Using Asheville coffee shops as a remote office

Picture via Ashe-villain

If you live in Asheville and work from home for a large part of your work week - like I do - you may find you occasionally need to re-enter civilization to maintain sanity. I do this using coffee shops. I have a few favorites. Do you use coffee shops as a "remote office" at times?

Here are my favorites:

Dripolator
Located on Biltmore Avenue just down the hill from the Orange Peel. "The Drip" has more of everything I look for in a remote office.

Pros:
Parking: Free parking (if you can get a spot).
Lot of nooks and crannies: The shop is large enough that you can remain fairly anonymous.
Computer Friendly: There are multiple tables and no shortage of electrical outlets.
Drink Quality: The coffee drinks are superb. Make sure and get their frequent visitor card to cash in on free drinks every so often.
Internet Access: Easy and anonymous connection to the internet.
Budget Friendly: $2 French Presses with a bean of your choice.
Other Stuff: Super clean bathrooms. Friendly staff.

Cons:
Internet Access: Halfway through 2007 they put a two-hour cap on Internet access. This caused problems for me when I ordered lunch, initiated a firfox download, worked on a proposal for two hours and then was supposed to meet with a client there to go over it - but alas - no Internet access. FTP Port is blocked as well. (Update: Edgy Mama says the 2-hour cap has been lifted!)
Parking: Yes parking is a pro (because it's free) and a con - because it is often hard to find a spot. There's just no pleasing some people! ;-)

Final Thoughts on Dripolator Asheville:
My number one pick in almost every situation - unless I need FTP or more than two hours.

Izzy's
This one is almost my #1 pick, as the drinks are every bit as good as Dripolator (maybe better) in the Asheville coffee world. But there are a couple things that keep it "just" behind "The Drip" in the Remote Office category.

Pros:
Internet Access: Unlimited Internet with no 2 hour limit. Reliable and fast connection.
Drink Quality: Phenomenal drinks. True artisans of handcrafted coffee drinks.
Other Stuff: Super cool staff. More bohemian crowd than The Drip. Very clean bathrooms.

Cons:
Parking: Metered parking (or park in one of the Garages).
Other Stuff: Very small space - hard to remain anonymous and out of sight. Could use some more electrical outlets.
Internet Access: FTP ports blocked.

Final thoughts on Izzy's:
I love Izzy's - if I go out and don't have to work Izzy's is my #1 choice. It's the closest thing to the old BeanStreets I can get.

Malaprop's
This was the place I used to go to all the time, and I rarely do anymore. I used to like to sit in the window right when it opened and plan my day, do a few small jobs, respond to emails, and so forth.

Pros:
Other Stuff: It's an independent book store dammit! If there's anything to put me in brainiac mode it is grabbing a latte in a book store and sitting down with my laptop to crank stuff out. Large tables.
Drink Quality: Better than average, but not better than Dripolator or Izzy's.

Cons:
Laptop Friendly: The bar at the window is now filled with computer stations, so regular laptop guys like me can no longer sit there. Not enough wall plugs to plug in and work. Spotty internet connectivity - thankfully there are some rogue networks to connect to as well as the downtown Wi-Fi.
Parking: Metered parking (or park in one of the Garages).

Mountain Java - Merrimon
Apparently these were franchise stores (Port City Java) that recently became "un-franchised" - if there is such a word. In other words they are now independent coffee shops. There are a few locations in WNC but I have primarily visited the one on Merrimon.

Pros:
Facilities: Large, well-lit shop. Plenty of large tables for laptops. It's close to UNCA (the Merrimon shop) so they seem to be used to people coming in and doing homework on their laptops. Very welcoming in that respect.
Parking: Free parking in their parking lot.

Cons:
Internet Access: I always seem to have trouble logging on quickly.
Drink Quality: The drinks are only slightly above average. I don't feel the same sense of "passion" for good drinks that I feel when I go to The Drip or Izzy's or even Malaprops.

Final Thoughts on Mountain Java:
It has all the right parts, but something is missing and I'm not sure what it is.

Starbucks - Charlotte Street
I know I know ... how dare I mention Starbucks in a group of independent coffee shops. Starbucks does have some redeeming qualities, however.

Pros:
Business Hours: Seems like they are always open. Late at night too. Great for emergency stops.
Drink Quality: Consistently above average drinks. Some will argue with me on this but if you've ever been in the middle of nowhere and the mom and pop coffee shops don't make good drinks, you have no idea how great it is to find a Starbucks.
Debit Card Friendly: No penalty for buying a latte with a debit card.
Staff: Very friendly.

Cons:
Internet Access: No free Wi-Fi. But it works reliably in a pinch.
Space: Not enough tables.

Final Thoughts on Starbucks @ Charlotte Street:
Not my first choice by any means, but a reliable spot in a pinch.

There are other ones worth mentioning that I haven't tried yet. Have you?

Caffiend (open 24 hours!)
The Green Sage (the old BeanStreets)
Biltmore Coffee Traders (I know Matt Mulder is a fan of this one)

A Couple Tips for the Remote Workers:
There's nothing more frustrating to a coffee shop owner than seeing all their tables filled up with people camped out with their laptops drinking $.75 cups of drip coffee. Our local shop owners are providing free internet access, the least we can do is spend a little money there, especially if we're making money sitting there. So be generous - and thankful we have so many great coffee shops in Asheville.

And ... if you happen to see me at The Drip or Izzy's, walk up and say HI!