Portland Unplugged:
Finding Free Wireless Internet Access With Your Coffee

Here are 10 places to escape the tourist track and open your laptop with the locals

By Kathy Belge
For Oregon.com

Portland is quickly becoming one of the most "unwired" cities in the nation. That means you can take your laptop computer or other Wi-Fi enabled device and have instant access to high-speed Internet from many locations around town.

In Portland, it's not unusual to go into a café or coffee shop and see people sipping on lattes while checking their e-mail or surfing the Web.

Here are 10 cafes that offer free Wi-Fi connections and two who have house computers for customer use. This is a sampling from various neighborhoods; Portland certainly has more Internet cafes than these.

Southwest Portland/Downtown
Starbucks, Pioneer Square
720 SW Broadway
(503) 223-2488

Although most Starbucks locations offer Wi-Fi for a fee, thanks to the folks at Personal Telco all of Pioneer Square, including Starbucks, has access to free wireless Internet. This Starbucks is one of the busiest in the state and a table can be hard to come by during rush hours.

What you give up in privacy, you make up for in people watching.

Monday through Friday: 5 am -midnight; Saturday and Sunday: 5 am -11 pm

Stumptown Coffee Roasters
128 SW Third
(503) 295-6144

Stumptown roasts the darkest coffee in town and its hip downtown crowd thrives on the French press coffee and smooth espresso drinks. Because of their philosophy of sustainability, Stumptown not only buys coffee from farmers who have good environmental practices, but also strives to provide a healthy work environment for its employees.

That translates into a better customer service experience for you. The atmosphere is a wide open industrial theme, with an eclectic mix of music and plenty of small tables to set up your laptop.

Whereas the coffee and espresso drinks are some of the finest in Portland, the food is standard coffee house fare: bagels, muffins and croissants.

Monday through Saturday: 7 am-9 pm; Sunday: 8 am -6 pm.

Northwest Portland
Vivace Coffee House and Creperie
1400 NW 23rd
(503) 228-3667

Vivace is located in an old Victorian house on NW 23rd. Come for the wireless, but stay for the crepes. Crepes for breakfast, crepes for lunch or crepes for dessert. Choices include mushroom, spinach, mozzarella and egg or Nutella with almonds and whipped cream.

Old Victorian chairs and tables are crowded into every nook and cranny, so finding privacy here can be a little tricky. Vivace can also get loud. But if you want to feel like you're in a European café, Vivace offers a pretty close proximity.

They also have a selection of Oregon beer and wine which are all $5.

Monday through Thursday: 7 am-10 pm; Friday: 7am-midnight; Saturday: 8 am -midnight; Sunday: 8 am-10 pm

World Cup Coffee & Tea
1740 NW Glisan
(503) 228-4152

Have a seat below one of the bright paintings of giraffes, alligators and toucans sipping out of giant coffee mugs and you know you're at World Cup Coffee & Tea.

A family owned business, World Cup set a Portland coffee standard in the early '90s by buying organic shade-grown coffee from merchants with sustainable farming practices.

There's plenty of small tables to set up your laptop while you enjoy a handmade sandwich. Or lounge on one of the big comfy leather chairs while munching on a lemon bar, slice of apple pie or almond tart. Window counter seats offer a neighborhood view.

Parking can be hard to come by near this busy Northwest neighborhood coffee house, but you won't feel like a geek as you pull your laptop out. On a recent visit, out of 20 customers, I counted no less than eight laptops.

Monday through Friday: 6:30 am-8 pm; Saturday and Sunday: 8 am-7 pm

North Portland
The Albina Press
4637 N. Albina Ave
503-282-5214

One of the newest coffee shops in the up-and-coming Mississippi neighborhood, The Albina Press occupies the site previously known as Pacific Switchboard Gallery. The Switchboard collective still hangs the artwork on the walls. Stop in on the first Wednesday of the month for the opening of the new exhibit.

The wheelchair accessible café offers a variety of Tao of Tea, Stumptown coffee, bagels and muffins.

Close to Portland Community College Cascade, you're likely to find a quiet atmosphere with students studying and a few other laptop junkies.

Monday through Sunday: 6:30 am-8 pm

Northstar Coffee House
7540 N. Interstate
(503)285-5800

Off the beaten track, but right on the new Interstate Max line, Northstar Coffee House offers a much-needed gathering place for neighbors near Interstate and Lombard. They feature Stumptown coffee, herbal teas, hot pocket-type sandwiches called Zippies and a variety of deserts.

A gas fireplace warms the cozy living room on cold Portland mornings. On nice days, take your laptop out on the porch and watch the commuters come and go from the trains.

The owners are dedicated to supporting locally owned businesses and artists, so be sure to peruse through the counter of locally produced crafts including jewelry, cards and soaps.

The Max drops you off right in front, or there's plenty of parking in the back.

Monday through Saturday: 7 am-7 pm; Sunday: 9 am-2 pm

Southeast Portland
Portland Coffee House
2511 SE Belmont
(503) 231-0221

In a colorful house on Belmont, the Portland Coffee House features fine woodwork, bright walls and a leather chaise lounge in the front window. Grab that seat if it's available.

In addition to free wireless connections, Portland Coffee House also has two computers available for customers. The turn-of-the-Century house has the feel of beatnik scene from the Fifties. There's even "smokin' word" night on Wednesdays where poets and writers gather to read their musings aloud.

The Portland Coffee House serves organic fair trade Panache coffee and selection of herbal and black teas and vegan pastries and bagels. It's the kind of place where you can seclude yourself quiet corner or meet up with friends for a lively chat.

The big outdoor patio beckons on warm evenings. Monday through Saturday: 7 am-midnight; Sunday 7 am-7 pm

Urban Grounds on SE Division in Southeast Portland features a unique recycled look. Oregon.com photo by Kathy Belge

Urban Grounds
1235 SE Division
(503) 230-8340

Urban Grounds, on a busy corner of SE Division, feels … well, urban. The metal counter looks like it's made from recycled plumbing fixtures and the big corner windows are the perfect place to watch the traffic flow by on a rainy workday.

Try some Mighty Leaf herbal, black or green tea, Stumptown coffee or Odwalla juices.

It's the kind of place you can hang out for hours, and the hearty oatmeal will keep you fortified for your stay. Other food options include soup, sandwiches and quiche. Check out the live acoustic music weekdays from 5-7 pm.

Monday through Friday: 6:30 am-7 pm; Saturday and Sunday: 8 am-5 pm

Northeast Portland
Java Man
4727 NE Fremont
(503) 287-5456

At Java Man, in the Beaumont neighborhood, you can connect to high-speed Internet while sipping sweet bubble tea, a cold drink made with jasmine tea and flavors like honeydew, mango, almond, sour green apple, plum, bubble gum, papaya, or coconut. Tapioca creates the unique "bubble" texture.

Cross through the French doors to adjoining Criollo bakery and pick up gourmet pastries or quiche to enjoy with coffee or tea.

Have a seat in one of the big comfy stripped chairs in the windows up front until the heat of the day puts a glare on your computer screen. You'll feel a part of the community as you check your e-mail while the neighborhood locals play a game of chess or hold a meeting at nearby tables.

Sunday and Monday: 7 am-4 pm; Tuesday through Saturday: 7 am-5 pm

La Dolce Vita Internet Café
1203 NE Alberta
(503) 287-5908

On trendy Alberta Street, La Dolce Vita offers a quiet getaway. Bring your own laptop or log on to the two house computers for the price of a drink.

Pop in a hot day for a scoop of Gelato or ice cream. Treat your sweet tooth to a grasshopper or toffee biscotti, chocolate covered sugar cookie or pie a la mode. For most substantial fare, La Dolce Vita offers panini sandwiches, quiche and pizza bagels.

Where else can you surf the Net while enjoying a pitcher of beer?

Monday through Friday: 7 am-7 pm; Saturday and Sunday: 8 am-7 pm