Likewise for me, in Brooklyn. Of course, I only have one coffee shop around - but I know several of the baristas there (one is in a great local band, Pass Kontr

Likewise for me, in Brooklyn. Of course, I only have one coffee shop around - but I know several of the baristas there (one is in a great local band, Pass Kontrol), and often see the bartenders from the bistro-bar down the block (whom I also know fairly well). Add to that the fact that the coffee shop has a "bottomless cup" option with cheap refills, and I find myself dividing my time like this: When I need to do a lot of photoshop work (slicing, dicing, css, et cetera), I work from home where I have a large monitor. When I need to do a lot of code work, I take my laptop down to the coffee shop. Wish I could stick my desk in the living room, but there really isn't any room! It is perpendicular to my south-east-facing window, though, so I get a lot of natural light which seems to help my mood quite a bit. I couldn't imagine working from home if I lived in a suburb, though. The occasional ten minute breaks (when I'm out of home, instead of out of the coffee shop) to go down and get a cup (or just to have a smoke) are quite nice, because I see a lot of people that I know from the neighborhood. I wouldn't be able to get that, no how no way, out of a suburb.