Caffeine addicts and workaholics are welcome here

When asked what I do in my spare time here in Chicago by my friends and family back home in New York I'm often stumped... What do I do?! After a minute or two of thought I've come to the conlcusion that I don't do a whole lot... I go to class, go to rehearsals, perform, go to class, go to rehearsal, perform. Is this really how I want to remember my time in the second largest city? 

 It shocked me to think that after all these years I still know nothing about the city I live in. Having my undergraduate college in the South Loop area I hardly find time to venture too far from my apartment. As a dance major I have countless rehearsals that swallow up my nights while I spend the majority of my daylight hours in technique class or even more rehearsals, weekends are spent attending various dance performances and catching up on homework that was put off because of rehearsals.

Upon my three years of residence in the city of Chicago I have found not only a passion in dance but a passion for loose leaf tea and for that of chai.

All sorts of chai interest me, loose leaf, powder, syrup, whichever. And most recently I've stumbled upon the idea of scouring the Chicagoland for the best cup of chai. 

As a college student I saver the moments I can spend in a coffee shop sipping a latte and enjoying the aromatic atmosphere to goes hand in hand with a cafe. I have come to resent the big-business coffee corporations due to their lack of imagination in their locations and store fronts. I delight in finding those hidden gems coffee shops and bakery cafes that stay tucked away from the beaten paths. These are the treasures that college students, like myself, are holed up in for countless hours pouring over research papers, worksheets, music theory notation, and the countless other array of work that's thrown at us.

A few months ago I was introduced to the Wormhole Coffee. A semi-large coffee shop/study lounge that is tightly tucked away between two large display windows. If I had not been previously made aware of the Wormhole I probably would have completely passed this coffee shop by without a second look. The outside shows no resemblance of a coffee shop nor does it allude to even housing tenants of any sort.

This coffee shop sparked my interest in coffee/study lounges that are directed towards the college-type student who needs that perfect place to study that will fuel not only their caffeine addiction but allow them to keep working for hours on end without bothering them as they work.

In my search for the best cup of chai in Chicago I have also taken it upon myself to search out the best study lounges and cafes for a student like myself. I have made a checklist in hopes to finding a place that will knock off at least 4/5 of the necessary amenities needed for a college student like myself.

A coffee shop/study lounge should have...

1) Properly prepared coffees, teas, and other assortment of beverage options, caffeinated and non-caffeinated options are appreciated. Freshly brewed & ground beans preferred (local is a plus).

2) Food is not a must, but various sweets (cookies, muffins, scones, croissants, danish) that might suppress a growling stomach and add an extra sugar boost is greatly a start in the right direction. Organic/Vegan options are a plus.

3) Proper seating arrangements & lots and LOTS of plug outlets for our hip Apple laptops. Proper seating includes an assortment tables & chairs. Hard backed chairs and tables for those who need a desk-like structure to study and comfy couches and coffee tables for those who study best on their beds. Also making sure chairs & tables are nicely spaced from other chairs and tables, I do not want to feel like I am sharing an intimate meal with the table next to mine. Personal space is key.

4) Adequate music selection. Not too loud and not too quite. When I can hear the music over my own headphones then we have a problem. Music selection ranges from eclectic/indie to contemporary-adult, from Guster to Coldplay. No head-banging thrasher metal selections or irish jigs please.

5) Ambiance. Some prefere the bright sunshine, to be near windows, and daylight to motivate them to continue working, others prefer dark corners and dimly lit lamps with the glow of their computers illuminating their furrowed brows as they tap away at their keyboards. Sometimes we can't always get both so in my personal preference I prefer the latter to daylight and windows. I find that I work better with darker surroundings, darker colors, surrounded by shelves filled with books and old photographs lining the walls.

-When thinking about the ambiance and atmosphere, sound control is an issue, adding in abstract art to cover the walls and oriental rugs to absorb sound is always a great choice. Keeping in mind that making coffee can be a often loud and clanging job. Keeping the lounge & the coffee bar in separate locations of the room is ideal.

Again this is not a crucial list but some of these things without the other will make or break a great coffee shop.

So far I have visited five different cafes that all bring a different vibe to the surrounding areas of Chicago.

I am more than open to different opinions and suggestions and I look forward to my ventures outside my Loop bubble and hope to fall in love more and more with the wonderful city that I live in. 

In the follow posts I will give in greater detail the coffee shops that I have more previously visited (pictures made available when possible).

Cheers!