Toronto is full of libraries, both available for the use of the public or exclusively for university students. At times, however, they can become crowded or noisy; your favourite seat in your favourite section may be taken, or you may just want to escape the cramped, stuffy setting. When your home is noisy because of your roommates, or you’re too distracted by the mess in your bedroom, the TV, or the fridge, you may feel the need to move somewhere else. Thankfully, Toronto is also abundant in alternative locations to study. Here are five great unusual study spaces.

It’s fairly common knowledge that Toronto is a city with a substantial young adult population, and with this comes a North American trend: hipsters. While you may be put off by their style of clothes, taste in music, or ability to find a deep, profound meaning in any artwork that they encounter, one thing is for sure: they make great coffee. Independently owned coffee shops are found everywhere in the city, so finding a quiet spot could not be less strenuous. Bonus: caffeine and snacks are available on-site.

Reading outdoors is, of course, not feasible for the entire year. But the spring, summer, and fall in Toronto are beautiful and can provide students with the perfect mix of light, noise, and breeze for ideal studying. Throughout the city there are parks and squares where you will be able to find your perfect spot. Additionally, when looking for even more seclusion, you can take the ferry over to Centre Island to get away from the city and have more privacy and less distractions.

This suggestion may seem obvious at first. However, students tend to pick the same spaces designated for studying when they look for a place on campus to read. Try going to a space that isn’t a designated quiet space but rather an activities room, dining hall, or music room. Try out a variety of spaces to discover the noise level that works best for you, and try to avoid areas where you’ll see a lot of people who you know.

Bars in Toronto aren’t just meant for a chaotic night on the weekend. During the late afternoon and early evening, especially on week days, many pubs are fairly quiet and empty. The atmosphere can be peaceful and you can really focus on your studying while calming down with a beer and bar snacks. It’s best to look for larger English-style pubs because of the comfortable, spacious seats and tables, and the choice of seats.

Many museums and art galleries in Toronto, including its two most well-known, the Royal Ontario Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario, offer free admission to students one day per week. This provides students with another fairly quiet place to read – whether in the galleries themselves or their attached cafés. Not only will students be surrounded by wonderful visual stimuli, the inspirational aspect of these institutions can also prompt students to put more effort into their work. The one caution about studying on these sites is to avoid school groups – so it’s best to go later in the afternoon, after 3:00pm, when young children have left.