<p>i vastly prefer it to new york, where i spent my “joint custody weekends” growing up. and if by columbia’s NSO “island”, you mean randall’s island, where they do bloomberg summer picnics…i’m not impressed and i urge everyone else not to be. the people here are warm and friendly, and the city is not decrepit as you would have it. and it doesn’t have NYC’s stench! sorry, party boy, if this wasn’t your top school i don’t know why you settled prematurely. i guess you messed up!</p>
<p>How can you even compare the crime-ridden, quickly decaying, garbage dump that is Philadelphia to the unofficial capital of the world!! Are you out of your mind? New York is the greatest city on the face of this earth. Philadelphia is a city you hope to avoid when travelling. And, just btw, Philadelphia has a worse smell than NY. The only people who live in Philly are hippies and gangsters.</p>
<p>Why aren’t you impressed by the island excursion? Even people at Yale were lol. It’s something no other school does. Imagine travelling by water taxis with all 1200 people in your class to an island off Manhattan where all you do is party into the night with the gorgeous manhattan skyline in the background. That is amazing. Columbia’s new student orientation events are downright legendary. And that’s not an opinion. It’s a fact.</p>
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Don’t forget about the “Kimmel Institute [sic].” :p</p>
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<p>Kimmel Center, then? Does it matter either way? 
No one outside of Philly even knows about it lol.</p>
<p>Guess you’re right–Philly really doesn’t have much in the way of world-class culture . . . . . that is, aside from the largest number of Impressionist paintings outside of Paris, the largest collection of Rodin sculptures outside of Paris, the largest quantity of outdoor art in the country, the largest urban park system in the country, the largest number of arboretums and outdoor gardens in the country (including Penn’s own Morris Arboretum in the Chestnut Hill section of Philly–you should check it out), one of the greatest music conservatories in the world, one of the historically greatest symphony orchestras in the world (which happens to be based at the obscure Kimmel Center and is currently garnering rave reviews on a European tour), one of the most vibrant theatre scenes outside of New York with more than 50 professional theatre companies that often feature world and US premieres, a terrific restaurant scene with over 200 sidewalk cafes in Center City alone, one of the finest archaeology museums in the world (which just happens to be right on Penn’s campus, in case you weren’t aware), some of the most charming and significant historic neighborhoods in the country, over 90 colleges and universities and about 300,000 college students . . . . .</p>
<p>I could go on with a lot more, but what’s the point? We all know that Philly’s just a dump and a vast cultural wasteland.</p>
<p>That is, for high-brow intellectuals and culture vultures like you. :)</p>
<p>I’m sure the New Yorkers are super jealous right now. How do they not have the largest number of arboretums in the country!??! This is an outrage!</p>
<p>Hafsarox, you are making yourself sound like a completely spoiled rotten kid with a very distorted perception of the world. And honestly, not only is your criticism of Philly not based in reality, you need to be careful saying those things about Philly because it makes you sound very racist and elitist. The fact is that Philly is a much more integrated city than Chicago or New York. I know that many people mistakenly think Chicago is a crime free city because they’ve only gone downtown. The truth is there are bad places there too, it’s just they are isolated which makes it worse.
Penn prides itself in serving the Philadelphia community and trying to make the surrounding area a safe place for everyone. It is because of close minded people like you that there are still so many dangerous places in the world. It’s disgusting that you are given the opportunity to attend Penn and all you do is insult Philadelphia and it’s population. What makes you so much better?</p>
<p>What’s amazing is that HafsaRox relentlessly attacks Philadelphia while continuously displaying complete and utter ignorance of what the city has to offer, culturally and otherwise.</p>
<p>I’m beginning to think that it’s all some sort of put-on. There’s really no other rational explanation for it. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>This is no “put on.” Seriously why would anyone who isn’t 90 years old, care about arboretums??!!! Plus, Philly isn’t a safe city anyways (among the most dangerous in the country, in fact) so your list is utterly pointless.</p>
<p>^ It’s clear that citing ANY facts to you is utterly pointless.</p>
<p>Huh? Philly isn’t safe… yes that is true. But man I love living in Philadelphia; the only reason I’m going to leave is to stop paying the wage tax (3.928% is pretty terrible).</p>
<p>Morris Arboretum actually makes a really fun date on a weekend afternoon at any time of year… I went for the first time two years ago, and it’s a lot of fun.</p>
<p>I am a big fan of the Philadelphia arts scene. If you go to the Academy of Music – which is, if you pay any attention – a world-class and very widely renowned theater, you can see productions that rival New York in quality. Closer to Penn is the Spruce Hill neighborhood, which is really worth checking out. The stretch of Baltimore Avenue between 43rd and 48th Streets is phenomenal. Mom n’ Pop shops across from a beautiful park (Clark Park) make a very fun place to have a picnic, throw a frisbee or play touch football. North, at 43rd and Locust, you will find one of the best sandwich shops in the country - Koch’s Deli. To the east is Center City, whose restaurants are on par with NYC’s. </p>
<p>Restaurant service in Philadelphia is widely considered the best in the nation, and tips reflect that. The average tip percentage in Philadelphia is higher than any other large city in the United States (including New York).</p>
<p>If you feel adventurous you can take quick trips to Amish country in Lancaster County or to the beautiful beaches of New Jersey (not the fist-pumping beaches… the nice ones) - Margate, Ocean City, Sea Isle, Avalon, Stone Harbor, Wildwood and Cape May.</p>
<p>But that is the well known stuff.</p>
<p>Penn does its best to NOT “shield” itself from the surrounding community, a la many other urban universities. Instead, it integrates itself – MGMT100 makes you act as a consultant for a local business; Big Brothers Big Sisters promotes tutoring and mentorship at local schools; more than a dozen classes are actually community-integrated classes, meaning that their purpose causes them to be held off campus. But even doing so, Penn is still a bubble.</p>
<p>If you (this is for anybody) want to know what Philadelphia is really like, walk to 36th and Sansom, 37th and Spruce or 40th and Baltimore and get on an eastbound Subway-Surface trolley. Get off at 19th Street and start walking south. You’ll go through western Center City, passing by incredible restaurants and bars; you’ll see Rittenhouse Square, an iconic park in the ritziest part of the city; then you’ll hit South Street, a haven for teenagers and 20somethings. Next you will leave the touristy parts of Philadelphia. If you want to have a real Philadelphia experience, continue walking. You’ll pass a local playground, where you will find people playing basketball, touch football and maybe some ball-and-wall games. Keep walking and you will start seeing dozens of people relaxing on the stoops of their row homes, catching up with their neighbors. Stop in a random corner store that you’ve never heard of and order a cheesesteak; it will probably be the best cheesesteak you’ve ever had (and a heck of a lot better than Pat’s or Geno’s). Keep on walking until you hit Washington Avenue. Hang a left and you’ll run into Passyunk Avenue in short order. On a Saturday, you will see dozens of vendors selling homemade items to their neighbors. Continue wandering about until you hit 9th Street, where you can grab a bite to eat at any number of local BYOB restaurants.</p>
<p>If you do that, you will learn what Philadelphia is all about in a matter of a few hours. If you don’t do that (or something similar), you have no business making a judgment of an entire major city.</p>
<p>Enjoy Philadelphia, a city I have called home for 22 years. We may have our problems, but we’re still quite the world class city. :)</p>
<p>This thread is great - I’m learning all the GOOD things about the city! Makes me want to visit. :)</p>
<p>^ Austin and Maine happen to be two of my favorite places in the country. :)</p>
<p>Philly does have a lot of great cultural attractions and scenic neighborhoods and parks (both in and outside of the city), though, and you really SHOULD visit!</p>
<p>^ Yes, I was surprised that some people who stay in the East Coast for long time still visit Philadelphia. I met a couple from North Carolina, and a couple from Boston last week in the restaurants. They had nothing to do with UPenn. They just went there for vacation. The first couple live in NC more than 18 years. The second couple live in Boston more 8 years.</p>
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<p><em>facepalm</em></p>
<p>Only people who can’t afford NYC vacation here, and it’s very easy to see that. Though, if you’re looking to visit, Penn’s campus is possibly the best thing (if one can even call it that) in the city.</p>
<p>Hope you have a safe trip.</p>
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Best thing in Philly? Worst campus in the country? You need to make up your mind. :p</p>
<p>And by the way, what other Philly neighborhoods and cultural attractions have you visited? If you could tell us that, it might help put your opinions in perspective. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>I think we’re learning more about HafsaRox than s/he realizes.</p>
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Exactly, because Philly’s Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton and boutique hotels are total dumps. And because the restaurants in Philly (such as Morimoto and Buddakan) are way worse than their counterparts in NYC. And because nobody likes the awesome BYOs with amazing Malaysian or Italian food where college students and their friends can have a fun time without needing a fake ID (or paying the excessive corking fees of Manhattan).</p>
<p>A ton of Penn students come from the NY metro area and have a blast here, so it sounds like you really need to step back and reevaluate your surroundings. Or transfer right now.</p>
<p>Affordability matters to a few students, even at Penn. Philadelphia does not have as much to do, or as much that is world class, as New York. But it has plenty of world class stuff to do, more than most students can even begin to sample. And what there is costs less than half of what the equivalent costs in New York, so that more students can reasonably do a couple things that, unless they are trustafarians, would be way out of reach in NYC.</p>
<p>For example, check out the cost of R5 rock shows vs. what it costs to see the very same bands the night before or after in NY.</p>
<p>Time to let this op get back to school and get an education.</p>
<p>Just trying to bait people IMO. <em>Yawn</em></p>