Best Study Spots Around Campus

There are a ton of great study spots on and around campus at Penn. The most popular spots tend to be the two libraries -- Van Pelt and Fisher Fine Arts -- as well as Huntsman Hall, the Wharton building that is open 24/7. However, during the busiest times of the semester, you may have a tough time finding a seat in some of these popular locations. Luckily, there are a plethora of other places to choose from depending on what kind of environment you like to study in.

There are tons of great coffee shops to choose from. One of the main ones is Starbucks in the 1920s Commons building, but there are also some other Starbucks to choose from on 39th and Walnut Streets and 34th and Walnut. Saxby’s over on 40th and Locust got remodeled recently and tends to be a pretty popular area with its big tables and lots of outlets. Hub Bub is great as well, but it closes earlier than some of the other options.

Outside of coffee shops, there are other places to study in some of the academic buildings and College Houses. The highrises, which are located at the west end of campus, have spacious rooftop lounges that are always a good option on a weeknight. Houston Hall has a lot of good tables and couches on the ground floor above the marketplace. The Annenberg School for Communication as well as the Law School are both areas that undergrads are welcome to use.

Some people like to complete their work in the comfort of their own rooms, while others like to venture downtown to Center City and work in parks or bookstores. It’s really up to you where you get your work done, but going to school at Penn in Philadelphia provides students with a wide variety of places to explore.

-Pat Z, C'18