Aside from home, this is the spot where I probably get the most writing done. The Renaissance has the perfect set up for me: a bar and lounge with a chic fireplace glow (albeit a faux fireplace), moody corners that feel stylish and intimate, and a staff that treats me like family. The senior bartender knows me, and already has a copy of the book on reserve. After all, he’s been watching me write it for two years now. The food is great. There’s a Ruth’s Chris right across the lobby, so I’ll usually order the calamari and pair it with a glass of prosecco. Between the available outlets, the ever-changing mix of people drifting through, and the kind of bathrooms that make you pause for a mirror moment, this is a place where I can put my head down for hours. Just me and the page.

…My good friend put me on to this spot, and now I get it. The Laundry Café is part of The Aux — a community hub built around wellness, healing, and equity. The vibe is giving industrial and A Different World with its brick walls, massive garage-style windows, and wood-topped tables. And yes, if you were wondering, there are full laundry services behind the cafe. What better way to spend your laundry day?

Across the hall is newly opened Zora’s Place Bookstore, the first Black woman-owned bookshop in Evanston. I had the opportunity to chat with the wonderful owner and picked up Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, After the Rain by Alex Elle, before heading back for a chai latte and pound cake from Tasha at that cafe (sorry, Mom, it was pretty good). The AUX team is incredible and I love the story of this place. I will definitely be going back.

…I still remember my last visit, there were only two of us dining in the whole restaurant, and I ordered mussels in garlic white wine broth. I’ve never been so happy to not share a meal. On weekends, I’ll slip into a sundress and shades, claim my favorite corner table, order an espresso or cappuccino, and write freehand while watching the street unfold. The table is small — better suited to stolen notes than full pages — but I love it. Last time I tried editing there, one of the waiters arrived with my personal cauldron of steaming mussels, leaned in with a smile, and said: “Work time is over. It’s time to eat, dear.”

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This is my newest spot, and they know how to set up for a writer, baby, let me tell you. Bright and airy, with outlets and little power strips at every table, plus a curved banquette that wraps around the storefront windows — perfect for settling in. The owner seems to know everyone in town; when he’s not unpacking croissants (that they apparently fly in from France?!) he’s cleaning tables, pushing in chairs, and checking on everyone to make sure we’ve got everything we need. I’ve already hit “regular” status — got my cap, bought the mug, and I get a discount when I bring it back. Still testing if that applies to cortados. Or matcha lattes.

I was really into Cupitol this past spring and early summer. The Evanston location is my favorite — more relaxed, with better seating for long edits, unlike the sister café in the next town that’s adorable but made for brunch dates and a quick coffee before hitting Zara or Banana Republic. The food is always fantastic, from a simple croissant to blueberry lemon pancakes with chicken sausage, and their fresh-squeezed orange juice is unforgettable.

The space is eclectic, with comfy chairs that show a little wear from syrup spills, but it works. Sometimes I meet my ex-trainer here for breakfast before he heads to the gym, and he never makes me feel guilty about all the carbs I’m consuming.

I find myself here most often in the winter months, though last summer I had the best conversation with a couple who were both writers. Over a round of coffee, we planned an entire writer’s retreat that has yet to happen, but I am still hopeful. Leonidas is a cozy spot to tuck into, especially during the holidays- the staff creates beautiful elaborate displays in their front window. It is a full chocolatier, lined with purple and gold boxes of truffles and gourmet chocolates. Last year, I gifted my team with fresh macarons — a sleeve for each person — and they were a hit. My preferred location is small, so I have to get there early, but the space works. Even if I always leave smelling like butter and crepes, its a lovely place to romanticize the cold (dream up a new steamy premise, a hot male character…)

This little stretch of lakefront has become my private slice of heaven. Endless blue skies, a tide that can cut up when it feels like it, and the company of locals — me and the old biddies at nine on a Saturday morning. I got some serious sun this year, and I am glad to say my chocolate coating is glowing.

There is nothing like packing a beach bag, sometimes a little cooler, and heading down to the water to get lost in my words. It is peaceful, incredible, and exactly the kind of place that reminds me why I write. But I will be honest, since my debut novel is set Chicago speakeasies, rooftops, and restaurants, the beach was never the perfect fit for drafting. Out here, I mostly worked on what was already written or created content.

Still, the waves have a way of whispering ideas, and I will tease this: there might already be a new love story in the works, something more ocean-adjacent… Its a story I wasn’t quite ready to tell unti recently. For now, it is tucked away while I focus on No Place Like You.