A quiet place to study in LA after hours?

May 3, 2008 4:43 PM

Looking for a quiet place to study in Los Angeles after libraries close.

The talking in coffee shops--including coffee shops inside bookstores--is distracting, so that's not an option. Is there anywhere that's indoors where I can set up my laptop and spread out a couple of books and is open until about 10 or 11pm? Wireless Internet would be nice, but not required.

posted by oldlies to grab bag (8 comments total)

Depending on where you are, you might be able to find a university or community college library that's open that late. IIRC some years ago when I was at Long Beach State, the lib stayed open until 10 or 11, and had even later hours during finals - of course, CA budget cuts may have put an end to this.
posted by chez shoes at 4:56 PM on May 3, 2008

If you are in Westwood, the upstairs of Jerry's Deli is a pretty decent spot. The only catch is that you can hear/smell the restaurant below you, but I never found it distracting because it all blended together into white noise. When you walk in just say you're heading upstairs if anyone asks and it's cool. Some tables have better lighting (and maybe outlets, I can't remember) than others.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 7:05 PM on May 3, 2008

chez shoes - do you remember that guy who got tazered in the UCLA library for not having his ID card? Just sayin'....
posted by forallmankind at 9:02 PM on May 3, 2008

I was actually a student at UCLA when that happened, forallmankind.
posted by HotPatatta at 9:43 PM on May 3, 2008

forallmankind - that's some scary stuff.

In over 7 years at various Cal State schools, I was never asked for ID when in the library. And in my Santa Monica College days, the local homeless were always in the school library - I doubt that they had ID cards.

I guess things have changed!
posted by chez shoes at 9:46 PM on May 3, 2008

And in Hollywood, the upstairs at Greenblatt's (open until 2am) is pleasant, though they will want you to nosh on something.
posted by Scram at 10:12 PM on May 3, 2008

The UCLA story is a little more complicated--he was in a computer lab after hours and refused to show his ID. Trust me, there are plenty of homeless people hanging in the UCLA libraries during normal operating hours.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 10:24 PM on May 3, 2008

Curious: what's wrong with studying at your home?
posted by davidmsc at 2:46 AM on May 4, 2008