Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with reading in an armchair in the library or settling down in one of the quads or the beach to get some sunlight as you do your work. But maybe sometimes you just need to tune out and would rather not be in the vicinity of dozens of other students, most of them being loud or active; sometimes that's the mood you want to go for, and sometimes you just need a quiet place outside your room to tune out and lose yourself in a book. Among my semester and a half at Hopkins, I've found some isolated corners and crevices on campus to comfortably read without too much noise or passerby.
1. The little island between the back of Gilman and the JH Club part of campus
Everyone's seen the privately-owned property on the farther side of campus, next to the woods and the roads that no one ever really uses. But you know how there's an entrance to Gilman in the back of the building, next to that path cutting through the bottom of the building that has the "Deliveries go here" sign next to it? You know how to the right there's a little island of greenery in the middle of a small circular street? If you go into that little islet, you're not only surrounded by the forest scene around you but much quiet as well, save for the skittering sounds of wildlife around you. There are two park benches you can sit on in a small clearing. It's really quite lovely.
2. Any place with a bench on Mattin's exterior
Mattin isn't often visited by Hopkins students: it houses the DMC, practice rooms and not much else. If you're highly music-oriented and on campus, you're more likely to spend more time in Peabody; if you're in the DMC, you're really going in and not coming out for hours. The Bamboo Cafe is frequented during the lunch hours it's open, but beyond that, there's little in Mattin requiring constant passage. There are a multitude of benches everywhere in the quiet but beautiful center: next to glass walls and structures, overlooking the street and the city nearby or on balconies above the rest of the center's main clearing where the sun always hits. Not only can you take small breaks to gaze at the few people wandering past or to watch the cars come and go with the nearby traffic, but it's quiet, warm and close to another really wonderful spot you can read.
3. Baltimore Museum of Art's Levi Sculpture Garden
The only thing I regret about this beautiful little garden is that it's only open on Wednesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to dusk and Saturdays through Sundays 11 a.m. to dusk. The hours can be hard to accept, but reading in this park is thoroughly rewarding; it's a small, quiet environment surrounded in greenery and the silent but wondrous sculptures. There are various park benches throughout the small garden where you can sit down, enjoy the sun (or shade) and read to your heart's content. Hardly anyone ever seems to be around –– for the better for you, anyway! - and you can get in for free, even though the Levi Garden belongs to the BMA. There's an entrance open from the Mattin side of campus that's easy to get to –– cross a small road and you're there!
4. The path behind Gilman and (sort of) next to Levering
I don't mean the balcony in the picture or the place close to the rear entrance in particular –– but the spot in question is nearby. Below this balcony and a bit further beyond the rear entrance –– closer to the glass-walled side of Levering –– there is a small path with a few chairs in it for anyone's pleasure, where there's a quiet glade of trees and greenery in a less-frequented path on campus. It's a nice place to sit and read or do some meditating before a next class, considering its location.
5. The quad area in front of Mason Hall
There's no one ever here, seriously. Except for the few people who maybe left on the wrong side of Garland, the ones leaving or going through Hackerman, or the people trying to get to a parking lot, the only people you'll see here are prospective students with their tour guides and some people walking their dogs (squee!). It's bright, sunny, and the grass is green, warm and unoccupied; it's quiet and open, as this part of campus is unclustered with less buildings as other parts of the campus are. It's incredibly easy to lay down in the quad or find a nice bench to sit against and do some quiet reading in an environment that's open, peaceful and silent.
