Photo courtesy of Teagan Durkin.
Less than a ten minute walk from Franklin and Marshall College, and nestled amongst eclectically decorated homes – including one porch covered in cow memorabilia – is Chestnut Hill Cafe. Open daily from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, these are the perfect hours for college students seeking to turn a study session into an excuse for an aesthetic afternoon drinking lattes and posting pastry pictures.
When one enters the cafe, bypassing some outdoor seating, they’re met with counter seating, over which a blackboard menu displays coffee, teas, lattes, all day breakfast, sandwiches, and smoothies. I went for the chai myself, served generously in a fat mug. If one prefers different hot drinks there are a variety of options. For example, a chai charger, or, if one prefers a cold drink despite the frigid spring temperatures – wherever Punxsutawney Phil may be, damn you – there’s a chai smoothie too. For those who prefer something aside from chai, don’t worry. Not everyone can have good taste. Chestnut Hill Cafe accounts for this, and offers matcha, hot chocolate, turmeric latte, and a variety of other caffeinated beverages.
As I gave up on studying before I even reached the cafe, my computer and towering assignments abandoned in my dorm, I was unable to check the WiFi connection. However, the cafe’s general vibe would more than compensate for any lackluster connection. An art deco-esque storefront, with orange and black siding beside stained glass window panels, compliments the cozy interior. Seating stretches all the way to the back, and plentiful natural lightning and smaller fixtures means the big lights are hardly, if ever, turned on. After all, never turn on the big light.
Sophomore Teagan Durkin is the Opinions Editor. Her email is tdurkin@fandm.edu.