The Hoboken Guy

Hoboken Guy’s Free Wi-Fi Crawl

Posted on 09. Mar, 2009 in Essentials

You’re tired of working from home because your kids are running around shooting water guns at you and your dog is constantly begging you for treats. Or you just need to take a break from that same ol’ office cubicle to spark that next big idea. I feel ya! And that is why I’ve decided to start an on-going Hoboken Guy mission to find every free wi-fi hotspot in Hoboken. But wait, hasn’t a million other sites done this already?

Yes! Most of the free wi-fi hotspots have been found, but the main goal of this mission is to find the best free wi-fi hotspot overall. How many times have you been stuck at a cafe thinking there was free wireless, but you have to pay? How about when your battery is about to die and all the power outlets are taken? Or the location is so busy, you have no spot to sit. These are all things we should take into account before deciding to put in the effort of going to these locations. So in the next couple of months, I plan on updating this section with comprehensive reviews about each free wi-fi location. Feel free to voice your favorite locations or any hotspots I haven’t mentioned below.

So get off your butt, take your laptop with you and take advantage of the free wi-fi at any of these local businesses around town.

GANACHE CAFE

Location:1500 Hudson Street – Right by Hudson Tea House Condos (view map)
Hours: TBD
Contact: (201) 792-2003
Website: cafeganache.com

Network Name: ganache

Signal Strength
Excellent wi-fi signal with very fast speeds. At times, I’d be so focused on my work and forget that I wasn’t at home surfing the internet. To resolve the past issue of people living in the Hudson Tea to steal their wi-fi signal, they change their password everyday. Very smart.

Working Enviroment
With all the other Hoboken cafes I’ve experience thus far, I wasn’t expecting a large amount of room. But Ganache offers a generous open space to relax and enjoy their great sandwiches, coffee and deserts. Stuff your face with their muffins and vanilla chai, and your tastebuds will be in heaven. In the front of the cafe, they have a nice setup of tables and a little nook of comfortable couches to lounge in. To me, it literally almost felt like home, so I consider this place one of my favorites. The owners are super-friendly too!

Number of Power Outlets
Ganache has 3 outlets enough to power 6 laptops, but they are all located by the couch area. All the other sitting areas have no outlets to charge and I was hoping they had one by the windows, since I enjoy natural light. But overall, how could I complain with a place that has 6 plugs next to a bunch of of big fat comfy couches.

CREPE GRILL

Location: 525 Frank Sinatra Drive (view map)
Hours: Mon – Fri: 11 AM – 10 PM, Sat – Sun: 12PM – 9PM
Contact: (201) 792-7373
Website: crepegrill.com

Network Name: crepe grill

Signal Strength
Full signal with fast loading speeds.

Working Enviroment
Enjoy the beautiful waterfront view of New York City while munching on some delicious chocolate crepes. Not enough seats in the cafe? No worries! The wireless access is available outside the restaurant, so you can grab one of the outdoor benches next to the cafe and enjoy some web browsing while catching some fresh air or watching the soccer games going on at Sinatra Park

Number of Power Outlets
There are no power outlets, so charge your laptop before you arrive at this hot spot.

ZEBU FORNO

Location: 5 Marine View Plaza (River Street between 1st and 2nd Street (view map)
Hours: Mon – Thurs: 7 AM – 10 PM, Fri – Sat: 7 AM – 11 PM, Sun: 7 AM – 9 PM
Contact: (201) 653-6900
Website: zebuforno.com

Network Name: zebuforno

Signal Strength
Very strong signal with very high data speed.

Working Enviroment
Zebu Forno is probably not the first place people think of when it comes to free wi-fi and that’s why I consider this place to be one of Hoboken’s best kept secrets. Whether it’s on a weekday or during the weekend, this hidden hot spot is never crowded and offers a good amount of space for you to tackle your work and enjoy baguettes, freshly-baked pizza and delicious gelato. And just in case you had a tough work week and need to pop open a bottle of wine, this place is BYOB. Across the restaurant, they’ve got over 16 tables and 7 of the most comfortable lounge chairs.

Number of Power Outlets
Zebu Forno has beat all wi-fi hot spots with the most power outlets. Every table that’s lined up against the wall has a dedicated power outlet with a total of 14 power outlets. That’s enough to keep 28 laptops happy! What impressed me the most was that they even had power outlets next to my favorite little nook of super-comfy lounge chairs.

PANERA BREAD

Location: 308 Washington Street between 3rd and 4th Street (view map)
Hours: TBD
Contact: (201) 876-3233
Website: panerabread.com

Network Name: panera

Signal Strength
Strong signal, but slow speeds. Wi-fi is great for general web browsing, but don’t even try watching an episode of Lost or browsing Flash heavy sites.

Working Enviroment
Relax with some delicious panini sandwiches, coffee and sweet pastries. On weekdays, there’s a good amount of space for you to dive into your creative flow. But avoid weekends, because this place gets extremely packed.

Number of Power Outlets
Panera Bread offers enough outlets to charge 6 laptops with 3 power outlets each with 2 sockets. Two power outlets are located in the front right side of the cafe. The other power outlet is located between the two front couches underneath the small table.

BASIC CAFE

Location: 356 13th Street (view map)
Network Name: BASIC
Hours: Mon – Fri: 7 AM – 8 PM, Sat: 7:30 AM – 9 PM, Sun: 8 AM – 9 PM
Contact: (201) 792-9202
Website: basiccaferestaurant.com

Network Name: basicburger

Signal Strength
One of the fastest free wi-fi browsing I’ve experienced thus far.

Working Enviroment
Considering its quiet location, Basic Cafe probably doesn’t get a lot of visits compared to the other free wi-fi locations that sit on the busy streets of Hoboken, making it a nice spot if you want to avoid the usual crowded areas. Not only is the wi-fi connection just as fast as my home connection, but I have all the power outlets for myself to keep my laptop battery happy. It can get distracting with the radio and flat screen TV, but overall it’s got everything you need. If you’re looking for a great meal to go with your creative getaway, the Bul-Go-Gi Steak Sandwich is to-die-for. They’ve also got a variety of deserts and caffeine to stuff your face so you can keep that brain thinking.

Number of Power Outlets
There’s only 1 power outlet with 2 sockets near the bar chairs.

Map of all Free-Wi-Fi Spots in Hoboken

Upcoming Reviews
Next Hoboken Guy stops for free wi-fi reviews: Little Grocery, Legal Beans and Sushi House.

Tags: Essentials, free, wi-fi, wireless