Let’s face it: Having 10-week terms means that as Drexel students, we spend a pretty significant chunk of our days studying. If you’re going to be hitting the books all day, you might as well do it in a cute coffee shop surrounded by the smells of fresh cappuccino and scones, or in a cozy nook of a library. Keep scrolling below to find your new favorite study spots in University City!
- United By Blue
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Coffee shops are great places for studying, but the constant crowd at Starbucks and Saxby’s can be distracting at times, especially when you’re trying to study for all those finals. Enter, United By Blue! Located right on Penn’s campus, this coffee shop (which doubles as an outdoor apparel company) is any hipsters dream come true. The coffee shop has a large seating area, filled with wooden tables perfect for studying by yourself or with your friends. United By Blue is a great place to go for collaborative work, but it’s also good for individual studying. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that their matcha lattes and blueberry muffins are fantastic.
Address: 3421 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104
- Free Library of Philadelphia: Walnut Street West
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Hagerty Library is probably every Drexel student’s go-to study spot, because as great as coffee shops are, there’s no place better than a quiet corner of the library to read a chapter of your textbook. The Free Library of Philadelphia’s branch on Walnut Street West is a great place to hit the books if you like studying at Hagerty, but need a little change of scenery. While it’s not open as late as Hagerty, the Free Library is a great place to get some work done during the day. Located on Penn’s campus, this library not only has a wide range of books (check out the truly adorable children’s section) but plenty of desks and tables to study at. Also, the chance that you’ll run into your friend from class is a lot less likely than when going to Hagerty. So, the chance of you getting distracted and putting off those math problems is unlikely!
Address: 201 S 40th St, Philadelphia, PA 19104
- Joe Coffee Company
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Joe’s is another coffee shop that doubles as a good study spot. Located right on Chestnut, this shop is close to a lot of other academic buildings (MacAlister, Lebow, Papadakis, etc.). The bottom floor of Joe’s has a bar area and a countertop to order drinks and baked goods, but just a floor above it is a space with plenty of tables perfect for spreading out your laptop and notebooks. The best part about Joe’s is that it’s rarely crowded. So, it truly is a good place to get work done. Also, pro-tip: Shake Shack is only a few feet away, and yes, you most definitely deserve a chocolate shake and cheese fries after all that studying.
Address: 3200 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104
- URBN Center
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Ok, so every Westphal student is definitely familiar with the URBN center and knows that it’s one of the best places to work on any design/media related project. However, any non-Westphal student should take advantage of URBN, because there are plenty of open tables, lecture halls, and study/lab rooms that are perfect for working on projects or studying. The lobby area on the first floor also has plenty of tables and couches, and many incredibly creative and inspiring students of Westphal. If you’re not enrolled in a Westphal major or minor make sure to go to URBN during the daytime because 24/7 access is only available to Westphal staff and students.
Address: 3501 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19104
- Main Building
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If you want to study at a site reminiscent of a French palace, the Main Building is the place for you. If you have a class at the Main Building, then you’re already familiar with its beautiful interior, filled with regal vaults, entrances, and copies of Greek and Roman statues. Honestly, the building looks more like something out of the MET than a place where you’d have a physics recitation. The building is filled with classrooms and discussion halls great for plugging into your study playlist and taking notes. When classes are going on, the lobby area on the first floor has plenty of tables free for student use. As an added perk, the coffee shop kiosk inside the building takes dining dollars!
Address: 3141 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Be sure to check out these great study spots sometime during the term, and if you don’t like them that much, don’t worry — there’s always Saxby’s!