FINALLY!

When I was in undergrad I used to go to my most favorite place in the entire world, which also happened to be the only place where my brain seemed to function properly….THE GYPSY DEN. It was perfect, awesome coffee (Cafe Francaîs), awesome food (Veggie BLT, anyone?), really great friendly service, and the best study environment you could possibly imagine.

I’ve been hunting everywhere in LA for a place that lets my brain work in the same way that Gypsy Den did. I’d heard rumors of a place called 212 Pier but whenever I set out to find it, I always ended up wandering blindly up and down Main street, failing to ever actually discover their mystery location. BUT TODAY I SUCCEEDED! No joke, I feel like every customer should receive some kind of reward if they actually find the place.

This place is great, it has that cozy coffee shop feel that is perfect for studying and perfect for winter. They have crazy bookshelves which customers are welcome to browse through and purchase. I only indulged in a boring cup of coffee and some soup, but it was delicious and made me excited to browse their delicious-looking menu in the future as well as indulge in the amazing looking sweets they had on display! And perhaps the best part of all (besides the fact that they’re open 24 hours a day) is the music they play which made studying slightly difficult as its hard to study when every song is your favorite song. To name a few artists I was excited to hear: Stars, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arcade Fire, and Bon Iver. If your in the Santa Monica area, put down your Starbucks and check this place out!