Best Place to Work on Your Laptop When You're Unemployed

Atlas Cafe

3049 20th St. (at Alabama), 824-0298, www.atlascafe.net

Unemployment sucks, no matter how much you overworked types may dream of "free" time. In reality, the long hours filled with shoulda-coulda-wouldas creep past excruciatingly slowly, as alienation and guilt set in; panic attacks often follow. But if you are unemployed, try spending your few dollars at the Atlas Cafe. The warmth of both temperature and temperament is comforting, and the wireless access is a boon if you own a laptop. Of all the places in the city with wireless access, Atlas distinguishes itself with good, cheap food and an atmosphere that's somehow just right for pondering life's larger questions -- between Craigslist searches. Don't expect the cafe to cure your panic attacks. But getting out of the house is good for you, and Atlas is a perfect safe haven for Net-surfing job seekers.