Hunting for free WiFi

I’m not a coffee drinker, so the Starbucks brand means exactly one thing: no free WiFi.

I was walking through Georgetown yesterday and grumbled (and shot this picture) as I walked past the Starbucks on M Street in my quest for a place to work. Starbucks WiFi is provided by T-Mobile for $9.99 a day or $39.99 a month.

I can’t think of a national chain that means “free WiFi” the same way that Starbucks means “pay for WiFi.” In this region, the Cosi chain has free WiFi.

A few blocks further, I found a cozy patio at Cafe Tu-O-Tu (a play on DC’s area code). Not only did they have free WiFi, the space was much nicer.