Month: September 2024

Visited: 9/6/24, 9:30 am – 1pm

Overal rating 3.25

Directions; Find the elevators in FedEx Global on the ground floor (note: coffee shop on ground floor!), go to the 4th floor. There are two parts of the rooftop, one to the right (with beehives) and one straight ahead. I went to the one straight ahead.

I had read about this location in Sophia Raspanti’s “11 Hidden Study Spots To Check Out!” post on Carolina Housing, so I was dying to check it out. How can I resist a rooftop? It’s pretty bare-bones, metal chairs and tables that are somewhat weathered, and there is only one outlet, with no power. The rooftop has a wall so it’s hard to see much off the edge, although the trees are nice. It’s reasonably quiet, too. The wifi was spotty, and no power outside, so if you have an aging laptop like I do, you’ve gotta not use power-hungry apps! The garden wasn’t so great, it didn’t look tended. There was a beehive or two, which was nice, but I didn’t inspect them closely. There is a small enclosed lobby right when you get out of the elevator, I believe this has power and a couple of tables, but there’s a conference room right there, so you might get interrupted if there’s an event. I noticed that while I was there, in the morning, it was nice and cool in the shade. I believe this is a west-facing patio, so I’d imagine by midday it’ll get sunny, so it might be hotter in the afternoon.

Comfort: 3

Electricity: 1

View: 3

Wifi: 3

FedEx Global Rooftop

FedEx Global Rooftop

Visited: 8/23/24 9am – 1pm

Overall rating: 5

Behind Meantime Coffee in the Campus Y is a card-access room called the Anne Queen Room. It’s primarily restricted to staff and faculty, is a reasonably quiet place, and is in a fantastic location on campus. Very high ceilings and long wooden tables, and a good variety of desk spaces and comfy chairs. I’d think a quiet zoom call with headphones would be okay: several people were doing so when I was there.

The tall windows allow for a lot of light to pour into the space, and I love the cream colored walls and dark trim. It’s a little less formal than other places, so it’s relaxing. Lots of power outlets around. This was an impressive first stop in my location adventure!

Anne Queen Room at the Campus Y

Comfort: 5

Electricity: 5

View: 5

Wifi: 5

Visited: 9/20/24, 9:30 am – 1pm

Overal rating 4.5

A lovely oaken walled location on the main quad and right between Morehead Planetarium and Franklin St. The large lobby is filled with comfy couches and big chairs, and several old wooden desks. The walls are all old polished oak and there are candelabras lighting the space. The floor is an old patterend wood  floor, and the ceilings are high and have recessed white panels. The space is mostly illuminated with large arched windows with old wavy glass, and you can look out on Morehead Planatarium and the Chapel just beyond it.

Here’s some info on Graham Memorial, built in 1931, “the building originally functioned as a student union. In consideration of the student union as the center of student life on campus, the building committee selected the site of the burned University Inn on McCorkle Place. The completed student union included the Horace Williams Library, a barber shop, a bowling alley, and game room, as well as offices for student publications.” In 1968 this became the Dramatic Arts Department, and then in 1992 became the Johnson Center for Undergraduate Excellence.

Comfort: 4

Electricity: 5

View: 5

Wifi: 4

Graham Memoiral

Graham Memorial, one of the two oaken desks you’ll find

Graham Memorial

(ratings: 1 is not very good, 5 is excellent)

In my 24 (!) years at UNC I’ve mostly worked on the edge of campus—at the amazing School of Government—and I’ve made a point to explore the lovely and expansive campus. Coming back from the covid pandemic allowed me the flexibiltiy to work remotely, and although my current department, UNC Creative, is 4-days a week in the office, I take one day a week to work somewhere on campus and enjoy the facilities and amenities that UNC-Chapel Hill has to offer. I’ve got a rudimentary and not-so-scientifc method of ranking each location by comfort, noise level, power for laptops, wifi, and accessibility. Please send suggestions my way!