Looking for a cool place to work or study?
The Abbey Coffee, Art, and Music Lounge combines all the comfort and convenience of your living room with the superior style of an artsy cafe.
The Abbey offers free Wi-Fi to all its customers, so you can grab a coffee and settle in for a few hours of work or study. I even know a few people who work out of The Abbey running their small businesses.
A great place for students as well as working professionals, The Abbey is a quiet environment for work during the day and a rockin’ music venue on weekend nights.
Vintage Feel
Forget your typical chain coffee shop. The Abbey redefines the coffeehouse vibe with their unique decor and layout.
The Abbey has a spacious interior with plenty of seating, as well as a beautiful courtyard featuring a garden and a rather eclectic set of furniture. Ornate metal chairs and tables share the space with vintage armchairs and picnic style benches. You can sip your tea next to some begonias in the courtyard or curl up indoors on one of their cozy couches. Either way, you’ll feel right at home.
However, don’t think you won’t get your work done. The Abbey attracts hardworking students and business professionals from all over Santa Cruz.
In fact, you might just feel a little competitive with the Cabrillo student studying microbiology to your right or the young woman starting her own small business to the left.
The Drinks
The Abbey offers a selection of specialty teas and coffees.
They serve coffee from Chromatic Coffee, a direct trade coffee roaster based out of Santa Clara. They not only know how to pull a great shot, but they also make their drinks look amazing with creative latte art.
If tea is more your thing, try their famous ‘bowl of soul.’ The bowl of soul combines a tea of your choice with fresh steamed soy milk and a hint of honey.
In addition to the drinks, check out their fresh baked pastries, many of which are made in-house. They also serve sandwiches, breakfast burritos, and morning buns, with several gluten free pastry options.
Art and Music
Walking past the barista counter, you’ll notice that the wall to your right is covered with artwork. You might not think much of it, but come back in a month and all the art will be changed. That’s because The Abbey believes in supporting local artists and does so by displaying their work in prominent locations throughout the building. Often, customers can purchase the art they see on the walls, giving some much deserved recognition to developing artists.
On the weekends, They Abbey turns into a music venue, attracting artists from all over the country. They feature music of a variety of music styles from indie and rock to folk and bluegrass.
All shows are totally free, with no cover charge. In addition, every first Friday of the month is an open mic night, which operates on a first come first serve basis. So whether you want to listen to some great bands or perform yourself, The Abbey is the place to be.
Perks for Students
With free Wi-Fi, great drinks, and rockin’ music, The Abbey already seems like a pretty sweet hangout spot for students.
In case you weren’t convinced, The Abbey staff has also been known to hand out free coffee to students waiting at the bus stop. Occasionally they even bring out their comfy couches so students can wait for the bus in style.
During finals week, The Abbey stays open late, typically until 1 am. Sure beats pulling an all nighter in your stuffy dorm room!
Not only is it a great atmosphere to study, but they also provide free pancakes to give students a morale and energy boost during those long hours at the books.
Not Just a Student Hangout
The Abbey doesn’t achieve its student friendly status at the expense of their other customers.
The Abbey is also a popular spot for location independent business owners. With ample room to spread out, and get comfortable, the Abbey is an ideal place to bring your laptop and settle in for a few hours.
The spacious venue also makes an ideal meeting spot for small groups. The Business Professionals of Santa Cruz County meetup group gathers at the Abbey each Wednesday at 8:00 am.
So whether you are a student cramming for finals, an art and music enthusiast, or just a person looking for some great coffee, you are sure to be more than satisfied by your experience at The Abbey Coffee, Art, and Music Lounge.
The Abbey Coffee, Art, and Music Lounge
350 Mission St.
Santa Cruz, CA
Hours:
Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 7:00 pm
Saturday – Sunday 8:00 am – 10:00 pm
