Here’s the situation: It’s Hump Day, you’re swamped with work and you need a pick-me-up. Or maybe you’ve exhausted your usual on-campus study spot. Maybe you’re just looking for a change of pace. Now imagine this: You’re sitting in a brightly-lit cafe, a cup of coffee on your left and your pile of work on your right. Most importantly, all your devices are connected to stable Wi-Fi.
Conversations with friends have made me realize that many of us don’t know the area outside the Claremont campuses that well. The Claremont Village is pretty small, and it can feel like you’ve already seen and done everything possible — but there are some hidden gems!
Studying is tough. Maybe you’ve been waiting for someone to tell you this. You deserve to treat yourself for your hard work (maybe with a boba tea or a hot cappuccino) and to give yourself a sugary pat on the back. Here are three cafes in the Village that I recommend checking out for your next study session.
Norema: 313 N Yale Ave
This little cafe, tucked between two clothing stores, is a comforting sanctuary. I first visited Norema with my friends on a sticky summer day during our first week of college. It acted as a relieving salve to the chaos of orientation and jam-packed schedules. Since then, I’ve returned multiple times. The owner is so sweet and accommodating and it’s the perfect space to just sit and get through a particularly stressful workload.
Ambience: ⅘
I love Norema’s ambience; the soft jazz music playing in the background provides a perfect soundtrack for studying. It’s reasonable for group work but can get a little crowded during peak hours.
Affordability: ⅘ (drinks: $4-6, food: $7-10)
Be sure to ask for a stamp card if you think you’ll be a returning customer: You can get one free drink per six drink purchases.
Overall Study-ability: 4.5/5
What to Order: Although the Thai Tea is a fan favorite and all of the drinks are super refreshing on a hot day (the menu’s choose-your-own-adventure style encourages you to try out different combinations), I’m the biggest fan of Norema’s food, which remind me of my favorite homestyle Chinese restaurants back home. If you tend to get hangry during long study sessions, try the pan-fried dumplings (pork or chicken) or piping-hot soup dumplings.
Iron & Kin: 536 W 1st St
Ambience: 4.5/5
Iron & Kin’s interior is super trendy, well-lit and has good feng shui – this is the perfect place to lock in and get some work done. The only downside is that it can get busy and it’s difficult to find an open table, especially on weekends. The long line to order, which tends to snake out of the door, can be a little distracting.
Affordability: ⅗ (drinks: $4-$6.25)
This cafe definitely skews on the pricier side of Claremont’s cafe offerings, but I find that the quality is worth it: The baristas are super friendly and the drinks are consistently good.
Overall Study-ability: 4/5
What to Order: I’ve only ever ordered their matcha (yes, I’m one of those cafe lovers who doesn’t actually enjoy coffee; my go-to item is always an iced matcha), but it never disappoints.
CK Cafe: 109 Yale Ave
When you think of hole-in-the-wall, this is pretty much exactly what comes to mind. Specializing in tea, this cafe embodies this concept; the entrance off Yale Avenue is hidden in the corner of Alley 39’s narrow parking lot. However, its shocking (and perhaps overwhelming) list of drinks ensures that everyone finds something they like.
Ambience: ⅗
My friends and I were at first a little hesitant when visiting this cafe. Besides the fact that it’s super hard to find the entrance, the one-room shop is dimly lit and there’s a lingering scent of cigarette smoke wafting in from the outdoor patio. However, the tables are great for group work, the couches are comfortable and the Wi-Fi is stable! It’s easy to feel like you’ve left Claremont for a while, as the space feels so vastly different from all the other quaint shops in the Village.
Affordability: 5/5 (drinks: $2.25-$5)
Choosing what you want to get from the seemingly endless offerings, which are scrawled on and around the walls, is the most difficult part of the process. The prices are really reasonable.
Overall Study-ability: 3.5/5
What to Order: You likely can’t go wrong with any of their drinks. However, they’re best known for their blooming flower teas, which are both photogenic and flavorful.
Michelle Zhang PO ’27 is from the Bay Area. She’s a proud lefty and has a Duolingo streak of over six years.
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