At one time or another we’ve all experienced that splitting headache brought on by spending way too many hours way in the Rock’s gloomy stacks, with far too little human interaction. For those of you who identify as SciLi enthusiasts, consider the bleary disorientation caused by waking up in the Friedman Study Lounge at 4am, three hours after you decided to close your eyes for “just a second.”
We are passionate about the subjects we choose to study, but that doesn’t mean we have to sacrifice comfort and aesthetics for the abstract intellectual pursuit. With the long, dreary New England winter firmly behind us, now is the perfect time to shake up the old routine and find a new place to crack those books.
1. The Edge
199 Wayland Avenue
Mon-Fri 6am-6pm, Sat & Sun 7am-6pm
Free Wi-Fi
Take a walk over to Wayland Square, a quaint community of shops, cafes and restaurants that while not quite “off the Hill” certainly feels refreshing after years of speed-walking up and down Thayer. The Edge is a great coffee shop always bustling with students and other Providence coffee aficionados. There’s plenty of seating, free wi-fi, a wide selection of Intelligentsia Roasters coffee. If you’re in the mood for brunch or lunch, you can find yummy salads, soups, and paninis. Make a stop at Whole Foods or Eastside Marketplace while you’re down here and pick up some fresh fruit or produce to supplement your Ratty diet.
2. The Providence Athenaeum
251 Benefit Street
Mon-Thurs 9am-7pm
Fri 9am-5pm
Sat 9am-5pm
Sunday 1pm-5pm
No Wi-Fi
A beautiful little gem of a library just a few blocks from our beloved Thayer Street. The Athanaeum’s website describes the library as having “the intrigue of a great mystery, the history of a non-fictional epic, and the delicious escape of a fiction title.” Now tell me that doesn’t sound more exciting than the SciLi lobby! Anyone can come here to study or browse the beautiful selection of old books.
3. RISD’s Fleet Library
15 Westminster Street
Mon-Thurs 8:30am-11pm
Fri 8:30am-8pm
Sat 10am-6pm
Sun12pm-11pm
Free Wi-Fi
This library might just make you consider transferring to RISD, if you have the art skills that is. With innovative architecture, high ceilings, massive windows, and fantastic people-watching, the RISD library is a study spot where you can both get a ton of work done and have some fun. Brown students have access so just bring your Brown ID, sign in, and you’ll be able to sit and study (or browse their incredible collection of art magazines) for as long as you like. On your way back up the Hill grab a coffee at the wonderful little Carr House Cafe (210 Benefit Street) run by RISD students.
4. Coffee Exchange
207 Wickenden Street
Mon-Sun 6:30am-11pm
Free Wi-Fi
Coffee Exchange is a Providence institution, so if you somehow haven’t been here yet, you should come. Their selection of coffee beans is second to none, at least in Providence, and clientele is a fascinating mix of Brown students, local hipsters, families, and grandfatherly men eager to dispense worldly advice. It can get pretty crowded on the weekends, especially when the weather is nice, so come early (or really late) to avoid waiting for a table.
5. Seven Stars Bakery
820 Hope Street, and 342 Broadway
Mon-Fri 6:30am-6pm
Sat & Sun 7am-6pm
No Wi-Fi
Coming here may seem like a bit of a hike but, if you pick a sunny afternoon and bring a friend along for the journey, there’s no better way to spend an afternoon. Seven Stars Bakery is the source of those scrumptious granola scones, berry muffins and peanut butter cookies you’ve been eying at pretty much every coffee shop in Providence. The walk to the Hope Street location is pleasant, and you can check out all the cool restaurants and cafes on the way. The trek to their Broadway location isn’t as relaxing, unless you have happen to be going downtown anyways, so grab the trolleybus up to Providence’s Federal Hill district and enjoy the change of scenery.
Other Places to Try:
Malachi’s, 134 Ives Street
Tea in Sahara, 69 Governor Street
L’Artisan, 9 Wayland Square
White Electric, 771 Westminster Street
La Salle Bakery, 993 Smith Street