Looking for Information on Philadelphia

[BCVOwner2002]

We will be touring some colleges in Philadelphia within the month and wanted to get as much information as possible about the area. Any assistance is appreciated. Annmarie

 

[sandramaac]

well I was a long time philly resident--born and went to private prep school there- -now live in South Jersey what do you want to know I can discuss not only the phila area colleges but also the burbs get back to me

 

[phillybeth]

Same here, just look at my screenname I am Philly born, raised, and educated, and I still live here too!

 

[Cindy B]

What do you need to know?

Hubby went to Drexel, and did some work study there as well.
He works in Philly, and knows a lot of the city.

I live about 10 minutes away now, but its a fun city. I lived in all parts of the suburbs.. western philly suburbs, and NJ suburbs as well.

Some city colleges are in worse neighborhoods than others.

 

[Bobump]

Post your Quesstions!!

We will then show you some "BROTHERLY LOVE"

 

[cart-mom]

Ask away! What is it you want to know about our city?

 

[BabyLove99]

I'm currently attending a college that's in the suburbs of Philly PM me if you wanna know anything

 

[kpgclark]

Looks like we need to get a meet together! I live on the Main Line, which is outside of Philly.

 

[Patricia]

Actually, I have some questions too. My daughter has narrowed her college choices to 5. Lehigh, Muhlenberg, and St. Joes in Philly are her PA choices. Everyone tells her that St. Joes is really not in Philly at all, but for a young girl coming from a life in the suburbs, it sure looks like a city to her. Exactly what is the surrounding area like and how easy/hard is it to get around. Anything that would help in her decision would be appreciated.

 

[BCVOwner2002]

Wow! Thanks for such quick responses. We will be attending St. Joseph's open house next Saturday and due to another commitment at home, we have chosen to fly in early Saturday morning and out late Saturday night. We got a great deal on airfare. We are debating whether or not we should rent a car for the day. I thought it might be easier to catch a cab from/to airport and school. I'd like to know your thoughts.

What are some things you feel are "must sees" in the area? We've never been to Philly before. Is it easy to get around with public transportation (if we don't rent a car)? Are there any areas we should avoid?

We will be looking at Drexel and Villanova on a separate trip. I'd love to get your thoughts about these three schools. If you'd prefer to PM me please feel free to do so.

Thanks in advance for any information you can provide. Annmarie

 

[kpgclark]

One day isn't a long time to visit Philly. To be honest, I know that St. Joes is on City Line Ave but I'm not sure about buses or anything like that. We have a great train system that will run you into the city but again I don't know where it would pick you up in relation to where the school is. You should contact the school and they'll tell you what the public transportation is like.

I live practically around the corner from Villanova. The campus is beautiful with many stone buildings. You should check to see the game schedule for different sports since you might want to catch one while you are in the area. It might give your daughter a sense of what the school is like. Otherwise, Villanova is like any other suburb.

Philly is a beautiful city. There is so much to do. What are you interested in? We have a great art museum, a superb science center called the Franklin Institute, fabulous theatre district, a fun historical area where the Libery Bell can be found, and so much more!

 

[mad4themouse]

While St. Joe's is technically in the city, it has a suburban feel to it. Drexel is right in the middle of the an area referred to "University City" and is very urban in flavor. Villa Nova is on the Main Line and is very suburban.

My DH is a native Phufflian. I'm a suburban brat from the Pittsburgh area but I attended Hahnemann University for graduate studies. For this suburbanite, the city was a rude awakening. But there is also so much in the way of nightlife, diversity and culture.

Must sees:

• The Liberty Bell. It was just moved this past week to a new location.
• The Constitution Center. Just opened this past summer. Very impressive.
• Independence Hall.
• Christ Church. Where Geo. Washington worshipped. Franklin's grave is there. Be sure to throw a penny on it.
• Elfreth's Alley. The oldest continuously occupied residential street in the US.
• Betsy Ross House.
• The Art Museum. If you've seen "Rocky", he ran up the steps to the Art Museum.
• The Franklin Institute...an amazing hands-on science center.

Check this link for lots of Philly info: gophila

There's so much more and the suburbs also have a lot to offer. Public transportation is very good, but it is public transportation. Avoid driving into the city because parking is hard to find and very expensive. Once in the historical area, you can pretty much walk from one site to another. The Art Museum and Franklin Institute are a little further away but can be reached by taking the number 38 bus at 6th and Market Street.

 

[Cindy B]

City Line Avenue is right on the border of Philadelphia. In fact right near St. Joes, it becomes the Rooselevelt Blvd area of Philly.
To someone not from there, it looks urban..

Drexel is right in the city.. my hubby took two trains to get there from his home to go to class. First he took the PATCO, and then the Market Frankford El. It is a very urban area, but you are in the city. There are sections of University City that are well worse than others, but to let you know it is urban, and busy. There are many transportation options available in the UCity area.. busses, trolley, and the other things.

Public transportation is interesting in Philly. I know it more from the suburbs to city commute, but in the city it does run more frequesntly.

Villanova is in a lush area. I used to live about 10 minutes from VIllanova, and it will look very suburban compared to Drexel. Transportation can be an issue in villanova to get to stores, etc. There is a commuter rail line that does have a stop in villanova, so you can go to Philly easily, (and other places) but for say the grocery store, or the pizza place it does get tricky if you dont have a car.

You cant do Philly in one day. You just can't. The historical part is in a different section of town than the University City area, or even the art museum area. Philadelphia proper is a very big city, and the suburbs are large as well. For example you could spend about a day just in the Main line area near Villanova. Philadelphia proper is huge, and tricky to manuever around if you aren't used to it. (lots of one way streets.)

Look over a sightseers guide to Philly, mark your must do's, and go from there.

 

[phillybeth]

St Joe's is in a residential area of the city, lots of homes, shopping centers, small office parks and the like. I think the campus is right on the edge of the city line, so some of it is in the city and some is in Montgomery County. St. Joe's campus is suburban feeling, lots of trees and open quads.
Villanova is on the Main Line, ritzy suburban area. It is right on the main business strip, but one block in either direction and it changes to residential. The campus is very suburban felling.
Drexel is in Philly's "University City", right near the University of Pennsylvania and a few other schools. It has a more urban feel to it and is in a busy commercial area. With all the colleges University City has a very active social life and is multicultural, students from all over the country and the world come to Philly to go school.

Philly is so large it is its own county! I have lived here all my life, 35 years, and I have still not seen all the city has to offer. If you only have one day I would focus on the historical stuff- Inedependance Hall, Liberty Bell, Constitution Center, Besty Ross House. They are all within walking distance of each other, and Philly's Chinatown is only a few blocks from there. Also the Reading Terminal Market is a good place to eat, it is an urban farmer's market but has plenty of places that cater to the lunchtime and tourist crowds. Get a hoagie or a cheesesteak and eat like a Philadelphian!

 

[BCVOwner2002]

Thanks for the information. As I mentioned we will be heading back down for an extended trip to look at the other schools and more of the area. I wish we had more time for this trip.

I think we will take a cab from the airport to St. Joe's and then take a cab to the historic district. I may request more information once we return from our trip. I'll keep you posted. Annmarie

 

[Cindy B]

From St. Joes, you could take the commuter rail instead of the taxi . I think its the R5, but I'm not sure.

If I rembmer correctly its only a few train stops (at the max 3) to get to Center City. St. Joes I think is the Overbrook station, but I'm not certain,. From there its 30th street (Amtrak station, bus routes to musuems and such), Suburban Station.. (15th & 16th area)... At suburban station you can walk to the visitiors center and catch a bus or get the PHLASH (which is a get around town to tourist sites/popular places bus) instead of the regular city bus (which stops at residential areas/businesses)

I;m not certain of which R5 stop St. Joes is in... and then it depends on the price of the train ticket...

You can also get the commuter rail from the airport to wherever you want on the commuter rail as well... The airport is the orange line (if I remember right), and then you switch or remain the same depending on where you need to go.

Inside the city, its not that bad.

 

[phillybeth]

Oops, no Phlash bus anymore, they discontinued it this summer

Your best bet from St Joe's to downtown (we call it Center City) is the train. There are not a lot of cabs in that area, you would have to call in advance and you might be waiting quite a bit. I would call the admissions office, I am sure they have all sorts of information on the city and how to get around. They might even have a shuttle, especially for visitor's weekend.
If you do take the train to Center City it is better to get off at 8th Street, from there it is only a 2 block walk to the historic district (Old City).
Philly is not an easy city to drive in, it combines the worst of Boston and NY and adds a little twist of its own It is not easy to get anywhere from anywhere. Most natives navigate from instinct- we know how to get there but find it hard to explain how to someone from outside the area. Parking is limited and VERY expensive in Center City.

 

[cart-mom]

I agree with the rest of my Philly Phriends, there's too much to do in one day so it's great that you'll be coming back again. I think you are smart to go with a cab. They are easy to catch and parking downtown is VERY expensive. Public transportation can take you anywhere you need to go.

Since you only have one day I agree that the historic district is the way to go. So many places within walking distance - it's just crazy to try to go anywhere else. I suggest a cheesteak for lunch (make sure you order correctly - I recommend a whizwhit - Steak with cheez whiz & fried onions). And do Chinatown for dinner. I wish I could recommend a place - it's been too long since I was downtown (4 kids) and the last time we went back to the place we really liked - the building was gone! If you can do a 5 star gourmet meal there's always Susanna Foo's or Le Bec Fin. Why not treat yourself - what better way to end your first day in Philly?

I hope you have a great time!!

 

[Bobump]

Why not rent a car ?? Would give you more flexibility and they are right on Airport premises??

Then we could give you all kinds of ideas and directions and you could pick and chose according to your situation. I remember when we were doing the college circuit and you have to be flexible because time gets away from you. Just a thought.

 

[BCVOwner2002]

Thanks for all of the input. Philly (and former Philly) Disers are great!

We are going to take a cab for this trip since we will only be there on Saturday. When we go back next month we will rent a car because we'll have more time to visit the schools, museums, etc.. I don't know what time open house gets through but we have decided to go to the historic district and do a little bit of sight-seeing. DH loves Philly Cheese Steaks so he wants a "real" one when we are in Philly! I'll post again if I have further questions. Thanks again! Annmarie