DC's Independent Coffee Shops

Located in Adams Morgan, a trendy neighborhood for the 23-to-25-year-old set, Tryst seems like it tries a little too hard to be cool sometimes (check its website). But … regardless, the seating is ample, the coffee is good, and the Wifi is free, so it's worth a visit. And with a laid-back waitstaff, comfy couches, and a bar, you can take your time, going from caffeinated and productive to drunk and disoriented without having to move. (Photo) [link]

Known better as Kramerbooks, the bookstore to which it is attached, Afterwords is a popular DC landmark to meet that date you made on Match.com, J Date, or Adult Friend … Finder. Hence Afterwords is usually busy and, as it serves food all day (rumor has it the lentil soup rocks like lentil soup rarely does), lingering is discouraged. But you can take advantage of Dupont Circle's free Wifi in the mid afternoon when it's quieter. And with a full bar, you can switch from cappuccinos to Courvoisier when quiet time is over. (Photo) [link]

Located just across the DC border in Alexandria, VA, Buzz is one of the few good coffee shops in the metro area outside of The District. In addition to having free Wifi … and a hot and young (but legal) clientèle, Buzz has good coffee and a fantastic bakery--try the carrot cupcake. Open until midnight, Buzz features acoustic musical sets the first and third Monday of each month. Buzz does come off as a little sterile though, but then again, so does Northern Virginia. (Photo) [link]

Even in their pointy jester-like shoes, the Europeans working at the World Bank's headquarters eschew six closer coffee shops to trek the two blocks to M.E. Swing Co. And … for good reason: it's coffee is the best in DC. Other than simple-but-good pastries (the pain au chocolat does not skimp on the au chocolate), Swing serves little else. And while there's no Wifi, you can cross the street to Cosi and log on there. Of course, with Swing's mahogany and mirrored interior, you may prefer to forgo connectivity for ambiance. (Photo) [link]

Located in the Politics and Prose bookstore, Modern Times's delicious coffee, free Wifi, and tasty sandwiches make it a great place to work, although the linger factor … means space can be tight. While the staff is young and hip (it recently added open-mic poetry and music nights), the crowd tends to be the Chevy Chase socks-with-sandals type, stopping in for a splash after filling their NPR totes with books from upstairs. The bookstore leans left, but has events with authors of note almost nightly. Photo) [link]

Leftist types listen to Che Guevara-inspired poetry readings while plotting the revolution over lattes and tofu cake at this U Street Corridor venue. The coffee is damn … good though: as the French know, all the best revolutions are fueled by caffeine. There's also a full bar and food menu (no surprise: the granola is fantastic), free Wifi, a TV that usually shows sporting events, and a bookstore where the works range from diatribes against George Bush to communist manifestos. A new location just opened in Arlington, VA. (Photo) [link]