Recently, a friend and I were sitting inside a coffee shop in Rittenhouse Square, working away at a project for our Management class. We were interrupted by a rapping on the glass that separated us from the beautiful park outside – it was a fairly high profile Penn 2015 grad who recognized us from the sidewalk. When he came inside, he said, “I can’t tell you how happy it makes me that you’re working off campus. More people need to do this.” Which made me wonder: why don’t more people do this?
Need a jump start? Check out my favorite Center City coffee shop study spots.
Elixr
Elixr (Walnut and Sydenham):
A hipster, dim coffee shop with the strongest coffee around. Watch out though, it fills up really fast later during the day, so get here early. Fair warning: there aren’t very many outlets, so come with your laptop fully charged.
Joe (Walnut and 18th):
Smaller than the Joe on Drexel’s campus, the view of Rittenhouse Park–excellent for people watching–makes up for it. There is also outdoor sidewalk seating (and yes, the Wi-fi reaches out there). Their coffee is a little more acidic than I would like, but be sure to grab a punch card before you leave.
Barnes and Noble (Walnut and 18th):
For when you need a change of scenery, and Joe gets too crowded, walk next door to Barnes and Noble. Their Starbucks café has plenty of tables to sit at. Surround yourself with the smell of books!
Square One Café (13th and Irving):
If you crave natural light, this is the place for you. The entire storefront is windows, and the minimalistic décor is all white and natural wood. White string lights wrap the walls for an ethereal touch. Plus, the throw pillows on the benches make the place extra cozy – and Instagram worthy!
Coffee shops are my favorite study spaces for many reasons:the yummy treats, the decadent smell of coffee that fills the air, the ambient playlists – but, most of all, the anonymity. In a school that seems to get smaller and smaller each year, it is refreshing to leave campus to be a nobody every once in a while … until someone from Penn spots you through the window.
-Emily Hu
Image Courtesy of: Elixr