The Best and Worst Places to Study in Atascocita - Kingwood

Now, uber-commercialist coffee shops run on Bohemian ambiance, but stand as struggling symbols of dying American capitalism. Such starving philosophers and angst-ridden writers, now wander around town with MacBooks and iPhones looking for a place to call home.

Unfortunately, the American South offers little to that effect. However, the small, friendly community of Atascocita does offer a few options for those inclined to study, write and research. Here is a brief run-down of community resources.

Panera Bread
7029 FM 1960 Rd. E
Humble, TX 77346

Panera’s large, roomy location makes it a comfortable place to work. The bread and sandwich shop attracts mainly adult clientele, making the ambient noise a dull roar and easy to tune out. It gets busy midday from 11-2, so they ask laptop users to limit their time to 30 minutes during this time. The food, however, is expensive, although they have never been known to throw out non-customers.

McDonald’s
6904 FM 1960 Rd. E
Humble, TX 77346

Who would have thought to study at Mickey D’s? Atascocita McDonald’s offers free Wi-Fi, and a “party room.” The glass encased room at the back of the restaurant offers a quiet, roomy, place for studying. Further, a serious studier can spend a dollar for a drink with unlimited refills and work for hours. The downside: the room is near the PlayPlace. Most of the time, the glass filters out the noise, but during lunch, dinner, and school breaks, it may get loud. Also, organizations occasionally reserve the room for meetings and parties.

Kingwood College and Kingwood College Library
20000 Kingwood Dr.
Kingwood, TX 77339

Kingwood College is an excellent place to study. Because it is government funded, community members have free access to the school and its resources. The library is a bit small, but between the library and campus, a studier can certainly find somewhere to park the laptop. The cafeteria offers good snack breaks, and the roomy campus allows the kinesthetic learner ample places to stretch their legs every few hours. Further, it’s free. Studiers can stay all day, and the study environment helps motivate those losing steam. The only downside would be it is about 20-30 minutes away from Atascocita.

Barnes and Noble
Deerbrook Mall
20131 Highway 59
Humble, TX 77338

Although one of its smaller locations, Deerbrook Mall’s Barnes and Noble still makes the cut as a great place to study. Studiers can spend hours, and the mall and food court offer great places to roam for study breaks. Barnes and Noble now offers free wi-fi, and the bookstore has plenty of books for reference. However, the café is small, and there are really only a couple of “plug tables.” Further, the mall, while excellent for study breaks, may become a distraction.

Atascocita Library
19520 Pinehurst Trail Dr.
Humble, TX 77346

The odd hours of the Atascocita library make it difficult for any serious researcher to keep a regular schedule. The library is small, and at times gets very crowded. They only offer one study room, which is usually occupied. The lack of refreshment area makes it difficult to take short study breaks, and they only offer canned sodas.  Finally, the wireless internet is so slow, serious users should not even bother. The upside: it’s free and studiers can stay all day without spending a dime.

Starbucks
6931 FM 1960 Rd. E
Humble, TX 77346

All Starbucks locations get a low grade for places to study. The first major establishment to offer Wi-Fi at all lags in the, “free Wi-Fi,” revolution. Perhaps this should be an asset, as it actually encourages studying, as opposed to Facebooking. However, those who need the internet to research or communicate may find this highly inconvenient. Further, Atascocita Starbucks is so small, it is impractical to spend hours here studying.

Javaman Coffee
8071 FM 1960 Rd.
Humble, TX 77346

This small, dimly-lit coffee shop offers free wi-fi to customers only, and don’t forget it. Javaman Coffee Owner Mark McNeil will actually throw out even the most non-intrusive studier for not buying anything. For anyone still dubious of the penny pinching nature of this establishment, take a clue from the door sign which blaringly reads, “Restrooms are For Customer Use Only.” Community members have to pay to even pee here. Never mind the tables are tiny, and barely fit much more than a computer. Anyone on a student budget should skip this anal-retentive place, and move on down the road to the library.

It would be nice if Atascocita offered a study-friendly commercial area like The Woodlands Town Center. However, Atascocita still has plenty of budget places to park the laptop, even if just for a few hours. Studiers that know where to go, will get the most done.