Neighborhoods of Philadelphia

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Philadelphia is often said to be a "city of neighborhoods." See the map below to get a sense of where Philadelphia's neighborhoods are in relation to one another. The areas closest to campus are University City in West Philadelphia and Center City, directly across the Schuylkill River from campus. The essential details of these areas are provided below. Most students live in the University City and in the Center City areas, however, our interactive database does offer some choices in other locations of the Greater Philadelphia area. For safety concerns, please see A Word About Safety.

University City

• Location/Transportation to Penn
• University City is located in an area known as West Philadelphia (west of the Schuylkill River). It is home to several universities, including Penn, Drexel, and University of the Sciences.
• Includes the smaller neighborhoods of Powelton Village, Spruce Hill, Garden Court, Cedar Park, Squirrel Hill.
• Most of the University City listings in our database are for properties west of campus: from 39th Street to 50th Street, and from Chestnut Street on south to Woodland Avenue.
• A significant number of available rental units can be found in Powelton Village, which is just north of campus - the area bounded by 32nd St. to the east, Spring Garden St. to the north, 39th St. to the west and Lancaster Ave. to the south.
• While most rentals are within walking distance to the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Transit Services offers door-to-door services to the Penn affiliates who live in University City (including Powelton Village) between 6 pm and 3 am.
• Kinds of housing (architecture) and rental costs
• Wide variety of rental units: large Victorian homes with back yards and porches, two and three story row homes, medium and large sized apartment complexes. Luxury living options available.
• Prices are moderate, especially in the area a little farther west of campus, beyond 43rd St. where space, comfort and affordability come together.
• In the areas very close to campus (east of 43rd St.) prices tend to be higher due to higher demand, especially for undergraduate housing.
• Amenities and access to necessary services
Several supermarkets are accessible by walking or driving, such as Fresh Grocer (40th and Walnut) in addition to convenience stores and smaller ethnic markets. There are also numerous banks, pharmacies, dry cleaners, boutiques and bookstores.
• Parking availability and cost relative to other neighborhoods
Street parking becomes more available as one travels north and west away from campus. Some houses and apartment buildings offer off-street parking. Even if you have a car, expect to walk (10-20 min.), bike (5-10 min.) or take public transportation to the university campus.
• Shopping, restaurants and nightlife
• The University City area is home to many cultural institutions, a wealth of cultural events, and a large number of award-winning cafes and restaurants, many of them ethnic.
• The Rave movie theater at 40th and Walnut Sts. offers a lavish movie-going experience unique for the area.
• Unique attractions
Offers quick access to: Center City, Amtrak 30th Street Station, numerous parks and green spaces, the Philadelphia Zoo, and the Mann Music Center.

Center City

• Location/Transportation to Penn
• Center City extends from the Schuylkill River to the Delaware River.
• Some of the most popular neighborhoods: Filter Square and Rittenhouse Square (both west of Broad St.), Society Hill, Old City, Chinatown (east of Broad St.) and Art Museum.
• The Art Museum area is not as easily accessible to/from the Penn Campus. There is no direct public transportation so you can use a bike, use a car or plan to spend extra time going back and forth every day. Some buildings in this neighborhood offer a shuttle to campus- see the comments on building profiles.
• Connected to Penn's campus by public transportation: buses (#42, #21 come directly up Walnut St. to Penn's campus and return east to Center City on Chestnut St.) and the subway (runs along Market with stops at 34th St. and 40th St.), in addition to the green line trolleys (#11, 13, 34, 36). See the Getting Around page for more transportation details.
• Between 6:00 P.M. and 3:00 A.M. transportation to/from Center City (east, up to 20th Street) is available to Penn affiliates through the Penn Transit Service. Use the transit stops on campus to get a ride home, and dial 898-RIDE to access Penn's shuttle, if you are at your residence and want to come to campus (furthest east stop is at 20th and Locust).
• Kinds of housing (architecture) and rental costs
• Housing is comprised of modern luxury apartment complexes and condos, brownstones/townhouses, row homes and warehouse apartment buildings.
• Housing prices for the next academic year increased only slightly if at all since last year. Generally more expensive than University City.
• The Art Museum area has more moderately priced apartments and a better rent/value ratio.
• Amenities and access to necessary services
• Many small convenience markets and a few larger markets such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, unique markets such as the Reading Terminal Market
• Densely packed with stores and services such as dry cleaning, pharmacies, banks, boutiques, jewelers, bookstores and specialty shops in nearly every neighborhood.
• Parking availability and cost relative to other neighborhoods
Street parking is not readily available, though some apartment complexes offer indoor parking at additional cost.
• Shopping, restaurants and nightlife
• Extremely wide variety of stores, cafes, movie theaters, and fitness facilities.
• Many ethnic restaurants and BYOBs.
• Various bars, night clubs and lounges.
• Unique attractions
• Home to Colonial-period historic sites such as Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the Betsy Ross House, and Elfreth's Alley.
• Numerous cultural museums are located in Center City, including the renowned Philadelphia Museum of Art and the National Constitution Center.
• Penn's Landing, Philadelphia's waterfront, is located in Old City and is home to several historic ships.
• Philadelphians gather outdoors in any of a number of open spaces such as Rittenhouse Square, Washington Square or Franklin Square. Runners, bikers and roller-bladers enjoy the paths along the River Drives and Boathouse Row.

Other Areas

Other areas of Philadelphia within a one-hour commute of the Penn campus include South Philadelphia, neighborhoods west of University City including Overbrook, Wynnefield and the Main Line, Manayunk, Roxborough, Mount Airy, Chestnut Hill, Germantown and the many sub-neighborhoods of Northeast Philadelphia. Counties bordering Philadelphia near the University include Montgomery County and Delaware County. For more information about Philadelphia neighborhoods, see http://phillyneighborhoods.org/.