Arts and Crafts has almost this much charm, so bring your books.

After the Bwog staffers’ journey to the depths of 1020, replete with books, they had a far less tumultuous time at the newest Morningside Heights addition- Arts and Crafts Beer Parlour, conveniently located across the road from the freshmen dorms on Amsterdam.

Depending on your study style, Arts and Crafts may be a better study fit than 1020. The music is less loud, and when this intrepid Bwogger visited early on a quiet Friday afternoon, the place was fairly empty, perfect for a study session by the windows out the front. Unfortunately, this aspect of the ambience is sadly lacking- as Arts and Crafts is partially underground, the view is hardly anything to write home about, and this means at time natural light can be hard to come by (not that you’re really looking for natural light when you’re studying in a bar…). Luckily for our study team, the lighting is highly adequate, and is at a comfortable level for reading those core texts. In particular, I appreciate the slightly fluorescent lighting, as it prevents the slight closing of eyes to ‘rest them’, unlike the lighting of many lecture halls.

The patrons are a different crowd than frequenters of Morningside Heights bars may be used to; yes, there are of course your usual crowd of students, but many adults come here too. Beware; due to their general misunderstanding of the college lifestyle, they may find it weird when you pull out a laptop next to your beer. The atmosphere on the whole is surprisingly suited to studying; the wood panelling for some reason reminded me of the panelling in Hamilton classrooms, and consequently gave me a feeling of stress that helped move my essay forward.

Unlike at 1020, I would feel free to indulge here; their beer selection is good enough that leisurely sipping one while you write on Augustine’s Confessions will make you feel a little loose (which makes up for the mildly more uptight atmosphere here), and won’t make you feel guilty, probably because their tables aren’t sticky with booze.

If you need brain food, this bar may be your thing. Reasonably priced and with options that will suit any type of intrepid studier, the food is surprisingly one of the biggest draws about Arts and Crafts, as well as the amazing aspect of being so close to Columbia that I was able to access campus Wifi- no need to print out your materials if you come here!

If you’re looking for an eventful study spot, Arts and Crafts may not be your thing. But if you’re looking for a decent atmosphere, a good noise level to block out your doubts about whether you’ll even graduate on time, then this is the place. Plus, it’s helpful that Arts and Crafts is insanely close to campus, so you won’t have to live in Harmony to have a bar that’s your new study home.

Bar Days via Wikimedia Commons Rama/CC BY-SA-2.0