Next Door Chicago

This cozy coffee shop has a sincere homey, empowering atmosphere. People come here for serious self improvement, whether that's educational, finance, professional, coaching, you make it and everyone wants you to succeed. All programs are empowering and free, there's no push to buy anything and, unlike Starbucks, music isn't so loud so you can have a quiet phone conversation. The one pretty annoying thing is the height of tables and chairs are really really uncomfortable.

I'm not sure what to make of Next Door. I was meeting with a small working group, and someone chose this place. It's not quite a coffee shop, it's not quite a shared office or conference space. I really like the concept of a place open for people to work or meet that's more office like than a coffee shop. The areas set up for group meetings looked good, with plenty of whiteboard. However, there's really not enough seating or tables and reservations are necessary. The coffee and food selection is small but adequate and tasty. I will probably return, but using Next Door as a work or meeting space requires advance planning. Kudis to State Farm (the sponsor) for trying this idea.

Great atmosphere for working on your own projects or studying. The café is inexpensive and offers cheap refills of your coffee. Early mornings the crowd is usually small, with business owners or people who work on their own projects. Afternoons and evenings the place gets more packed. On weekends its really crowded, be sure to arrive in the morning to get a spot, especially if you want to work on a group project.