Department Life
One of the many great research apparatuses in the department.
Liquidus!
Students and Faculty gathering for lunch in the Libratory.
Downtown Chicago is a short bike ride or quick bus or train ride away.
Biking along the lake is a great way to get place or a great way to relax and get some exercise.
The departmet's softball team, The DoGS, may not be number 1, but we have lots of fun!
Depatmental life offers rewarding informal interactions with some of the world's top scientists.
Welcome to the Department! Look further below for information about how to make the daily experience a tad better:
- Coffee
- Lunch
- Liquidus
- Softball & other Sports
- Exploring Chicago
Coffee
The department coffee hour is great, but it's only twice a week. For those other time you need a break, or to stay awake, here is a fairly complete list of coffee locations and the benefits of each.
Within the Department
2nd Floor: There is a 8-cup drip coffee machine on the break room (room 228), as well as a small French press that usually contains Foote's old coffee grounds.
3rd floor: Albert Colman has a coffee machine in room 349.
4th floor: Doug MacAyeal has a Gaggia espresso machine in the Liberatory (room 411). Also in the Liberatory, there is a drip coffee machine stored under the sink and several French presses of various sizes in the cabinet. The espresso machine is paired with a high quality Mazzur burr grinder to give a proper grind. Usually there are fresh coffee beans from one of the city's artesian roasters, such as Metropolis Coffee. Often these beans are obtained during group bicycle rides along the lake-front bicycle trail that extends from Hyde Park to the North Side.
5th floor: There is a drip coffee machine in Ray Pierrehumbert's think tank (room 561) and Richard has a coffee machine also (room 529).
One warning: The coffee machine used to host the departmental coffees between Friday afternoon seminars has not been updated since 1968. The coffee that this machine delivers should, however, provide sufficient calcium and potassium to maintain healthy bones.
Elsewhere on Campus
Cobb: $0.75 to fill up your own mug, or $1 all you can drink if you stay and hang out. Great drip coffee (Metropolis) at a great price.
Divinity School Cafe: Where gods drink coffee. A full service coffee shop.
Book Store: There is a Starbucks in the book store. Walk out the back loading dock, and you can walk right into the back door of the Starbucks.
SmART Museum: There is a nice cafe in the SmART Museum. They have Illy coffee, and make a nice cappuccino.
Brew: There is an evening coffee shop in the basement of Crerar. It usually takes a week or two before it starts up. It often open until 10 pm!
Hyde Park
Istria Cafe: Under the 57th street Metra stop. Best espressos in Hyde park, and great gelato.
3rd World Cafe: 53rd St and University Ave. Free wi-fi??
Starbucks: There are a couple in Hyde park, and you can get an Orange Mocha Frappuccino!
Lunch
The University has a few dining options. From Hinds, your best bet is to go to Cobb, they have food from around Hyde park at reasonable prices. Other options are Div School Cafe, and Hutch Commons. Here is a complete list of eating options maintained by the University; it has all the up to date listings of food on campus and the hours of operation.
Liquidus
Fridays after the last seminar of the day. Speakers, faculty, post-docs and grad Students get together for an informal happy hour. It's a great chance to meet the day's speakers, and keep up with everyone in the department.
PSD Happy Hour
Students from throughout the Physical Sciences Division get together in the Goldsmith Room (Hinds 176) Fridays starting at 5:30 p.m. Pizza, samosas, and other snacks are available at cut-rate prices, as well as various BEvERages.
Softball & other Sports
The Department has a softball team! We are called the DoGS, and everyone is encouraged to play, no previous experience necessary. (Those who care about winning should join one of Chemistry's teams.) We play Fridays over the summer.
Off and on there are pick-up soccer games on the midway on Sundays, ask around and see if its still going on.
There are lots of free tennis courts around; a few people play.
Lots of biking, and lots of folks commute to school by bike, we are working on setting up a bike locker room/changing room. Stay tuned...
Exploring Chicago
U of C has put together a couple of useful sites with information about Hyde Park, and Chicago. Check them out and EXPLORE!
Information for Parking and Commuting
