Words by Claire Chingkoe and Vann Vicente
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If you stay at a condominium or dorm around Taft, you’d know that sometimes accomplishing work at your place just isn’t going to cut it. Perhaps the internet connection sucks, or maybe you would rather put as much space between you and your bed as much as possible. Whatever the reason, you’re going to encounter nights when you’ll have to grab your things and scour for student-friendly establishments willing to take you in. Yeah, we feel you.
So, for your reference, here is a list of several places you can head to within range of La Salle, plus a handy map above so you can figure out where the nearest places to you are.
RELATED: DLSUlit: 4 Cheap Places to Eat Around La Salle Taft
8. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
Location: Ground Floor, One Archer’s Place
Operating Hours: 6:30 am- 12:00 am
Rates: One-time purchase of a swirl card (P195); Food and drinks (P65-P300)
Best for: Collaborating with a person or two; writing a paper or doing research
A classic spot, one that calms down with the rest of the night. As long as you have your swirl card (P195) in hand, you’ll have access to fast and unlimited Wi-Fi every time you come back. Outlets for charging are easily accessible, and their famous coffee blend and tea infused drinks should be enough to sustain your caffeine fix.
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7. Uni Lounge
Location: Ground Floor, EGI Taft Tower
Operating Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:00 am – 5:00 am; Weekends: 8:00 am – 12 am
Rates: P75/hour stay; P150/3 hour stay; P250/6 hour stay; P350/Unlimited stay (until closing time)
Best for: Nights when you know it’s serious; productive lounging
Uni Lounge is a quieter alternative to your typical coffee shop; good for shutting yourself away from the world and focusing on your work. Apart from their strong internet connection and easy-access charging outlets, Uni lounge offers *unlimited* coffee, tea, and snacks, which should be more than enough to fuel your entire stay. They also have conference rooms available for larger group sessions (P300/hour), as well as a sleeping and cushion area on the second floor if you feel the need to take a nap or want a more comfortable space to work in.
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6. Curiosity Internet Café
Location: Outside Manila Residences Tower 2
Operating Hours: 24 hours
Rates: Internet – P35/hour Printing – P2/Page (B&W); P5/Page (Colored)
Best for: When the internet at your condo sucks and you need to get some work done quickly; ManResidents
An internet café without all the extra fluff. They have relatively fast internet, printing services, and even the latest versions of Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator at your convenience. Wi-Fi is also available for personal laptop use, which you can pay by the hour and sit in one of the unoccupied computer seats. While they don’t personally serve food and drinks, you can bring your own as long as you clean up after yourself. If it helps, Jollibee is only a few steps away.
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5. Café Travel
Location: Second Floor, Archer’s Nook Center
Operating Hours: 9:00 am – 11:30 pm
Rates: Food and drinks (P80-P190)
Best for: Brainstorming for ideas
A Korean and travel-themed coffee shop with cubicles you can work in. To gain access to their free Wi-Fi, you’ll just need to order at least one drink per person. While the place can get quite noisy, perhaps you can be inspired by some of the things you see and hear from the people and conversations around you. The area encourages creativity and comfort as you’re allowed to doodle and write on the tables, floors, and walls while sitting in comfort with their available throw pillows and relaxed atmosphere.
