Living in a college town has many benefits:  access to opportunities, higher education, social events and more. But an underrated benefit is the many cafes in a college town. With 26 AP tests being administered and 60 coffee shops in the Iowa City area to choose from to do your studying, we helped narrow down those choices. Here are the five most popular cafes in the Iowa City area.

Java House

Located on Mormon Trek Blvd., Java House is a staple among West High Students. A 15-minute walk or a five-minute drive from West, you can find many students studying before and after school.  Java House offers a wide variety of drinks, including coffee, tea and other caffeinated beverages.

Their drinks are pleasantly flavorful but not too strong or overpowering. Drinks are made quickly, only taking a bit if the baristas are busy. The baristas are always polite and helpful, and always patient when you need a bit of time. The prices are reasonable, ranging from five to seven dollars. 

Java House is one of the best cafes for studying. It’s easy to focus with very few distractions. The music and most conversations fall into a soft background noise. Occasionally, the blenders and espresso machines will make loud noises, but nothing too distracting. 

Java House has a very cozy ambiance with paintings and posters that feel nostalgic. They also have a large seating area filled with a variety of comfy seats, couches and high-top chairs. They also share their space with the Heirloom Salad Company, which adds to their popularity and provides more seating.

When looking for a cozy, quiet place with good coffee to study at, Java House is the perfect place to go.

Teamo Tea

On Washington Street in downtown Iowa City,  Teamo Tea is a popular boba tea cafe for all ages. No matter the day, the cafe is filled with teens and adults, whether they’re waiting for their order or sitting and talking. Teamo Tea is known for its milk tea boba drinks but also offers a large variety of drinks and ice cream.

Prices are around five to six dollars, and add-on toppings are $0.25 each. Service is quick and efficient, and the baristas are sweet and patient. 

Although most customers come in and out, Teamo Tea is a hidden gem for studying. It’s very easy to study and maintain focus; the cafe has a lively atmosphere with soft talking and music playing in the background. The only time it gets loud in the cafe is when they’re blending smoothies or slushies, but that’s quite infrequent.   

Teamo Tea has a soft ambiance with simple decorations. A highlight is their wall of post-its filled with art or messages commemorating someone’s time there. But seating gets taken up quickly. They have limited seating with six booths and two more seating areas.

Looking for a place with a lively atmosphere, comfortable booths and good, flavorful drinks? Then Teamo Tea is the place to study at.

Sidekick Coffee & Books

A five-minute drive from West High School, located on Melrose Avenue, Sidekick Coffee & Books is another popular cafe among students. Many students can be found there studying over the weekend or recommending the cafe to others. 

They have a variety of signature coffees, teas and other specialty drinks while also offering a variety of pastries and ice creams. 

Sidekick’s drinks are nice and pleasant, nothing too overpowering. Prices vary depending on the drink. Coffees and teas range from three to five dollars, smoothies cost eight dollars and juices range from two to five dollars. Service is efficient, with drinks ready within a few minutes. 

Sidekick Coffee & Book is a nice cafe and a good place to study at. But the space is rather small, making noise carry throughout. Depending on the time and how busy they are, this can make the environment loud and difficult to maintain focus. 

The cafe has a unique busy yet cozy atmosphere and ambiance. Walls are filled with books and trinkets, and a cool decoration is the cubby seating. These cubbies are a pentagon shape attached to the wall. These cubbies are cozy and spacious, easily fitting one to two people. 

While looking for a place to study, Sidekick Coffee & Book is a good place to consider.

Prairie Lights Books and Cafe

An Iowa City staple is Prairie Lights Books and Cafe. Located at 15 S Dubuque St., Prairie Lights is recognized as a ground zero for writers, with Iowa City recognized by UNESCO as a City of Literature. But Prairie Lights is also extremely popular among West students. Over the weekend, one can find many students studying in both the bookstore and the cafe. 

Prairie Lights sells an array of drinks and a line of seasonal drinks. On Tuesdays and Sundays, the cafe also offers pastries and some savory options.

Prices for drinks are around four to seven dollars, and food options range from two to six dollars. Service is quick, but when they’re busy, some orders can get messed up or forgotten about. If this happens, let the baristas know, and they’re really helpful and apologetic about it. 

The cafe is a hotspot for studying. Seats are filled with students studying together or individually. It’s easy to focus on studying at the cafe, but with the small space and constant calling of orders, it can get distracting quickly, making it hard to maintain focus. Noise-canceling headphones can help to block out any distractions. 

The cafe has a cozy atmosphere and a unique ambiance. The walls have paintings and prints made by local artists, some for sale and others on display. The ceiling has a small sunroof, letting in natural light and mixing with the warm white light. Although the cafe has a lot of seating, seats get taken up quickly, with the four-seated tables getting taken up the fastest. Most of the seating is comfortable, with the chairs at the four-seated tables and the seating along the windows. But some of the high-top chairs can be quite uncomfortable; some of the chairs have limited seat space and have no back. Although they’re sturdy, they’re not the most comfortable.

Prairie Lights Book and Cafe is definitely a place to check out, both for studying and author readings.

The Bep Teahouse

A recent cafe that has thrived in Iowa City is the Bep Teahouse in Old Capital Mall. Located on 201 S Clinton St., the Bep is a popular spot among college students, with many going there to study and hang out with friends. The Teahouse is known for its boba drinks but offers a larger selection of teas, coffees and non-caffeinated drinks. The Bep also sells a small selection of savory snacks and mochi donuts.

The drinks can be very sweet when ordering regular sugar, so opt to order no sugar, 25% or 50% sugar. Some drinks can be extremely overpowering or underpowering.  Their drink prices range from five to 10 dollars, depending on the series and type of drink. Add-ons cost $0.89 each, providing a wide variety of jellies, bobas and foam. Snack prices are around $7 to $15, depending on the item.  The ordering process is communication-free, ordering at a digital kiosk. Service is relatively quick, taking a few minutes to make each drink. 

Although a lot of people like hanging out at the Bep, it can be pretty challenging to study there. The background music is noticeably loud, as are some of the games they offer. Though the cafe is quite big, there’s a prevalent acoustic making noise carry. This makes it very difficult to remain focused on studying. 

The Bep has an aesthetic ambiance, putting in a lot of effort for their decorations. The walls are decorated with posters, mirrors and neon lights. The Bep also has fun games like the gacha claw machines and air hockey. 

Overall, the Bep is more of a photo op and hangout cafe with friends, rather than a place for studying.

With over 60 cafes in the Iowa City area, and many important tests coming up, including AP tests at the start of May, have these cafes in mind for the next study session