"My favorite East Bay cafes for working during lockdown #1, Hudson Bay One of the things I miss the most during lockdown is having a place to get coffee and work for a while ? yes, I know I?m not alone there ; So I?m going to share my very favorite places to work during lockdown ? i.e., cafes that have a fair amount of outdoor seating (and preferably decent Wi Fi coverage too . The Hudson Bay café was a fairly regular haunt for me during normal times, and during lockdown it?s running pretty well with lots of safety precautions: Perspex screens, sanitizer, and a window counter if you don?t want to walk inside. Staff members were super friendly as usual and there?s always good music playing (it?s faint outside, so I could just barely hear The Smiths and The Weeknd drifting out through the side door . One thing to note is that the prices are very reasonable ? my veggie burrito cost an amazing $7 (or maybe $7.50 ? and it had guac in there too! And it was big! I also had an oat milk latte and a slice of pound cake and the whole tab was around $14. For comparison, I paid the same amount at another place this week for a coffee, cookie and plain croissant. Lockdown Stats: ? Seating: There are about 6 tables outside and chances are reasonable that you?ll get a spot. If you?re stuck without a seat you can hang out on a bench outside the library across the street. ? Bathroom: Another good thing about going to Hudson Bay to drink a lot of coffee ? the bathroom is open! It?s surprising how many cafés have no bathroom availability after selling you a big old cup of diuretic! ? Hours: Note that they close at 5 pm at the moment, not 6, but they?ll let you linger till maybe 5:30. ? Weather: Hudson St. faces southwest, so it?s often pretty warm, even around closing time! ? Budget: As mentioned above, Hudson Bay is one of the cheapest places around (esp. on College Ave. to get lunch. I?m also giving the Hudson Bay Café 4/5 ?green stars? for social and environmental impact, based on this: ? Very longstanding independent café and community gathering spot. ? Coffee beans come from McLaughlin roasters in Emeryville another East Bay staple. ? Some of McLaughlin?s coffee varieties are organic and most are bought directly from cooperatives or family farms that support communities. ? It kind of goes without saying that plant based milks are available ? and raw turbinado sugar too. ? The menu is a bit more traditional but there are a few veggie and vegan options. I think they?ll also make veggie/vegan mods to a menu item, if you ask, since everything is cooked to order. ? There?s not a lot of info available about Hudson Bay?s sourcing of ingredients ? my feeling is that the owners want to keep things as unpretentious as possible. Since it?s lockdown I?m not going to bust their balls over it :D ? Waste is minimized pretty well, even during lockdown when most places are loading on the"
