I set out on a mission last week. Armed with an umbrella in one hand and a notebook in my backpack, I hit the streets of downtown State College. My goal? To find places where students hang out that differ from the average coffee shops that are plentiful in this town. Maybe you already know about these places, maybe you do not. Each one was new to me. The places I found varied from each other. They range in age from a few months to 30 years. Those of you who smoke will be happy to know that two of my discoveries cater to your needs. Here is what I found:

Digital Arena (246 E. Calder Way)

There is a row of computers along the left wall, and each one is characterized by unique graphics. One displays images of the Dixie Chicks and sharply contrasts with the Audrey Hepburn screensaver on the neighboring machine. The customers have all come to play computer games.

"It is a gaming store," storeowner Ian Goff said. "For the computers, we charge by the hour, but there is no cover fee to be in here and just to hang out."

Diablo II, a computer simulated dungeon game, and Baldur's Gate II, based on advanced Dungeons and Dragons, are two games many customers prefer. "Those and Age of the Empires 2 seem to be pretty popular," Goff said.

The store is not limited to high-tech entertainment. There are also tables set up for those who play miniaturized tabletop war games and an area designated for painting the pewter figures that are used.

According to Goff, leagues and tournaments are held at The Digital Arena. "There is a lot of role playing and a lot of card games that go on in here," he said.

This gaming store has been located in State College for approximately five years. Its hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

D.C. Tobacco (256 Calder Way)

"This is a work-free smoking environment as opposed to a smoke-free working environment," customer Christopher Mordaunt said.

D.C. Tobacco, formerly Tobacco Tavern, which has been in business for 30 years, sells a variety of tobacco products and provides a place for customers to relax and socialize.

"I sell only hand-rolled cigars and the pipe tobacco is blended in the house. Some of the recipes are 30 years old," owner Chad Glunt said. "People come in here between classes and use it as a home base. We really get everyone: college students, professors and alumni."

According to Glunt, his spot is a favorite place for alumni to come back and visit. On football weekends, the shop remains open as late as 2 or 3 a.m. Normal store hours are from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. daily.

"If the lights are on, we are open," Glunt said.

Lauren Kidd (junior- psychology) is a regular at Tobacco Tavern. She learned about it from her father, who used to smoke cigars there.

"I come here to sit on the couch, to smoke cigarettes and to visit the dog," she said.

The dog is a young puppy named Ming, who greets customers at the door. According to Glunt, the number of non-smokers who come to D.C. Tobacco has increased since he acquired Ming.

Smoke-N-Joes (128 Locust Lane)

"If you are a smoker, there aren't a lot of smoker friendly places," said Chaim Steinberg (junior-history and religious studies). There is now one more location because Smoke-N-Joes opened on Sept. 5. The sign outside the door reads, "Central Pennsylvania's home for caffeine and nicotine."

"We get a fair amount of non-smokers," Steinberg, who is an employee, said. "We had a good system put in that gets the smoke out of here."

The business started out as a specialty cigar store and has expanded into a coffee shop. For customers' entertainment, there are board games, a piano and video game boxes called "Megatouches."

"You just keep playing until you are totally out of quarters," employee Chaim Steinberg said. "The regulars come and battle it out."

Smoke-N-Joes is open later than most shops daily — until 2 a.m. — and during finals week, it remains open for 24 hours.

There are also after-hours parties from 1 to 5 a.m. every Friday, when customers go to listen to the DJ, dance and socialize.

Webster's Bookstore Café (128 S. Allen St)

The aroma of herbal tea and the clinking of coffee cups are the first noticeable sensations upon entering the shop. After further observation, one will notice that the counter is covered in signs advertising workshops, poetry readings, music performances and book signings. Customers call farewell to the woman behind the register as they exit Webster's Bookstore Café.

"We wanted to have a community place where people could gather," co-owner and Penn State alumna Elaine Meder said.

The shop is the only independently owned bookstore in State College and the only one that specializes in used books. The collection consists of over 100,000 books, many of which are classified as science fiction, general fiction and the social sciences.

Webster's has expanded over the years from a store to a spot where customers can buy a cup of coffee and browse through books for hours.

"We have a fairly even distribution between college students, townsfolk and visitors," Meder said.

It also hosts a number of workshops and performances, such as a Community Music Jam. The advertisement for it reads, "bring an instrument or play one of ours."

Store hours are 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

So here you have it. These are four hangouts that are unique. Mission accomplished.