University City, Philadelphia

As the name implies, University City is a clusters of three universities: University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, and University of the Sciences. With expansion, it now encompasses the area from the Schuylkill River to 52nd Street.

The University of Pennsylvania is the oldest college founded by Benjamin Franklin and is an Ivy League institution which maintains its Quaker roots. Penn alone has twelve libraries, most of which are open to the public. Drexel University was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel and has a strong engineering tradition. The University of the Sciences was once the College of Pharmacy but has since expanded its course offerings.

As home and rental prices have risen accordingly, both Penn and Drexel have developed housing initiatives to undergird purchases by faculty and staff. Penn has initiated the Penn-Alexander, a primary school for young families with children. Drexel is now working with the Promise Academy, once the University City High School.

With many countries represented, the atmosphere is cosmopolitan yet academic. Lectures that are free and open to the public happen frequently. Coffee shops and outdoor cafés are plentiful. Every manner of food flavor is represented by the carts that have established their turf!

University City is a funky little neighborhood located in West Philadelphia. It is bound by 29th Street to the east, 50th Street to the west, Spring Garden Street to the North and Woodland Avenue to the south. It is named after the six colleges and universities located in the area including University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University.
It is one of the most diverse areas of the city and is home to families, young professionals, artists and students. It is one of the prettier architectural parts of Philadelphia and offers ornately adorned houses with candy colored paint and wide front porches, tree lined streets and well kept yards.
University City is a social hub that offers plenty of shopping and dining opportunities. There are also a lot of museums and art galleries located in the area which offer unique opportunities for those that choose to visit them.
The neighborhood is also home to some of the most prestigious medical industries in the world and offers first class services to its citizens.
Traffic can get really bad in this section of the city, but everything is super close together, so riding a bike is no problem at all.
University City is definitely a neighborhood worth checking out!

The name of the neighborhood kind of gives away what it is all about. Students, students and more students inhabit University City as they attend Penn or Drexel whose campuses are located there.
Most of the houses in the main part of University City are inhabited by college students so if you are a looking to live with several people in large house this is the place to go. Rent varies from place to place but there are always co-shares and subleases posted on campus and websites so it is relatively easy to find a place that fits your needs.

Public transportation is really accessible in University City and driving is not too difficult either you just have to be cautious of students jumping out in front of you. And watch the potholes; they sneak up on you in this area. It’s also a little safer than other parts of West Philadelphia as it has many security officers patrolling the neighborhood.

The best time of the year in University City is at the end of a semester, this is what some people refer to as “Penn Christmas” because students who are leaving throw out some great stuff because they can’t or don’t want to take it with them. Their trash can end up being your treasure, if you don’t mind digging through dumpsters.