💡 Get Philly smart 💡
with BP’s free daily newsletter
Read the news of the day in less than 10 minutes — not that we’re counting.
💌 Love Philly? Sign up for the free Billy Penn newsletter to get everything you need to know about Philadelphia, every day.
With Philly’s many universities and colleges wading through in-person classes and careening through midterm seasons, studying is back. But just because you can reserve a spot deep in the stacks of the library or camp out at Starbucks doesn’t mean you should.
Science says switching up your location mid-workflow can increase productivity and turn a day of differential equations and term papers into an adventure. Dubbed the “coffee shop effect, ” the idea that certain locations can improve recall has been around since the 1970s. Apparently, our brains like to make associations between new information and novel surroundings.
Our solution? Turn studying into an excuse to explore the city beyond campus borders.
Here are some top picks for parks, coworking spaces, and off-the-beaten-path cafes that double as study spaces, and can also help you get to know some quintessential Philly locales.
Cira Green
129 S. 30th St. (University City)
Hours: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mon. – Thurs; 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fri. – Sat.; 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.Sun.
Head to this not-so-secret rooftop park sandwiched between the FMC tower and a luxury apartment complex for a picnic study session before the weather turns chilly. There’s panoramic views of the Philly skyline, and greasy ballpark-style eats courtesy of Sunset Social.
Looking to unwind after banging out a sheet of differential equations? Head downstairs to The Post, a more upscale version of Dave & Busters that deals in waffle fries, wings, and syrupy sweet margaritas.
Quorum
3675 Market St. (University City)
Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mon. – Thurs.
Part of the University City Science Center, Quorum is a free coworking space where students from Penn and Drexel can mingle with start-up founders — think WeWork with an innovation bent. Take a study break at the Elixir Coffee in the lounge or slip into a Q&A with tech investors to learn about venture capital (whatever that is).
Vagrant Coffee
4435 Baltimore Ave. (West Philly)
Hours: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon. – Fri. ; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sat. – Sun.
What started as a mobile coffee shop is now a specialty roastery with a brick and mortar location steps away from Clark Park, making it the perfect pre-Farmer’s Market pitstop. Spread out your organic chemistry homework at one of their large tables alongside a savory drink, like their golden latte spiced with turmeric or a habanero coffee sweetened with honey.
Cosmic Cafe
1 Boathouse Row (Fairmount)
Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tues. – Sat. ; 8 a.m to 7 p.m. Sun
This ciderhouse-slash-coffee shop marks the start of Boathouse Row, a National Historic Landmark site along the Schuylkill replete with college crew houses and lots of coastal elite charm. To make the most of your trip to the river, grab a loaded bagel to go and catch up on your reading at a bench on the water.
The Monkey & the Elephant
2831 W. Girard Ave. (Brewerytown)
Hours: 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tues. – Sun.
This nonprofit coffee shop employs youth that grew up in the foster care system, with sales funding a professional development program centered on building problem-solving and team-building skills. An added bonus? Their back patio is covered in trippy murals, so you’re basically working in an art museum.
OCF Coffee House
2100 Fairmount Ave. (Fairmount)
Hours: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m Mon. – Fri. ; 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat. – Sun.
Come to their Fairmount location for deep work and confectionary delights ranging from tiny whoopie pies to moist tahini loaf cake. Then, spend the day exploring the residential side of Philly’s restaurant district with drinks at Urban Saloon and a night of wholesome Halloween fun at Eastern State Penitentiary, the former home of Terror Behind the Walls.
Looking for a quick bite instead? Head to OCF’s smaller locations near Rittenhouse Square and in Point Breeze.
Ultimo Coffee
5901 Wayne Ave. (Germantown)
Hours: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon. – Fri. ; 8 a.m to 5 p.m. Sat. – Sun.
Unlike Ultimo’s 4 other Center City locations, their Germantown outpost bakes their pastries in-house, so customers here get first dibs on things like thai tea pound cake and salted caramel brownies. Make a day of your trip to city limits by checking out Morris Arboretum, a sprawling plant and nature preserve that’s free for students at the University of Pennsylvania.
Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee and Books
5445 Germantown Ave. (Germantown)
Hours: 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday; 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.Tuesday to Friday; 8 a.m to 7 p.m. Saturday; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday
Owned by author-activist Marc Lamont Hill, Uncle Bobbie’s does coffee “in a way that doesn’t look like an episode of Friends.” A Black-centric, community-centered space, the coffee and bookstore twofer sells a mix of young adult fiction and anti-racist literature, espresso, and — yes — sweet potato pie.
Chapterhouse Cafe & Gallery
620 S. 9th St. (Bella Vista)
Hours: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily
Unlike the rest of the coffee shops on this list, Chapterhouse stays open consistently late, making it the ideal spot for a marathon day of midterm studying. The space also doubles as an art gallery, with their most recent show highlighting works from Laura K. Murdoch and Mia Massimino.
Need a post-study session pick-me-up? Stroll down South Street for thrift shopping, cheesesteaks at Jim’s or Ishkabibble’s, and a debaucherous happy hour at daiquiri specialist Fat Tuesday.
Race Street Pier
Columbus Blvd. (Delaware waterfront)
Hours: 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Open through the remainder of the fall, this pier with views of the Delaware and Camden waterfront is great for an outdoor study date and a short walk from all the tourist attractions you should conquer your freshman year: the Liberty Bell, Elfreth’s Alley, and the BlueCross RiverRink.
