Loitering

I am looking for a new job, which means that I spend a lot of time networking and interviewing -  over coffee, over lunch, over a drink etc.  One day last week, I had a coffee meeting at 8:00am, lunch at 1pm, and coffee at 3pm.  I never had enough time to go back home, so I spent the day loitering in the Loop between appointments.  After the 8am coffee, I went to a diner to get something to eat, and drank more coffee. I lingered there for most of the morning, then went to my lunch, then loitered at the Starbucks where I had my 3pm coffee.  Then loitered some more - over coffee.  By the time I got home that night, there was a hole burning in my stomach and I was three times more over-caffeinated and jittery than I usually am (for anyone who knows me, you know that isn't good)!  So, I needed a new loitering strategy.  Now, I am a brand marketer and consultant by training, so before embarking on a loitering strategy, I did what all consultants do.  I came up with some evaluation criteria.  No, I didn't use Harvey Balls on a PowerPoint slide.  Really.  I did it in my head - still nerdy, but it could have bee worse.  

Here is the criteria that I determined to be "drivers of success" for loitering locations.  Of course, this is a decision that everyone has to make for themselves, but for me, the criteria are:

1.  You can stay a long time without anyone bothering you.  At a chain coffee house, they tend to have limited seating, so I feel obligated to continuously buy things to justify the seat I am in.  This leads to the painful, over-caffeinated state mentioned above.

2.  No weird smells.  I should preface this by saying that I am taking the McSweeny's approach to reviews (also very similar to the Jiminy Cricket philosophy).  I am not going to slam things here.  If I don't like something, I just won't mention it.  There are plenty of other places to read meanness and snarkiness.  That said, I have always found that if I spend to much time at "chain" coffee houses, I leave smelling like burnt coffee.  It's in my clothes and in my hair.  Yuk. 

3.  Free wireless.  At this point, I refuse to pay for wireless - it is everywhere and should be free (especially somewhere where I am already paying for for coffee).

4.  Good music (or bad music played softly enough that I can put on my ipod loaded with good music and drown it out).

5.  Comfy places to sit - I am going to be there for a while, so this should speak for itself.  

Based on this criteria, my new favorite places to loiter are the lounges of boutique hotels.  Think about it - cool, comfy couches and chairs where you can stretch out, or sit at a table.  It's a hotel, so no one kicks you out - they just assume you are waiting for someone.  Music is usually of the Ultra Chilled, Buddha Bar variety so pretty good, but easy to drown out if necessary.  There is free wireless and lots of outlets, so if I get bored reading or done with the crossword puzzle, I can check email, surf random websites, and write this blog.  And, if I do decide to eat or drink, there is always a coffee stand or restaurant to get re-wired.   Brilliant, right?

Now of course, in my neighborhood, I am partial to the cute little coffee house around the corner.  I am there a lot (I have quite a bit of free time these days), so the people that work there all know me.  The music is great - you never know what is going to be playing - sometimes it is Johnny Cash, sometimes it is Belle and Sebastian, sometimes it is jazz, and once, for the life of me I could not figure out what it was.  Oh - and the coffee is yummy with no burnt smells permeating the air.  But, when I have to leave the 'hood, I am now quite partial to the boutique hotels.  See ya there - I'm the one in the corner, on her laptop.