Top Five Places to Study in Chicago

As a grad student in Chicago, I'm always on the lookout for new places to study. My environment greatly impacts my study effectiveness, so it is important for me to find an environment that is conducive to learning. In my search, I've found quite a few places in Chicago that offer this environment, so I've compiled a list of my top five places to study!

Alliance Bakery & Cafe
Cafes and coffee shops have long been a favorite study place for students. Offering a comfortable and inviting environment, a limitless supply of caffeine, and plenty of sweet treats to quiet hunger pangs, coffee shops practically beg their visitors to stay for hours. For many people, coffee houses with lots of background noise are preferable to those that are quieter (and most coffee shops are quite noisy!). Alliance is quite different in this aspect from many coffee shops - silence permeates the cafe area here. Alliance is set up quite uniquely, in two different storefronts. The bakery and coffee/espresso-making area is in one storefront, and the cafe/seating area is in the other. This banishes the usual noise of order placing and steaming milk to the one storefront, leaving the cafe area quiet as a mouse. This library-like silence is perfect for studying in, and with the free wireless access and abundance of outlets, you can also bring your laptop with you!

Newberry Library
Libraries are also a top pick to commence with studying in, and the Newberry Library ranks top among my favorites. The Newberry Library is an independent research library, but it is open to the public (anyone 16 years or older). With its long tables, green bankers' lamps, and Classical architecture, visitors will feel as if they have walked into a true library. The Newberry Library's holdings are strongest in the humanities, with their primary audience being genealogical researchers. A first-time visitor will have to apply for a Reader's Card on the third floor before gaining entry to the reading rooms, and will need to bring proof of identity and address for this. Once you present your Reader's Card in the reading room, you will be given a spot at a table, which will be yours for the duration of the day - you could even leave for lunch and return to your original seat when you come back. Because of the uniqueness of the Newberry's collections (they don't want anything to be stolen), you'll have to deposit all bags and unnecessary items into the lockers provided on the ground floor of the library before being allowed past the guards. Also, be prepared to have your possessions checked as you exit past the security guard on your way out. It may seem like a lot of hassle, but once inside, you'll enjoy hours of undisturbed study time, and because of the high level of security, you won't have to worry about shady characters lurking about. The staff is also incredibly helpful and willing to answer any questions.

Chicago Cultural Center
As you walk into the Chicago Cultural Center, it feels like you are entering a museum. Completed in 1897 as the city's original Chicago Public Library, the impressive limestone exterior and stained glass domes will take your breath away. Inside you will find different art collections, a huge visitor's center, a cafe, and a seating area. Nestled under the great staircase (which leads to different halls and theaters) are oversized armchairs, which is the perfect out-of-the-way place to study. The Cultural Center is usually bustling with visitors, providing a high energy level that helps keep you focused on whatever you're working on. The Cultural Center also offers free wireless internet, but be sure to come with a fully-charged laptop battery - you'll get in trouble if you try to plug it in!

Harold Washington Library
The Harold Washington Library is the downtown branch of the Chicago Public Library system. Located in a building that takes up the entire block, odds are that the Harold Washington Library will have the book you're looking for. The building itself is seven floors high, with different collections occupying the third through sixth floors. The gem of this library is the winter garden, located on the top floor. With fabulous views over the city, an abundance of skylights, and a lofty atrium-like feel, most visitors never make it far enough to enjoy it. Complete with chairs and tables, along with free wireless internet access, the winter garden is the perfect place to study, especially when the weather is less than perfect. Visitors can stay for hours of quality study time, interrupted only occasionally by the occasional tourist commenting on its beauty. As at the Newberry Library, be prepared to have your belongings checked as you exit past the security guard on your way out.

Bourgeois Pig Cafe
The Bourgeois Pig is another study-friendly coffee house; located right next to DePaul's Lincoln Park campus, the cafe is usually full of students. The Bourgeois Pig is as unique as its name suggests: set in a former house, this coffee house is two stories high with tables close to each other, and plenty of nooks and crannies, thereby creating a cozy and friendly aura. Downstairs can get fairly loud, so your best bet will be to head upstairs to study. Like Alliance, the Bourgeois Pig offers a myriad of tasty drinks and treats, as well as free wireless access and plenty of outlets. Of all places, the Bourgeois Pig stays open the latest, drawing late-night clientele in search of caffeine.