UPENN...a wise choice?

[gatorf150]

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Hey I am kind of on the fence between UPENN and UF dental schools. I am used to "Gainesville" living where having a car is no problem and the apartments are plentiful, cheap, safe, and nice. Now I hae been searching for a week online on the different websites listed on SDN looking for apartments or houses in philly. It seems from my consensus that you can only park on the street or in a garage. If you park in the garage it is $1500 or so a year. And if you park on the street you need philadelphia insurance which rapes you. Is there no such thing as an apartment with a parking lot or a house with a driveway. This is what I am used to and cannot seem to find anything like that. When I was in philly I stayed in center city and did not get to see much else. I would like to be close to the school and either walk or bike (but do I need to worry that my decent bicycle is going to get stollen). Do any dental students live in a certain area that is maybe I guess suburban (houses and driveways/garages). I am new to this whole "city" living so sorry for sounding ignorant of the lifestyle but it is just different. Now I love everything about UPENN and would gladly choose it over UF if I can make the living situation work comfortably. Also, my fiance and small dog will be coming with me. Please if anyone has any comments or advise I would really appreciate it. Either post it or PM me.
Thanks a bunch

 

[Dentcraze]

I am a student at Temple and and Upenn and Temple arent that far from each other. If you want a apartment with a parking lot etc more room you should prob not live close to Upenn. Its in a rough part of Philly and Center city is expensive and the parking is rough. I have friends who live out a ways and just ride the subway in. You dont want to live close enough to Upenn to be able to walk the close housing is GHETO. Most students commute who go to UPenn or Temple. Or live in Center City which is nice a packed. You'd have to buy a monthly car parking gargage to live down there.

 

[BrianMSchwab]

Hey I am kind of on the fence between UPENN and UF dental schools. I am used to "Gainesville" living where having a car is no problem and the apartments are plentiful, cheap, safe, and nice. Now I hae been searching for a week online on the different websites listed on SDN looking for apartments or houses in philly. It seems from my consensus that you can only park on the street or in a garage. If you park in the garage it is $1500 or so a year. And if you park on the street you need philadelphia insurance which rapes you. Is there no such thing as an apartment with a parking lot or a house with a driveway. This is what I am used to and cannot seem to find anything like that. When I was in philly I stayed in center city and did not get to see much else. I would like to be close to the school and either walk or bike (but do I need to worry that my decent bicycle is going to get stollen). Do any dental students live in a certain area that is maybe I guess suburban (houses and driveways/garages). I am new to this whole "city" living so sorry for sounding ignorant of the lifestyle but it is just different. Now I love everything about UPENN and would gladly choose it over UF if I can make the living situation work comfortably. Also, my fiance and small dog will be coming with me. Please if anyone has any comments or advise I would really appreciate it. Either post it or PM me.
Thanks a bunch

PENN actually has an entire website devoted to the housing issues, go to www.upenn.edu and surf the student life section and see what you can find. I am actually from this area and have lived here my entire life. I live about 45 minutes outside the city in a suburb named Villanova but I am a rare exception. Ninety five percent of my colleagues live within walking distance of the school of dental medicine which actually is not as bad off as dentcraze suggested. PENN has it's own police force and they are great at keeping things orderly (in three years I have yet to hear of anything bad happening to anyone I know such as robbery, rape, being murdered, etc). The school houses a few thousand undergrad and a few thousand graduate students, thus there is always a lot of activity. There are a few on-campus houses such as the graduate towers and the dental school has it's own residence called the dental house. Contact Corky about that if you need some literature. Otherwise, campus apartments supplies the majority of the apartments to dental students I know. They are like in a five block radiusfrom the dental school and are about 800 a month for a one bedroom. Just a warning...Philadelphia is expensive. Cheaper than New York or Boston but nevertheless, you really will not get a lot for nothing. I commute into PENN each day and I lease a space in a garage from PENN for about 2000.00 a year. What is another couple of thousand dollars when you compare it against the tuition here anyway!!??? If you like luxury housing...check out the Riverloft online...a few of my best friends live there and it is extremely posh and it comes with attended parking. Hope this helps!

 

[gatorf150]

Hey Dentcraze and brianmschwabL
thanks for the replies
Im gonna try first the campus apartments..I looked up their number. Looks like Ill just have to rent a garage from penn. Who do I contact about that? Also, do you know - can I leave my car their 24 hours a day and just get it as I need it and is there always parking available? One dental student I think it was corey? (#1 in the class lol) gave me a ride to the bookstore and he had a spot that was by a grocery store close to campus... is that the one you use? I tried searching on google for parking garages but couldnt come up with anything.

 

[BrianMSchwab]

Hey Dentcraze and brianmschwabL
thanks for the replies
Im gonna try first the campus apartments..I looked up their number. Looks like Ill just have to rent a garage from penn. Who do I contact about that? Also, do you know - can I leave my car their 24 hours a day and just get it as I need it and is there always parking available? One dental student I think it was corey? (#1 in the class lol) gave me a ride to the bookstore and he had a spot that was by a grocery store close to campus... is that the one you use? I tried searching on google for parking garages but couldnt come up with anything.

I know Corey. We both tutor biochemistry for the first years. You will get information from Sue Schwartz regarding the garage, housing, etc. You will be getting information from her and her office as soon as you accept your invitation to be one of us. I could technically leave my car in that exact garage 24 hours a day, but I drive it home each day, most of my friends do indeed leave their cars there because it is safe, dry, and covered from the elements. You will not find information on that garage unless you go to www.upenn.edu and find something there aboiut garages and garage rates. That garage is #40, in case you care to research anything about it. You seriously will not regret coming here, it is like a four year stay at a country club! Best wishes!

 

[3rdMolarRoller]

Hey Dentcraze and brianmschwabL
thanks for the replies
Im gonna try first the campus apartments..I looked up their number. Looks like Ill just have to rent a garage from penn. Who do I contact about that? Also, do you know - can I leave my car their 24 hours a day and just get it as I need it and is there always parking available? One dental student I think it was corey? (#1 in the class lol) gave me a ride to the bookstore and he had a spot that was by a grocery store close to campus... is that the one you use? I tried searching on google for parking garages but couldnt come up with anything.

I was bored and looked it up in the yellow pages. Click Below:

Parking next to Upenn Dental

 

[gatorf150]

thanks brocnizer2007 for the link
I will look forward to meeting you guys unless your graduating and if so GOOD LUCK!!

 

[lbennett]

I'm a penn undergrad student and you can most def leave your car in the fresh grocer parking lot over night. I have lots of friends who do that. THere is another, less expensive parking garage owned by Campus Apartments (i believe) that is even closer to the dental school on this small street across from the school. The street is called Chancellor St. It is not covered, but it is closed with a garage... worth considering if you're looking for a less expensive option! And my friends leave their cars there permanently. And last, if you are just looking for day parking, campus apartments sells a lot of spots behind people's houses. It's not the safest if you are worried about any dings in your car because people pack in, but it won't be stolen or anything like that. Same as parking on street, only reserved for you. Good luck!!! I'm deciding now between penn, tufts and nyu and will let you know what i decide. 😉

 

[Tennisgirl]

There's also a building on 2400 Chestnut that is a highrise that a lot of the Penn Med/Dental students live in. It's about 15 blocks from campus but it has a much cheaper parking rate and you're a lot closer to Center City. The other advantage of that building is that it provides a shuttle in the morning and evenings to Penn's Campus, and even if you don't end up taking the shuttle it's about a 25 minute walk. Something else to consider in getting the best of both worlds of being close enough to school that it's not that big of a deal and being surrounded by a ton of students in other grad programs as well as being really close to Center City/Rittenhouse/ aka the more fun part of Philadelphia. here's the site: www.2400chestnut.com There's actually a girl in the first year class who was making the same decision between UF and Penn, and ended up coming up here and is having a great time.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Penn is a great school!