Where to hang out and get some work done in Beacon

  |  May 2, 2013
Ella's Bellas in Beacon

I am one of the lucky ones. I get to work from home. Mark’s lucky too. He also works from home. Currently I am employed as a consultant, developing e-learning training for a major company. But that’s winding down because I’m also in the process of switching gears to become a technology coach for solopreneurs – mainly life coaches, therapists, creative artists and other service-based professionals. So once my current gig is completed, I’ll have a little more freedom and be able to work from other places…and not be so tethered to my work computer and Office Communicator.

One thing I’ve learned about working from home these past few months: its good to get out into the world and visit the world of the living – face to face. Staying cooped up in my house for days and weeks on end makes me cranky. But what do you do or where do you go in Beacon to hang out and still have the ability to get some work done? That’s what I’m going to try and find out. The criteria for the best and most perfect work/hangout place is as follows:
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(1) What sort of food does it offer?
(2) How good is the coffee?
(3) What’s the atmosphere/ambiance like?
(4) Does it offer free WiFi?

Ella’s Bellas

Ella's Bellas in Beacon Ella's Bellas in Beacon

Today, I went to Ella’s Bellas on Beacon’s Main Street. Tas Kafé and Ella’s have now joined forces at 418 Main Street, and the shop expanded a few weeks ago to double it’s former size. There are now more places to sit down and they seem to offer more food than what a remember.

So how does it rate for a place to hang out during the day and possibly get some work done?

(1) Ella’s specializes in gluten-free baking, and they offer quite a bit of it. The food is good and tasty, albeit a little expensive.

(2) They sell Tas coffee. When you first walk in, you’ll see Tas’ roaster sitting to the left inside the store. So the coffee is good, but a little strong for my taste. But its fresh so I add a little water to it.

(3) The atmosphere and ambiance of the place is very laid back and quiet. The new decor is awesome. I love the vintage cookbooks on all the tables, the wall of chalkboards, and the antique, mis-matched tables and chairs. There are plenty of places to sit (at least in off-hours when I was there) and the place is relaxed. The music in the background was nice…but not blaring. Which was good.

(4) No free WiFi was available, although I noticed they had two WiFi signals when I took a peak with my iPhone. However both were locked down so unusable for guests. Consequently, it would be impossible to bring a laptop or iPad and get any work done.

So…it a good place to sit, have a bite to eat and drink a cup of coffee without being interrupted or disturbed. But the work you do will have to be without Internet since there was no WiFi.

Next week, I’ll look to see if I can find another place in the Beacon area to hang out, have a cup of joe and get some work done. Any suggestions??

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