12 Top Boston Spots for the Working Writer
by Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg
March 9, 2020
A writer’s day can be a mixed bag. Yes, my ideal is four uninterrupted, morning hours at my desk, but writers can’t always be writing - there are many other activities that go along with the job. Some days I take a class, meet with a writing group, do research, or attempt to solve technical problems. I’m fortunate that the Beacon Hill and Back Bay neighborhoods offer many locales for staying productive. Come along with me as I take a writerly walk through Boston.
Boston Athenaeum
When I need a change of scenery, writing at the Boston Athenaeum is truly inspiring. To work here, you will need to become a member of this magical private library, but fun fact: dogs are allowed.
Panificio
My favorite writing haunt on Charles Street is Panificio at number 144. The soups are heavenly and their big windows let in tons of light. It’s also close to my local post office where I often have an errand to run!
GrubStreet
Heading across the Common there’s GrubStreet, located at 162 Boylston, near the corner of Boylston and Charles. GrubStreet is a writing center where I’ve found workshops, mentors, and community. Writing can be solitary, but this place is all about holding oneself to a high standard while making writing friends at the same time. In a nutshell, it should be any writer’s first stop on a tour of duty. GrubStreet will always be home base for me, even after its much anticipated move to the Seaport later in 2020. GrubStreet members will get access to this new light-filled space with views of Boston Harbor. The new space will also include a performance stage, bookstore, and cafe.
Park Place/The Muse and the Marketplace
Continuing west down Boylston, past the Four Seasons, a quick left turn to the Park Plaza Hotel takes you to the site of GrubStreet’s Muse and the Marketplace conference, held this year on April 3, 4, and 5. Not only is this writer’s conference the source of great creative inspiration, but it’s a weekend to make contacts and learn the ins and outs of the publishing industry.
Paper Source
Return to Boylston Street and cross Arlington. I often pop into Paper Source for its selection of Moleskin journals and pens – Uniball Vision Elite are my favorite for writing long hand in my journal and for book signings!
Tatte, By Chloe, and Life Alive
Some great new restaurants have cropped up on the block between Arlington and Berkeley, including Tatte, By Chloe, and Life Alive. Tatte is great for your classic cafe writing vibes, but can be pretty crowded during the day. By Chloe has great food but a less cozy atmosphere. Life Alive is my top choice, with healthy options, a cool vibe, and plentiful of space to write.
Copley Square
Walk a few more blocks west and you are in the heart of Copley Square where each October, The Boston Book Festival turns the Back Bay into a not-to-be-missed Literary Happening. Speakers, books, and readers fill the churches and public spaces around the Square. Even when the Book Festival is not in session, I often head to the Fedex/Kinkos Copley Place (next to the Copley Plaza Hotel), a great place for binding manuscripts, shipping, copying, printing, and having posters made. They’ve done business cards and bookmarks for me as well.
The Wing
The Wing at 900 Boylston is a female-only space that opened this past summer: a working cooperative, café, and venue for events. I attended a reading there a few weeks ago – and it delivered. Membership might be a little pricey, but it includes perks like access to work spaces in other major American cities. They have a café and host 3-5 guest speakers per week.
Sweetgreen
Sweetgreen is just the place to get the healthy fuel you need to keep your creative brain working at top speed, and get some writing done to boot. The Boylston location can be crowded, but their location inside the Prudential Center has good space to spread out.
Boston Public Library
Besides being a great place to check out books, I love writing surrounded by my favorite authors. Whether you prefer the iconic reading room, or the sunlit Boylston lobby adjacent to the Newsfeed Café, you will not be disappointed. Plus, big windows and sunshine drive creativity in the midst of winter. (I’m seeing a recurring theme here around big windows and light.)
The Apple Store
This one might sound surprising, but I get some of my best work done while waiting for my appointment at the Genius Bar. It is basically impossible to make an appointment online these days, but I have good luck as a walk-in (best when they open at 10am). I give my name and cell phone number to the Apple store greeter and then head to the Peets/Capital One Bank location a block away to wait for the text that it’s my turn. This Peets has good WiFi and long tables where you can spread out. Once I get my place at the Genius Bar, I get a lot of questions answered, clear up space on my hard drive, and leave feeling like I just had a tune up. (Writers, remember to back up your work! Not a bad idea to pick up a spare external hard drive while you’re there.)
Trident Booksellers & Cafe
Continuing west past the Apple Store is Trident Booksellers on Newbury Street – the first book store we’ve hit on this 1+ mile path…! Trident has great food at the counter on the first floor and plenty of space to spread out. And if you get stuck while writing, you can always take a break to browse the shelves. The second floor venue is the site of frequent book events, from readings to trivia to book swaps and more. Subscribe to their newsletter to keep up-to-date on the bookish fun they’re up to!
You’ve probably seen many maps of “literary Boston” – maybe with more of a historic angle? Well, this is one writer’s map of modern-day working haunts. Would love to hear about some of yours!
Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg lives on Beacon Hill and is the award-winning and bestselling author of Eden and The Nine. Her debut novel, Eden, is the winner of the Beverly Hills Book Awards for Women’s Fiction and finalist for both the Benjamin Franklin Award for Best New Voice in Fiction and the Sarton Women’s Book Award for Historical Fiction. The Nine was released in August 2019 by She Writes Press, and is the winner of the Beverly Hills Books Awards for Literary Fiction and Regional Fiction. She is a board member of the Boston Book Festival and a student and board member at GrubStreet, one of the country’s pre-eminent creative writing centers, where she is currently developing her next novel.
Editor’s Note: This is not a sponsored post, nor are we receiving any kickbacks from these businesses and organizations. We just love what’s in our neighborhood in Boston!
