Recently, a friend and I wanted to get out of our usual bubble of studying at home or on campus on Sundays. We desperately needed a change of scenery and wanted to soak up some of our beautiful city, while also committing to a few long hours of studying together in a cafe of our choice. We thought that finding a comfortable place to study would be easy—but we were sorely mistaken.
Unlike a normal coffee date where you’re in and out fairly quickly, when you’re looking to study there are some different prerequisites. I knew I wanted a fair amount of space to set up my school study supplies, and as this isn’t a grab-to-go situation. We needed a spot with a lot of seating options (in case the place was busy), chairs with backings on them (ideally no barstools), and preferably a desk or table to sit in front of—oh, and a bathroom for when you’ve had one to many chai tea lattes.
What I realized as I began scrolling through images of cafes from Google’s suggested options is that a lot of cafes in Victoria do not offer a large quantity of comfortable seating!
From wooden benches without cushions, freestanding stools, and metal-backed chairs, to barely any having even a table of sorts to sit in front of, I was shocked at the lack of options our city offered. I understand cafes don’t want students hogging all of the prime seating for hours on end… but surely there should have been a better variety of options to choose from?
As someone who is recovering from a snowboarding accident, I am a stickler for finding comfy chairs to sit in to help my pain. Normally that’s on campus (the first floor of the McPherson library stairwell) or in the plush desk chair in my bedroom. I prioritize comfortable seating when I need to get my work done so that my body isn’t being aggravated in the process.
But seating is important in cafes for more than one reason. Beyond wanting to feel physically comfortable in a space, if the seating is uncomfortable then there’s a bigger issue at stake: we aren’t encouraging people to mingle with each other outside of their homes.
Students are already at risk of feeling isolated if their only options to study are in their homes or on campus. Sociologist Ray Oldenburg states in his book The Great Good Place: Cafés, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community, that “third spaces,” a term he coined, are dying. But what are third spaces? They are basically “public places on neutral ground where people can gather and interact” with each other. They are typically easy to access and free or very cheap to frequent.
The issue with these spaces disappearing is that the fostering of community is becoming increasingly difficult. Not only are cafes already becoming harder for students to access as beverage prices rise, but they also aren’t set up to encourage casual and prolonged interaction.
In my search, I found that if any cafes in Victoria did have comfy chairs they were often in places that were supremely limited in seating which also made things difficult. Why would my friend and I drive all the way there only to be stuck standing around with our laptops waiting for a seat to come up? I need a reliable space to study, not to waste my time idling around looking for a chair.
Now, it isn’t completely hopeless; there do seem to be a few decent options to get out of the house and off of campus to study (either by yourself or with friends). If I were to recommend a space, Murchie’s in downtown Victoria is one of the better options. With a wide array of drinks and food, plenty of seating options (with tables!) and a central location, they are an easy choice to study at. Their chairs honestly weren’t the comfiest thing ever, but they got the job done. There are definitely other options in town that are worth your time, I just happen to be extremely biased toward Murchie’s Hot Chocolate…
Another option is the small yet mighty Saint Cecilia. Though it doesn’t immediately look like there’s almost any seating here, if you go upstairs there are some comfy booths to sit in with tables! The downside here yet again is that the seating is very limited, but a pro is that their drinks are really tasty!
So, with all this being said, I am still on the hunt for some epic study spots off campus. (My DM’s are open!) I think finding and securing these spaces in a small town like Victoria is crucial to the well-being of students and of the community alike!