If you haven’t discovered tingling sensation of coffee jolting you awake in the morning, now is the time to get used to it. Caffeine can be a welcome sidekick in the face of academic apathy.
What with textbooks to buy, new buildings to navigate and the immediate weight of the semester’s assignments overwhelming your pull -out calendar, it’s understandable for students to be looking for ways to make it through. Thanks to Ryerson’s giddy construction streak, breaking free from the convenience of cafeteria dispensed coffee (which usually tastes as good as it sounds) has become wonderfully easy.
Pop-up Tim Hortons stations are scattered throughout campus, and are perfect for between class pitstops – as long as you’ve got cash or a OneCard on hand and don’t mind the lineup. The Victoria Street location will take debit and credit cards, however, and the inevitable hordes of students and community members are served surprisingly quickly.
The most recent addition to the Ryerson campus is Balzac’s, located on the lower level of the Image Arts building. For an extra few dollars the coffee chain offers a range of products from baked goods, a simple cup of joe, to a list of espressos. If the excitement of a new venue isn’t enticing enough, Balzac’s boasts wrap-around windows, art-deco vintage floors, a fair indoor study space, as well as a small patio to enjoy during breaks. There are also several Starbucks venues hovering at the edge of campus. It serves as a simple grab-andgo station at the bottom of the AMC building on Dundas, but early risers can snag a seat at the tiny Starbucks nestled into the northwest corner of Church and Gerrard Streets.
For the caffeine aficionado, the circuit wouldn’t be complete without a trip to Mutual Street’s Rise Espresso. Although a little out of the way to venture to between classes, the simple venue is focused on good service above all else. Chat with the owners to learn of their products, and be sure to try the moderately priced espresso shots.
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