Escape the busy streets of Chicago by checking out these hidden places at DePaul’s Lincoln Park & Loop campuses. 

1. Daley Center Computer Lab

Through the entrance on State Street, all communication undergraduate and graduate students are guaranteed access to the computer lab. Located on the first floor of the Daley Center, the lab houses 20? iMac Computers, two printers and multiple spaces for study. Decorated with Demon Pride and the color blue, the computer lab also hosts elongated couches and welcoming pillows, making it the perfect space for a cat nap before class.  The only way to access this lab is by passing a security guard and sliding a DePaul ID through the magnetic card reader outside. 

“Every Monday and Wednesday I either do homework or catch up on my TV shows like ‘Downton Abbey,’ that’s what I’m watching right now,” said Tayler Nietfel, junior.

2. DePaul Center Patio

On the top floor of the DePaul center lies a rooftop garden without the dirt. While students are unable to play and plant with flowers, they are able to soak in the city sky line in the company of a few friends and an assortment of picnic tables. While the unforgiving seasons of Chicago generally prohibit even the most adventurous citizens from stepping outside, on a nice spring day, the rooftop offers an escape from the urban jungle.

“There weren’t a lot of people and the weather’s nice which is why I came. They need more tables out here,” said Karl Mondloch, senior.

3. CDM Gym: B30

Enter the CDM building, push the button for basement, wander through corridors and enter the gym. Although this area is not as elaborate as The Ray in Lincoln Park, it has enough equipment to get the body movin’. With Selectorized steppers, treadmills, bikes and weight machines every fitness beginner or fanatic will find something to do. Open Monday through Friday from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. and select hours on the weekends, this gym is about as isolated as one can get from while still remaining in the confines of DePaul.

“In this basement? That’s hilarious. I had no idea. It’s nice knowing there’s one here so you don’t have to run to Lincoln Park,” said Vincent Bailey, a sophomore at DePaul.

4. CDM Video Game Lab

Thought video games were just for kids? You were sadly mistaken. Located on the 5th floor of the CDM building lies a video game lab which houses an Xbox 360, different generations of PlayStations and motion control systems like Wii and Wii U. The video game lab also houses older systems like Pac Man but appears to appeal to a more technologically advanced generation of gamers. Just take a quick right after exiting the elevator and you’ll enter an undiscovered world of digital animation.

“There’s a pretty large and growing game design department. Students need to grab influence for their own games. Also, they just need a place to relax,” said David Laskey, senior.

5. Cortelyou Commons – Tucked away from the center of the Lincoln Park campus, this building is only known to students as a U-Pass distribution area and site of the occasional guest speaker.  Its seclusion makes it an ideal study area, and there are at least two spots that are sure to be free of distraction and relatively quiet.  Enter from the southeast doors and turn left up the stairs to reach a gathering place that overlooks Cortelyou’s ground floor.  Normally reserved for receptions and replete with comfy chairs and natural lighting, this area is perfect for peaceful studying when not in use.  Or go around to the other side of the Commons to find a patio with several chairs and tables that faces the softball field.  This deck is well lit by the afternoon sun if you’re looking to catch some rays, or unwind away from the hustle elsewhere on campus.

6. McGowan South Greenhouse – Visible from street level, this greenhouse is for use by environmental science majors only.  Besides planting for experiments and study, these students also grow foliage for DePaul’s Urban Garden.  Located at the intersection of Belden Avenue and Bissell Street, the Urban Garden grows fresh, organic produce for harvesting by DePaul’s Urban Farming Organization.  With the help of volunteers, the Organization grows potatoes, strawberries, kale and much more to demonstrate the ease and importance of urban farming.  Half of all the food harvested is donated to community food pantries. 

Naomi Leighton, administrative assistant in the Environmental Sciences department, also revealed what she called “the best view in all of DePaul” on the roof of McGowan South.  The lookout offers a pristine view of the Chicago skyline, completely unobstructed.  Clearly, Environmental Science has its perks.

7. CDM Media Center –  A miniature movie theater is located in room 330 of the Lincoln Park Student Center.  The room is decked out with stadium seats that feature collapsible desktops, a high-definition projector, an interactive whiteboard and mood-appropriate movie theater lighting.  The room is normally locked and accessible only through an access code, but several Digital Cinema classes are held in the Media Center, as it is a perfect blend of classroom and theater.  Make friends with some DC professors, and they might just let you screen your next big film project to see how it might look on the silver screen.

8. Interfaith Sacred Space – Located in room 102 of the Lincoln Park Student Center, the Interfaith Sacred Space is a simple room adjacent to the Saint Louise de Marillac Chapel.  It is open to students of all faiths as a place to worship pray or be alone and at peace.  The room has a closet in which implements of various worship services are stored – everything from Bibles and votive candles to Jewish prayer books and Zen Buddhist meditation implements. 

“The room is open to anyone of any faith,” said Hope Cornelias, desk receptionist at the Catholic Campus Ministries across the hall.  “There are also yoga classes and other events, which you can learn more about at umin.depaul.edu.”