Wi-Fi in the Downtown/West Loop Area

Now that I no longer have a downtown office, I have been finding myself downtown with extra time between appointments. I'm looking for places that feature free wi-fi access so that I can get some work done while I kill some time. I know I can go to a Starbucks and pay, but I'd rather patronize a more local place. Free access is a definite plus.

Free Wi-Fi? Consider then the Harold Washington Library (or any other branch of the CPL).

On principle I refuse to pay for wi-fi, although there are slim pickings in the downtown area. If you're willing to make a food purchase, try the Krispy Kreme at 175 W. Jackson, Westgate Coffeehouse at 924 W. Madison, Camille's Cafe at 400 N. LaSalle or Cereality at Monroe and Wacker. The restaurants and public areas at 311 S. Wacker have wi-fi, and the Apple Store is a good place to sit and work. If they don't throw you out, you can try the lobbies at the Peninsula, Allegro, Sheraton, Westin River North or Amalfi. (Interestingly, I went in the Talbott Hotel bar earlier this year, ordered a drink, and as I opened my laptop was told the wi-fi was for "guests only." What are paying customers, chopped liver?)
>>Brent

Jerry's Delihas free WiFi and some tasty sandwiches..

Westgate Coffeehouse does as well...

Jerry's Sandwiches
1045 W Madison
Chgo, IL 60607
312.563.1008

Westgate Coffeehouse
924 W Madison
Chgo, IL 60607
312.829.WEST

Thanks all. These are some good recommendatons.

Steve,

I'm a big fan of the coffee, atmosphere, and Wi-Fi at Intelligensia in the Monadnock building (Jackson & Dearborn).

Best,
Michael

BTW, for all your Panera-heads (it's now 4PM, and I've been sitting here since 8:30 AM at the Panera in Lake Bluff), they're finally opening downtown somewhere around at State and Van Buren next month. Not particularly convenient, but I gather it's for the Columbia, DePaul and Roosevelt crowds. Still my favorite wi-fi place to work when important stuff has to be done.
>>Brent

brotine wrote:BTW, for all your Panera-heads (it's now 4PM, and I've been sitting here since 8:30 AM at the Panera in Lake Bluff), they're finally opening downtown somewhere around at State and Van Buren next month.

Yes, I've seen the sign up on the new dorm building (SE corner of Congress and State). I don't know if they are open yet.

steve,
try searching with this:
http://metrofreefi.com/free-wifi-chicago-IL-USA.htm

the above url has been mentioned here:
Coffee, Lunch and Free Wifi

shannon clark discusses others here

indeed. paying for wifi is a crime, but.. i'm paying for DSL at home so... enjoy!

Sip cafe at 1223 W. Grand is one of my favorite coffee places in Chicago and they have free wi-fi. I was a little nervous because they tore up the inside of it and expanded not to long ago--I was worried it might lose it's charm. But, no...they've built a great, sunny, lofted space and they still have an outdoor garden (only, what...6 months until it's warm enough to use it). They also brew a great cup of joe and have delicious zuchini bread.

Not exactly downtown, but I'm told both Rush and Stroger Hospitals have wide open Wi-Fi. I don't know this for a fact, just have been told.

Lee

brotine wrote:On principle I refuse to pay for wi-fi

TonyC wrote:indeed. paying for wifi is a crime, but.. i'm paying for DSL at home so... enjoy!

Well, more realistically, there might be the occasional spot whose owner just decides it's OK to make less money, but I'd reckon most owners subsidize "free" wi-fi by raising prices on their products, in which case this boils down to "I expect the patrons who don't use the service to subsidize me by paying more at the register."

in which case this boils down to "I expect the patrons who don't use the service to subsidize me by paying more at the register."

I doubt many places have raised prices to cover wi-fi-- much more common to see it as a traffic builder. Anyway, I doubt there's a direct relationship between wi-fi and prices, except in the sense that a place that adds any amenity (new carpet, a play area, free valet parking, whatever) will tend to raise prices over time as it gets posher. We're all paying for anything in a restaurant, ultimately, but it's not so direct as "I didn't use the women's restroom, charge me a penny less for my Quarter Pounder!"

Oh, and speaking of posh, yes the new Sip is insanely so, and last time I was there it was wall to wall with people worshipping at their Titanium Apple shrines. But I don't think prices went up...

Given the fairly cost of a decent DSL line, which they probably have for the office computer anyway, and the very cheap cost of an access point, I can't imagine it's something that needs much subsidizing.

If you charged people $2 an hour to use it, you'd probably start turning a profit after the first day. At the latest.

Bob S. wrote:

brotine wrote:On principle I refuse to pay for wi-fi

TonyC wrote:indeed. paying for wifi is a crime, but.. i'm paying for DSL at home so... enjoy!

Well, more realistically, there might be the occasional spot whose owner just decides it's OK to make less money, but I'd reckon most owners subsidize "free" wi-fi by raising prices on their products, in which case this boils down to "I expect the patrons who don't use the service to subsidize me by paying more at the register."

I think, more accurately, that most places require a DSL (or better) line to run their businesses. It really doesn't cost them anything extra (beyond the initial cost of a < $100 wireless router) to be able to offer access to their customers. I can't see how the small tax deductable cost of a DSL line would cause someone to "make less money". The places that charge for access are looking at it as a profit center.

Arghhh!!!

I turned in my paper on WiFi two days ago....Just typing the four letters hurts

Anyway, if any of you are running an altruistic (free) access point, CYA and turn off file sharing. It's default enabled on XP Home Edition!!

Suffice to say, if using borrowed bandwidth, play nice...from my paper:

One of the first steps taken in any computer crime is to subpoena an Internet Service Provider for the IP Address of the computer. This unique address pinpoints the computer to a physical time and place that can then easily identify the owner of the computer. By stealing bandwidth from an unsuspecting owner of a non-secure wireless network, any record of wrongdoing will be mapped to an innocent party. Vice-President of Ovum Wireless Telecoms Roger Entner not only believes unauthorized access is common theft; he also worries about identity theft. "The other danger is that you can mimic, you can assume the digital identity of the person who owns the hotspot, and you can engage in a range of things, such as slandering or downloading child pornography. In the end, it's the person who has the hotspot who will get nailed for it," Entner said. It remains to be seen if a non-secure wireless network operator will be ensnared by his IP address, but at the very least he will be subjected to a through search of his hard drives. The irony is that the search of the hard drive might turn up a nonrelated legal issue that the owner is guilty of transgressing.

SteveZ wrote:The places that charge for access are looking at it as a profit center.

Charge or no charge to Wi-Fi: just because they linger to access the internet, do these customers really buy more product?

Earlier this year when Hot Doug was cooking at Bloomingdales, someone inquired if he had Wi-Fi. He said there was no benefit to him to have people linger in his store. He wanted customers to buy his food, eat it and move on.

I've seen some very modest restaurants with very few tables advertising Wi-Fi access. I think it would be more profitable to concentrate on turning over tables rather than keeping people longer than necessary.

While it may be the latest trend to get people into a retail business, I don't think every business really benefits from making Wi-Fi available.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:

SteveZ wrote:The places that charge for access are looking at it as a profit center.

Charge or no charge to Wi-Fi: just because they linger to access the internet, do these customers really buy more product?

Indeed. A fair number of coffee shops that used to offer free wifi are now shutting it off entirely. In this example, a pretty well-known seattle coffee shop is shutting off wi-fi on weekends, to discourage people who spend 8 hours a day there hunched over laptops. It didn't create the vibe they wanted in the place.

Before Wi-Fi, “People talked to each other, strangers met each other,” she said. Solitary activities might involve reading and writing, but it was part of the milieu. “Those people co-existed with people having conversations,” said Strongin.

But “over the past year it seems that nobody talks to each other any more,” she said. On the weekends, 80 to 90 percent of tables and chairs are taken up by people using computers.

Well, huh, I had no idea that DSL was that commonplace for a place like a coffee shop. I mean, my impression of the level of technology in most small businesses comes from the number of ATMs I use that dial out over a modem -- it just doesn't strike me that coffee shops and bakeries would need always-on high-speed access for their own uses. Once again I'm schooled, I guess.

Well, huh, I had no idea that DSL was that commonplace for a place like a coffee shop.

If they're a franchise the odds are very good that their whole point-of-sale system (that's cash registers to normal folks) is wired to the home office by DSL or satellite uplink or sub-neural teleportation or something. I did some work related to a certain country breakfast chain (that rhymes with "Rob Nevins") and, jeez, they're ahead of the Defense Department when it comes to technology deployment on the front lines. I'm serious, one harsh word about the biscuits and gravy from Donald Rumsfeld and they could take us down.

If they're a couple of guys running a coffee place, or a Greek guy running a diner, the odds of all that are considerably less.

Mike G wrote:If they're a couple of guys running a coffee place, or a Greek guy running a diner, the odds of all that are considerably less.

Generally, I think you're right, but I think you'd be surprised at how many small businesses have internet access. SBC and other telecoms have been offering internet access as part of the package deal for small businesses for quite some time now.

Even my barber has it.