<p>I've heard that it's unsafe and overall not a great city for college.</p>
<p>Philly is what you make it. I have been there a couple of times. Its a very, very big city and its very urban. People don't use cars... they walk! It is different from what most kids are used too. Living in Philly will be a new experience for me and other students as well. Its not necessarily "unsafe", but you do have to look out for yourself... thats just like any other college town. Anything can happen at any school. Penn has security that works 24 hours.</p>
<p>Philly is what you make it. I have been there a couple of times. Its a very, very big city and its very urban. People don't use cars... they walk! It is different from what most kids are used too. Living in Philly will be a new experience for me and other students as well. Its not necessarily "unsafe", but you do have to look out for yourself... thats just like any other college town. Anything can happen at any school. Penn has security that works 24 hours.</p>
<p>Whoever said that is sorely mistaken.</p>
<p>Philly is a very live vibrant city with many large colleges within it.The majority of these students live here their 4 yrs without a problem. The city is also home to many many people. It does not really roll up the sidewalks at 6:00pm. People come home to the city.</p>
<p>That said it is a city complete with shootings, robberies, sex crimes and assaults. One must be constantly on guard and not put yourself in bad positions and with some luck you should be fine.</p>
<p>Parts of Philly can be unsafe, especially if you're unaware of your surroundings, but you should never really have a reason to go those places. Center City/Old City is quite safe. University City around campus is safe too, as well as the area directly west, which is a mix of students and young professionals/young families. This isn't the idyllic countryside- you shouldn't walk around alone at 3 am anywhere in the city, especially if you're female. BUT I think the benefits of living here greatly outweigh the extra precautions that have to be taken. This IS a great city for college. It's not overwhelming like New York or LA, and there are still lot of quiet neighborhoods and parks if you need a break from city life. But there are also 1000s of things to do in the city that you wouldn't get at a rural or suburban campus.</p>
<p>Metropolitan Philadelphia has one of the highest numbers of colleges/universities--over 90--and college students--over 300,000--in the country. As these numbers indicate, it's a great place to go to college, and those who say otherwise generally don't know what they're talking about, have no first-hand experience or basis for comparison, and/or are merely repeating unsubstantiated hearsay rumors. Especially for Penn students because of Penn's location, Philly offers an incredible array of easily accessible cultural, historical, dining, shopping, entertainment, nightlife, and other attractions and amenities both in immediately surrounding University City, and in nearby (1-2 miles) Center City. Plus, Philly has an amazing and beautiful park system (the largest in the country), and lots of lovely, charming, and interesting historic neighborhoods and towns anywhere from 5 to 30 or so miles from Penn's campus. </p>
<p>As others have indicated, Philly has the urban crime problems found in any major city. However, as also indicated, the Penn campus, immediately surrounding neighborhood, and other places where Penn students generally go (Center City, etc.) are generally safe by big-city standards, and the statistical chances of a Penn student becoming the victim of violent crime while at Penn are negligible.</p>
<p>I took a taxi to meet my husband and son when they went to tour U. of Penn.
The taxi driver wanted me to leave his cab in an adjacent to U. of Penn area that made me think we were not at U. Penn. I told the driver I wanted U. Penn. He told me this is it. I was surprised. Once I walked to Barnes and Noble (beautiful) on the edge of campus, things felt better. I don't like Philly.
It has a very busy, lots of concrete buildings, type of feeling. My son decided not to apply to U. Penn.</p>
<p>^ The thing to keep in mind about the Penn campus is that most of it is closed off to city streets, and is inaccessible to cars--you have to walk around to really see and appreciate its beautiful shaded walkways, greens, courtyards, plazas, etc. It's true that the surrounding area is quite urban--it IS right in the middle of one of the oldest and largest cities in the country. But the campus itself is surprisingly cloistered, green, and parklike given its urban location. It's really quite unique for a truly urban campus, especially given how close it is to the hustle and bustle of Center City.</p>
<p>Also, Philly covers a large physical area, and while much of Center City is, indeed, busy with lots of big buildings, Philly also contains, e.g., the 9,000-acre Fairmount Park system, the largest urban park system in the world with lots of bucolic meadows, densely forested hiking and horse trails, bubbling brooks and streams, etc. Indeed, even within the confines of Center City, there are large and beautiful green oases such as Rittenhouse Square and Washington Square--which were part of William Penn's original plan for Philly to be a "greene country towne"--Society Hill's lovely cobble-stone streets and 18th-century townhouses, Independence Mall, etc.</p>
<p>
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I don't like Philly.
It has a very busy, lots of concrete buildings, type of feeling
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I don't think you'd like nyc either, then.</p>
<p>Philadelphia is a great city for college. Heck it has more of them than any eastern city save for Boston. It is rich in American history and culture (it was where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed, and the original capital of the US), very easily accessible from Penn, pedestrian-friendly, and has a relatively low cost of living compared to other major cities.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I don't like Philly.
It has a very busy, lots of concrete buildings, type of feeling. My son decided not to apply to U. Penn.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>As for you, sir/madam: FAIL</p>
<p>^ Just to further amplify on what my buddy bagels said:</p>
<p>
[quote]
Today, Philly is recognized as one of the country's leading education centers, second only to Boston among big cities.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>[url=<a href="http://www.collegia.com/portfolio-rb-philadelphia.html%5DCollegia%5B/url">http://www.collegia.com/portfolio-rb-philadelphia.html]Collegia[/url</a>]</p>
<p>yeah penn students coming in to do damage control</p>
<p>it's an alright city, it grows on you.</p>
<p>I'll probably get slammed for this, but it's only my opinion. I grew up in the suburbs and my kid goes to Penn. I get to Philadelphia a lot, to visit family and on business. I think it is a city that has a lot to offer, but it's a tough city and isn't always an easy adjustment. The service people are generally rude and hate their jobs. It is a city with a crime problem. It is grey all winter. It is expensive. It has a lot of history and it is interesting history. It has beautiful outlying areas. It has the absolute worst "expressway" in the entire universe. It has great college basketball. It has great colleges, for that matter. It has the Philadelphia Eagles. Did I mention crime? I would not live there. It is not a comfortable city for me. It is for others. I am a southerner at heart and Philadelphia doesn't work for me. I'm glad it does for so many others.</p>
<p>I'll keep this short and sweet-overall, Philly is a great city (it has its fair share of positive and negative attributes) and doesn't deserve the bad rap it gets.</p>
<p>I actually agree with momofwildchild. I currently live in an area with a great climate, beaches, and family destinations which I much prefer to the cities of the northeast. However, I am a middle aged parent. If I was a college student (again), I would love to be in an exciting city like Philly. As a Penn student, I don't think you'll be driving the Schuykill too often, but you will be able to take advantage of the many benefits of Philadelphia: Great restaurants (from $ to $$$$), history, concerts, sporting events, museums, shopping, etc. As others have pointed out, the area around campus and most of the places you'll be visiting in the city are reasonably safe if you exercise good judgment.</p>
<p>I live right across "City Line" in a suburb, commute to West Philly every day- for the past 21 years- and went to Penn 100 years ago. I used to love walking all around Old City and Rittenhouse when I was an undergrad. Fascinating townhomes, history. Get outside the campus bubble and explore. 9th street markets- used to be all Italian, but now Asian mix (remember Rocky?). Culture in spades- except for great theatre. NYC 2 hours away if you have the time and $$. Pro sports easily accessible by public transportation. Great food trucks!!
Is it safe? No city is "safe". You need to have your wits about you. I know long term city dwellers who have been mugged, and long term city dwellers who have not. The security around Penn- and extending quite a distance west where many grad students live- has improved dramatically since I was an undergrad.</p>
<p>I live right across "City Line" in a suburb, commute to West Philly every day- for the past 21 years- and went to Penn 100 years ago. I used to love walking all around Old City and Rittenhouse when I was an undergrad. Fascinating townhomes, history. Get outside the campus bubble and explore. 9th street markets- used to be all Italian, but now Asian mix (remember Rocky?). Culture in spades- except for great theatre. NYC 2 hours away if you have the time and $$. Pro sports easily accessible by public transportation. Great food trucks!!
Is it safe? No city is "safe". You need to have your wits about you and trust your gut/common sense. I know long term city dwellers who have been mugged, and long term city dwellers who have not. The security around Penn- and extending quite a distance west where many grad students live- has improved dramatically since I was an undergrad.</p>
<p>Philly is great! It's not tough as people make it out to be. I lived there for around two-ish years, and its pretty relaxed. I dunno how welcoming it may be to a suburban dweller though. I'm from south side Chicago...</p>
<p>it's not nicknamed Killadelphia for nothing, OP. ;-)</p>