<p>I’ve seen comparisons of Smith and Bryn Mawr, with some people saying that liked Smith because of its proximity to Northhampton, but I can’t find much about the area surrounding Bryn Mawr. Is there nothing (other than traveling to Philadelphia) right by the college? It seems to be in a town, but is it a town where you might walk to shops and restaurants? It seems odd that Bryn Mawr and Haverford would be right there with not much to do in the immediate area.</p>
<p>Bryn Mawr and Haverford are on the Main Line, an historically affluent suburb of Philadelphia. Bryn Mawr’s campus is a couple blocks from the downtown area, which includes several restaurants, an indie movie theatre, shops, and a few drug stores. While it’s certainly not a big city, many amenities and activities are within walking distance. A little farther down the road, closer to Haverford, is Suburban Square shopping center, which has chain shopping stores (Gap, Urban Outfitters, etc), but also a Trader Joe’s and indoor farmer’s market.</p>
<p>There’s also fairly easy access to the King of Prussia mall, which is fantastic, but the immediate town is, in my opinion, pretty nice. There’s some cute little shops and restaurants, and pretty much everything you need is within walking distance (including a Starbucks).</p>
<p>D was accepted to Smith, Mt Holyoke and Bryn Mawr. We visited all and that included a 4 day stay in the Northampton area for visit days at Smith and MHC. We loved the little downtown area around Smith, but after 4 days in the area, we felt that it would feel a routine after a year. D chose Bryn Mawr for many reasons, but related to this thread she liked the proximity to a large city as well as the effect of being surrounded by an upscale suburb. IMO, the area around BMC is beautiful.</p>
<p>My first apartment right out of college was in Bryn Mawr, and it was a great place for a young person to live. You can walk to the train and take an easy trip into Philadelphia (or any other town on the Main Line)…and also
have many things to walk to in your own neighborhood. Area is fun and sophisticated.</p>
<p>It’s also very densely suburban/urban, compared to Smith and MHC. If that matters to you/D at all. My D liked the campus itself but she could not get past the feeling of being surrounded in all directions by fairly tightly-packed humanity. It made her feel claustrophobic. Of course, this is coming from a kid who grew up in Maine and highly values wilderness, and is probably not something most people feel or care about. But just thought I’d throw it out there since you asked :)</p>
<p>D actually wants to be near a big city (but not in the middle of one), and have things to do nearby, other than bars. 
She visited Philadelphia once as a brief part of a DC tour with her Jr High class. She wasn’t impressed with it at the time. She recalls her friends commenting about how the saying"City of Brotherly love" must mean they only love their brothers. lol They did not find the people they met to be particularly friendly. </p>
<p>Any input on what Philadelphia is like for college students? </p>
<p>Read the website for Campus Philly, an organization that works to link students from local colleges and provide activities.</p>
<p>Responding to some of the OP’s questions and comments to other posts above–</p>
<p>My kid stayed in Philadelphia after she graduated from BMC. She grew up in a very small town in MA (population=4800) and was thrilled to be in a city and all it had to offer. Plus, she did a post-grad program in Philadelphia and made great contacts, which helped her on her career path.</p>
<p>Coming from New England, where folks are not exactly cheery and friendly, my D had no problem with folks in Philadelphia. </p>
<p>Bryn Mawr is on the Main Line–which is an affluent suburban area so there’s lots of shopping and many restaurants in the towns nearby–Ardmore or Wayne, for example. It’s pretty easy (walk down the street from the BMC campus) to get to cultural attractions in Philadelphia like the Barnes Museum , Rodin Museum, or the Philadelphia Museum of Art. </p>
<p>@shoboemom, D had a similar desire not to be in a big city. NYC, etc were out. We just dropped her off at BMC for Freshman Culture Week and I was SO impressed. The students were incredibly friendly, the returning students and faculty were warm, welcoming and D felt embraced by her new home. We are not worrying about the friendliness of the Philly population - I don’t really have an opinion. It is the Bryn Mawr population where she will live that really matters to us. The area around the school is just lovely and you can walk to the train station to get downtown. Just like Goldilocks, our D found a place that was just right.</p>