Uptown Whittier encompasses three square miles and offers dining, shopping, entertainment, and recreation. This is my favorite spot to go to when I want to hang out with friends, relax, eat, and even study. I emphasize studying because most of the time I spend in Uptown is working on homework or writing articles for the Quaker Campus, Whittier College’s newspaper and one the country’s longest running college newspapers. Although there are many restaurants to study at in Uptown, I prefer to go to the multiple cafes in order to enjoy a quick bite of food or some really strong coffee after studying a lot the night before.
My absolute favorite cafe in Uptown is Local Fixture, a small general store with a bunch of knick knacks and a coffee bar. It’s about a 10 minute walk from Whittier’s lower campus residence halls: Staufer, Johnson and Ball. This cute little store sells plants, baby clothes, and multiple Whittier-themed items like mugs. The best things to buy from Local Fixture are their greetings cards, and coffee. The cards have unique sayings on them and are funny, while the coffee is strong but sweet at the same time. Their best coffee drink, in my opinion, is the Con Canela. It has the taste of cinnamon and almond milk and it’s delicious. The greatest thing to do when drinking coffee at Local Fixture is to go out on their patio, with a book or homework, on a nice warm day to finish everything you need to get done. Whenever I’m here, I find I’m more productive and get things done faster.
Another great spot for coffee and studying in Uptown is Lift Coffee Roasters, which is a small local coffee shop just a 15-minute walk from the lower campus residence halls. If you want an atmosphere that feels like a stereotypical coffee spot, this is the place. Lift serves everything from breakfast treats to lunch. My favorite thing on their menu is an iced matcha latte with one of the many sandwiches they prepare daily. The best spot to study or listen to music is definitely the bar by the window because you’re able to watch people and relax. This, in my opinion, is the best atmosphere to study.
A couple stores down from Lift is La Monarca, a chain Mexican cafe. If you love conchas and other pastries, you will really love this place. La Monarca has more than a dozen sweet treats to offer, and some food options. My favorite pastry is their conchas because they usually have some sort of deal that comes with them. My favorite drink is their oatchata latte, which is the oatmilk version of their horchata with coffee drink. La Monarca has some seating outdoors.
Lastly, there is Bark Coffee. I love this place because the spacing of the cafe is very open and usually there aren’t many people here. The coffee is really good, especially their matcha lattes. They also offer pastries, bagels, and cookies. My favorite pastry at Bark Coffee is their chocolate chip cookies or blueberry bagel with cream cheese. Bark Coffee is about a five to ten minute walk from campus depending on where you are walking from. The best place to sit within the whole cafe is near the window all the way to the right because that table has enough space for your coffee and laptop; it’s basically a great work area.
Overall, there are many places around campus that offer coffee, and that are great studying areas. All of these are within walking distance and open during the day so they’re a great option for quick treats, studying, or quick breaks from studying and classwork.
