writing locations?

Ya know, if you wanted to you could use our library. You can eat in the cafe section and it -

[checks]

- yes, it has outlets and access to the wireless.

Here are directions if it's doable for you:
http://hwlibrary.org/Hours_Directions.html (car directions, and we are of course located walking distance from the Hamilton-Wenham T stop on the Newburyport/Rockport line)

Hamilton-Wenham Public Library loves Nanowrimo. Consider writing YOUR novel here!

http://hwlibrary.org/Nanowrimo.html

hmm, a bit of a haul, but really not too bad, & i always enjoy the drive down 1A anyhow : ) i may try my luck more locally first, & see what happens...but this is definitely a good option, thanks!

I was just at Plum Island Roasters this morning in Newburyport, until the school called me and made me pick up my daughter b/c she has a fever.

So, Thursday morning I plan on going to Plum Island Roasters from 9.30 - ish until 11.00 or 11.30 ish. It is in NBPT on the waterfront. The parking lot was blocked off this morning - looked like they were taking bunches of boats out of the water today. You don't want to park in the paved lot near the Black Cow (or Brown Cow - whatever that restaurant is) because you now have to pay for parking there. You can park on the street for free or in the other lot downtown - they aren't charging for the other one. Hmm - hope you kinda know Newburyport or this will be very confusing.

Plum Island Roasters is very child unfriendly (which is good if you are writing a novel). No clue what the hours are.

I'm sure you could hang at a Dunkin Donuts but it just is too busy inside those places for me.

OR, also in NBPT Cafe Di Sienna. Love the desserts there. Love the atmosphere.

4th Year Nano Veteran

2009 Novel - Irukandji Diving - (thinking I need a better title)
(Irukandji are extremely venomous jellyfish)

Which Starbucks did you work at?

There is a Starbucks in NBPT but it is small and it's hard to get a table.

There is a Starbucks in Seabrook. I know last year, and the year before, there were semi-regular write-ins there. If Seabrook works you might want to check the NH forums.

Good luck, Beth

4th Year Nano Veteran

2009 Novel - Irukandji Diving - (thinking I need a better title)
(Irukandji are extremely venomous jellyfish)

hi beth--thanks for the replies.

i'm very familiar with nbpt, as i grew up in groveland & lived in nbpt for 3 years until just recently moving to merrimac. i actually worked at the sbux in nbpt--the problem with the seabrook location is that many nbpt customers also hit up seabrook during the day. i may try haverhill, but again, i know the manager/employees/customers. i am safe nowhere, which is a shame, because it's a great atmosphere for me : )

PICR might actually be a good option, although i don't usually frequent there because their hours seem to be "whenever we feel like being open." common for nbpt stores, though. oh, & just in case it helps you--you shouldn't have to pay in either of the water lots at this point (there's another on the other side of downtown, kind of near oldies flea market). they only charge fridays-sundays during the "summer," which seems to have ended last weekend.

cafe di...it is a cute atmosphere, but the owner is kind of nasty. & also doesn't stock soy milk, which, really? anyway...thanks again, & hope your daughter feels better!

j.

http://www.newburyportnews.com/archivesearch/local_story_294223303.html

Nope - they are now charging year round - which is silly b/c if you know NBPT you know there are bunches of places to park and not have to pay.

PICR - yes, their hours are not really, um, standard.

I'll let you know if I find / think of anyplace else. Beth

4th Year Nano Veteran

2009 Novel - Irukandji Diving - (thinking I need a better title)
(Irukandji are extremely venomous jellyfish)

oh! so lame. although at least it's by the hour, rather than just the flat $8 fee. & it does sound like the other (larger) water lot is still free. anyway, yeah, i always just park on the street.

edit: &, i wonder what they'll do during the snow bans? i hear the cries of outraged nbpt citizens in the near future...

There's a little parking area roped off right in front of Plum Island Coffee Roasters reserved for customers at no charge. (True this past summer and I don't know if that's changed.)

If anyone is interested in meeting at Starbucks in Seabrook on Friday evenings let me know and I'll try to meet you. I was there regularly on Fridays the last couple of years and it's very nice there with lots of seating and electric outlets.

I don't know anything about the owner of Cafe di Sienna being nasty--she's so rarely there, I wonder if you might be thinking of one of the employees. (Most of them are extremely nice.) My problem with the cafe is the CD player--it's faulty and the CDs skip. It's bad enough, but they keep the volume way up so it's really horrible and distracting.

I've got a room reserved at the Newburyport Public Library for the last 3 Mondays in November (16th, 23rd, 30th) beginning around 6:30. Bring in a coffee or snack if you like--we'll be in one of the rooms where food is allowed. No parking time limits on the street or in the lots after 4 or 5pm.

SweaterGrrrl

http://dorianachase.blogspot.com/

@Sweatergrrrl sorry for the delayed response--but anyway, i'm certain that i'm thinking about the owner. i haven't frequented the cafe di in years--when my friends & i used to go she was there pretty much every night. i'm sure she's a perfectly nice person, but she was *not* very welcoming to us as 16, 17, 18-year-old nightly customers. i get that we probably weren't her target demographic, but we were never unruly & together we probably spent $30+ a night at her business. eventually it just turned me off to the location entirely.

i wish i could make it monday nights in nbpt, but unfortunately weeknights aren't the best for my schedule.

hope everyone's writing is going well... : )

jess

Not that you all asked my opinion but I will put my 2 cents in on Cafe di in newburyport. I can't imagine that this would be a good place to sit and write. I completely agree with Skrap...the owners are rude, unwelcoming, and completely unfriendly. We live in town and know first hand that the staff/owners make going there a terrible and uncomfortable experience. The only reason I can explain why they are still in business is because of the late hours that they are open (there really isn't another place to get coffee and dessert in the late evening in town.) We went there one evening, years ago for coffee and dessert and they sold us our items knowing that we were going to eat them there (they put the dessert on plates for us and our coffee was in mugs) then we sat down at a table. 5 minutes later the owner came over to our table and said, "we are closed now. you have to leave" we tried to ask why they didn't tell us that when we ordered...she had no answer for us. Then as we were waiting for our friend to come out of the bathroom so we could leave, (he didn't even know we were being asked to leave) we were told we would have to wait for him outside. (they made us wrap our desserts in napkins to take with us)

Just so you know...we were 3 couples, all in our 30's, and had only had 1 drink with dinner. (not "teenagers", not loud, not drunk) I wan't see any way that I could recommend this place for anything much less for a place to sit and relax for a long period of time while you do some writing. I wouldn't be surprised if they asked you to leave if you were there too long.

Sorry, I hate to limit your options but had to speak up! If it is during the day, try Plum Island Roasters. They are wonderful and there is always people using laptops, having book club meetings or the like. I have even seen someone having a job interview there!

Good Luck.

yes. this would be my guess, too. your experience sounds very similar to many of mine--exactly why i don't bother anymore. was certainly not planning to attempt my writing there. i do think the later hours help keep them in business. thanks for your input!

I think I'm going to print this list of comments and give it to the owner.

SweaterGrrrl

http://dorianachase.blogspot.com/

"I think I'm going to print this list of comments and give it to the owner"

It is up to you, of course, but I am not sure that they care. They have been in business a long time doing things this way. People continue to go there and so there really is no need for them to feel like they need to change anything. Also, I really don't want my name to be connected with it in anyway. Like I said, I live in town and Newburyport can be a very small community when it comes to this type of thing. Based on my personal experiences, I have made the choice not to give them my business. All we can really do is hope that, if others have the same bad experiences they will also choose to give their business to other shops.

I just wanted to let writers know that they might not be made to feel welcome to sit and type on their laptops for hours on end in this particular location.

erm, yeah, i'm with RoadToFruition on this one. i may not live in nbpt anymore, but my husband & i both live/work locally & i certainly know enough of the townsfolk to not want to be involved in any negativity. definitely didn't mean to turn this into a cafe di drama thread--just wanted to share thoughts on good places to write! : )

Okay, you're right, let's keep it positive and share the GOOD places to meet and write.

SweaterGrrrl

http://dorianachase.blogspot.com/