Philadelphia area

[dynamite]

Hi guys,

I'm going to be doing a rotation in philly (Children's Hospital) and I was wondering if any of you know the area. I'm looking for housing but I don't know what areas I should avoid (bad neighborhoods, etc.). I'm basically looking in the area around CHOP and UPenn. Does anyone know this neighborhood? Thanx.

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[care bear]

hi,
i am in philly right now also temporarily, about to leave. i'm going into 2cd year & have been doing research at CHOP this summer.

i really don't think the area around CHOP is something to worry about unless you're hyperparanoid about 'bad areas'. is it suburban? no way. is it generally safe? i think so.

north philly is where you would find the *truly* 'bad' and actually unsafe neighborhoods.

as far as convenience, i think living anywhere from the 20s (center city) all the way out to maybe 50th can be very convenient. the most convenient is of course going to be somewhere right in University City ( around 31st- 44th although the cutoff isn't clear).
hope this helps! i have really enjoyed my time in philly and i'm sure you will as well

 

[dynamite]

Thanks carebear, that was very helpful. I will definitely look for housing in that area. I'm quite excited about going. So, with my priorities solidly in mind, what are some of the cool things I should do when I'm in philly to really get a good idea of what philly has to offer (museums, parks, nightlife, etc.)?

 

[care bear]

i'm sure tons of people will tell you different things! philly has been really fun.
as for me, some of my favorite spots have become:

south street near penn's landing for funky shops, water ice, nightlife (not that i have had that much nightlife )

rittenhouse area for chilling in the park, upscale shopping (but i'm guessing that you're a guy so you might not care!), upscale dining, feels a lot like parts of NYC.

art museum! it is 'free' on sundays. . .you can pay as much or as little as you want.

i went down to old city (independence stuff) on the 4th just to say i saw all that. . .liberty bell, etc. i hear there is good nightlife there as well.

reading terminal market. . lots of great food!
chinatown- same.

i have heard of lots of other great museums but other than art, i'm not really into museums so i didn't explore them. . .also, the zoo is supposed to be fun but i didn't go there either.

so, i think you will have a great time when you're not at the hospital

 

[PhillyGrappler]

Philly is great. I did my undergrad at U of Penn so I know the CHOP area pretty well.

There's a new apartment building called the Left Bank pretty close by. It's expensive but you probably could find a sublet. It's a few minutes walk from CHOP and where I would recommend you live if you decide to live in University City (where CHOP is).

However, I think Center City (not Univ City) is where all the action is at. You could live at, say, 20th and Walnut and walk to work in 10 or 15 minutes and be right at the heart of the city.

One thing you should check out when you're in Philly is the dining scene. Philadelphia has arguably the second best restaurant scene (next to NYC) at about half the price. Plenty of BYOB's in the city with great food and low prices. Off the top of my head I recommend Matyson's. Check out Reading Terminal Market also. The dining scene is really amazing here.

Check out the Barnes (museum). Philly Art Museum as well (Sundays are free but packed! Well worth the $ to go during a weekday morning)

I can't think of anything else off the top of my head, but feel free to drop me a PM.

 

[PhillyGrappler]

Here's a site which may help you:

http://www.hollyeats.com/Philadelphia.htm

I've hit most of the places on that list so far. I think the list is organized by a former food reporter who calls Philly home.

 

[StudKnight]

You've got to try Pat's Steaks or Gino's steaks. If you're a girl, go to Gino's...you won't slobber all of yourself like you would at Pat's.

I prefer Pat's. They're right across the street from one another.

It's on south 9th street. Have to check it out.

I'm telling you, going to Philly and not checking out one of the above joints is like going to NY without going to Times Square.

When you go, just say "Cheese with" or "Cheese without"...you don't have to stay cheesesteak or you'll look like a *****. That's all they sell. The with/without refers to onions.

 

[dynamite]

Thanks for the tips on the lingo. Wouldn't want to look anymore of an idiot than I already do.


QUOTE=StudKnight]You've got to try Pat's Steaks or Gino's steaks. If you're a girl, go to Gino's...you won't slobber all of yourself like you would at Pat's.

I prefer Pat's. They're right across the street from one another.

It's on south 9th street. Have to check it out.

I'm telling you, going to Philly and not checking out one of the above joints is like going to NY without going to Times Square.

When you go, just say "Cheese with" or "Cheese without"...you don't have to stay cheesesteak or you'll look like a *****. That's all they sell. The with/without refers to onions.[/QUOTE]