Hey Hoyas, and welcome to 4E’s new series: the oh-so-cleverly named
“GTFO: Georgetown, Together Fleeing Off-campus” (profound apologies).
Our first edition is all about places to go and do what we Georgetown students do best: study! Midterm season is upon us like a thick and suffocating blanket, and I am going a little bit stir-crazy staying on campus and working.
The Gymboree-esque seating in the Heal Fam Stu Cen is less quirky and more irritating. The artificial lighting in ICC classrooms is becoming restrictive and headache inducing. The Lau cubicles are starting to cause cabin fever and serial-killer tendencies a la Jack Torrance in The Shining.
Luckily, these problems can easily be solved by the many student-friendly study spaces throughout DC. The first edition of GTFO will focus on cafes and coffee shops, because the only activities Georgetown students hold nearer to our hearts than studying are eating and consuming unhealthy amounts of caffeine. (For a fall finals version, check out these studying hotspots.)
If you wanna be the coolest kid in the district, here’s where you should hang:
1. Caffé Aficionado (A): 1919 N Lynn Street, Arlington, VA
What is it: Caffe Aficionado is located right over the Key Bridge in Rosslyn. There’s not a ton of seating, but they do have free Wifi.
Why you should go: Caffé Aficionado has the best lattes ever. Sipping on a honey-cinnamon latte with a foam-art bear will make your IR readings a little less painful.
How to get there: On weekdays, take the GUTS bus to Rosslyn. Otherwise, the Dupont Circle-Rosslyn circulator bus costs $1 and leaves from 35th and M St. The fifteen minute walk is cool too, especially if you like scenic views of the Potomac and the Washington Monument.
2. Blind Dog Cafe (B): 944 Florida Ave, Washington, DC
What is it: Blind Dog Cafe is located a little bit off of U St, and serves breakfast sandwiches, regular sandwiches, salads and lots of fancy coffee drinks and juices. They have free Wifi and couch seating.
Why you should go: I had one of the top three best chocolate chip cookies of my life. If you go, please bring one back for me. The people watching there is also a fantastic way to procrastinate. Protip: Do not try to be cool by putting almond milk in your iced Americano. It’s disgusting.
How to get there: Take the G2 bus from the front gates to 7th and P St, and then walk 5 blocks. You can also take the D6 bus to the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro, and then take the green or yellow line to the U St. stop.
3. Slipstream (C): 1333 14th St NW, Washington, DC
What is it: Slipstream is a restaurant/coffee shop in the Logan Circle neighborhood. It’s definitely expensive, but there’s lots of seating and table service. There’s also like 10 different kinds of coffee with carefully explained flavor profiles. So if you’re a coffee snob or if you like making fun of coffee snobs this is the place for you. There’s no Wifi during brunch on weekends, but during the week, it’s a great place to sit and enjoy coffee that has been “de-pulped and tossed with champage yeast before being fermented for eight hours.” Yum!
Why you should go: If you’re like me and have some kind of primal need for pretentious and instragrammable foods like avocado toast and something called “French-toast casserole,” then Slipstream is your place.
How to get there: Take the G2 bus from the front gates to the corner of 14th and P St.
4. Soho Tea & Coffee (D): 2150 P St NW, Washington, DC
What is it: Located in Dupont Circle, Soho is much closer to home. There’s a ton of seating, free Wifi and a full menu. It’s a lot less crowded, less expensive and less hipster than most other DC coffee shops.
Why you should go: Soho is much more laid back and down-to-earth than the other options on this list. It’s ten minutes away from Georgetown, and is open until 11pm on weeknights. If you prefer comfort food to coffee that requires ten different flavor adjectives, go to Soho.
How to get there: GUTS bus, D6 bus, or G2 bus.
5. Whole Foods (E): 1440 P St NW, Washington, DC
What is it: Whole Foods is actually a fantastic place to study. There’s free Wifi and counter seating. Also, “food” is literally in the name of the place. There’s nothing better than looking down at a sea of colorful, fresh produce while you are struggling through a philosophy paper. Study breaks come in the form of staring longingly at $8 buckets of strawberries and organic, vegan, gluten free cookies.
Why you should go: On weekends, the Logan Circle Whole Foods gives out free guacamole samples all afternoon. I’m pretty sure I had a religious experience watching the guacamole lady work her magic. Warning: Studying at Whole Foods may induce exclusively guacamole-centered daydreams for several days.
How to get there: The Logan Circle Whole Foods is a few blocks from Slipstream, so you can take the G2 bus. There are also Whole Foods on Wisconsin and near GW, but guacamole has not been confirmed at those locations.
Studying for midterms and writing papers doesn’t always have to be a completely horrible experience. Getting off of campus is a great way to clear your head, and studying at spots other than Lau 1, Lau 2, Lau 3, Lau 4 and Lau 5 gives you the opportunity to explore new neighborhoods and find new favorite places (Saturday night Lau sessions, however, are highly recommended and sure to be entertaining).
Also, if you find any other awesome places to study, #hmu or I might go all Jack Nicholson on you. So Hoyas, grab your laptop, books and appetite, leave your disdain for public transportation at home and GTFO.
Photos/Gifs: giphy.com, mapfling.com, Yelp.com (users: Kay H., Rebecca Dickerson, Brandon M., Nikila D., Orlando N., Deane M., A.R. P.), sohoteaandcoffee.com, blinddogcafe.com, dc.urbanturf.com, https://living-in-washingtondc.com/
