Life in D.C. is crazy, hectic, and
exhausting. In between internships, informational interviews, meetings,
classes, study tours, and enjoying the sites that D.C. has to offer, sleep as a
priority can fall by the wayside. As part of my research for my policy paper, I
came across a graph of the most sleep-deprived areas of the country. Which, no
shocker, shows that D.C. is one of the most sleep deprived cities in the
country.
As a public health major, I know all
the dangers of putting off sleep. Its effects range from more serious health
effects like high blood pressure, all the way down to facial wrinkles. But I
know that no one ever wishes they slept more in college, especially during a
semester in D.C. So naturally, the college student inside of me wins out and I
feed my formidable addiction to coffee. It turns out, that D.C. is a coffee
drinker’s paradise. So, I will share with you some of my favorite spots that
I’ve found so far in my time in D.C. With all these local gems, there truly is
no reason to ever enter a Starbucks.
Bakers and Baristas
Bakers and Baristas is a charming coffee shop located in the
heart of Chinatown, right off of the Chinatown/Gallery Place metro stop. It is
replete with delicious, oversized pastries to serve as a companion your latte.
In addition to the food, they often also have live music playing in the nook
near the entrance. The shop is also connected to a tiny frozen yogurt stand and
cupcake shop if you prefer that to the typical coffee shop fair of croissants
and scones!
Compass Coffee
Another one of my favorite coffee shops in D.C. is Compass
Coffee. Compass Coffee has two locations, the original in the historic Shaw
neighborhood and the other located in Chinatown, a bit closer to Capitol Hill.
It was founded by two ex-marines who first depended on coffee to get through
training, and then upon their return began to turn their addiction into a
career, experimenting with different beans to find the ideal blends. Quality
coffee is clearly the aim of this duo, and it shows. In the brand new (one month old) location in
Chinatown, there are plenty of tables, plugs, and bright lighting, making it
the ideal place to camp out and get some work done!
Kramerbooks and
Afterwords
I will admit, my love for this café has more to do with the
books than the actual coffee. Kramerbooks and Afterwords is a café and bookstore
located near DuPont circle. The bookstore is a gem filled with knowledgeable
staff with plenty of recommendations. Unfortunately, there is not much room to
sit and read, but browsing is half the fun in this café. An absolute must-see
for anyone visiting the city, Kramerbooks and Afterwords cannot be missed.
By Hallie Nudelman
By Hallie Nudelman
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