I’ve been working remotely since October 2016, first for a company, then as a self-employed entrepreneur. With the latter, my flexibility has increased 10-fold as I can stop in the middle of the day to pack up and relocate to a new spot.
Due to that, if I’m working outside of the house, I’ll typically hit two locations in a day. On most days I need that midday reset to keep the creativity flowing.
There’s a beauty and convenience to working from home but I’m definitely not a person that’s chained to the home office. I make sure to get out at least two days a week and have honed my ability to focus to where I can be productive from almost anywhere! Sometimes I want a change from the normal coffee shops, and when I do you can often find me in one of these spots.
Note: I can’t speak to the wifi speeds in any of these locations. I can’t afford to have any issues with wifi so I have an unlimited hotspot which I use virtually all the time.
Gold Spike – Downtown Las Vegas
This place is quite interesting. It’s a bar, lounge, and hotel and used to be residences for Zappos employees and other entrepreneurs. With that kind of history and current use, it’s no wonder it’s decked out like a trendy co-working space but turns into a nightclub in the evenings.
It’s seriously hard to describe and if you’re in the area, you should really just go experience it for yourself.
There are numerous lounge areas plus tons of high top tables and chairs for working — that is, if you can ignore the giant cornhole, pool tables, ski ball, and other games scattered around the area.
And that’s just inside! Outside you can play life-size beer pong with giant red solo cups, giant chess, and more. Faux grass couches and ottomans surround fireplaces (not needed much of the year) and they bill the entire space as an adult playground.
But yeah … back to the work part of it.
I love this place because it’s such a weird but cool vibe and there’s so much space! I can start out indoors but wander outside to stretch my legs (or chill for a bit on a cooler day).
There are multiple bars on-site — for that always welcome lunch beer — and there’s a restaurant located there as well. It’s open 24 hours with coffee and breakfast menu options as well your typical American fare for later in the day.
Often, this place stays pretty deserted during the day, other than the staff who are quite friendly. There are also a few of your typical tourists straggling awake and off for more Vegas debauchery. Sometimes there will be a few other people working here and there, depending on the day.
Even if you’re not local, make sure to stop in and check this space out sometime!
Parking: Pay to park downtown. I find parking in downtown Las Vegas to be quite reasonable compared to many cities at $1 to $2 per hour in most places.
Westin Lake Las Vegas
The Westin at Lake Las Vegas is perfect for days when I’m slammed with work but also need to be inspired by my surroundings.
With gorgeous views out over the lake — and plenty of air-conditioned workspace — it’s hard to beat this place for a productive day.
I typically utilize the space in the Arabesque lounge, though there are numerous other spaces available. Here, the bar doesn’t open till 2:30 so there typically aren’t others around to distract — and I also have an incentive to work hard and finish up early.
There are a good number of outlets available, the center conference table having plenty itself. If it’s a nice spring day, there is a ton of outdoor seating also.
Parking: Free
Las Vegas Golf Center
My first time working out of the Flight Deck Bar at the Las Vegas Golf Center was the Tuesday before Christmas around 12:30 p.m.
The place was mostly empty. A few golfers, a few non-golfers having lunch, a friendly bartender, and me. I posted up in a chair near the window to work and watch the planes.
Outside, several guys braved the (to my mind) chilly weather and swung away at buckets of balls.
McCarran airport runways border the range and planes are constantly taking off making it a great place to work, relax with a few brews, and plane watch.
There are outside tables that are great for warmer weather and about 15 indoor tables ranging from two tops to 8 tops, plus a 12+ seat bar. 8 TVs are tuned mostly to golf (of course), but they’re willing to tune to whatever you want.
They’ve got two happy hours per day from 10 a.m (my kind of place!) to 12 p.m. and again from 3 p.m. to 6. pm.
If you’re into golfing after you put some work in, they’ve also got a golf happy hour. $29.95 for 9 holes, a cart, a draft beer, and a small bucket o’ balls from 4 pm to close. I never got into golf, despite my many years living in Naples, Florida and now I don’t think I ever will. It’s far too easy to sit and drink and watch instead.
Parking: Free
Downtown Container Park – Downtown Las Vegas
This place was a mere block and a half from my old apartment near Fremont Street. This open air shopping center is home to cute little boutique shops, restaurants, and, quite often, live music.
In fact, if you have phone calls or meetings to take, I’d recommend going somewhere else for the day. This place has speakers piping out upbeat music that’s pretty loud, or, there’s a good chance they’ll actually have a band performing live on the stage at the far end.
Meetings aside, with two stories and tables and chairs scattered everywhere, there are plenty of places to drop down with your laptop and get some work done.
Outlets can be a bit sparse but they do exist here and there.
I’m going to miss this place during the summer as it’ll be far too hot. On a gorgeous day in the spring it’s hard to beat this for cool breezes, sunshine and a great relaxing vibe.
Parking: Pay to park downtown. There is a paid parking lot next door. I find parking in downtown Las Vegas to be quite reasonable compared to many cities at $1 to $2 per hour a lot of places.
Bronze Market Cafe – Downtown Las Vegas
This cafe is located just down the street from Downtown Container Park. It’s inside The Market, which used to be my local grocery store when I lived downtown.
They have a great little section with TVs, bookshelves, cafe tables, and wifi. They have a full menu with a lot of healthy and vegan options — I’m not vegan but had the vegan pancakes one morning and they were quite good!
They have a small outdoor patio right on Fremont street which might keep you from working as the people watching is definitely a trip.
The fact that you’re sitting and working in the side of a grocery store makes for a changeup from the traditional coffee shop vibe and the staff is quite friendly and welcoming. As a regular, you’ll soon get recognized with friendly nods. This is such a touristy location that locals are easy to spot!
Parking: Pay to park downtown. There is a paid parking lot next door.
Lake Mead Scenic Overlook(s)
This is one of my absolute favorite places for remote working BUT it’s only good for a few hours — basically your battery life. If you’ve got an external battery, this would be the place to bring it.
My strategy consists of using these overlooks for days when I need to really focus for a few hours and knock out some work quickly. Once the battery dies I’m done for, so I can’t afford to screw around.
My wifi hotspot works great up here (Verizon) but I can’t vouch for whether or not that’ll be true for yours. Even if I didn’t have wifi, I’d use this as a writing spot. Again, it’s hard to waste time when you’re working against a clock.
You can access the overlooks by just driving along Lakeshore drive and looking for turnoff signs. There are several including Sunset View Scenic Overlook, Longview Overlook, and 33 Hole Overlook.
You should note that there is an entrance fee for Lake Mead National Recreation area. It’s $20 for a 7-day pass for regular vehicles. I purchased the America the Beautiful pass on January 1st for $80, giving me free access to all U.S. National parks for an entire year so I come and go as I please.
If you’re local to the Las Vegas area and enjoy the outdoors I’d highly recommend the pass as you’ll be able to use it for Lake Mead and Red Rock Canyon and get your money’s worth in just a few visits.
Parking: Free once you’ve paid the entry fee to get into the park
No Comments