As a college student, it’s easy to get bored of learning in your usual study spots. Typically a student can be found in the school library or cafe, or their dorm room or apartment. However, these don’t have to be the only options out there. If you’re a student in New York City, looking to change your usual study spots, great! This area is full of free, interesting places to bring your learning materials to study. The hard part is knowing where to look because the city is so vast.
In this article, we reveal some lesser-known escapes where you can study comfortably and experience a new slice of New York. So, if your school’s library just isn’t doing it for you anymore, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
1. The Brooklyn Art Library
The Brooklyn Art Library is the perfect mix of a museum and a library, and it’s completely free. You can study in their Community Space, which is open seven days a week to the public. If you’re the artsy type, spend your study breaks checking out one of the 41,000 sketchbooks that line the walls of the library, all full of unique art drawn by people from over 130 different countries. If you live in Brooklyn, you need to head over to Williamsburg and check out this library’s good vibes.
2. Ace Hotel: Lobby
It may seem surprising, but the centrally-located Ace Hotel is committed to letting anyone use its lobby for studying, reading, or meeting with friends/classmates. The ornate lobby of the building is the perfect escape from the familiarity of your apartment. With its great seating arrangement, you can easily bring some friends for a group learning session. It’s open 24/7 and offers free wifi, making it a great place to study even after your school’s library has closed.
3. The Bean
If you prefer a coffee shop vibe, The Bean is a great option. While so many coffee shops are plagued by spotty wifi and a lack of usable outlets, The Bean has neither of these problems. With great coffee, vegan treats, and of course great non-vegan food as well, this coffee shop is perfect for students who want a quick snack and coffee. Started in the East Village in 2011, there are now five stores in all (four in Manhattan and one in Williamsburg), so definitely make sure to check out the closest one to you.
4. Brooklyn Kolache Co.
This is one of the best novelty bakeshops you can walk into, grab a seat, and settle down for some learning. Even if you're interested in catching up on a good book, you have found a perfect place away from home. The cafe has ethically sourced bites alongside espresso drinks to quench your thirst as you write or check things off your to-do list. One unique fact about this open space is that it’s easy to find learning tools and resources from fellow students. Its open areas offer a conducive environment to gain more insight into your major. Do you have multiple assignments to write, or you need the best place to sought things out with your mind? The Brooklyn Kolache is a great place.
5. Dear Mama Coffee
If you don’t know where to study in NYC – pay attention to this place. Dear Mama Coffee is a cafe on 109th street in East Harlem, and it’s perfect for all kinds of learning. It’s perfect for students who are also hip-hop enthusiasts searching for the perfect place to learn and embrace some hip hop inspired
dish afterward. If you don’t mind some music in the background while you are learning, this cafe will become your go-to learning center aside from school. The music will help you focus your mind on the abstract scene and release it to gain more insight into the task at hand.
6. Double Dutch Espresso
Although, it's not the perfect place to bring your rowdy study groups, it a place for some writing. This place can be considered as a haven that will help you master the art of learning actively. A great place for weary tourists, students, and anyone conscious of their privacy and concerned that their study-focused face won’t appear in the background of any Instagram Selfie.
7. Gossip Coffee
If you need an environment to learn and write your assignment and one that is entirely different from the library, the Gossip coffee located at Astoria, Manhattan is the ideal place you should go. This open spaced shop makes it easy to catch up with assignments and re-learn what was taught in the classroom. So why not head to this popular cafe and seat squarely on its comfy chairs for another learning session with your study materials?
8. The Nomad Hotel: Library
The two-story library at the Nomad hotel located at 1170 Broadway, is yet another place where students can find learning escapes in various degrees. The library has an extensive collection of musical artwork, history of the City of New York and spirits. The library is equipped with Wifi, which makes it a great place to do some research and search through its collection of historical work, especially when writing a dissertation or another long-form assignment.
Although the vast majority of students prefer to study either at home or in their school library, a lot of them thirst for a different environment that fosters learning, if you are one of such, we hope you find this information useful.
Do you know of any other places that aren't listed here? Drop a comment below and let us know!
~partner