In our old house, I used to have a desk in what had been the dining room, but which was doubling as my office and my oldest daughter's bedroom, and was also the pass through from the living room to the kitchen. But the children were young then, and two were in school, only two at home. It's easier to put up with distractions when you're young yourself. But I've never been able to write in a public place.
Jane Austen had a little corner of a table in the parlor where she wrote her novels. I imagine, since the Reverend Austen had a numerous family, that there was a fair amount of other activity in the room while she was writing.