Study Spots in the Bay Area
In the midst of many students either studying for finals, graduate exams,or enjoy getting work done at a cafe, I've created of list of study spots around the bay area that might suit study schedule/habits.
My Yelp
Note: Most of these cafes are located in the Bay Area.
Alameda
1) The Beanery
This is currently my favorite café to study in. It is
a little tricky to find because it is in a co-op Marketplace. The Marketplace has other little shops from brick oven pizza, a kale salad bar, to organic vitamins shop. The only downside is that it closes 7PM! I love sitting in corner
seats because the chairs are a little bigger to sit in a butterfly
position. There are not much of industrial noises, but just little chatter here
and there. If it were to be completely silent, it might be a little hard to
focus. There is a parking lot so you can study from open to close without
worrying about meter. The one thing that made this café stand out the most is
the people who come to this café. Everyone is so kind in offering their seat for
senior citizens, parents with children, or students like me who are ferociously
studying. The staff here are upbeat and the variety of drinks makes each study
experience worthwhile. I get a lot of work done when I am at The Beanery!
–Opens until 7P
2) Starbucks- South Shore
I really hate writing reviews for chain venues, but
I believe that the staff of this particular Starbucks deserve a standing
ovation for their service.Noting that most chained venues are underpaid and
consist of long hours on their feet, I would expect to have mediocre service.
The simple "What would you like? Cool. Here it is." type of attitude.
But the staff here not only remember their customers by their name, but greet
everyone that comes in with a smile and create the most genuine small talk.
This Starbucks is the busiest as well! In the morning you can see a line that
goes out to the door. I am glad I enjoy just a simple medium roast with a 2
pumps of hazelnut. A simple drink that can made right when you order it and not
placed in the line of fancy and pretentious drinks waiting to be made by the
bartista.
My favorite part is when they say my name
"sing-songy" and watch them struggle in pronouncing my ethnic name!
But they are definitely sweet people with awesome service. I want to write this
review to acknowledge their credit for making awesome drinks with a great
attitude. The parking is lot is free! – Opens until 9:30P
1) Philz
Espresso Perfection! Not only can you enjoy a cup of deliciously made coffee, you can
also get a lot of work done because there is a hidden library in the back. Mind
you that this is by the UC Berkeley campus. A lot of students come here to
“study” and do Facebook research, so it can be extremely quiet in the back. A
great spot to study if you want to be out of the library but in a relatively
quiet place to work on materials that require your undivided attention. –
Opens until 8:30P
2) The People’s Café
For you night-owls that would like to study into
the night. TPC closes at midnight. I am not a fan of this café because the
tables are often sticky and small. The murals’ tend to get a little
distracting. There is a mixture of Berkeley students and older folks who come
here after work. I would prefer more of a cleaner study area. — Opens until midnight
San Francisco
1) YakiniQ, Japantown
This is my favorite café in San Francisco. A great thing about this café is the space; there are a lot of tables with great lighting, perfect for working through some practice tests. Bringing laptops for this café might be inconvenient since there aren’t many outlets. This is a great way to manage your time well and be productive. When you enter the café, there are tables on the right side and tables on the left side. The ones on the left side are great for bigger groups while the right has great individual seats and outlets. They also have a full café that serves assorted caffeinated drinks, homemade pastries, and small meals (salads, spam musubies). A lot of people enjoy the sweet potato latte; I usually get black coffee with a spam musubi (~$5). It does take awhile for them to make the drinks and food so plan accordingly. It is often busy on the weekends, I would suggest coming early to grab a good seat. Parking during business hours is a drag because it is metered and in touristy area. If you can opt for public transportation it would be best. -- Opens until 9P on the weekends.
This is my favorite café in San Francisco. A great thing about this café is the space; there are a lot of tables with great lighting, perfect for working through some practice tests. Bringing laptops for this café might be inconvenient since there aren’t many outlets. This is a great way to manage your time well and be productive. When you enter the café, there are tables on the right side and tables on the left side. The ones on the left side are great for bigger groups while the right has great individual seats and outlets. They also have a full café that serves assorted caffeinated drinks, homemade pastries, and small meals (salads, spam musubies). A lot of people enjoy the sweet potato latte; I usually get black coffee with a spam musubi (~$5). It does take awhile for them to make the drinks and food so plan accordingly. It is often busy on the weekends, I would suggest coming early to grab a good seat. Parking during business hours is a drag because it is metered and in touristy area. If you can opt for public transportation it would be best. -- Opens until 9P on the weekends.
2)
Dash, Sunset District
The natural lighting in this café is amazing. Lighting is extremely crucial when studying. There are seating in the front, which can get loud sometimes since it is by the bus tracks. But there are also seating in the back for a more cozy setting. The back doesn’t have any lighting other than small lights. There are outlets everywhere, so if you need to charge your electronics, it will not be an issue. The food selections are crepes, waffles, and espresso drinks. The waffles are really good, but not so much of the drinks. These girls need a little more training as a bartista! Dash can be a little of a far stretch since it is in the sunset district. Parking is also ridiculous in residential area. What is up with Sunset District and little spots by driveways where you can only fit at most a scooter?! – Opens until 7/7:30P
The natural lighting in this café is amazing. Lighting is extremely crucial when studying. There are seating in the front, which can get loud sometimes since it is by the bus tracks. But there are also seating in the back for a more cozy setting. The back doesn’t have any lighting other than small lights. There are outlets everywhere, so if you need to charge your electronics, it will not be an issue. The food selections are crepes, waffles, and espresso drinks. The waffles are really good, but not so much of the drinks. These girls need a little more training as a bartista! Dash can be a little of a far stretch since it is in the sunset district. Parking is also ridiculous in residential area. What is up with Sunset District and little spots by driveways where you can only fit at most a scooter?! – Opens until 7/7:30P
3) Haus, Mission District
This little gem is a hidden secret. Although the mission can be a bit low-scale, there is a hint of bougie hipster in Haus. Another spot that has great natural lighting, free wifi, and a great selection of drinks. Although the Mission District can be a bit loud, Haus is very spacious. You can choose a seat that is further in the back. I haven’t tried any of the foods here, but Haus is right across from El Farorito! You can skip over and grab tacos for a quick break. Parking in SF is never friendly. Therefore we can make causal argument that Parking in the Mission is therefore not friendly as well. –Opens until 9P.
This little gem is a hidden secret. Although the mission can be a bit low-scale, there is a hint of bougie hipster in Haus. Another spot that has great natural lighting, free wifi, and a great selection of drinks. Although the Mission District can be a bit loud, Haus is very spacious. You can choose a seat that is further in the back. I haven’t tried any of the foods here, but Haus is right across from El Farorito! You can skip over and grab tacos for a quick break. Parking in SF is never friendly. Therefore we can make causal argument that Parking in the Mission is therefore not friendly as well. –Opens until 9P.