• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

College Magazine

College Life, Dating, Career & Campus Advice

  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

You are here: Home / Campus life / Top 10 Places Around UW to Cozy-Up with a Good Book

Top 10 Places Around UW to Cozy-Up with a Good Book

August 3, 2016 //  by Enrique Perez

Shares33FacebookTweet

Your roommate’s latest Netflix binge might make it impossible to read in the comfort of your apartment or dorm. Whether you read A Tale of Two Cities or 50 Shades of Grey, you need to find a comfortable and distraction-free space to read. But in a campus frequently overrun by tourists and school children on field trips, students struggle to find their own nook to settle down in for a chapter or two. Try out these 10 places around the UW Seattle campus to can escape the grind and lose yourself in the story.

1. Drumheller Fountain

Enrique Perez
Enrique Perez

During the day, the fountain can get a bit too busy to do any serious reading, but my fellow commuters coming from the light rail station can make a stop here before class. Once the fountain turns on, you’ll hear a lovely ambient sound of rushing water to help you focus and relax. Once it starts getting busy you can use this place to people-watch while reading The Humans by Matt Haig, a witty and observational book about an alien trying to blend into human society—a book every commuter can relate to when they’re surrounded by people who live on campus. “Just watch out for the goose shit,” sophomore Nick Cabrera said, scraping his shoe on the concrete.

2. Cafe Allegro

Enrique Perez
Enrique Perez

Maybe the last thing you need while trying to finish that 30-page reading assignment is the soothing sound of Drumheller Fountain lulling you back to sleep. Instead, you need a jolt from a delicious cup of the city’s favorite beverage. But let’s be honest, the coffee served in paper cups in places like By George and Orin’s Place doesn’t cut it when you want to cozy up to read.  Café Allegro is a great alternative to the Starbucks on-the-go cup of joe and its bohemian-style brick interior makes it a fantastic place to read.

3. The Quad

Enrique Perez
Enrique Perez

Lean back on the trunk of a cherry blossom and read under its shade, periodically wiping off pink petals from the pages of your favorite Haruki Murakami novel. This great spot suits people who don’t mind accidentally photo-bombing a tourist’s vacation photos. You might have to wait until spring to enjoy the full, flowery potential of this reading spot, but even in the summer the Quad makes a great place to escape the Seattle sun while still taking in the fresh air.

4. Union Bay Natural Area

commons.wikimedia.org
commons.wikimedia.org

This place works perfectly for those of us who like to listen to audiobooks. That still counts as reading, right? Take a walk around the short loop with a good pair of headphones, enjoy a beautiful view of Lake Washington and do some birdwatching. You might get a chance to see blackbirds, herons or bald eagles as well as other wildlife like turtles. I recommend listening to In A Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson, a book about Australia that at times will make you glad you don’t live in a place with such deadly, deadly nature.

5. North-side of the Husky Union Building

Enrique Perez
Enrique Perez

Every Husky knows that the HUB provides comfortable chairs and places to put your feet up and relax. You may even see your fellow commuters napping on the sofas there. But if you really want to curl up with the latest thriller, try the north side of the HUB because some students like to practice playing the piano on the second floor. This gives a soothing soundtrack to your reading. But beware: bring headphones in case anyone starts playing “Chopsticks.”

6. Grieg Garden

Enrique Perez
Enrique Perez

You may have missed this well-hidden paradise on your way to the HUB, but journalism student Katie Anastas has known about it for years. Grieg Garden’s lush green space will surround you with so many trees you will feel as if you’re in the middle of a forest. “It’s nice to have a place to disconnect from technology,” Anastas said. Unfortunately, Anastas also said Seattle’s poor weather limits when she can read here to early fall and late spring, when the sun comes out. “But having the limited amount of time makes me look forward to reading there,” she said.

7. Kane 130 Balcony

Enrique Perez
Enrique Perez

This (oddly specific) spot is a favorite of public health major Jaymin Sohal, who often sits through dull lectures in this room. “When I’m bored out of my brains in lecture, I’ll read instead,” he said. “It’s great because you are just so far away and the people up there don’t care if you’re off task.” So whether you’re in Kane or Guggenheim, sit in the back of the lecture hall next time your professor starts telling the same anecdote she told last week. Consider pulling up an e-book instead of Facebook.

8. McMahon Patio

Enrique Perez
Enrique Perez

The patio behind McMahon is the perfect place to read if you have to have a snack and a view while you read. With a spectacular view of Mt. Rainier to the south and Lake Washington to the east, the patio at McMahon offers plenty to look at while you stop to eat that thing you bought at The 8. It never gets as crowded as the HUB in the afternoons, but you might find Madeline Kernan here, a senior majoring in English and history. “I don’t dorm here anymore but McMahon still feels like home,” she said.

9. Allen Library, top floor

commons.wikimedia.org

If you seek seclusion and privacy, pay a visit to the top floor in Allen Library. “[There’s] not a lot of traffic, [its] very isolated and peaceful,” said Melissa Galindo, a graduate student in the School of Social Work. But if you need to feel like you’re sitting in a cloud while reading, steer clear of this spot. Galindo also mentioned the top floor doesn’t offer enough comfy couches. Still, if you decide to read in this out-of-the-way spot you can rest easy, knowing that interruptions by friends or acquaintances won’t happen here.

10. Silent Study Floor in Odegaard Undergraduate Library

Enrique Perez
Enrique Perez

If you prefer to take notes on everything you read and need absolute silence to concentrate, check out one of the tables on the third floor of Odegaard. The chairs might not feel as comfortable as the sofas in the HUB, but you read at the edge of your seat anyway, leaning over a notebook on the table with your book in one hand and a pen in the other. And don’t worry, this floor lives up to its name. You won’t hear the constant clicking of a League of Legends game in here.

For Literary Dorm Decor:

we lose ourselves copy

We Lose Ourselves in Books Throw Pillow: $32.99

jane eyre copy

Jane Eyre Throw Pillow: $32.99

great gatsby copy

The Great Gatsby Throw Pillow: $32.99

Get the full literary dorm decor collection at AwesomeCollegeStuff.com.

Shares33FacebookTweet

Filed Under: Campus life University of Washington

About Enrique Perez

Enrique is a junior at the University of Washington studying journalism and creative writing. He enjoys reading on packed trains and writing in loud cafes.

You May Also Like

Top 21 Things to Do Prior to Graduating St. John’s University

10 St. John’s University Finals Activities to Help You De-Stress

10 Easy Ways to Make Sure Your Spring Semester Doesn’t Suck

A Gator’s Bucket-List: 21 Things to Do Before Graduating From UF

the receptionist

A Conversation with the Receptionist

best classes

10 Best Classes You Need to Take at Drake University

St Salvators Quad image

My Hate/Love Relationship With My Joint Degree Program

College students walking

Becoming a Chameleon at Other College Campuses

And Suddenly, I Found Myself Living With a Stranger

Top 10 Safest Colleges and Campuses in the United States

CampusLife_sm

CM’s Top 10 Schools Doing Residential Life Right

colleges for future philanthropists

Live to Give: Top 10 Colleges for Future Philanthropists

Top 10 COVID-19 Safe Activities to Do Near Fresno, California

One Girl and a Whole World: What I Learned from My International Friends

fog

10 Reasons Why Bennington College Is the Quirkiest College

crim dell bridge

10 Signs That You’re a True TWAMP: Typical William & Mary Person

10 Tech Gifts to Make Zoom University That Much Easier

10 Essential Steps Before Graduating at Penn State

Longsword and Fencing Mask Pictured in Front of Window

Swords, Bruises, and How to Find Joy in College

Fight On: 8 Reasons Why USC is Better Than UCLA

College Magazine’s 10 Best Colleges for Studying a Foreign Language

bruin belles two girls laughing

How You Can Get Involved with the Bruin Belles

10 COVID-19 Safe Activities Near Orlando, Florida

friend group

Top 10 FOMO-Worthy Events at St. John’s University

Previous Post: « School is Coming: How to Crush Your Fall Semester
Next Post: Top 10 UCLA Bars You’ll Want to Throw Down at »

Primary Sidebar



Trending Posts

102

10 St. John’s University Finals Activities to Help You De-Stress

mental health
95

Pandemic and Academic Blues: Being Aware of Your Mental Health

68

Top 10 Colleges With the Most Fashionable Students

Broadway
26

10 Musical Soundtracks to Make Study Sessions That Much Easier

23

A Gator’s Bucket-List: 21 Things to Do Before Graduating From UF

Featured Chapter: St. John’s University

Footer

logo

College Magazine is the national daily guide to campus life. Our articles for college students feature university rankings of U.S. colleges, college guides, academic advice, college prep, career advice, student health and collegiate dating tips.

Written by students for students, by a team of journalists from universities nationwide, we’re on the pulse of the college experience.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Colleges

  • College Guides
  • College Rankings
  • Campus life
  • Academics
  • Dating
  • Freshmen Year
  • Health
  • Party

Majors

  • All College Majors
  • Most Popular Majors
  • Choosing a Major

Intern

  • Internships Directory
  • How to Write a Resume
  • How to Write a Cover Letter
  • How to Interview
  • How to Get an Internship
  • How to Network

Money

  • How to Make Money
  • How to Save Money
  • How to Get a Job
  • Credit Cards 101
  • College Loans

Travel

  • Study Abroad
  • College Spring Break
  • How to Travel Cheap
  • Things to Do

Shop

  • College Packing List
  • Gift Guides
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

Copyright © 2021 College Magazine · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc.