Picture
It's crazy how reliant people like me are on WiFi at places we dine and drink. If you're like me and your work travels with you, you know this to be a deciding factor in places you choose to spend time thinking, reading, and writing.

So here's a list of just a few places I enjoy working from, their amenities, and where to find outlets when you're running low on battery power.

Deltona - Deltona Library is an obvious first choice because you have power outlets everywhere and great WiFi bandwidth. The only drawback is their firewall. It's very secure so if you happen to manage content driven websites with advertisements, you won't get to see the proof after you've finished hours of coding unless you use the 3g service on your phone to view the full version of the website. This however, is not a limiting factor as the pluses outweigh the minuses. Including the awesome Scrub Jay Cafe.

Orange City - Half Off Books is a great place to get work done, abuse free WiFi, and have access to multipe power outlets. They are located among the windows facing Enterprise Blvd and are easily spotted once you make your way toward the seating area. The staff is awesome, the coffee is great, and you can get a ton done there, without spending a ton of gas looking for a similar location.

Another surprisingly great location is the Denny's on Saxon. They have great bandwidth on their WiFi,
Sanford - The new IHOP on S.R. 46, where the old Hop's used to be. Unlike the IHOP in Debary, this location has free WiFi and their bandwidth is exceptional. Since the location is new, it still smells fresh and the food is awesome as always. If you are running low on battery power, there is an outlet right next to the booth all the way in the back, towards the left. You'll see it on the wall next to another white outlet cover.

Lake Mary - Lake Mary has a myriad of nerd-friendly locations so I'll only mention a few.
  • First, is Panera near Heathrow. This location has your typical Wi-Fi verification sequence and they have several tables towards the inside wall that have power outlets. So you'll see a ton of students and entrepreneurs working out of this particular location.
  • Panera on the east side of Lake Mary Blvd is also a great location. However they are enemic on power outlets. So far, I've only discovered two places to plug up. One is near the rest-rooms in the back and the other is in the private room in the back near one of the booths. Up front, there are more outlets in the booths near the windows, however, I have yet to get there on a day when someone isn't occupying those like a hawk.
  • World of Beer is surprisingly a great place to bring your laptop, your thirst for a beer, and your appetite. They now service wings and fries and they are pretty damn good. The beer is cold and the selection is incredible. Best of all, there's 2 outlets hidden under the booths along the wall going towards the restroom so you an watch football, have a beer, wings, power your laptop and cellphone, and get a ton of work done. Or get some work done and a nice buzz going. It's your choice.
If you have other suggestions, please comment with them as I'd love to add them to the list. Thanks!



 
 
Picture
Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Everything Bagel
Deltona is one of Florida's biggest neighborhoods. A never-ending barrage of various sized homes, it has been dubbed "Spaghettiville" due to the lack of road continuity.Developer Jim Mackle, was obviously a masochist. Engineering a town under the influence is not an accusation I think many could deny.

But one of the gems of this town, is the Scrub Jay Cafe. Located within the Deltona Library, this place has quite an interesting mix of offerings.

Fresh Bagel King bagels of all varieties. Breakfast is available all day. There's even a rack of "day old" bagels & danishes that would blow shelf bagels out of the water.

They also offer a nice selection of pastries like Danishes, cookies, etc.

Here's where it gets interesting. They have Empanadas! Good ones too.

The empanda is the Hispanic culture's greeting card to the community. People from every culture love a good Empanada. And for $1.50, you can have yourself one of three freshly made flavors. They make them daily. In fact, the manager is bringing in three pans of them as I type!

Now, my weakness is their Everything Bagel with Sausage, Egg, and Cheese. The picture above is of the actual bagel. It's huge. If you're with a friend, you can split it and still be full. I swear this thing is a monster. Easily, the best $4 you'll spend in the area.

Plus, Scrub Jay Cafe offers a great beverage selection of soda, coffee, tee, and juices.

Four tables are within reach of electrical outlets if your laptop battery is tanked. And you have access to the library's wi-fi.

If you get stuck in a mental rut, pack your bag and go for a walk over to the Scrub Jay Museum. Tons of useless information you'll pepper your spouse with someday years from now can be found on the walls.

If that's not enough, you can take a walk on the new trail built behind the library. It's extensive and if you're a bird watcher, you'll have a great time. Or hang out at the Amphitheater and relax. But only for a minute, then get back to work!