The best places to write in Boston
From cozy pubs to ornate libraries, Boston is a haven for authors of all levels.
We’re already into the first week of November, and if you’re taking part in National Novel Writing Month — where writers of any and all creeds aim to pen 50,000 words by November 30 — you should probably have about 3,000 words down to keep up.
But don’t stress: Boston is a literary mecca, and there are plenty of places to hunker down and write away. According to the National Novel Writing Month website, there are more than 11,800 members in the Boston area. Since all work ethics aren’t created equal, though, we’ve found spots around the city that are best suited to whatever writing environment you need.
If you need a constant supply of caffeine:
Trident Booksellers & Cafe, 338 Newbury Street, Boston
Sit at the counter to get fast refills of Amherst and Northampton-based Rao’s coffee, or grab a spot upstairs for a scenic view of Newbury Street. You can also wander around the bookshelves or peruse the extensive magazine racks for inspiration right at your fingertips.
Customers inside of the Trident Booksellers and Cafe on Newbury Street.
Thinking Cup,Locations near Boston Common, in the North End, and Back Bay
Thinking Cup was the first coffee shop in Downtown Boston to serve Stumptown Coffee — named “Best Coffee in the World’’ by NPR, The New York Times, Food & Wine Magazine, and USA Today — exclusively, according to their website. So they’ve got this caffeine-fix thing down. Plus every location will have beautiful brownstone or Boston Common views if you need to look away from your computer screen for a bit.
Pavement Coffee HouseMultiple Locations
The late, great Bagel Rising and Espresso Royale have been morphed into a one-stop coffee shop at six locations throughout Boston in Allston, Fenway, and on Boylston, Commonwealth, Gainsborough, and Newbury streets, so there’s plenty of seats throughout the city in which to write.
Or if you think alcohol will help the words flow:
Bukowski Tavern,50 Dalton Street Back Bay, 1281 Cambridge Street, Inman Square
Named after the legendary drinker (and writer), Bukowski Tavern in Back Bay offers a gritty atmosphere that is sure to get you inspired and imbibed. If you want a cleaner locale, check out the Cambridge location, where you can grab a bite to eat while staring at big cut outs of Bukowski’s face.
The Thirsty Scholar Bar & Grille,70 Beacon Street, Somerville
What’s a better writing accompaniment than draft beer and shelves of musty books along a brick wall? The Thirsty Scholar has been a hub for “Irish expats, Harvard doctoral candidates and old-school Boston Globe journalists’’ according to Writer’s Digest. This place reeks of book smarts (and probably beer and old books, too).
A foursome sit in “the snug” at the Thirsty Scholar, an Irish bar in Somerville, MA while reading James Joyce’s “Finnegan’s Wake.”
Brendan Behan Pub,378 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain
This pub exudes literary inspiration, like the events in honor of its namesake, who was an Irish poet, short story writer, novelist, and playwright. Behan bills itself as being open to everyone. “Whether you are an author, playwright, student, or beer connoisseur,’’ its website says, “come find your place in our community, and bring your dog along if you feel like it!’’
Or maybe you just need complete quiet:
Boston Public Library Central Location,700 Boylston Street, Copley Square
When the BPL was relocated to Copley in 1895 from its humble former-schoolhouse beginnings on Mason Street, architect Charles Follen McKim called it a “palace for the people.’’ The gorgeous Bates Hall features rows of desks for all those people, each with their own green lamp shade lights to make you feel like a classic writer.
The Bates Hall Reading Room in the McKim Building at Boston Public Library.
The Writers’ Room,111 State Street, Boston
Have your own writing office any time of day through this nonprofit organization. The Room provides 10 private carrels each with a desk, chair, lamp, powerstrip, and bookcase, along with 24-hour access, free WiFi, a kitchen, lounge areas, access to members-only gatherings, and more. Basically, everything you could possible need to hide away and write those 50,000 words.
Omni Parker House,60 School Street, Boston
In an interview with The Paris Review, Maya Angelou said she always wrote in hotel rooms, getting there by 6:30 a.m. to start her work day. As America’s longest continuously operating hotel, the Omni Parker is a perfect place to soak in the city’s history and write in peace. Plus, you can get a slice of Boston cream pie for a mid-writing snack.
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