It’s a cold Iowa winter day, but it’s nice and warm in a local coffee shop. You sit down at a table, ready to study your afternoon away. It’s quiet, you hear mumbling and feel calm. This is what you can find at local coffee shops. Read along and you will find the best place for you and your studies. I am a student who has classes Monday- Friday from 8:25-3:25. With all that, I end up with a collection of homework. My goal is to find the best spot to study and get homework done, for not only myself but for others, too. I’m looking for a calm, dim, space with coffee at a fair price, if you are looking for something like this, then you’re at the right spot.

Mars Café

Location: 2318 University Avenue (Drake University area)

When you walk into Mars Café there is a small scent of coffee. It was lonely in there, only a couple of people. The environment is great for studying; however, the coffee price was crazy. I asked for an iced lavender latte with oat milk, but instead they gave me it hot, I paid $7.75. For that price, it was not good or worth it. This was disappointing especially since I was the only one ordering at the time. However, the location is great for college students attending Drake University since it is right down the street from campus and there are a lot of local restaurants for food after studying.

Blue Bean Coffee Shop

Location: 110 N Ankeny Blvd Suite 200, Ankeny, IA (Ankeny DMACC campus area)

This is the perfect place to study. The environment is extremely calm, and they have an area in the back where you can rent out a desk or a room for studying or meetings. When you walk into the shop there is a calming smell, you don’t get the smell of coffee as much, but the smell is one that doesn’t overpower the room, better for one to consecrate. The drink I got was an iced matcha latte with two pumps of vanilla and oat milk, and let me tell you, it was the best matcha latte I’ve ever tasted. I would say the price is reasonable, the total of my drink was $7, but I believe the alternative milk and syrup made the price go up a bit but it’s definitely worth it. The location is great for DMACC students in the Ankeny area.

The Slowdown Coffee Co.

Location: 3613 6th Avenue

Walking in, you get hit with the smell of fresh coffee beans. Your surroundings are filled with people with their laptops out and families eating breakfast. The volume in the room is mumbling, however, it can get very loud, especially when they have a long line. They have affordable seasonal drinks, and their usual prices range on what you get but for a small the most it can go up to is $4.50, the most a large can go up to is $5.50. They also have an open mic on Thursdays, which is something you can go experience with your friends. Their shop hours vary depending on the day, except on Mondays when they’re not open.

Smokey Row Coffee

Location: 1910 Cottage Grove Ave, Des Moines

Smokey Row is located on the outskirts of Downtown Des Moines near Central Campus. When it comes to scent it smells like coffee but not as strong. The prices are extremely affordable however I don’t know if the coffee is worth it. I had a peppermint mocha with oat milk; the total cost was $5.49. For adding an alternative milk this is a great price, but it had an odd after taste. The person I went with got a Chai latte and that was around $4, however that one really tasted like perfume. It had a strong flavor but to roses, nothing like Chai. The environment was louder than a school classroom and there was random things happening. It’s rumored that Smokey Row is where people meet to get into a pyramid scheme. I’m not sure how accurate that information is but I personally wouldn’t want to study in a loud place with strange activity going on beside me.