I’m considering moving my office to the bus stop on 17th and 3rd in Manhattan. Sure, it’s brutally cold right now and the bathroom across the street isn’t the cleanest but, oh, the Wi-Fi. It isn’t only free, it’s faster than anything else around, including my real office’s network.

The best thing about the neighborhood? It’s one of the first parts of New York City to turn old phone booths into hot spots. In the months ahead, they’ll cover the city like graffiti in the 80s, meaning I can walk around town using fast, free Wi-Fi—not...