Since becoming an English Major, I have been assigned copious and borderline excessive amounts of reading on a daily basis. Don’t get me wrong; I love everything about studying the beautiful art form that is literature. However, through all the novels, essays, and poems I've noticed myself spending a lot less time outside of my dorm room. In becoming this forced, shut-in bookworm, I bitterly began resenting reading altogether. This was a drag not only because reading makes up 50% of my major (the other half being writing), but also because literature has always been a passion of mine. Suddenly resenting something I’ve always loved made my future educational career seem increasingly bleak.
Luckily, that all changed when I finally decided to pick my books up and set foot on land outside of my residence hall. I quickly realized that I was fortunate enough to live in a crazy-beautiful city filled with places that seemed to be made for the readers and students of the world. This small change not only made me less Vitamin D deficient but also helped me fall back in love with reading and writing, while simultaneously deepening my admiration for San Francisco. I realized the beauty in the unlimited mobility of readers. I could truly go anywhere to read, because it’s the one assignment that rids me of the necessity for wifi. So, for anyone tasked with piles of reading in college or for the book-lovers of the Bay Area looking for a new nook, here are a few of the best reading spots in the lovely city of San Francisco.
1. Golden Gate Park
Though this park is three miles long and seemingly filled with people 24/7, just one or two short walks can reveal several serene and secluded locations perfect for reading. Not to mention, Golden Gate Park is filled with benches that are surprisingly comfortable and often found in less crowded areas. One of my favorite spots is about halfway to the Conservatory of Flowers from Stanyan, on a bench surrounded by daisies and trees. Another of the park’s prime reading spots is ironically Shakespeare’s’ Garden, which seems to be one of the lesser-known attractions in the Park. The garden is normally quiet and always a peaceful place to read under the warmth of the Sun. In addition, you can hopefully soak in the literary greatness of Shakespeare through osmosis. Another park worth noting is Alamo Square, where you can not only read but also occasionally look up and admire the famous Painted Ladies and the beautiful neighborhood that surrounds you.
2. Home Cafe
When it comes to finding a cozy place to read, study, or bang out a ten-page paper that’s due the next morning, coffee shops never seem to fall short. Almost every week I’m reminded how grateful I am to live in a city that seems to have more coffee shops than available parking spaces. Not only do they provide endless supplies of caffeine to get you through those twelve chapters you haven’t started, but they also create a comfortable, calm environment that’s easy to focus in. Home Cafe is one of the best due to their comfortable seating and quiet atmosphere. Not to mention, you can order one of their aesthetically pleasing lattes that are remarkably fitting to consume while reading the works of Oscar Wilde and his fellow aesthetes. Some other honorable mentions are The Mill, Cinderella Bakery, and Fifty/fifty.
3. Baker Beach
4. Green Apple Book Store
If you can fight the urge to splurge on new books every time you go in, bookstores are often great places to sit and enjoy your latest obsession. Bookstores do not always offer seating, but those that do are normally wonderful places to spend a few hours getting some reading in. Green Apple is one of my personal favorites for its little nooks and cozy seating areas. Surrounded by like-minded readers and the works of all my cherished authors, I’ve always felt inspired to read at Green Apple. If that’s not incentive enough, there’s also several Boba-tea houses close by, which never hurts as a reward for a few hours of productive reading.
5. The Bus
This may sound strange, but longer bus rides can be perfect for bibliophiles. As someone who takes two buses to and from work, using that time to get some extra reading in can be extremely beneficial. Reading on the bus can also make those tedious commute rides feel faster, just be careful not to miss your stop while consumed with a story.
Whether it’s some small gem in the city or just making it to the grassier areas on campus, unchaining yourself from your room or the library can make those piles of reading seem a lot less daunting. So for those who are drowning in work or who've come to detest reading, try making the experience something to look forward to by changing your environment, its made all the difference for me.
