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Written by Sophia Dominguez.
Coffee has only recently become a must in my life, though I have always been an enthusiast for exploring cute cafes. Fortunately, LA is filled with many coffee shops/cafes offering great coffee, pastries, and even the most Instagram-worthy aesthetics. The following cafes/coffee shops are more centered in the general LA area. Getting there is like a sidequest! It serves as a mini-distraction and creates an opportunity to explore LA.
To get to cafés in the general LA area I recommend getting the free U-Pass that USC offers. As an LA-native I am always relying on the metro transit system; I use it to go home over the weekends, head to my (outside of usc) band gigs, go out with my friends and siblings. From what I’ve heard, sometimes, people don’t trust or like the metro system but honestly the one con is the long wait time but that depends on certain buses.
Dulce
3096 McClintock Ave Ste 1420 Los Angeles, CA 90007
Located at the USC Village, all USC students have heard of it. There is no doubt that the long line you see at the village are USC students waiting to order before class. Dulce opens every day, from 8am to 8pm. At Dulce, there is a variety of goodies, from breakfast to lunch to dinner. They sell donuts as a snack, and of course coffee and matcha. Although on the pricier side, Dulce is a must-try during your time at USC.
Somemore LA
2717 W Olympic Blvd Unit 106 Los Angeles, CA 90006
Located farther away from campus, Somemore LA is a cute, aesthetic coffee shop with an emphasis on the color pink and the cuteness of bears. Usually not busy, open until 10pm, and offers a good amount of seating although it is closed on Tuesdays. Although on the pricier side, they offer a variety of sweet goodies; cookies, crepe cakes, latte (their strawberry is my favorite), tea and ades.
Transit directions: Get the 38 (or walk) to Vermont and Jefferson; Get the 204/754 get off at Vermont and Olympic; walk to destination*
Memory Look
2881 W Olympic Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90006
Located farther away from campus but not too far, Memory Look is a gray minimalist interior designed coffee shop with lots of good seating. Their Matcha Einspanner and Einspanner latte are the most popular although there are many other drink options as well. They also offer a few food options such as brunch and pastries although be warned, they’re busy. It’s said they run out of pastries before 10am.
Transit directions: Get the 38 (or walk) to Vermont and Jefferson; Get the 204/754 get off at Vermont and Olympic; walk to destination or get the 28 and get off at Olympic and Catalina and then walk to destination
MuMu Bakery & Cafe
3109 W Olympic Blvd Ste D Los Angeles, CA 90006
MuMu Bakery & cafe is a cutely decorated, pink aesthetic cafe with minimal seating. They specialized in their Taiyaki pastries and cutely pre-packaged house-made milks. They offer minimal seating and are not a coffee specialty focused cafe, so it’s more of a place to go if you’re craving something sweet.
Transit directions: Get the 38 (or walk) to Vermont and Jefferson; Get the 204/754 get off at Vermont and Olympic; Get the 28 and get off at Olympic and Harvard; walk to destination
Yeems Coffee
3033 W 6th St Ste 107 Los Angeles, CA 90020
Yeems Coffee has a minimal modern aesthetic but with minimal seating, it’s not the best for going there to study — more of a grab and go type of situation. They offer a variety of latte and coffee options, as well as some brunch and bakery, pastry selection. We recommend the Vienna latte, their specialty!
Transit directions: Get the 38 (or walk) to Vermont and Jefferson; Get the 204/754 get off at Vermont and 6th St (or Wilshire if you get the 754); walk to destination
Spot Coffee & More
3324 W 6th St Los Angeles, CA 90020
Spot Coffee & More is a cute minimalist aesthetic cafe. It offers a good amount of seating, as well as a wide variety of drinks. Their menu spans from coffee to non-coffee selections like lattes, smoothies, tea, and ades. They also have bingsoo, a Korean shaved ice dessert.
Transit directions: Get the 38 (or walk) to Vermont and Jefferson; Get the 204/754 get off at Vermont and 6th St (or Wilshire if you get the 754); walk to destination
TPO Coffee
537 S Western Ave Los Angeles, CA 90020
TPO Coffee is a coffee shop located in K-town that offers a cute minimalist cafe vibe. Also offers a variety of goodies; such as yummy croffles, or croissant-waffles, a variety of other pastries to choose from, and also a great selection of drinks. They offer some seating, although not a lot. It’s recommended to get there early.
Transit directions: Get the 38 (or walk) to Vermont and Jefferson; Get the 204/754 get off at Vermont and Wilshire; Get the 720/20 and get off at Wilshire and Western; walk to destination
Cafe 5
2025 W Jefferson Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90018
Cafe 5 is a perfect cafe to study at, as it offers lots of seating and outlets. Looking inside, you will find everyone on their laptops with their coffee selection right next to them. It does close very early but offers a good study ambiance. Again, it’s recommended to get there early. They also offer a selection of drinks.
Transit directions: Get the 38 and get off at Jefferson and Cimarron; walk to destination
South LA Cafe
2401 W Jefferson Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90018
South LA Cafe is a new location that just opened. They offer a nice ambience but it’s not good for studying, more for cafe-hopping visit. They offer a range of drink selections, as well as food too. As it’s fairly new, it’s a good place to check out before they get too popular.
Transit directions: Get the 38 and get off at Jefferson and 4th Ave; walk to destination
Cafe de Mama
1102 S Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90006
Cafe de Mama is a cute, nice ambiance cafe with seating available. They offer a wide selection of creative flavors of coffee and non-coffee drinks. No matter what you decide to try, you will encounter a new taste and new favorite drink.
Transit directions: Get the 38 and get off at Jefferson and Western; Get the 207 and get off at Western and 11th; Walk to destination
La La Land Kind Cafe
189 The Grove Dr Suite G1C, Los Angeles, CA 90036
La La Land Kind Cafe, is of course made after the popular movie La La Land. Located at the Grove, one of LA’s most well-known places, it is a perfect pit stop for coffee. On theme with the movie, they have a cute yellow aesthetic and offer a range of drinks. They also offer aesthetically pleasing ambience to take pictures or to just sit around in, having a good range of seating available. It’s not recommended to study here.
Transit directions: Get the 38 and get off at the last stop; Get the 217 and get off at Fairfax and 3rd; Walk to destination
These are only a few(there are many more out there) but if you want good coffee or an aesthetic place make sure to check these out first. Also included are Metro transportation how-to but there are always different ways to get there, so have fun and be safe as you explore these amazing places.
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