and muted purple, fashioning an LA atmosphere in an SF world. Famous for their flavored and highly addicting iced and blended composites, Coffee Bean’s WiFi is on point as well as free. No need to feel traitorous to your foggy and literary SF roots; Coffee Bean is a happy place to fuel your focus. 

Coffee Bar
Strategically inhabiting the corner of Mariposa and Florida Streets, at the cusp of the Mission and Potrero Hill ‘hoods, the aptly named Coffee Bar is a two-tiered Mecca of laptops, good tunes, hip tech telecommuters, delectable bites, and carefully chosen coffees. Also offering beer, the front patio, sheltered by shrubbery and flora, gets some great sunshine during our non-fog months.