PD Primer - PennDesign - University of Pennsylvania

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IV PDPrimer

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3 

5th Edition 

Fall 2011 

This book was produced independently by 

students of the School of Design, University 

of Pennsylvania, and funded by PennDesign. 

We wish to thank Dean Marilyn Jordan Taylor 

for the strongsupport and steadfast assistance that 

made this guide possible. We are also grateful to 

the Dean’s Office, the Business Office, 

PennDesign ITS and Facilities 

for their helpfulness and accommodation. 

CONTRIBUTORS 

Cara Berton 

Jordan Block 

Kelley Carroll 

Phillip Crosby 

Kim Davies 

David Dobkin 

Barrett Doherty 

alex Eney 

Barrett lane 

Janet lee 

Jesse lattig 

Quintin Marcus 

Chloe Reison 

Gideon Fink Shapiro 

Maurie Smith 

4

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5 

PdPRimER 

The life of a graduate student outside school 

comes in ephemeral bits: detouring to the free 

ATM, grabbing a bite of lunch, sprinting to the 

art-supply store and maybe, every now and again, 

working out at the gym or tipping a glass 

with classmates. Activities that seem pedestrian 

on the surface, especially when held against the 

carefully constructed intellectual rigor of the 

classroom and studio. 

Mundane routines establish our essential conception 

of the city we inhabit—a truth difficult 

to appreciate from within the narrow alleyways of 

workaday habitation. This book’s first ambition is 

to inject breadth, transparency and perhaps a bit 

of ease into everyday life. Its second is to compel 

forays into the city beyond campus. 

The third goal is to create a common experience 

in printed form. We too easily reproduce the single-mindedness 

of the outside world by sticking to 

the comfortable confines of departments and programs. 

Our school is rare in encompassing such a 

number and diversity of disciplines; its students 

are rare in their varied backgrounds and talents. 

We hope this book can draw out these assets and 

begin to construct new networks of possibility. 

THE PD PRIMER TEaM 

6

content text 

7 

ContEntS 

8 ABOUT THIS SCHOOL 

GETTING HERE 

aDMINISTRaTION 

LiGht BULBS 

STUDENT ORGaNIZaTIONS 

FINaNCIal aID 

HEalTH & DENTal 

StUdEnt hEALth 

lIBRaRIES 

ARChiVES 

COMPUTING 

54 FINDING HOUSING 

aPaRTMENTS 

CENTER CITY 

WEST PHIllY 

88 FINDING FOOD 

WaWa 

FaST FOOD 

FOOD CaRTS 

BURRitoS 

DINING alFRESCO 

CHEaP EaTS 

ChEESEStEAKS 

NEaR CaMPUS 

STEVEN STaRRS 

118 HAVING FUN 

OUTINGS 

RElaTIONSHIPS 

EXERCISE 

SPoRtS 

BEER & WINE 

nEW dECK 

BaR GUIDE 

DIVE BaRS 

oLd mAn CitY 

REEl WORlD 

MUSEUMS 

DaY TRIPS 

section text 

36 SURVIVAL GUIDES 

aRCHITECTURE 

PHD aRCHITECTURE 

CITY PlaNNING 

FINE aRTS 

HISTORIC PRESERVaTION 

SITE RESEaCH 

laNDSCaPE aRCHITECTURE 

66 GETTING AROUND 

PUBlIC TRaNSIT 

PENNTRaNSIT 

NEW YORK & DC 

DRIVING DIRECTIONS 

aIRPORTS 

CaRS & PaRKING 

BiKE PARtS 

BIKES & BIKING 

3 BIKE RIDES 

EMERGENCE 

108 BUYING STUFF 

STUDIO SUPPlIES 

SUPERMaRKETS 

MallS 

ERRaNDS 

THRIFT STORES 

148 FOREIGN AFFAIRS 

INTERNaTIONal STUDENTS 

CHINESE 

KOREaN 

WoRK ABRoAd 

PDPRIMER 2011 8

GETTING HERE 

aDMINISTRaTION 

lIGHT BUlBS 

STUDENT ORGaNIZaTIONS 

FINaNCIal aID 

HEalTH & DENTal 

STUDENT HEalTH 

lIBRaRIES 

aRCHIVES 

GETTING HERE 

ADMINISTRATION 

LIGHT BULBS 

STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS 

FINANCIAL AID 

COMPUTING 

HEALTH & DENTAL 

STUDENT HEALTH 

LIBRARIES 

ARCHIVES 

COMPUTING 

ABoUt 

SChooL 

ABOUT 

thiS THIS 

SCHOOL 

Powelton Village 

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Market-Frankford 

blue line subway 

Subway-Surface 

green line trolley 

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College Green 

West Philly 

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from WP 

21 Bus 

from CC 

42 Bus 

from CC 

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30th Street 

Station 

Center City 

42 Bus 

from WP 

Center City 

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GEttinG hERE 

WhERE iS 

PEnndESiGn? 

Let’s keep this simple. PennDesign is 

in West Philadelphia.That’s the part 

GETTING HERE to the west of the Schuylkill River 

(pronounced skoo’-kuhl). Architecture, 

Landscape Architecture, City Planning, 

WHERE IS 

and Historic Preservation are housed 

PENNDESIGN? 

in the ponderous brick-and-concrete 

1 MEYERSON Hall on the southwest 

Let’s keep this simple. PennDesign is in West Philadelphia. 

corner That’s of the 34th part to and the west Walnut. of the Schuylkill The main River 

(pronounced entrance skoo’-kuhl). is on the Architecture, opposite Landscape side from 

Architecture, City Planning, and Historic Preservation 

are housed in the ponderous brick-and-concrete 

1 MEYERSON HALL on the southwest corner of 34th 

and Walnut. The main entrance is on the opposite side 

from 2 MORGaN Walnut (look BUIlDING, for the red Calder an sculpture). older brick Fine 

Arts is headquartered in the 2 MORGAN BUILDING, an 

structure with a porch across 34th 

older brick structure with a porch across 34th from 

Meyerson, from Meyerson, between Walnut between and Spruce Walnut Streets. and 

3 ADDAMS HALL (undergraduate studios) is on Walnut 

at Spruce 36th Street. Streets. The 4 FINE 3 aDDaMS ARTS LIBRARY Hall and DUHRING (un- 

WING dergraduate are located in studios) the ornate terra is on cotta Walnut gem at the at 

eastern end of the College Green. 

Walnut (look for the red Calder sculpture). 

Fine Arts is headquartered in the 

36th Street. The 4 FINE aRTS lIBRaRY 

DIRECTIONS and DUHRING FROM WING CENTER are located CITY in the 

WALK VIA WALNUT ST ornate terra cotta Go west gem on at Walnut, the eastern crossing the end 

Schuylkill, to 34th Street and turn left. The rear entrance 

of the College Green. 

to Meyerson is on the right, facing the street corner; 

Morgan is the third building on the left side of 34th. 

diRECtionS FRom CEntER 

WALK VIA SOUTH ST Cross the South Street bridge, then 

turn right on 33rd Street and bear left onto Smith 

Walk CitY which leads to 34th Street. Morgan is on the 

right; cross 34th and go up the stairs for Meyerson. 

WalK VIa WalNUT ST Go west on 

Walnut, crossing the Schuylkill, to 

BUS Westbound buses 21 and 42 run down Walnut 

Street and stop right in front of Meyerson at 34th. Bus 

34th Street and turn left. The rear en- 

40 stops at 34th and Spruce, one long block south. 

PDPRIMER 2011 10 

PDPRIMER 2006 

9

the school 

GEttinG hERE 

trance to Meyerson is on the right, facing the street 

corner; Morgan is the third building on the left side 

of 34th. 

WalK VIa SOUTH ST Cross the South Street bridge, 

then turn right on 33rd Street and bear left onto 

Smith Walk which leads to 34th Street. Morgan 

is on the right; cross 34th and go up the stairs for 

Meyerson. 

BUS Westbound buses 21 and 42 run down Walnut 

Street and stop right in front of Meyerson at 34th. 

Bus 40 stops at 34th and Spruce, one long block 

south. 

diRECtionS FRom WESt PhiLLY 

WalK Take Locust Street to 40th. Here it becomes 

Locust Walk, the main eastwest passage across campus. 

Locust Walk merges with Woodland Walk at 

the College Green. Meyerson is the last building on 

the right, just before Woodland Walk ends at 34th 

and Walnut. Immediately south of Meyerson is the 

Fine Arts Library. To reach Morgan, walk down the 

stairs betwee Meyerson and the Fine Arts Library 

and cross 34th. 

BUS Pick up the eastbound 42 along Spruce Street. 

At 38th Street it veers south through the medical 

supercity, then returns to campus along Civic 

Center Boulevard. Hop off at 33rd and Walnut 

and walk one block to 34th. The rear entrance to 

Meyerson is on the right, facing the street corner; 

11 PDPRIMER 2011 

Morgan is the third building on the left side of 34th. 

GEttinG hERE 

ViA SUBWAY oR tRoLLEY 

SEPTa The Market-Frankford subway (Blue Line) is 

three blocks north at Market and 34th, while Green 

Line trolleys stop underground at 36th and Sansom (just 

north of Walnut) and 37th and Spruce. Turn to page 67 

for more information on riding SEPTA. 

ViA tRAin oR hiGhWAY 

TRaIN Amtrak stops at 30th Street Station on Market 

Street (see page 74). From there, take a cab, LUCY 

bus, or walk (less than 15 minutes) to campus. Septa’s 

Regional Rail lines also use 30th Street Station, and the 

R1, R2 and R3 pass by the more convenient University 

City stop. 

CaR From I-76 E or W, exit at South Street and turn in 

the direction of the big blue Penn rail bridge. Turn right 

on 33rd Street, left on Walnut, and left on 34th. For 

driving instructions between Penn, New York and DC, 

turn to page 75. 

PARKinG 

Visitors might get lucky with a three-hour metered spot 

on Walnut or Chestnut. For a longer stay, head for one 

of the garages: 

lOT 37 GaRaGE 34th north of Chestnut ($11/day) 

SHERaTON 36th north of Chestnut ($15/day) 

PENN TOWER off 34th south of Spruce ($17/day) 


the school 

AdminiStRAtion 

thE BUCK 

StoPS thERE 

The School of Design is one of 12 graduate and 

professional schools within the University of Pennsylvania. 

PennDesign has roughly 600 students 

spread among five departments: Architecture, City 

& Regional Planning, Fine Arts, Historic Preservation, 

and Landscape Architecture. The School 

is housed in a collection of buildings: 3 aDDaMS 

Hall (undergraduate Fine Arts and Architecture); 

4 DUHRING WING, 5 FRaNKlIN aNNEX and the 

2 MORGaN BUIlDING (graduate Fine Arts); the 4 

FURNESS BUIlDING (Fisher Fine Arts Library, the 

Architectural Archives, and PhD students), and 1 

MEYERSON Hall (everything else). 

PennDesign Offices 

With the exception of Computing and Facilities, 

the following school-wide offices are all located 

in Meyerson Hall on Dean’s Alley (from the main 

entrance, up the first set of stairs on the left). 

oFFiCE oF thE dEAn 

Dean Taylor handles school-wide issues. The 

woman herself is not always around, but her stead- 


fast assistant (Kait Ellis) is. The best person to 

approach about student concerns is Associate 

Dean Janet Kroll. The Development and 

Alumni Relations office (Suzann Morris) and 

Office of Communications (Megan Schmidgal) 

are great sources of information for 

everything else. 

REGiStRAR 

The Registrar’s Office (Andrea Porter, Lauren 

Hoover) oversees class registration, course 

schedules, credits and graduation requirements. 

For an overview of program sequences, 

refer to the online PennDesign Student 

Handbook—the official one, not this rag. 

AdmiSSionS And FinAnCiAL Aid 

The admissions staff (Joan Weston, Yuan Liu) 

doesn’t want to see you now that you’ve managed 

to weasel your way in. No, no… your 

first contact with the school will continue to 

give you sage advice on financial aid. 

FinAnCE oFFiCE 

The hard-working folks here (Chris Cataldo, 

Christine Reid, Naima Woodson) handle 

departmental finances, student group finances, 

and most importantly, paychecks. Director 

of Finance Chris Cataldo also provides notary 

services to the school community. 



school 


ComPUtinG 

On the south side of the third floor of Meyerson, 

PennDesign ITS (Cathy DiBonaventura, Sean 

Anela, Alex Jarymovych, Marc Manley, Francis 

Migone) handles networking, printing and hardware 

and provides software access. Their site at 

www.design.upenn.edu/comp has useful tip sheets 

to help you set up your computer. There is also a 

manned outpost on the first floor of Addams Hall 

(Nate Cosgrove). 

FACiLitiES And BUiLdinG oPERAtionS 

Facilities (Karl Wellman, Stacy Ritchey, Val Perry), 

located in Meyerson G-29, manages the daily 

operation of PennDesign buildings like studio 

keys, trash collection and package delivery. Be nice 

to them: most of our school’s physical plant dates 

from the 1960s or earlier, and the internal weather 

patterns owe as much to chaos theory as to human 

intervention. 

University Offices 

Below are university services beyond PennDesign 

which you may come in contact with, including 

relevant contact information: 



StUdEnt FinAnCiAL SERViCES 

100 Franklin Building, 3451 Walnut St/ 215-898-1988 www. 

sfs.upenn.edu 

Past the bursar, down the right-side hallway is the 

uncomfortably clinical SFS office. Get your PennCard 

swiped at reception, then pick up a magazine in the 

waiting area until your name is called by a financial aid 

counselor. No appointments necessary. 

StUdEnt hEALth 

399 S 34th St (Penn Tower, lower level)/ 215-662-2850 

www.vpul.upenn.edu/shs 

Good luck locating the secret entrance (down a long 

sidewalk, across 34th from HUP). If you find your way 

in only to be lost in the labyrinth of windowless rooms, 

that was part of their plan. 

CAREER SERViCES 

3718 locust Walk, McNeil Building, Suite 20 

www.upenn.edu/careerservices 

Use the ground-floor entrance to McNeil off Lehman 

Brothers Quadrangle. The PennDesign specialists are 

Jennifer Furlong (furlongj@pobox.upenn.edu) and Julie 

Vick (vick@pobox.upenn.edu). 

oFFiCE oF thE omBUdSmAn 

113 Duhring Wing/ 215-898-8261 

www.upenn.edu/ombudsman 

Cutting through the red tape is the university’s Ombudsman. 

This office assists students, faculty, and staff in finding 

solutions to problems that they may not have been 

able to resolve through normal channels. 


school 


dEPARtmEnt oFFiCES 

aRCHITECTURE 

David Leatherbarrow, Interim Chair 

207 Meyerson/ 215-898-5728 

arch@design.upenn.edu 

leatherb@design.upenn.edu 


Ali Malkawi, Chair 

malkawi@design.upenn.edu 

CITY aND REGIONal PlaNNING 

John Landis, Chair 

127 Meyerson/ 215-898-8329 

cityplan@design.upenn.edu 


Randall Mason, Chair 

115 Meyerson/ 215-898-3169 

hyndman@design.upenn.edu 


James Corner, Chair 

119 Meyerson/ 215-898-6591 

corner@design.upenn.edu 

FINE aRTS 

Josh Mosley, Chair 

100 Morgan/ 215-898-8374 

fine-art@design.upenn.edu 


LET THERE BE 

LIGHT 

By Anonymous 

Having studio in Meyerson Hall is a lot like going 

back in time. I’m talking about World War II when our 

entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities 

were tied up with much larger issues. This is ironic as 

the building was constructed in 1967, the height of 

free love, but built to provide an atmosphere of displeasure. 

Perhaps there is some correlation between the 

free flowing LSD and the architecture after all. Only a 

Peyote induced trip could lead to a design that provides 

for no natural light and accessibility nightmares 

that could lead you to….well…..nowhere. That being 

said, it’s the hub of the design school and would be 

my home for the next three years. After being assigned 

a studio seat, I looked around at the décor and found 

a static environment comparable to that of a butcher 

block and ply-wood maze. Studio mates were segregated 

and only the smell of cheese could aid in gathering 

a group for review. After the first few days, and nights, 

I soon realized that the odd lollipop shaped lighting 

suspended the odd 20 feet above my head was the only 

source of light in the evening. No problem….right? 

Wrong! The next evening the bulb blew. (Insert scream 

of terror here.) The following day, I made my way 

down to the Operations and Planning Office to seek 

their assistance. While I had some apprehension I was 

immediately greeted by Stacy Ritchey, clearly the Rosie 

the Riveter, of PennDesign. She explained the process 


the school 

of reporting a work request, described the benefits 

of supplemental lighting, and gave me a thorough 

breakdown of the many services provided by the 

Operations Office. I was then introduced to Karl 

Wellman, Director of Operations and Planning. 

When I inquired as to their work staff, he explained 

that they had only one full time employee but relied 

on the many tradesmen at the university. After he 

gave a few examples of past work requests, I began 

to envision him as Santa Claus, if Santa’s elves were 

hardnosed Philadelphia union workers who could 

double as wise guys in a Soprano’s episode. He explained, 

clearly disappointed with the system, that it 

could take weeks and upwards to 4 different trades 

to replace that bulb as; a carpenter would need to 

disassemble the desks and shelving, a laborer would 

need to move the materials, an electrician would 

need to replace the bulb, and a painter would need 

to touch up any flaws caused by moving the materials. 

I thought, wow, I’ve learned the answer to the 

age old riddle….how many people does it take to 

change a light bulb. I then asked what I thought 

was a legitimate and simple question…..what if we 

used an outside contractor? He replied, he could 

have it done in one half hour but the union would 

hide his car and then his body. I waited for the 

chuckle but it never came. He then gave me a tour 

of the 3rd floor “studios of the future” with their 

mobile desks and fluid design. Karl explained that 

we were moving towards a renovation, based on this 


design, which would carry Meyerson Hall out of the 

past and into…well the present. This gave me some 

measure of hope, and the relief that I would be moving 

to the 3rd floor studios next term. While leaving 

the office, the charismatic Director assured me that 

he would do his best to have the lighting relamped 

ASAP. I must admit that I believed in him and “Rosie” 

yet had my doubts in regards to the university and 

system of labor. Well, to my surprise the light bulb was 

replaced within a day of my visit to Operations and 

Planning. Clearly, Karl is the Franklin D. Roosevelt of 

PennDesign! 


the school 


StUdEnt oRGAnizAtionS 

GRoUPS WoRK 

Have you ever met a Fine Arts student? Is digging 

through the empty peanut shells at New Deck your 

idea of an extracurricular activity? Do you think the 

school is so perfect there’s simply nothing that could 

be done to improve it? If you answered no to any of 

these questions, you might want to consider getting 

involved with one of PennDesign’s student groups. 

StUdEnt GRoUPS 

You could also start one of your own. In the last year, 

six student groups were created where previously 

there were none. They ranged from LGBT outreach 

to people wanting to get students more involved in 

community outreach to organizers of a new breed of 

lecture series. 

StUdEnt CoUnCiL 

The student council can be considered the primary 

student group, as it is the central student organization 

at PennDesign and holds the purse strings. They 

are also technically responsible for this book. Because 

of our relatively short tenures here, the character 

and priorities of the PDSC change a lot from year to 

year. This is an elected body, but anyone interested 

in getting involved is welcome to attend the regular 

meetings. 


school 

StUdEnt oRGAnizAtionS 

BUdGEt 

The student council receives a lump sum from the 

school based on our collective general fees. The 

PDSC first creates their own budget and then allocates 

the remaining funds to qualifying student 

groups. The bulk of the PDSC’s budget goes to 

pay for the weekly happy hour (so if you catch 

any undergrads with their hands in the bucket, 

they are drinking the beer that you paid for). The 

annual Beaux Arts Ball (typically slated for March 

or April) is the second largest expense. 

GAPSA 

The mother of all student groups, GAPSA is 

the governing body for all of the graduate and 

professional students at Penn. Student groups 

looking for funding can petition GAPSA throug 

out the school year. Their typical allocation is 

$250 at a time. GAPSA organizes lots and lots of 

social events where an ascetic PennDesign student 

might make a few new friends. 


FinAnCiAL Aid 

BEttER REd 

thAn dEAd 

Is Student Financial Services making you feel overwhelmed 

with their not-soconcise booklets on how 

to pay for Penn? Here’s a glossary of terms to help 

you better understand your new life of indentured 

servitude. Let’s do some math! 

FaMIlY CONTRIBUTION 

+ FEDERal STaFFORD lOaN (SUBSIDIZED) 

+ FEDERal STaFFORD lOaN (UNSUBSIDIZED) 

+ alTERNaTIVE lOaN 

+ DEPaRTMENTal GRaNT/SCHOlaRSHIP 

+ FEDERal PERKINS lOaN 

+ FEDERal WORK-STUDY JOB 

= EDUCaTIONal EXPENSE BUDGET 

This breakdown will be mailed to you every summer 

in the financial aid notice, but what do these terms 

really mean? 

FAmiLY ContRiBUtion 

This number is determined by a US Department of 

Education formula that is calculated with information 

submitted when you complete the Free Application 

for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) including 

your previous year’s income, the total value of your 

investments, your family size, etc. 


the school 

FinAnCiAL Aid 

FEdERAL StAFFoRd LoAn (SUBSidizEd) 

You can borrow a maximum of $8500 per academic 

year with this loan. The beauty of this baby 

is that Uncle Sam pays the interest while you are 

still enrolled in school. To apply for this loan, you 

must fill out the FAFSA online every year at www. 

fafsa.ed.gov. (It’s best to file over spring break. And 

do your taxes while you’re at it. Also, we suggest 

you email your PIN to yourself so you can find it 

next year.) A Stafford Loan Master Promissory Note 

(MPN) must also be filed (see www.sfs.upenn.edu) 

and is valid for ten years from the signature date. 

FEdERAL StAFFoRd LoAn 

(UnSUBSidizEd) 

You can borrow a maximum of $10,000 per 

academic year with this loan. Being unsubsidized 

means the interest begins accruing the day you receive 

the money. In the past the rate varied with the 

T-bill, but beginning July 1, 2006 the rate for this 

loan is fixed at 6.8%. 

FEdERAL PERKinS LoAn 

These loans are awarded to students with 

exceptional need who are citizens or permanent 

residents of the United States. This money is 

interest free while you are enrolled at Penn. Interest 

will begin accruing at the annual rate of5% nine 

months after you graduate. This loan has a maxi- 


RECENT CHaNGES TO 

STUDENT lOaNS 

Federal Stafford loans first 

disbursed on or after July 1, 

2006 will have a fixed interest 

rate of 6.8% for the life of 

the loan. 

This has opened the doors 

tolenders like My Rich Uncle 

or Sallie Mae who are often 

providing lower rates to qualifying 

students. Shop around 

for the best deals now and 

mitigate the temptation to 

respond to the “egg donor” 

ads in the back of the DP. 

STUDENT FINaNCIal 

SERVICES 

www.sfs.upenn.edu 

100 Franklin Building 

3451 Walnut St 

215-898-1988 

M, W-F 9-4:45 

Tu 10-4:45 

FinAnCiAL Aid 

mum of $6,000 per academic year 

and requires that you sign a promissory 

note that will be mailed to 

you with the summer financial aid 

notice. 

ALtERnAtiVE LoAn 

This loan, which is referred to in 

Penn documents as “Refer to Alternate 

Loan”, can be one of several 

things. The most common is the 

Penn CitiAssist Graduate-Professional 

loan, which you can apply for 

at www.studentloan.com/schools/ 

upenn. The variable interest rate is 

the same as the prime rate (currently 

7.5%). BEGINNING JUlY 1, 2006 

STUDENTS WIll alSO HaVE THE 

OPTION OF THE NEW GRaD PlUS 

lOaN PROGRaM, WHICH IS FIXED 

aT 7.25%. If your parents are helping 

you out, other options include the 

Citibank Home Equity Loan and 

the Citibank Home Equity Line of 

Credit. All of these methods have 

been arranged with the help of Alma 

Mater at favorable interest rates. 

dEPARtmEntAL GRAnt/ 

SChoLARShiP 

Winners of the showcase showdown 


the school 

FinAnCiAL Aid 

(yes, it’s actually free money) will be notified in the annual 

financial aid notice. This money is a combination 

of merit and need-based funds that is electronically 

disbursed in equal parts to your student account each 

semester. Dual-degree students should make sure their 

two departments are able to coordinate this aid so the 

song remains the same each year, regardless of which 

program you’re toiling in. 

FEdERAL WoRK-StUdY 

This is a federally funded work program and your eligibility 

will be stated in the summer financial aid notice. 

Applicable jobs can be found both on and off-campus 

at www.sfs.upenn.edu/seo. If you decide to work 

(types of jobs range from refilling paper in the copiers 

to being a TA for a studio professor), you will be paid 

in a weekly paycheck. 

EdUCAtionAL EXPEnSE BUdGEt 

This number is the total cost of one year at Penn 

including tuition, fees, room and board, books, supplies, 

health insurance, etc. Penn’s financial gurus 

update this number every year, and it is set at—are you 

ready—$55,100 for the 2006-2007 school year, which 

is why prez Amy Gutmann will be crooning “I’m a 

hustler, baby…” with Pharrell Williams at this year’s 

cookout for incoming grad students. 

A few more important things to remember: 

FinAnCiAL Aid tUition AdJUStmEntS 

If you are taking a reduced course load, it is impor- 


hEALth & dEntAL 

tant to fill out the form included in the summer 

financial aid notice because your package might be 

affected. 

PEnn monthLY BUdGEt PLAn 

If you or a relative like Uncle Sean “P-Diddy” 

Combs has the bling-bling to pay for school, you 

might want to consider this payment plan, which 

enables students to budget what is needed to pay 

for tuition/fees and expenses billed through Penn. 

tUition PREPAYmEnt PLAn 

Little Susie Rockefeller might choose this payment 

method, which allows you to prepay two, three, 

or four years of tuition general fee/technology fee 

up front to lock into costs at the level when you 

matriculated at Penn. 

thE $2000 

BAnd-Aid 

First things first: if you are obscuring these words with blood 

from an Olfa laceration or other serious studio mishap, go 

to the HUP Emergency Room at 34th and Spruce you silly 

bleeder. Take this book with you because you’ll need something 

to read while waiting to be sutured up. 

Yes indeed, the sleep deprivation and medieval conditions at 

PennDesign significantly raise the chances that you will get sick or 

cut with something at least once before you graduate. Fortunately, 

Penn offers a fairly comprehensive array of medical options to 

ensure that you don’t expire on the school’s watch. 


the school 


hEALth inSURAnCE 

Penn requires all students to either enroll in the 

Penn Student Insurance Plan (PSIP) or submit proof 

of coverage by a comparable plan. STUDENTS WHO 

DO NEITHER BY SEPTEMBER 14 WIll aUTOMaTI- 

CallY BE ENROllED IN PSIP, but you can change 

this without penalty until October 12 (from then 

until November 2 it’s a $100 fee to change). You can 

link to the online waiver and enrollment form under 

“Health & Welfare” on PennPortal. PSIP is carried 

by Chickering Group/Aetna and costs $2,348 for 

twelve months of coverage for one student (a student 

plus one dependent is $5,484). Students who do not 

have access to an outside group plan are advised to 

enroll in PSIP as Philly’s sky-high premiums make it 

difficult to find reasonable insurance on an individual 

basis. All full-time students, regardless of insurance 

carrier, also pay a mandatory $126 clinical fee 

each semester to insure “unlimited” access to Student 

Health. 

This means that everyone—covered by PSIP or 

not—can use Student Health free of charge for 

primary-care visits, but you will need to set up an 

appointment. It also means that those without access 

to outside group coverage are stuck paying for a 

gold-plated plan they may never use. Knowing your 

options, such as being covered as a dependent or 

continuing an employer’s plan under COBRA, could 

save you quite a bit. 



AFtER GRAdUAtion 

PSIP coverage ends August 31 for students who graduated 

in May. Chickering now offers an extension on 

health insurance, but without access to Student Health. 

Contact the insurance office for more information. 

immUnizAtionS 

Prior to matriculation at Penn, all students must complete 

the Student Immunization Record and a Student 

Medical History and Consent Form. These forms are 

mailed in the summer before you begin your first year 

and must be signed by your primary-care physician. 

WomEn’S hEALth 

Located at to the right of the Student Health waiting 

area, Women’s Health offers general exams, emergency 

& planned contraception, counseling, and free Pap, 

pregnancy & STI tests for women covered by PSIP. 

mEntAL hEALth 

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is a free 

and confidential service available to all students. Separate 

from Student Health, the CAPS office is located in 

the Ann Taylor Loft building at 36th and Walnut. 

dEntAL inSURAnCE 

As is the case with most student health insurance, Penn’s 

PSIP only covers dental care for injury to teeth or for 

removal of wisdom teeth, but not regular check-ups or 

other dental treatment. This means the smallest tooth- 


the school 


ache (that could require a root canal) can cause you 

more anguish than just the physical pain when it 

comes time to pay up. 

Dental plans starting at $122 for the semester are 

available through Chickering Group/Aetna. Sign up 

by printing and mailing the form on www.chickering.com. 

Alternatively, check to see if you can get 

dental insurance as a dependent under a parent or 

spouse’s coverage—most plans allow additional coverage 

for a small fee. 

If you were working prior to graduate school, find 

out if your former employer can keep you under 

their group coverage for dental insurance. Under 

COBRA, all employers are required by law to provide 

you with the option of continuing health insurance 

(at your cost) and might be willing to do so 

for dental care too. Lastly, if you have had previous 

dental problems, read the fine print for disclaimers 

on “pre-existing conditions” in whichever plan you 

do get. 

dEntAL CARE At PEnn 

Penn’s dental school runs a clinic staffed by students. 

The care here is slower (since the students are being 

supervised) but cheaper than a private practice. In 

order to see a student dentist, you must become a 

patient of record by going through the new-patient 


clinic. The initial visit takes two 

hours and costs $70 ($40 less if you 

have a current set of full X-rays). 

Getting an appointment is tough, 

with waiting periods of several 

weeks, so you might have to call a 

couple of times and be persistent. 

Additionally, the Emergency Care 

Clinic is open every weekday starting 

at 8am (10am on Fridays). 

There is usually a long line starting 

as early as 6am each morning, and 

the clinic often has to turn patients 

away when they fill their daily 

capacity. If you need emergency 

treatment, get there by 7am at the 

latest to ensure being admitted that 

day (if you develop a problem in 

the afternoon, call 215-898-8965). 

The emergency evaluation costs 

$40 and includes an examination 

and one X-ray. 

Penn’s Dental Care Network operates 

like a private practice, with 

licensed dentists and several locations 

around campus. This is probably 

the best option for students 

covered by insurance. 


STUDENT HEalTH SER- 

VICES 

www.vpul.upenn.edu/shs 

399 S 34th St (under Penn 

Tower, enter down long 

sidewalk off 34th) 

MWThF 8-7:30 

Tu 8-11:30am, 2:00-7:30pm 

Sa-Su 11-4:30 

Appointments: 215-662-2852 

Insurance: 215-573-3523/4 

WOMEN’S HEalTH 

M-Tu 9-7:30, W-F 9-5 


COUNSElING aND 

PSYCHOlOGICal SERVICES 

www.vpul.upenn.edu/caps 

133 South 36th St, 2nd Floor 

(above ann Taylor loft) 


PENN DENTal MEDICINE 

www.dental.upenn.edu/ 

patients 

240 S 40th St (at locust; 

Emergency Clinic, 2nd Floor) 



the school 

LiBRARiES 

Un-FURnESSEd 

BUSinESS 

Top five research myths: 

1 thE LiBRARY iS FULL oF BooKS. 

Well, OK, it is. But you don’t stand a chance of 

writing a decent paper without the breadth and 

depth provided by the library’s journals, image collections, 

and electronic resources—not to mention 

its sanguine librarians. 

2 thE LiBRARY iS thE REd 

FRAnK FURnESS PiLE ACRoSS FRom 

mEYERSon. 

Also only partly true. The university boasts a dozen 

other stand-alone libraries as well as the Architectural 

and University Archives, which are outside the 

library system. 

3 iF PEnn doESn’t hAVE it, YoU CAn’t 

hAVE it. 

One of the easiest ways to get booked up is the 

Amazon-esque BORROW DIRECT/E-Z BORROW 

service: find your book online, instantaneously request 

it from the network of partner libraries, and a 

few days later saunter over to Van Pelt to pick it up. 

If this doesn’t work, the traditional INTERlIBRaRY 

lOaN can get books or journals from other insti- 


tutions. A free card to check out books from your 

local Free Library branch is great for non-academic 

reading, and remember that Philadelphia has a surprisingly 

large number of small, specialized libraries. 

The truth is out there, and probably no farther than 

Center City. 

4 YoU CAn’t do AnY RESEARCh AWAY 

FRom SChooL. 

As much as you might want this to be true, Penn’s 

large and growing slate of electronic resources, which 

you can access remotely with your PennKey, means 

stays away from Philly are no vacation from research 

guilt. Penn’s membership in the Research Libraries 

Group gives you reading privileges at scores of 

libraries around the world (for example, you can get 

a reading pass to Columbia’s Avery Architectural 

library, the nation’s largest, with a PennCard and a 

fiver). Policies vary by library and you may need a 

letter from Penn, so check first. 

5 onLY Phd StUdEntS CAn GEt 

CARRELS. 

All PennDesign students can request carrels in the 

Furness library, which in addition to giving you a 

nook to hide in is where you can keep library books. 

We’re particularly fond of the copper-ceilinged 

fourth floor stacks as a place to carrel your cares 

away. Visit the circulation desk to sign up. 

LiBRARiES 


the school 

LiBRARiES 

Top five research shortcuts: 

ELECtRoniC RESoURCES 

The Art Index (articles in art periodicals), Avery Index 

(articles in architecture periodicals), Factiva (full text 

of newspapers and magazines), JSTOR (full text of 

scholarly journals), Sage Urban Studies Abstracts, and 

Sanborn Maps (insurance maps from 1867-1970) are 

ones PennDesign students find especially useful. Type 

the names into the search box at www.library.upenn. 

edu. You got in here so we don’t need to tell you about 

Google Scholar. 

JoURnAL ARtiCLES 

From the same page, click on “browse by subject” and 

link into one of the primary databases listed at the top 

of each subject page. Most of these will tuck cute little 

PennText buttons into your search results. Click on the 

button to see if you can get the article online. Probably 

not, so try the Franklin link under Penn Library Holdings. 

This will give you the call number to locate the 

bound journal collection in the stacks. Look carefully at 

the dates available—the issue you want might be too old 

or too new. 

WWW.LiBRARY.UPEnn.EdU/LiBRARiES. 

htmL 

Locations and hours of Penn collections. 

WWW.LiBRARY.UPEnn.EdU/CAtALoGS 

One-stop shop including Borrow Direct, Interlibrary 


LiBRARiES 

Loan and WorldCat (the best union catalog). Click on “Philadelphia 

Area” for local non-Penn collections. 

SIx DEGREES OF 

PENNDESIGN 

Market East today is home to a shopping mall and a 

train station. In 1963, Kevin Bacon, the four-year-old 

son of City Planning Commission Executive Director 

Edmund Bacon, had some more inventive ideas: 

I think we should put a merry-go-round 

that’s on the level, and the one up in the 

sky—that one could be great too. And so, 

we could put a duckling and a little gun, 

and if you shoot the duck that is floating 

in the water, just a play duck, and if you 

shoot that duck, then you get a teddy bear. 

And if you don’t shoot him, you get a piece 

of cake…[Y]ou should have a pony stable, 

a stable with real ponies, and the man 

could take you around. We should put a 

big castle there, and the little children go 

in it and they see all kinds of merry-gorounds 

and numbers and good knights. 

Sadly, these ideas did not come to fruition. But we 

know the star of Footloose and Tremors showed an early 


the school 

passion for urban design thanks to his two-page 

paean to merry-go-rounds, teddy bears, and cake. 

Kevin’s proposals were sent by his father to Louis 

Kahn, who was then working on a redevelopment 

scheme for Market East. The letter is now in the 

Louis I. Kahn Collection at PennDesign’s Architectural 

Archives. 

The Archives, tucked into the base of the Furness 

building, attracts a steady stream of scholars 

from all over the world, but this fantastic source 

of information, inspiration and celebrity trivia 

goes scandalously under-utilized by PennDesign 

students toiling steps away. Besides the Kahn 

Collection, holdings include original drawings by 

Robert Adam, Frank Lloyd Wright, and sculptor 

Henry Moore, and are particularly strong in 

designers connected to Penn and Philadelphia: 

Paul Cret, Frank Furness, Robert Le Ricolais, and 

Robert Venturi. 

The Archives are a part of the School of Design, 

not the library system, and its collections are 

only sparsely represented in the Franklin catalog. 

Check www.design.upenn.edu/archives and www. 

philadelphiabuildings.org, but if you’re just looking 

for mental refreshment, browsing through 

what’s on display in the Kroiz Gallery or the small 

collection of books featuring Archives holdings is 

always worthwhile. 



school 

ComPUtinG 

RAm i Am 

ids And ACCESS 

Before anything, take care of business by getting a 

PENNCaRD and PENNKEY. The PennCard is your 

physical ID; your virtual ID is called PennKey. 

The PennCard is important because it gets you 

into buildings after hours. When you get your 

PennCard, you’ll get a setup code to establish your 

PennKey. You need both IDs to do just about 

anything, so get your PennCard right now at the 

PennCard Center in the FRaNKlIN BUIlDING at 

3451 Walnut St (215-417-2273, M-F 9-5). Bring a 

photo ID and a good haircut. 

Once you make it online, you can use your 

PennKey for EMaIl ([pennkey]@design.upenn.edu). 

Go to the school’s computing website, www.design. 

upenn.edu/comp, and click on “Email Accounts.” 

You can also use your PennKey to access PENNPOR- 

Tal, which is the gateway for PENN INTOUCH (bills, 

registration, transcripts, etc.). From here one can 

add PennCash to their PennCard for copies and 

snacks or purchase credits towards PennDining. In 

fact, the university has a number of bureaus and 

departments with Soviet-style truncated names to 

make the online spending of your considerable future 

earnings easy. No word yet on secession and the 

addition of a PennStanding Army or PennMint. 


ComPUtinG 

PEnndESiGn ComPUtinG 

The School of Design’s computing services are presided 

over by a lovely woman named CaTHY DIBONaVEN- 

TURa. In her liege are specialists devoting themselves 

to your networking and computing needs every weekday 

and often beyond. Best way to reach them? Not 

the Help Desk, where a specialist is likely already helping 

out some other poor sap. Instead, email ithelp@ 

design.upenn.edu. It’s kind of like putting out the bat 

symbol. 

You may have built your computer from scraps in a 

dumpster, you may have the most coveted moniker 

on more than six internet message boards, you may 

know so much about computers that you live in your 

parents’ basement running subscription-only dedicated 

porn servers, but these very knowledgeable, friendly 

and approachable people can and RaM I aM will be an 

invaluable asset to making your time in the labs and 

on the network productive, safe, and smooth. So read 

their emails when you get them. 

PennDesign Computing’s website is located 

at WWW.DESIGN.UPENN.EDU/COMP and has a wealth 

of information regarding announcements, virus alerts, 

and software. Questions like “How do I reserve a 

projector?” and “From wherever shall I procure said 

projector?” are easily tackled with the magical help of 


school 

ComPUtinG 

the IT homepage (online for the 

former, from a Lab Assistant for the 

latter). Spend a few minutes getting 

acquainted with it now and save 

yourself some time later. 

PUBLiC ComPUtERS 

There are a number of computing 

clusters in the buildings of PennDesign. 

In Meyerson Hall, there is a 

3RD FlOOR laB with 17 topofthe-line 

PCs (with DVD burners), 

several plotters, and a color laser 

printer. This lab often gets crowded 

around review times, and while no 

one has dislocated their shoulder 

yet trying to close the 3rd floor 

patio sliding glass door, it’s only a 

matter of time. There are COMPUT- 

ING aREaS IN THE UNIVERSITY’S 

VaRIOUS lIBRaRIES, but they are 

mostly dummy machines for word 

processing and web browsing. You 

don’t need a login, but you will have 

limited ftp access to Juno (where 

your two-gig personal folder and 

class folders reside), and no use of 

PennDesign software. 


PENNDESIGN 

ITS 

www.design. 

upenn.edu/comp 

314 Meyerson 

(south side) 

215-898-3160 

support: 

IThelp@design. 

upenn.edu 

COMPUTER 

CONNECTION 

www.upenn.edu/ 

computerstore 

3610 Sansom St 

(at the rear 

entrance to the 

bookstore) 

215-898-3282 

M-Th 8:30-8 

F 9-8 

Sa 10-5 

Su 11-5 

ComPUtinG 

To PRINT FROM THESE lIBRaRY MaCHINES, swipe 

your PennCard at the print station, then click on 

your job from the list. Output is deducted from your 

PennCash at $0.08 per page. The SCaNNING STaTION 

IN THE FINE aRTS lIBRaRY has Photoshop, a CD 

burner and a color laser printer, which puts out like a 

cheap date for $1.00 per page. 

BUYinG YoUR mAChinE 

Entering the Penniverse, most of us have had little experience 

with dropping thousands of dollars at a time. 

Fear not, the university has nice ways of making large, 

unfathomable purchases seem simple and painless. 

PennDesign Computing offers a small selection of 

CUSTOM-CONFIGURED MODElS available at the 

Computer Connection (in the back of the bookstore) 

or, between semesters, online through www.upenn. 

edu/computerstore. While the choices that Cathy DiB 

and her gents have made are roundly of the PC variety, 

fret not fair and sensitive MaCINTOSH USERS: you 

can buy Apple products at the Computer Connection 

and use them on the network as well. You won’t have 

access to the same level of key-served software that 

your unwashed, mouth-breathing PC cohort do, but 

you can seamlessly plug into the small, friendly community 

of Mac outcasts in Meyerson Hall and end up 

with a happy non-conformist experience all the same. 

Once you have selected the brand and configuration 

of computer you can’t live without, there are two 


school 

ComPUtinG 

possible roads towards acquiring it. The first is the 

aforementioned COMPUTER CONNECTION, which 

allows you to simply walk in, run your finger over, 

say, the glistening titanium shell of the floor model 

15” G4 Power-Book and walk out 10 minutes later 

with one of your own. If they have them in stock, 

you can use the once-per-year computer exception 

on YOUR BURSaR aCCOUNT to make the purchase. 

This means that the man behind the counter simply 

swipes your PennCard and the cost of the computer 

(up to $4,000) transfers to your overall school bill, 

which you can then open at a more convenient time 

and with your therapist or pimp present. It’s a nice 

arrangement because you’ll have instant gratification, 

no immediate hemorrhage of cash, and enough 

time to finance the purchase by selling one of your 

kidneys later in the month. If they don’t have your 

computer in stock, the nice people there will order 

it for you. 

IF YOU PURCHaSE a MaCINTOSH, the prices are 

nicely discounted from the Apple Store and include 

a three-year Apple Care membership, indispensable 

in its breadth of coverage. As for PCs, this year the 

Computer Connection offers IBMs and Dells in a 

variety of configurations. 

If you’re the type who wants a solution right out 

of the box, same-day, the Computer Connection 

is a good bet. If you’d rather search around for the 


ComPUtinG 

best deals, buy a bare-bones machine and do upgrades 

yourself, or if you simply cannot stomach making such a 

substantial purchase without reams and reams of comparative 

detective work and anecdotal testimonials from other 

students, then you might be able to find a better PC deal 

by using your Penn individual discount to CONFIGURE 

a DEll ON YOUR OWN—just be sure you’ve got all the 

power and graphics capabilities you’ll need. 

CLimBinG ABoARd thE nEtWoRK 

Once you’ve made your purchase, connecting to the many 

resources of the PennDesign computing network is as 

simple as plugging in. All computers that will utilize the 

network must be “certified” first, that is, deemed free of 

germs and viruses. CERTIFICaTION will be performed over 

a few days at the beginning of each semester. Beyond this, 

PENNCONNECT CDS are distributed with orientation 

packets, allowing PC and Macintosh users to download 

virus software and updates, plus recommended applications 

like FileZilla and Eudora. 

WIRElESS aCCESS is available all over campus (including 

Meyerson, Furness, Van Pelt, Houston Hall, the Graduate 

Student Center and on the College Green) with a 

PennKey and password. Good for web browsing, but network 

connections will be much faster if you’re plugged in. 

While FTP aCCESS has been suspended for security 

concerns, a new method of emote access to the networks 

is being developed. Check www.design.upenn.edu/comp/ 


school 

ComPUtinG 

Resources/Storage/StudentStorage.htm for the latest 

information. 

Besides offering seamless and free use of expensive 

software suites, the network also provides a platform 

for interstudio multi-player gaming and the 

non-threatening sharing of music over the ITUNES 

network. Some losers have so much music in their 

iTunes libraries that you’ll never bring a CD into 

studio again. (This publication does not condone the 

use of multi-user platforms for non-serious pursuits. 

We do, however, encourage it.) 

PRintinG & PLottinG 

Once on the network, it’s pretty much like any 

internet experience you’ve had prior, with tasks and 

operations you can complete from your studio in a 

leisurely manner. Printing is one of these services. 

While on the network, a running TaB OF YOUR 

PRINTING COSTS can be found in the lower righthand 

corner of the application tray on lab PCs (this 

information can also be found online at www.design. 

upenn.edu/comp/Resources/Resources.htm). It offers 

a nice way to see how those $.05 laser prints or 

$1.25-per-square-foot plotting fees are adding up, 

lest you encounter cardiac arrest at a high triplefigure 

printing bill after the end of the term. It may 

seem excessive, but the plotters are expensive to buy 

and maintain. Plus, something needs to pay for automatic 

flushing urinals. 


ComPUtinG 

BlaCK-aND-WHITE PRINTING is the domain of laser 

printers with handles like “MEY3-8150-PCL.” This 

means the printer in question is on the third floor of 

Meyerson, is an HP 8150 (“White Tiger”) model, and 

is using PRINTER CONTROl laNGUaGE, the fast-andloose 

vernacular for text and web pages. For graphicsheavy 

output from Photoshop, Illustrator, and the like, 

switch to the refined tongue of POSTSCRIPT (“PS”). 

As for PlOTTING, welcome to an exciting new world of 

stress, where chills and flop-sweat greet you every time 

you prepare to send an 8’ by 3’ presentation board to 

the big rollers. 100% Pure Adrenaline! To take the edge 

off, each semester $50 IN PlaY MONEY is deposited to 

your printing account for erroneous print jobs, botched 

plots, and other such errata. It is not meant to be free 

printing, but if you or the printers don’t mess up, it is. 

If, however, you misprint $200 worth of ink on paper 

and the error is on the part of the network, you may— 

after the requisite primal scream and mandatory cool-off 

period—seek an audience with Cathy, for hers is not an 

office dispensed with heartlessness. 

Located around the lab are a number of small-format 

SCaNNERS, free to use at your leisure. A large format 

scanner is manned by a student worker, so that larger 

drawings can be documented digitally. These digital files 

are then placed on the network for you to download. 


school 

ComPUtinG 

SoFtWARE 

Over four-score and seven software applications 

are used at PennDesign. The computing website 

(www.design.upenn.edu/comp) has grids listing 

all of the most up-to-date available PC and Mac 

programs. Some applications (most notably MS 

Office) are not key-served, meaning you must use 

them in a lab or have your own copy. 

For the others, the school has purchased a number 

of “FlOaTING” SOFTWaRE lICENSES that 

are engaged whenever a user opens the application, 

either at their desk or in a lab. This means 

free software when and only when you are in 

Meyerson, Addams, or on the wireless network of 

Furness. This does not mean that it’s a sweet idea 

to open an application during Visual Studies and 

leave it running while enjoy a leisurely dinner at 

Beijing. When the key server is connected to your 

computer, it means that one less key is available, 

sometimes resulting in exhausted and pissed off 

graduate students with Olfa-stuffed tackle boxes. 

If you are aT HOME OR ON THE ROaD, the key 

server won’t grant you a license, rendering you 

and your computer woefully impotent. So if you 

plan on working a lot off-campus, prepare to 

spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars on 

software. (This publication neither condones nor 

encourages the use of peer-to-peer networks for 


the acquisition of software used for your education— 

though we hear it’s, you know, possible). 

ComPUtinG 

YoU nEEd hELP 

Ultimately, computing at PennDesign is an experience 

best lived than read about. Sometimes it’s just a matter 

of diving in and getting acquainted with the many 

resources made available to you as a student. Invariably, 

you will run into something that causes you trouble or 

raises your ire. For non-software issues (i.e. you’ve lost a 

file or can’t print), run the problem by the lab assistant. 

If that doesn’t work, email ithelp@design.upenn.edu. 

These emails go directly to the IT staff and they are 

usually very swift in helping solve your problems. 

Failing all other avenues, stopping by one of the IT 

teams’ offices for a drop-in is a last resort for hyperserious 

computing problems. Otherwise, for questions 

concerned with policy matters or to make a constructive 

suggestion (they are welcome, by the way), email 

Cathy directly at cathy@design.upenn.edu. 

Good luck and happy computing! 


aRCHITECTURE 


CITY PlaNNING 

FINE aRTS 


SitE RESEARCh 


SURViVAL 

GUidES 

GEttinG hERE 

LoU KAhn 

do it 

Architecture students, say hello to studio and 

goodbye to your life as you knew it. Don’t 

worry, you won’t miss it for too long. You’ll 

have 50 something studio mates to commiserate 

with. Believe it or not, when you finally create 

that beautiful building section that immediately 

communicates the ideas behind your project, 

it will all be worth it. In the mean time, in 

order to help you navigate the Architecture 

Department here at PennDesign, the following 

tips have been written by us, your Architecture 

Department Representatives. We are two 

students who have been elected to represent 

you to the faculty and staff, which means we 

sit and have meetings with the Interim Chair, 

David Leatherbarrow, and tell him what’s going 

on with the students and discuss if and where 

we can improve anything. How are we able 

to keep so extraordinarily well informed with 

what’s going on? Because we’re just that good… 

but mostly because we ask each studio to elect a 

Studio Representative for the year, with whom 

we also have meetings so that we can hear about 

problems and opinions directly from the source. 


survival guide 

ARChitECtURE 

Plus we talk a lot. Communication is key, as you’ll 

find out in tip #3. So here we go, some tips on life 

here in the Architecture Department… 

1. Forget everything you think you know about 

architecture. 

2. Get ready to love and hate a lot of new software. 

Not to scare you or anything but you should probably 

get good at Rhino, Revit, AutoCAD, Photoshop, 

Illustrator, InDesign, Grasshopper, Maya, V-Ray, 3Ds 

Max, and whatever else you find useful. There are a 

lot out there, find what works for you but dabble in 

all of them. 

3. Remember that everyone else is forgetting everything 

they know too. So talk to your studio mates. 

You are all in this together. Good conversations can 

help complete ideas, and complete ideas make for 

awesome projects. Conversation is often the difference 

between a good school and the best school. 

4. Buy the very fastest computer you can afford, with 

an OpenGL graphics card. As huge files and long 

nights of rendering begin to add up, you’ll be glad 

you spent the extra money. You’re either going to do 

it now or next year, so save yourself the headaches. 

Everyone hates a slow computer, especially your 

studio critic. 


ARChitECtURE 

5. Remember that your studio project is your project. 

You can’t tell a juror that your critic told you to 

________. Well I mean you can, and some of you 

will, but you definitely shouldn’t. 

6. Attend the plotting tutorials and pay attention. 

The last person you want to piss off is the person 

responsible for printing out your board 5 minutes 

before your pin-up. 

7. Pay attention in the shop or you’ll lose a finger, 

yup true story. Don’t worry, Dennis will tell you. 

8. Speaking of Dennis, be good to him. You’ll most 

likely need his help very soon. 

9. Don’t forget to hit up the GSC (Graduate Student 

Center, Google it) for FREE COFFEE AND 

TEA. 

10. Grab a copy of WORK and visit the online 

student archive: http://www.arch.penndesign.net/ to 

see great examples of student work. 

11a. Don’t be the person standing over peoples’ 

shoulder all the time watching them work. Nobody 

likes that person, s/he’s creepy. 

11b. Don’t be the person who refuses to show his or 



ARChitECtURE ARChitECtURE 

her work to anyone. Come pin-up time, chances are 

you will be quite embarrassed. 

12. Despite the fact that the computer has become the 

new drafting board, a good architect must still be able 

to produce a beautiful sketch on a cocktail napkin at a 

moment’s notice. So buy trace, and use it. And have a 

pen on you at all times. Duh. 

13. While a certificate program may be appealing, do 

remember that its requirements will take away all of 

your electives within the Architecture dept. Best to do 

some research and get the skinny on those electives 

from 600s and 700s which will require you to… 

14. Talk to the 600’s and 700’s. If its finals week 

they might throw models at you, if it’s the first week 

of school they might ask for your number, but most 

likely they will glance up at you and go back to what 

they were doing. In any case, it’s worth having some 

friends who have been there and done that. 

15. Play the odds during studio lotteries. Choose 

based on your interests, not the reputation of the 

instructor. It may very well determine your complete 

happiness or utter grief for the next 16 weeks. Read 

the briefs carefully and ask around about the critics 

beforehand. 

16. PennDesign has a lecture series every semester. If 


you’re average, you’ll go to as many as you possibly can. 

If you’re above average, you’ll go to every one and even 

ask a question or two. If you’re outstanding, you’ll spark 

an invaluable intellectual debate at every single one! Just 

kidding, please don’t do that at every lecture, but do go 

to them. People pay big bucks to see these speakers in 

the real world and who knows, Rem might show up and 

say, “Hey weren’t you sitting next to me on the plane the 

other day? Ever consider working for OMA?” (I mean 

we can dream right?) 

17. Pull all-nighters when necessary. 

18. Stop pulling all-nighters when they don’t help anymore. 

Fun little fact, the sun rises once a day. If you’ve 

seen it come up twice, it’s time to go home. However, 

if you didn’t follow tip #4 and have been living in the 

computer lab, the sun will not help you. Find someone 

who looks healthy, probably a City Planner, and ask him 

or her what day it is. 

19. Do remember to go home. Even if you don’t sleep, 

your body will thank you, and your friends will too if 

you shower. 

20. Make happy hour on Fridays at 5:30 an ABSO- 

LUTE MUST. Go talk to people (tip #3 again), mingle 

with the other departments and thank that City Planner 

who gave you the date and time and proceeded to catch 

you as you fell asleep while walking down the stairs. 



ARChitECtURE 

21. Get out of studio at least once a week. Grab a 

copy of Where to Bike Philadelphia, “every cyclist’s 

must-have guide to discover or revisit Philadelphia’s 

best bike trails” which was written by a fellow 

PennDesign student! 

22. Don’t be the guy who sends a 400 MB file to the 

plotter right before reviews. We will know who you 

are because your name will be on the printing queue 

and we will know where you live, studio, and something 

bad will happen to you. 

23. Have your packages sent to Meyerson, nothing is 

worse than having to get to the UPS pick-up center on 

Oregon Avenue by public transportation. 

24. All-nighters aside, get sleep the night before a 

review. It really does make a huge difference. 

26. Get as far away from Meyerson during winter 

break, you don’t know how glad you’ll be until you 

come back. 

27. Always tell your critic that everyone has travel 

plans for spring break. 

28. Be a studio representative! It’s fun and looks great 

on a resume. 


ARChitECtURE 

29. Don’t stress over IDP. Just relax and enjoy Penn. 

Don’t know what IDP is? Here is the website: 

http://www.ncarb.org/en/Experience-Through-Internships/Intern-Development-Program-Overview.aspx 

30. Read the LARP survival guide...LARP students 

will constitute half of your friends, and if not friends, 

then roommates in good old Meyerson. Plus, they’re 

good, really good. 



Phd ARChitECtURE 

on thE 

BooKS 

If you are reading this you either: a) want to teach architecture, 

b) want to know something about those of 

us who do, or c) have too much time on your hands. 

First, for those of you who are curious about those 

of us in the PhD program in architecture: We come 

from a wide range of backgrounds and locations and 

the majority of us have studio-based architectural 

training and/or professional experience within the 

practice of architecture. 

You may meet some of us through your classes or as 

teaching assistants, but we are all approachable and 

you should ask us when you have questions about 

your seminars or if you want a desk crit from someone 

outside your studio. Remember that we are here 

because we want to help students develop as designers 

through our intended career of teaching and scholarship. 

We would welcome the chance to be engaged 

in what you are learning. There is also a good chance 

that we have worked through any issues you are currently 

facing and we hope that you will see the PhD 

students as one of the resources that Penn offers 

in your education. 

For those of you who are joining the PhD program, 



welcome. If you are like many of us in the program, 

this is your first serious shift from design studios and 

professional practice to full-time scholarship and 

research. Most people find that this shift in kind of 

work also requires a shift in working schedules and 

tolerance for distraction. If you become depressed 

when you realize that you have become a morning 

person, you won’t be alone. There are carrels in the 

library, and some people can work there—others 

use them as book storage. Some people work in the 

PhD lounge or the grad center, which has free coffee–though 

you should leave a donation sometimes 

because we all know nothing is really free. 

When you are looking for an apartment, it is a good 

idea to find a place that will fit your working style 

and schedule. You should also think about carrying 

100 books or more back and forth between your 

apartment and the library each semester when deciding 

where to live. 

The PhD program and the department in general are 

quite flexible, and that is something to take advantage 

of. In addition to the classes that are of interest within 

the School of Design, there are several other departments 

such as philosophy and comparative literature 

which offer interesting and valuable seminars. There 

is also the option of using independent studies to fulfill 

class requirements while undertaking work which 

may feed more directly into your dissertation than is 

available through an existing course. 




It is rumored that some PhD students come in 

with a clear idea of what they are going to take on 

as a dissertation topic and then, in fact, focus on 

that topic in their dissertation. This isn’t typical 

though and, if you are like most of us, you will feel 

at some point like you are searching around for 

something to do. The best advice seems to consistently 

be to find a question which fascinates you, 

something which you believe can lead to genuine 

change in design practice or pedagogy, something 

that is significant enough that you aren’t always 

explaining why you’ve chosen the topic and something 

that isn’t so well-worked as an issue that you 

have to spend years studying the secondary literature. 

Final term papers can be treated as opportunities 

to explore possible dissertation topics. Once 

you’ve decided on a dissertation topic, these papers 

should be framed to become part of the dissertation 

if at all possible. They can also be submitted 

as conference papers or journal articles. Always get 

multiple uses out of papers for coursework! There is 

some departmental funding available for traveling 

to conferences where you present a paper. 

Your advisors will help you choose a topic once you 

have a general area of inquiry set down. Choosing 

your advisors is perhaps the most significant set of 

decisions you will make once you accept the offer 

to study at Penn. It is obviously important that 



your advisors know enough about your areas of interest 

to comment on your work in the context of relevant 

primary sources and secondary literature. But it is also 

important to choose advisors with whom you have a 

relationship of mutual respect and positive interpersonal 

relations. Use coursework, teaching assistantships, 

and research assistantships to get to know faculty that 

you think you might be interested in working with on 

your dissertation committee. It is also a good idea to 

find out how responsive and involved particular faculty 

have been when they advised other PhD students who 

have worked with them in the past. You want advisors 

who are going to read your work quickly as well as 

thoroughly, and then give you serious and thoughtful 

feedback. 

Your first source of information regarding program 

requirements is your senior PhD program colleagues. 

Find out all of the information you can from them. 

Don’t be afraid to ask questions--we were in your shoes 

just a few years ago. Once you have the inside information, 

then you can go to the administration to confirm 

that the rules are all still the same and fill in any holes. 

You will also want to know the requirements for the 

different exams (theory exam and field exam) so that 

you can work towards them through course work and 

supplemental reading. Otherwise you will end up with 

30 (or 100) books to read during the month before 

your exam. 




It feels very often like the PhD program in architecture 

is detached from the school. This is in part because 

many of us have come from a studio culture and are 

now undertaking work which is primarily solitary in 

nature, particularly once you’re done with coursework. 

Get to know your PhD Program colleagues. They will 

be your peers for the rest of your career. See each other 

outside of the classroom. Eat lunch or dinner together 

at least once a week. 

If you want to get involved in the School of Design, 

opportunities are there if you want them. Friday happy 

hours are great times to talk to people who aren’t in 

the PhD program. You can even talk to people who 

aren’t studying architecture if you want. There are 

a lot of smart, interesting people in all the departments 

of PennDesign. If you want to be more formally 

involved, look for a studio that interests you and approach 

the person teaching it—most are all-too-willing 

to let you sit in on a review and are often looking for 

external reviewers for their mid-semester reviews. You 

can also volunteer your services to support the School’s 

Lecture Series and student publications which are usually 

grateful to have your now-seasoned perspective. 

And finally, for those of you with too much time on 

your hands, it is almost your turn at the laser cutter. 


CitY PLAnninG 

thE BESt LAid 

PLAnnERS 

You will be spending a lot of time in the Apse 

throughout your time at Penn. The former studio of 

architect Louis Kahn has its pitfalls, as well as its perks. 

You are lucky enough to have access to natural light 

(unlike the rest of the Meyerson caves) but prepared to 

battle the seasonal elements (and some hungry mice.) 

One of the founding fathers of modern planning, Ed 

Bacon lived on Locust Street in Center City. Mr. Bacon 

is featured in a hilariously informative fi lm from 

the ’50s you will see in Genie Birch’s Intro to Planning 

class. Note the uncanny similarities between young 

Edmund and his footloose son, Kevin. 

Philadelphia’s Center City District (CCD) is one of 

the first Business Improvement Districts (BID) in the 

country. Founded in 1990, CCD is the brainchild of 

Penn planning Professor Paul Levy. For more info on 

CCD visit www.centercityphila.org. 

The famous quote, “Make no little plans. They have no 

magic to stir men’s blood and probably themselves will 

not be realized,” was once uttered by Daniel Burnham, 

architect and arguably the father of planning as 

we know it. Burnham created what is considered the 

first comprehensive planning document ever: a plan 



CitY PLAnninG 

for growth in the city of Chicago. 

The City has made stormwater treatment and the environment 

a priority. Make sure to check out several 

core classes which focus on Environmental planning 

standards, best management practices, governmental 

regulations, and innovative design intervention to 

reduce or enhance the environmental impact of planning 

projects. This is the new wave of city building: 

be a part of it. 

Unfortunately as a CPLN student, you will not have 

a lot of Free time, despite what the architects think. 

Most of your Free time will be during the small breaks 

between classes. Make sure to eat your lunch on the 

patio outside Meyerson. From there, you can watch 

the pasty landscape architects as they go for their fifth 

coffee of the day in a break from their 36 hour computer 

lab binge. 

If you find yourself with a rare break in your schedule, 

stop by Reading Terminal Market by the convention 

center. The market is a one-stop-shop for produce, 

meat, and interesting Amish foodstuffs. Finding time 

to buy fresh food is as essential as making time to 

go to the Gym (once a month is about all you will 

get). Finding time to cook the food is another matter 

altogether. 

Happy Hour is a much-needed break every Friday. 


CitY PLAnninG 

There is nothing better than free beer to get your 

weekend started out right. Depending on the budget 

of student council that year, you may have to get used 

to Steel Reserve and Boddingtons, rather than Heineken 

and Magic Hat. Your fellow students may scowl 

at you, but sneaking an extra beer will ensure you get 

seconds when the table gets swamped in a mad dash 

for the final Yuengling Lager. 

Arranging your schedule in order to take advantage of 

the Interdisciplinary nature of PennDesign is difficult, 

but worthwhile. Consider a dual degree in landscape 

(for more info Google “landscape urbanism”), architecture 

or historic preservation. You can usually get 

two degrees in four years, so when you graduate you 

are a DUal MaSTER. 

Just do it: interact with other PennDesign students by 

entering design and planning competitions and charrettes. 

After your time at Penn is up, it will be helpful 

to know how planners work with landscape architects, 

architects, real estate developers and historic preservationists. 

It also looks great in a resume or a portfolio. 

The yearly competitions sponsored by the Urban Land 

Institute and the Ed Bacon Foundation are great ways 

to get real planning and design experience and learn to 

live on minimal sleep. 

Printing an important paper is something that should 

not be left for the last minute – it is very liKely that 



CitY PLAnninG 

the computer and printers in the Apse and computer 

lab will be on the fritz. If you are rushing to get something 

in on time, you may have to send your work to 

several printers around Meyerson and the Apse and 

then scramble up and down stairs to find the printer 

that successfully produced your document in time to 

make it to your next class. 

Land Use Planning is one of the most informative 

and important classes you can take. Understanding 

the basics of zoning code, subdivision ordinances and 

the planning process may sound boring, but will prove 

invaluable in your professional life. Professor Daniels 

likes to cram A LOT of information on one Power- 

Point slide. Bring a laptop for taking notes…or, if you 

are so bold, snap a quick picture of the screen to study 

later. 

The cases you read in your planning law class may 

seem like a bunch of Mumbo jumbo, but you’ll be 

sorry if you don’t know every detail when called on at 

random to present a case. Many a student has faltered 

under the intense pressure of Planning Law’s Socratic 

Method—merely stating “Um, sprawl is bad…?” won’t 

cut it. 

NIMBY-ism (Not in My Backyard) is a phenomenon 

in which residents oppose a nearby development, but 

do not oppose such a development should it be located 

elsewhere. Sometimes projects in Philadelphia meet 


CitY PLAnninG 

an early end as a result of the newer phenomenon of 

BANANA-ism (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere 

Near Anything). 

Before city planning departments, GIS, and William 

Penn-like visionaries, cities grew Organically. One 

of the greatest testaments to William Penn’s more 

structured grid is the creation of Rittenhouse Square. 

In the square you can watch the rich and the beautiful 

mingle, walk their dogs, and sunbathe. It makes 

a great place to read your texts if you can no longer 

stand the Apse. 

Papers…Papers and more Papers…While you may 

think you’ve lucked out in comparison with the Meyerson 

zombies—i.e. your ARCH and LARP counterparts 

—think again. In one semester, a CPLN student 

may write over 100 pages. In some schools, this is 

called a dissertation. At Penn, it’s called first semester, 

first year. 

If you want some peace and Quiet to read the hundreds 

of pages of reading you are assigned each week, 

head over to the Fine Arts Library. Once the overstuffed 

chairs lull you to sleep, head over to the GSC 

on Locust Walk for free coffee (be aware: While the 

coffee may be free, the cups are not!). 

Even if your concentration is not community and 

economic development, Professor Landis’ Introduc- 



CitY PLAnninG 

tion to Real Estate Development class will help you 

understand the essential steps of the land development 

process. You’ll learn real estate terminology, the 

financial rationale behind development and land use 

decisions, and sharpen Excel skills. 

Be sure to form a Study group early on in your planning 

law class. That way, you don’t have to summarize 

every single case and can divide, conquer and interpret. 

Due to the grueling nature of the course, these 

people help serve as an emotional support group also. 

Crying or laughing hysterically can be accepted, and 

even encouraged during law study groups. 

Certain sTatistics will continue to pop up during your 

time in planning school; here are three important ones: 

1 acre = 43,560 square feet, 1 square mile = 640 acres, 

¼ mile = neighborhood walking distance radius. 

Take the Graphics for Urban Design class. The ability 

to present your work visually, be it showing a site plan 

or a fl y-through of a new city street, is important. Of 

course, it is also helpful to have the photomontage 

skills to seamlessly place the head of your favorite professor 

on a goat body. 

If you are interested in transportation planning, you 

will soon learn the importance of Volume/Capacity 

(V/C) ratios. A V/C ratio of over 1.0 signals a road 

that is over design capacity, or congested. Level of Ser- 


CitY PLAnninG 

vice is another transportation planning concept that 

will come up in your classes. It is a measure of the 

quality of transportation service, similar to a report 

card: grade A being the best and F being an all-out 

traffic jam. 

The 3rd floor computer lab in Meyerson has its own 

Weather system. During a three hour GIS lab or 

Graphics class, it is wise to bring sweaters and lots 

of water. Sometimes the lab is like the Sahara desert 

and students fi ght to sit near fans. Other times it 

is arctic and the bizarre air machine in the corner is 

blasting right on you. Dress not to impress, but to 

brave the elements…indoors. 

Xenophobia isn’t a possibility in the planning department. 

You may be working with a 35-year-old 

lawyer from Tokyo, a 22-year-old indie rocker from 

Brooklyn, and a veteran D.C. newspaper reporter 

for a group project in Quantitative Analysis. Get 

to know and appreciate everyone’s unique backgrounds! 

Public participation in planning projects should get 

area residents, Youth, business people, and other 

stakeholders involved in the planning process. A 

key element of successful public planning projects 

is creating a local community “buy in”, and thereby 

convincing everyone, including politicians, that the 

project must be approved. 



CitY PLAnninG 

Some consider New Urbanism a dirty word; others 

think the concept is the key to the future of planning 

neighborhoods and new communities. Andres Duany 

and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, the husband-wife team 

and two of founders of the Congress for New Urbanism 

(CNU), wrote an extremely influential book you 

will read called “Suburban Nation”. They argue that 

modern planning practices have not only destroyed the 

traditional concept of the neighborhood, but eroded 

such vital social values as equality, citizenship and 

personal safety. For more info on New Urbanism and 

the CNU, go to www.cnu.org. 


FinE ARtS 

EtCh-A-SKEtCh 

thiS! 

Some helpful hints upon starting your Masters of Fine 

Arts: 

• Your two years will go by fast! Make the most of 

your time here and take advantage of all that the 

school has to offer. 

• Schedule extra critiques with professors. You won’t 

be getting this kind of constructive criticism after 

you graduate! 

• TA, or teach. This will be a rewarding experience, 

and give you a leg up when you start applying for 

teaching jobs. 

• Respect the cage. The cage is your friend, and the 

awesome people who work there are the gatekeepers 

to lots of amazing equipment. Take advantage of 

the equipment, but do so responsibly and respectfully. 

• Be on time and show up! 



FinE ARtS 

• Work. Work hard. 

• Go to galleries. Get to know the Philly art scene. 

• Have a show in the Morgan Gallery. It’s a great 

space, and it’s right there for the taking. 

• Consider critiques as valuable learning experiences, 

meant to help you rather than hurt you 

(though it may not always feel that way). Even 

the most abrasive criticism can be useful. And 

sometimes hearing an opinion that you disagree 

with is just as important, if not more so, than 

hearing one with which you do agree. You are 

here to be challenged: embrace and accept that. 

• Learn to talk about your work. 

• Keep in mind that Final Critiques is not the place 

and time to get defensive. Listen to the critics and 

keep an open mind. Talk confidently about your 

work, but don’t get argumentative. This will ultimately 

make the experience much more painful 

than it need be. 

• Have fun. 


hiStoRiC PRESERVAtion 

to PRotECt 

&PRESERVE 

So you’re at Penn, the proud intellectual legacy of Benjamin 

Franklin, in Philadelphia, the birthplace of our 

nation and the ineffable cheesesteak. And you’re in the 

historic preservation program, a two-year adventure 

in old buildings that’s widely recognized as one of the 

most prestigious in the country. Nice work. It’s a good 

place, and we’re glad you’re here. 

oRiEntAtion 

Your first stop should be the library. This will be your 

home away from home, along with the fourth- floor 

HSPV studio in Meyerson. Van Pelt is a fine resource, 

with valuable (and reservable) group study space, but 

Fisher Fine Arts Library is a jewel. Take your time 

gazing at architect Frank Furness’ whimsical decorations 

and scope out your preferred study habitat: the 

majestic reading room, the garret-like bridge, or any of 

the newer airier spaces. You can get a study carrel there 

your second year. 

But back to the HSPV studio. We won’t lie. The 

studio is up three flights of stairs (keeping you fit!), 

doesn’t have windows, and is decorated with the 

graceless flotsam of past semesters. But it’s also a great 

example of how friends, snacks, and deadlines can 

turn a cheerless atmosphere into an all-night party, 



hiStoRiC PRESERVAtion hiStoRiC PRESERVAtion 

depending on how you define ‘party.’ Keep food, tea, 

and instant hot chocolate in your locker to share, and 

you’ll be set. 

Your second stop should be Independence Hall, so 

you can tell your relatives back home that you’ve been 

there. Trust us: they’ll ask. If you’re lucky—and you 

probably are, since you’re here—you’ll get a behindthe-scenes 

tour of the building during HSPV orientation. 

There’s nothing quite like standing behind the 

clock of Independence Hall to inspire awe and gratitude 

that you’re in historic preservation. 

Where you go next is up to you. Some like to wander 

the streets of Center City and Old City, stopping at 

the leafy squares platted in 1683; others prefer West 

Philly’s diverse laid-back vibe, with all the Ethiopian/ 

Indian/Vietnamese food you could ever want, or the 

loosely counterculture South Street (visit the Magic 

Gardens!). South Philly has unbeatable Italian food 

and the bustling Italian Market. In North Philly’s 

Kensington and Fishtown, you can observe historic 

industrial neighborhoods gradually being renovated as 

new hipster energy takes on long-term disinvestment. 

Germantown is farther afield, but worth at least one 

trip for its wealth of colonial-era houses and shops 

edged by the warehouses and factories that once made 

Philly the Workshop of the World. 


WoRK 

Philadelphia’s fantastic, but who are we kidding? You’re 

here to get an Education (probably paying out the 

nose for the privilege), and an Education you will get. 

Sometimes Learning is glorious: conducting ‘architectural 

archaeology’ in a 17th-century house, piecing 

together the story of a place like a sneaky archival 

detective, taking classes in China and Mesa Verde and 

Montenegro. 

Most of the time, though, we do not lead lives of 

glamour. As an HSPV student, be ready for long hours 

combing the depths of libraries and archives or measuring 

the water intake of a brick every x hours. Try 

not to live in Meyerson like the architects, but work 

hard and it will pay off in knowing really cool stuff, 

getting internship and job leads from faculty members, 

and being an up-and-coming professional in an awesome 

field. 

intERnShiPS 

A six-week full-time commitment is required during 

the summer between your first and second years. You 

can get an internship related to your particular preservation 

interests—potentially leading to a job after 

graduation—or you can branch out and explore another 

part of the field. Either can be great. You’ll need 

to start looking early if you have your heart set on an 

international internship. 



hiStoRiC PRESERVAtion hiStoRiC PRESERVAtion 

PEoPLE 

What you learn depends on you, but you’ve got a brilliant 

group of faculty to help: 

• Randy Mason, preservation planner and program 

chair 

• Frank Matero, world-traveling preservationist 

extraordinaire 

• Aaron Wunsch, architecture historian par excellence 

• David Hollenberg, gregarious architect and policymaker 

• John Hinchman, invaluable digital design master 

• Lindsay Falck, fount of knowledge 

• Donovan Rypkema, energetic economic guru 

• John Milner, hands-on architectural archaeologist 

• Michael Henry, amazingly dedicated preservation 

engineer 

All the professors are exceptional. Get to know them 

after class, during office hours, and over coffee, especially 

when you start thinking about thesis ideas. You 

also have Suzanne Hyndman and Karen Gomez in 

your corner. Be really, really nice to them. They’re the 

first line of HSPV defense, and they can (and will) save 

you in your hour of need. 

BonUS 

You’re already on your way to a Master’s of Science in 

Historic Preservation, which sounds great and works 


even better at opening interesting doors. If you still 

want more, you can get a certificate or dual degree 

from/with a number of other programs at Penn and 

within the School of Design. It’s a great opportunity 

for additional specialization, though you trade 

many of your electives for the privilege. Remember 

that applications for dual degrees are due before 

the beginning of your second semester, and watch 

certificate deadlines as well. 

WhAt YoU ShoULd SPEnd monEY on 

in Addition to tUition 

Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Office, at least 

one memory stick, a laptop and a security cable, and 

a digital camera. Maybe a bike (and definitely a helmet 

and bike lights!). Chocolate, beer, or whatever 

you need to stay sane. 

AdVEntURE 

Close to home, there’s Happy Hour. The best place 

to meet other PennDesign people and socialize with 

other HSPVers, you can’t beat free beer and soda, 

pretzels, and loud music at the end of a long week. 

Go early and often. 

Also go to the Art Museum, the Mütter Museum, 

and Eastern State Penitentiary—we like the Terror 

Behind the Walls tours at Halloween. When the 

weather’s nice, run or cycle along the Schuylkill 

Banks trail and go hiking in the Wissahickon. Sled 



hiStoRiC PRESERVAtion LAndSCAPE ARChitECtURE 

in the Clark Park bowl when it snows. 

don’t FoRGEt! 

• To join student organizations. There are a number 

of groups within PennDesign, but you can get involved 

in any Penn student group. Salsa dancing, 

rugby, and theater can be great ways to remind 

yourself that there is life outside the studio! 

• To regularly back up all your data to an external 

hard drive, as your laptop can be stolen or crash at 

the most inconvenient time. You have your own 

folder on the school server too. 

• To apply for travel and conference scholarships. 

The HSPV department has some, the National 

Trust for Historic Preservation has some, the 

Keepers Preservation Education Fund has some, 

and the World Monument Fund has been known 

to fund travel related to its projects. Take advantage 

of those resources, and make some professional 

connections while you’re at it! 

• Do the assigned readings as much as possible for 

every class, but don’t kill yourself. Make a study 

schedule, prioritize your interests, be disciplined. 

Figure out what works for you, and know that 

(almost) no one reads everything. 

• Have fun! Stay sane! We’ll see you in the studio. 


FLoWERS in 

thE AttiC 

Anu & Dilip…Learn their work, know their work, 

love their work. Two of the leading luminaries of 

Penn Design. They are also the three year students 

first guides to the world of Studio, the design process 

and the beauty of working by hand. And for the 

two years, why aren’t you taking the 3 year course? 

Further Questions? Please see “Mississippi Floods”, 

“Deccan Traverse” and “Soak.” 

Beer! Mark this one on your calendar kids: Every 

Friday is Happy Hour. Free beer, casual conversation 

and an officially sanctioned night off! 

Be prepared to learn more about plaster, resin, 

algenate, wax and just about any Casting material 

than you ever wished or thought possible. 

“What is Design?” 1st Question, 1st Day, 1st 

Semester of Grad School. No, we didn’t completely 

answer it. I filed it with the rest of the big questions: 

What is the meaning of life? Why am I here? Where 

is my other sock? 



If you came here thinking that landscape architecture 

is all about restoring riparian habitat, think again. 

While you can explore more typical ecological restoration 

issues in studios and electives, Penn’s take on 

ecology is more holistic, considering all the givens of 

a site—people, traffic, industry, program—as components 

of an ‘organizational Ecology’. 

Food Trucks. This is where you will eat most of your 

meals. You’re lucky because there are two food trucks 

parked right behind Meyerson: “Magic Carpet” and 

“Salt and Pepper.” Just watch out for Food Truck Fatigue 

Syndrome and get yourself some Fresh Groceries 

once in awhile. 

The Garden project (the first half of your 502 studio) 

can be an eye-opener for those who are more often 

interested in large scale urban design. Don’t underestimate 

the power that a small work can have on its larger 

urban context. 

Penn’s media courses are unique among landscape 

programs—especially the Hand drawing instruction. 

Especially valuable are the emphases on drawing movement 

and transformation. Even if you think you can’t 

draw, or prefer the computer already, take the opportunity 

to learn from your own hands. 

Your studio Internet connection offers more than an 

opportunity to IM the people you never have time to 


LAndSCAPE ARChitECtURE 

see anymore. There is much on the internet that you will 

find invaluable in your studio work—satellite photos 

(Google Earth, terraserver.microsoft.com), topographic 

maps (topozone.com), and stock photography (gettyimages.com) 

for photomontages. 

It may be hard to believe, but a harsh Jury is not the end 

of the world. The worst jury is the one that doesn’t talk 

about your work. Do yourself a favor: get some sleep the 

night before you present and make sure they talk about 

your project. 

While Kleptomania isn’t exactly common in the studio, 

it’s a good idea to keep your computer shackled to 

your desk and your digital camera in your locker. There’s 

nothing worse than paying twice for something when 

you’re in the red. 

The LARP office usually has some free candy. And 

information about job postings. And very little, actually, 

to do with Live Action Role Playing (whew). Stephanie 

and Diane, who are pretty much the best thing since 

free candy and job postings, are always ready to help 

you solve your latest administrative adventure. Just next 

to this is the mail room, where you can throw in your 

almost-late rent, your newest competition entry, and job 

applications. 

Meyerson: Love to hate it, Hate to love it. Doesn’t really 

matter, it is a rite of passage. And it binds us all, past, 



LAndSCAPE ARChitECtURE LAndSCAPE ARChitECtURE 

present and future alums, together in so many charming 

ways. 

“Not Unlike Life Itself” a wonderfully piquant essay 

about what it means to be a designer, and especially a 

landscape architect, in today’s multivalent, tortuous 

and chaotic world. Hmm, wonder what the author is 

doing now? 

James Corner Field Operations: The High Line, 

Shelby farms, Fresh Kills, Santa Monica Civic Center 

Parks, Seattle Central Waterfront, Shenzen Qianhai 

water city. Funny enough, the Dept Chair’s name is 

also James Corner… 

Your professors will usually host a Potluck or two at 

their home. Not only do you get a peek at how “the 

other half” lives, but the food is usually outstanding, 

and the conversation blissfully free of studio stress. 

You’re bound to have plenty of Questions. People 

only a few bays over from you have already been here 

for a year or two. Take advantage of their wisdom. One 

caution: if you hear muttering (or yelling) about ‘plotter 

problems’, steer clear. 

Whatever you thought Rigor meant before, it now 

means staying up most of the night and being able to 

prove it. 


Studio, Studio, Studio…not once a week, not even 

twice a week but here we play thrice a week. MWF. 

Plenty of time to learn your instructor’s sketch style and 

seriously consider buying stock in trace paper… 

The Penn landscape curriculum is distinguished by the 

quality of its landscape Theory courses—Ian McHarg, 

John Dixon Hunt, Laurie Olin, Anu Mathur, Dilip Da 

Cunha, Ann Whiston Spurn, James Corner have all 

taught and thought here. All incoming students have a 

required theory course their first 2 semesters. You don’t 

necessarily have to take the third course during your 

third semester. But you do have to take it some time. 

Despite what your studio contract says, the area Under 

your desk is perfectly habitable, even if you have one of 

those L-shaped jobbies. Why waste your money on rent 

when there’s Mylar to be bought? 

Parc de la Villette. Tschumi’s masterpiece? The first 

modern Park? The greatest design that didn’t get built 

(Koolhaus)? You Decide! More importantly, when in 

doubt, toss it out! It is always good for another 10 minutes 

of theory discussion. 

Weekends are for losers. You’ll be much happier when 

you realize that studio is your one and only true love, 

and that it gets nastily jealous when you’re away for too 

long. 



LAndSCAPE ARChitECtURE 

If you haven’t studied art before, you may not know 

the magic of Xerox transfers. Any photocopy can be 

transferred to a drawing with acetone or Xylene blending 

pens (find them at Pearl). Just put the Xerox printside 

down on your drawing, apply some solvent, and 

voila. The fumes are toxic, but so is that cup of coffee 

you haven’t emptied in a week. 

Yuengling , America’s oldest brewery and the beer left 

over after all the good brews are gone at happy hour 

every Friday. My advice? Come early for the microbrews 

and pretzels…See Beer. 

Did you get Zero hours of sleep this weekend? Zero 

hours to go until mid-review? Zero dollars to pay for 

all those plots? Zero idea how you are going to get it 

all done? Welcome to the party. 



aPaRTMENTS 

CENTER CITY 

WEST PHIllY 

FindinG 

hoUSinG 

APARtmEntS 

BUnKERinG 

doWn 

SCoUt thE tERRitoRY 

CENTER CITY. Competition from incomeearning 

Philadelphians keeps the neighborhoods 

between the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers 

more expensive, generally, than West Philly. 

The nicest areas below South Street are to the 

east, while the nicest ones above the Vine Street 

Expressway are to the west. Otherwise, neighborhoods 

beyond the traditional northern and 

southern borders of Center City range from 

gentrifying to extremely sketchy. Market Street, 

JFK Boulevard, and the Franklin Parkway are 

broad commercial avenues that are very desolate 

at night. 

WEST PHIllY. In addition to our beloved university, 

West Philly is home to the Fresh Prince 

of Bel Air’s mom, gray-ponytailed hippies, and 

lots of college kids. Streets that are closest to 

campus are the most popular with the off-campus 

undergrads, who, God bless ’em, drink a lot 

and make a lot of noise. Streets to the northwest 

get dicey around 40th & Chestnut, but areas 

to the southwest are quite pleasant, for the 

most part, to around 49th and Chester. To the 


housing 

APARtmEntS 

north, Lancaster Avenue has an active commercial strip 

around 36th Street and some nice blocks immediately 

above. Whether you’re looking east or west, check your 

transportation options. If you’re beyond the boundaries 

of the PennShuttle, check SEPTA, remembering 

that few lines run all night. 

dEFinE YoUR tACtiCS 

CENTER CITY When shopping for apartments east of 

the Schuylkill, a multipronged approach is necessary. 

You can use craigslist, the Philly Weekly and other 

papers to go after specific apartments, but you should 

also call up the individual landlords with properties in 

the neighborhood and ask about availability. 

Our advice is to hop on a bike and scribble down the 

names and numbers on the For Rent signs hanging on 

the buildings. The signs are often hung on desirable 

buildings that are not actually available, but they’ll at 

least provide you with leads for whom to call. A list of 

landlords is available at Off-Campus Living. 

Though their name will appear time and again, and 

their properties may sound alluring, save the headache 

and avoid calling Weichert. You won’t get called back, 

you’ll make appointments and get stood up, and to 

pour salt in your wounds they’ll start spamming you. 

WEST PHIllY The University City housing market 

is all but locked up by The UC3 syndicate (Campus 


APARtmEntS 

Apartments, UCA and UCH) while West Philadelphia 

properties are held by a mixture of medium and small 

landlords. The UC3 handle a number of nice properties, 

competitively priced, and their operations are run 

professionally and efficiently. West Philly landlords 

range from excellent to highly suspect. Just between 

us, be skeptical before signing a lease with New Age 

Realty or Realty World. 

FoRm ALLEGiAnCES 

Become familiar with the resources in your neighborhood 

of interest and use all of them: 

OFF-CaMPUS lIVING The first destination of any 

apartment hunter. The OCL website handles the postings 

of hundreds of apartments, apartments to share, 

sublets, and sources for short-term housing. You’ll also 

find report cards for dozens of landlords on both sides 

of the Schuylkill. If you don’t have Internet access, 

computers are available in the OCL office. Luckily for 

us this is one place in Philadelphia where the staff is 

always friendly and helpful. If you’re not finding a lot 

of advertised apartments, pick up their yellow list of 

landlords and start dialing. This office of the university 

is also a good resource when writing a lease, sublease 

or negotiating landlord/tenant legal problems. 

CRaIGSlIST is a free online classified site where 

you can find apartments, roommates, sublets, 

and pole dancing classes. These ads are generally 


content text 

section text 

posted by individuals, not realtors. 

Center City and West 

Philly. www.craigslist.org 

PHIlaDElPHIa WEEKlY is a 

free newspaper with a good 

number of apartment listings 

that hits newsstands on 

Wednesday mornings. But 

the savvy apartment shopper 

will check online (the 

piping hot listings are posted 

around 4pm Tuesday) and 

will call immediately. Center 

City. www.philadelphiaweekly.com 

UCA-UCh-CA 

A skin infection spread in 

Mexican prisons, or the acronyms 

of the largest realties 

in University City? It’s worth 

your while to pay a visit to 

each of these UC3 offices. 

Because they are catering 

chiefly to a student community, 

their apartments tend to 

be available at the beginning 

and end of the summer. 


RESOURCES 

Craigslist 

www.craigslist.org 

Philadelphia Weekly 

www.phillyweekly.com 

Office of Off-Campus 

Living 


215-898-8500 


offcampusliving 

UCa-UCH-Ca 

UCA Realty Group 


215-387-1314 

www.ucarealty.com 

University City housing 

3418 Sansom St 

215-222-2000 

www.uchweb.com 

Campus Apartments 


215-382-1300 

www.campusapts.com 

section text 

CaMPUS aPaRTMENTS has 700 units and has been operating 

in the area for 40 years. They request six months 

notice, so CA is busiest around December. 

UCa is a business of the University and is part of the 

school’s initiative to “revitalize” West Philadelphia. Their 

1100 units are managed by Campus Apartments. 

UCH’s operations seem a bit more rag-tag than the 

other two, what with their cramped office and a staff of 

students, but they have the most properties by far with 

3300 units. West Philly. 

KEEP A FiELd JoURnAL 

It will all get confusing very quickly, so get a notebook 

or a folder where you can keep track of phone numbers, 

appointments and notes on the apartments you’ve seen. 

Questions to ask on an apartment visit are: 

• what utilities are included? 

• what will utilities typically cost? 

• what will be repaired/replaced/repainted before I move 

in? 

• can the apartment be subleased over the summer? 

• is there laundry in the building? 

• is there space for bike storage? 

• how much will the rent increase from year to year? 

And while the realtor is talking, take note of: 

• the orientation of the windows 

• outside noise (beware of schoolyards, fire stations, bars) 


housing 

APARtmEntS 

• inside noise (next door, above, below) 

• signs of infestation (mouse droppings, roach baits) 

• noticeable odors 

KnoW YoUR EnEmY 

Before you sign a lease, be sure you know who you’re 

making a contract with. Some Philadelphia landlords 

have a sincere interest in improving their properties 

and their neighborhoods, others are going to as little 

as they can get away with. The Off Campus Living 

website (www.upenn.edu/offcampusliving) includes 

an extensive survey of Philadelphia landlords (on both 

sides of the Schuylkill) and issues “report cards” with 

grades between A+ and D. Protect yourself—make 

your landlord put any promises about property repairs 

in your lease. Do not accept verbal promises if you 

want something to get done. 

thE PREEmPtiVE StRiKE 

Your best bet for finding an apartment before school 

starts is to spend a weekday or two in Philly and cram 

in as many apartment visits as possible (most realties 

aren’t open on the weekends). Call beforehand to set 

up appointments. In the past, some summer students 

arranged SUBlETS for the summer months from afar, 

then searched for permanent apartments once the 

summer studio began. This allows you more time to 

get acquainted with the city, though the intense schedule 

makes it hard to find the time to look. Our advice 

is to start as early as possible—most landlords ask for 


TRUCK RENTal 

Budget 

www.budgettruck.com 

Philly Self Storage 2 

5120 lancaster ave 

215-879-1940 

Philly Self Storage 3 

2990 S 20th St 

215-467-3570 

Wolfson’s 

959 N 8th St 

215-922-2120 

U-haul 

www.uhaul.com 

4857 Chestnut St 

215-471-4137 

MOVERS 

mambo movers 

www.mambomovers.com 

215-670-9535 

STREETS 

DEPaRTMENT 

www.phila.gov/streets 

215-686-5525 

APARtmEntS 

60 DaYS NOTICE; therefore the apartments 

that will turn over on September 

1 will begin showing at the beginning 

of July. Unless you have an ally in the 

trenches, trying to get an apartment 

from a distance is difficult. For those 

who can’t come early for a couple days 

of apartment hunting, there is SaNSOM 

PlaCE, commonly referred to as the 

grad towers. These are two high-rise 

apartment buildings close to campus 

that are owned by Penn to house grad 

students. The advantages of setting up 

base in the grad towers: they’re close to 

campus, the apartments are furnished, 

you avoid the apartment hunt, and all 

apartments are wired with free ethernet 

and cable connections. The disadva 

tages to life in the barracks: late-night 

fire alarms, lackluster apartments, 

random roommate assignments, and 

relatively high rents. For more info, see 

www.business-services.upenn.edu/housing/gp.html. 

moVinG to And ARoUnd 

PhiLAdELPhiA 

As if driving a U-Haul through colonial 

city streets isn’t frightening enough! 

If you live on a busy street and think 


housing 

APARtmEntS 

it will be difficult to get 

that beast parked, you can 

block off a couple parking 

spaces by calling the city 

and having “NO PaRK- 

ING” signs posted in front 

of your door. Contact 

the Streets Department’s 

Traffic Division at 215- 

686-5525. They request 

that you to call by 3pm the 

day before, but you may 

find that they need a few 

reminders. 

PRoViSionS (ER, 

UtiLitES) 

With many exceptions, 

most apartments in Philadelphia 

will include heat 

and hot water in the rent 

and will ask you to pay 

electricity and cooking gas. 

Whatever the breakdown 

may be, you can call the 

utility companies and ask 

what estimated expenses 

for given properties may 

be. 


PECO Energy 

www.exeloncorp.com 

2301 Market St 

800-494-4000 

PHIlaDElPHIa GaS 

WORKS 

www.pgworks.com 

1137 and 5230 Chestnut St 

215-235-1000 

PHIlaDElPHIa WaTER 

DEPT 

www.phila.gov/water 


215-686-6880 

COMCaST 

www.comcast.com 

1351 S Columbus Blvd 

215-463-1100 or 800-266- 

2278 

TIME WaRNER 

www.timewarnercable.com 

1700 N 49th St 

215-581-6100 

VERIZON 

www.verizon.com 

800-660-2215 

APARtmEntS 

Electricity & Gas 

Turning service on or off can be done in person, by 

phone, or online. If you need to set up an account 

with PGW, you might have to put up a deposit if your 

credit doesn’t pass muster. There’s a fee for setting up 

new service with PECO. 

Water 

Most landlords will include water in your rent, but be 

sure to ask. 

Cable & internet 

Everyone protects their wifi these days so it’s best not 

to bank on getting the net for free. You need to be able 

Skype your LD girlfriend/boyfriend and watch cute 

kitteh videos at a moment’s notice. And don’t rely on 

coffeeshops. You don’t tip the surly baristas enough to 

get the kind of swift support ITS provides. Clear and 

Virgin Mobile are your best options for avoiding the 

evil overlords of Comcast and Verizon but remember, 

you tend to get what you pay for. 


housing 

nEiGhBoRhoodS 

Get Centered 

Old City Center City’s liveliest area by night 

is home to First Fridays, the Fringe Festival, 

galleries a go-go, and more recently MTV’s The 

Real World. Old City’s 19th-century facades 

and commercial hipness will remind you of 

Soho. So will the fact that you probably can’t afford 

to live here. If you can, it’s a fast commute 

to school on the blue line subway. 

Society Hill Block after block of Georgian 

row houses and horse-drawn tourist carriages 

clopping about make this a sort of urban Williamsburg. 

apartments in gentility central aren’t 

cheap, but can be good value—it’s like living 

in Georgetown or the West Village for half the 

price. Good bus connections to campus on 

routes 21, 40 and 42. 

Washington Square West Once a downscale 

alternative to Society Hill next door, WSW has 

come up in the world: studios in the new St. 

James tower rent upwards of $1800. You can 

also find dumpier digs near South Street or 

perhaps a decently priced small house on one 

of the unbearably adorable small streets. 

Graduate Hospital Not so much a cohesive 

neighborhood as a realtordriven rebranding, 

apartments with this tag may be as far south as 


nEiGhBoRhoodS 

Fitzwater or Catherine Streets, which on this side 

of Center City may mean the occasional crime 

scene around the corner. Future gentrification of 

“G-Ho” is already priced in. 

Rittenhouse The student garrets of this teeming 

quartier hunker in the shadow of upscale shops 

and high-rise doorman buildings. There are deals 

here, but given the location (just over the river 

from Penn, and on the Penn Transit networks) 

calculating realtors have the upper hand. 

Fitler Square a leafy, quiet, and expensive neighborhood 

catering more to well-heeled families 

than low-margin students. Still, you might luck into 

a tiny house on a tiny street for less than a twobedroom 

apartment elsewhere. a 10-minute walk 

to campus via the South Street Bridge. 

Logan Square a small neighborhood built with 

townhomes and trinities, there are few enough 

rentals here that many people don’t even look. But 

for the same price as Rittenhouse, you can get 

a larger, nicer apartment only a few steps further 

from Penn (10 minutes via bike or green line trolley). 

Art Museum There are a few up-and-coming 

names you’ll see in listings, including Queen Village, 

Bella Vista and Northern liberties. These 

areas are just outside of Center City and have 

unique personalities; the tradeoff is more difficulty 


housing 

nEiGhBoRhoodS 

getting to school. art Museum shares this 

problem, but it’s closer than the rest (a 20-minute 

bike ride), with a mix of lovely Greekrevival 

row houses, supersized apartment complexes 

and post-industrial lofts. look closely: renewal 

How the West 

is Done 

Much undue derision is lobbed at West Philadelphia, 

the venerable seat of our fair university. 

Sure there are the occasional muggings, but 

you’re statistically more likely to get herpes 

from a keg stand at an undergraduate party. 

Besides, living in West Philly offers an abundance 

of character and a heaping dose of street 

cred. 

Though West Philly has a rather large geographic 

presence in the scope of the city, 

PennDesign students tend to limit their definition 

of the area to the minineighborhoods 

almost directly adjacent to the university. The 

areas north of lancaster avenue, west of 49th 

Street and south of Woodland avenue tend 

towards the, um, unstable side, while the area 

to the east of the Schuylkill River shades a bit 

towards to the au Bon Pottery Barn crowd. For 

our purposes, we’ll stick to the McPenntrified 

region within these otherwise arbitrary borders. 


nEiGhBoRhoodS 

an overview of the area, complete with history 

and demographic breakdowns, is at www.pennpartners.org/wp/plan. 

University City Home to The University of 

Pennsylvania (founded in either 1740 or 1749 by 

local eccentric Benjamin Franklin) and the most 

vigorously patrolled and gentrified area in West 

Philly. There are hotels, upscale shops, luxury 

apartments, and yellow-shirted storm troopers on 

bicycles to protect you from the bad men. That 

said, it is difficult to find housing in University 

City unless you live in Penn undergraduate 

dorms or the Graduate Student Ghetto. The left 

Bank is one option, and several new buildings 

are currently under construction. The constant 

presence of food trucks provide a humorous (and 

tasty) contrast to the pristine institutional buildings 

lining the streets. 

Spruce Hill a catchall name for the area between 

40th and 46th Streets, north of Woodland avenue 

and south of Market. It is comprised of three distinct 

regions: 

thE noLo The area North of locust (notably 

Walnut and Chestnut) is mixed use and is gradually 

becoming more commercial with the recent 

installation of “De lux” movie theaters in The 

Bridge at 40th & Walnut and a pseudo-Whole 

Foods called “Fresh Grocer” across the street (a 


housing 

nEiGhBoRhoodS 

reference to the food, not a lecherous vendor 

with a bad case of the Roman Hands). That 

said, inexpensive row-houses and small apartment 

buildings are still abundant, especially as 

one moves north and west. 

SoCiEtY hiLL WESt The area between Baltimore 

and locust, West Philly’s own version 

of Society Hill, is home to some of the most 

expensive homes this side of the Schuylkill. It 

is also, ironically (or perhaps not), seat to the 

largest percentage of Penn students living offcampus. 

This fairly clean area offers a good mix 

of sometimes-affordable West Philly living plus 

the relative safety and convenience of close 

proximity to campus. 

thE SoBA The SoBa (South of Baltimore) region 

is a culturally mixed area that includes historic 

Clark Park (site of a nice farmer’s market 

on Thursdays and Saturdays), the University of 

the Sciences and West Philly’s famous Ethiopian 

and Eritrean restaurants between 44th and 

46th (most notably Dahlak). It’s a friendly neighborhood 

with affordable row homes and some 

apartment buildings, most of which are along 

Baltimore and closer to 40th Street. 

Powelton Village So called because of its 

tree-lined streets and porchladen row houses 

(See? It’s a village!), this area was crime-ridden 

and sketchy as recently as 20 years ago. 


nEiGhBoRhoodS 

Though more affluent now, it is still inexpensive 

to live here, and a well-organized homeowners 

association is fervently lobbying to evict the 

current creep of Drexel fraternities and sororities. 

West Powelton Village (that’s, um, west of 

Powelton Village proper) is a bit more run down 

and unsafe, so it’s only a matter of time until the 

Hipsters move in. 

Walnut Hill, Garden Park, Cedar Court 

This trio of small neighborhoods with mindbogglingly 

WaSPy names lies between 46th 

and 49th Streets, south of Market and north of 

Woodland. It is also really, really, really, awfully, 

painfully close to—but outside of—the Pennsubsidized 

school district and its concomitant 

ten-year windfall of soaring housing prices. 

The local homeowners’ loss is your gain, as 

rental prices remain lower on this side of the 

PennContinentalShelf. Many who live in this 

area are able to exchange the money they save 


PUBlIC TRaNSIT 

PENNTRaNSIT 

NEW YORK & DC 

DRIVING DIRECTIONS 

aIRPORTS 

CaRS & PaRKING 

BiKE PARtS 

BIKES & BIKING 

3 BIKE RIDES 

EmERGEnCE 

GEttinG 

ARoUnd 

PUBLiC tRAnSit 

CommUtE 

YoUR 

SEntEnCE 

It’s easy to malign the Southeastern Pennsylvania 

Transit Authority. Its subway lines are dilapidated, 

its buses are driven by surly leadfoots, 

and its cash fares tie New York for the highest 

in the country. But damn it if SEPTA doesn’t 

get the job done. It is a transit system steeped in 

mediocrity that, blessed with a compact downtown 

and operational proficiency, happens to 

work pretty well. You can’t love or hate SEPTA, 

only regard it opportunistically. 

BUSES 

Diesel power is how many students commute 

from Center City to Penn, and we don’t mean 

fashion-forward kicks. Buses are generally 

comfortable, with advanced voice announcements 

that may or may not be working. Major 

lines running east-west past campus are the 

21 and 42 (Walnut and Spruce Streets westbound, 

Chestnut Street eastbound) and the 40 

(Lombard Street and Spruce Street westbound; 

Spruce Street, South Street and Pine Street 

eastbound). Route 42 runs all night (as far as 

4th Street) at half-hour intervals. 


getting around 


Bus drivers tend to operate as though SEPTA doles 

out bonuses for the fastest time and fewest passengers. 

It’s not uncommon for drivers to cruise by passengers 

waiting obviously and hopefully underneath 

bus-stop signs. If you’re waiting alone, the best bet is 

to flag down the bus with a big wave or a one-time 

$1,000 bonus. 

SUBWAY 

The fifth-largest city in the U.S. has but two lines: a 

north-south route under Broad Street and an eastwest 

Market Street line. The latter runs elevated 

outside of Center City and is often referred to as The 

El or the BlUE lINE, while the Broad Street subway 

is the ORaNGE lINE. 

Both lines date from the early 20th century and have 

not aged well. The trains themselves are not old, but 

can be criminally dirty. Still, the subway is frequent 

and fast—the express ride from 34th Street to Center 

City takes just a few minutes. Service starts around 

5am, with the last eastbound train leaving 34th Street 

soon after midnight. After that, Night Owl buses 

duplicate the route above ground every 15 minutes. 

tRoLLEYS 

They run like a bus on the surface in West Philly, 

then go underground, calling at subway-style stops in 

University City and Center City. How can that not 

be cool? The GREEN lINE (also known as subway- 



surface) is not as fast as the subway but, because several 

lines share the tunnels, very frequent. Trolleys stop at 

22nd and 19th Streets in Center City (the blue line 

does not), making them an uber-convenient way to get 

from campus to Rittenhouse Square. Trolleys only go as 

far east as 13th Street. A second drawback: on weekends, 

service through the tunnels often stops around 

10pm when trolleys divert to 40th and Market for connection 

with the blue line. 

REGionAL RAiL 

To see where all the money went instead of the subways, 

take a comfy ride to the ’burbs on SEPTA’s crown 

jewel. Trains stop at 30th Street Station, Suburban Station 

(at 16th St and JFK Blvd) and Market East Station 

(Market Street between 10th and 12th Streets) before 

fanning out as far as Trenton and Wilmington. The R1 

line runs to the airport every half-hour and stops at 

University City station near Franklin Field. 

FARES 

Paying for a SEPTA ride means choosing between being 

fleeced for expediency ($2.00 in cash) or making a 

special trip for a better deal. TOKENS come from machines, 

station booths (generally only on weekdays) and 

above-ground stores. Our advice is to go to a SEPTA 

sales office like the one inside 30th Street Station and 

use a credit card to buy a bushel. Your silver horde will 

make you the envy of your peers. Tokens buy a one-way 

ride on all buses, subways, and trolleys, but regional 




trains require tickets 

from vending machines 

or ticket windows 

(there’s a hefty 

surcharge for buying 

on board). 

Transfers are free 

only within subway 

stations. They are 

$0.60 beyond the 

cash or token fare 

otherwise. If your 

commute involves a 

transfer, a PaSS makes 

sense. SEPTA sells 

weekly ($18.75) and 

monthly ($70) flavors, 

but the best deal for 

regular commuters 

is the PENNPaSS, a 

semester-long pass 

available only through 

Penn for $250 (a 

10.7% discount). All 

passes are valid on 

the R1 airport line 

and anywhere within 

the SEPTA network 

on weekends and 


WHERE TO BUY TOKENS 

SEPTa fares are $2.00 cash or 

$1.30 with a token. 

Penn Bookstore (2nd floor) 

houston hall (basement level) 

30th Street Station 

Rite Aids 

SEPTa 

30th Street Station, (more 

locations listed on website) 

215-580-7800 

M-F 6-8, Sa-Su 8-6 

www.septa.org 

In addition to schedules and 

maps, the site lists sales 

locations and hawks SEPTa‘s 

intricately detailed map of Philadelphia, 

worth it at $7. 

PENNPaSS 

215-898-8667 

www.campusexpress. 

upenn.edu 

log into the site, click on “My 

Transportation,” then “Buy a 

PennPass.” 

PEnn tRAnSit 

holidays—if you take frequent trips to New York via 

Trenton this could save you a lot. 

PAtCo 

PATCO’s Speedline trundles over the Ben Franklin 

Bridge between Center City and Camden. 

LUCY 

SEPTA and the University City District run an infrequent 

bus loop called LUCY weekdays from 7am–7pm. 

Free with Penn ID, it’s useful for trips to 30th Street 

Station but little else. 

SKimP mY 

StRidE 

PEnnBUS 

PennBus east and west routes run about every 20 

minutes Monday through Friday. The west bus loops 

through Spruce Hill from 4:46pm to 12am; the east 

bus covers Rittenhouse Square from 5pm to 12:30am. 

Buses stop at signed Penn Transit stops on campus and 

at intersections offcampus. Details are available online 

at www.upenn.edu/transportation. The closest stop for 

PennDesigners is in front of The Food Court. You can 

alternatively hop on at the end of the campus loop at 

David Rittenhouse Labs on 33rd Street. 

The buses are cleaner. Sometimes you’ll get an older 



PEnn tRAnSit 

elementary school-style bus with 

no lighting, so forget about reading 

your history assignment on the ride 

home. Drivers usually don’t check 

IDs when you use the bus. Both bus 

and shuttle systems are free and run 

year-round, except major holidays. 

PEnnShUttLE 

White vans with shazam logos run 

east, west, and north, indicated by 

a lighted E, W or N on top. The 

west route picks up regularly at 

transit stops from 6pm to 3am; all 

other service is on-call. You will 

usually have to meet the shuttle at 

the closest transit stop on campus, 

but they’ll bring you right to your 

apartment, as long as you live within 

the boundaries of the shuttle service. 

You can also be picked up at your 

apartment and brought back to 

campus, but not between two offcampus 

locations. 

The disadvantage is long wait times 

(officially five to 20 minutes, but 

many times it’s longer). Your best 

bet is to call before 3am, when the 

dispatching is handed over to Penn 


PENN TRaNSIT 


transportation has 

sprightly animated 

route maps and 

schedules. 

Shuttle 

215-898-RIDE 

(press 2 for pickup) 

Walking Escort 

215-898-WalK 

PEnn tRAnSit 

Police. We recommend putting on your seat belt, because 

the shuttle drivers are known for their speed and Philly 

roads are known for their potholes. Remember your 

PennCard—you may be denied service if you don’t have 

it. 

West Shuttle 

Sunday-Saturday from 6 pm to 3 am. 

BOUNDaRIES: 50th to 40th, Woodland to Market 

East Shuttle 

Monday-Friday from 12:20 am to 3 am; Saturday & 

Sunday from 6 pm to 3 am. 

BOUNDaRIES: Schuylkill River to 20th, Market to South 

Xtra (“X”) Shuttles 

Sunday-Saturday from 6 pm to 3 am; Sunday-Saturday 

from 3 am to 7 am, limited on-call service is available. 

BOUNDaRIES: Spring Garden to Market, 43rd to 31st, 

& 30th St. Station 

PEnn tRAnSit WALKinG ESCoRt 

At any time of day or night, you can call 215-898-WALK 

to request a uniformed security officer to walk you from 

one campus location to another. You can also usually pick 

one up at 34th and Walnut. One question remains for 

you and your escort: to converse or not to converse? It’s a 

bit awkward. 



nEW YoRK & WAShinGton, dC 

RAiL/RoAd 

RULES 

nEW YoRK 

Commuter Rail Two transit bureaucracies 

grudgingly join hands in Trenton, NJ, 

with connecting trains running about once an hour 

from early morning until around midnight. It can 

be a hassle switching at Trenton, especially if you’re 

weighted down with baggage. And, as commuter trains 

with ten or twelve stops along the way, these sets of 

SEPtA 

www.septa.org 

Philly: 30th St Station, market 

East, Suburban Station 

nJ tRAnSit 

nYC: Penn Station 

www.njtransit.com 

$18.50 one way, $33.50 

roundtrip off-peak, $37 peak 


trains don’t make the 

best time (about 2½ 

hours in total). But by 

virtue of their predictability, 

they don’t typically 

waste your time if 

you’re prompt. Though 

they’ll fill up entirely 

at times (like holiday 

weekends), you can often get a pair of seats to yourself, 

preferable for getting things done on route, whether 

that’s reading or napping. 

At 30th Street Station, go up the ramp from the main 

room to reach SEPTA. Opt for the NJ Transit machine 

instead of the SEPTA ticket window: it gives you the 

choice of cash or plastic, and you can buy your roundtrip 

tickets all the way to New York. Otherwise, you’ll 


need to get additional tickets at Trenton where there 

may be precious few minutes to spare. Leaving Philadelphia, 

don’t get yourself confused with the R7 to 

Chestnut Hill East or the R3 to West Trenton—they’re 

not what you want. If you cut your timing too close, 

know that you can purchase tickets on either train, but 

the conductor will charge you extra for it. 

At Trenton, you can pretty well follow the crowds. 

Conductors will give directions if they know where 

you’ll get the next train. If the incoming train ran 

late, be prepared to hustle to get the connecting train. 

Don’t try to make a run to the bathroom—use NJ 

Transit’s on-board ones (no facilities on SEPTA). 

On the NJ Transit train, don’t be confused by Penn 

Station, Newark. If you want New York City, stay on 

through the tunnels until the last stop. 

nEW YoRK/dC 

Buses Looking to get out of Dodge? Just a 

few years ago, the Chinatown buses were the only 

affordable option, and usually came bundled with 

a somewhat sketchy encounter. Fortunately, more 

competition in recent years has made a quick weekend 

trip to a trip to NY, DC, and elsewhere a lot easier. 

Power outlets and wi-fi services offered on Bolt Bus 

and Megabus are fairly reliable so you can even get 

some writing done during your journey and somewhat 

justify your escape. 




The Bolt Bus is far superior and as a result, tends to 

sell out faster. Also, the well-advertised $1 bus trip 

is pretty much mythological. Expect to pay $12-15 

each way--still a bargain compared to Amtrak. It’s not 

perfect. The congestion of rush-hour traffic can make 

a two-hour trip run an extra 45 minutes. Or maybe 

you’ll sit in the bus for 20 minutes somewhere on the 

NJ Turnpike while the dispatcher clears immigration 

issues. Feeling noncommittal with your ticket purchase? 

The Chinatown buses may be for you. Buses 

depart each half-hour on two hour-plus trips. 

nEW YoRK/dC 

BoLt BUS 

www.boltbus.com 

Philly: 30th St & JFK Blvd. 

mEGABUS 

http://us.megabus.com 

Philly: 30th St & JFK Blvd. 

dC: 610 i Street 

$15 one-way, $28 round trip 

nEW CEntURY tRAVEL 

www.2000coach.com 

Philly: 55-57 n 11th St (btw 

Filbert and Arch) 

nYC: 86 Allen Street (between 

Grand and Delancey) 

$12 one-way, $20 round-trip 

dC: 513 h St nW 

$15 one-way, $20 round-trip 



Greyhound In response to competition 

from the Chinatown and other operators, Greyhound 

has continued to reduce their prices. They now have a 

loyalty program called Road Rewards, great for frequent 

travellers. Check the website under ESAVERS for other 

specials—remember, one-way tickets are good 

Greyhound is not the best way to travel to DC, as the 

trip takes between three and four hours and only a 

limited number of buses go to Union Station. Most stop 

several blocks behind the station at a sad bus depot at 1st 

and K Streets NE. 

GREYhoUnd 

www.greyhound.com 

Philly: 1001 Filbert St (1 blk n of 

market) 

nYC: Port Authority, lower level 

m-th $10 one-way, $18 round trip 

F-Su $14 one-way, $28 round trip 

(use NYPHLR coupon code) 

dC: 1005 1st St nE 




nEW YoRK/dC 

Amtrak If, for you, money matters less than 

time, take Amtrak. It’s quickest and most comfortable. 

You’ll find occasional hassles and delays, but 

by and large you will be satisfied and comfortable. 

AmtRAK 

www.amtrak.com 

Philly: 30th Street Station 

nYC: Penn Station 

$42-74 one way 

1.5 hours 

dC: Union Station 

$40-54 one way 

2 hours 


Fares can be much less if 

you get lucky on the Hot 

Deals link, much more if 

you go via the overmarketed, 

underwhelming 

Acela. Plan ahead! Same 

day ticket prices can go 

up. 

Amtrak’s ‘regional service’ 

to Washington’s Union Station (on Metro’s red line) 

takes a little less two hours. One or two regional 

trains depart every hour. Generally, the Metroliner 

and Acela are less than half an hour faster for more 

than twice the price, but sometimes there are website 

will magically appear. 

driving is the easiest way to get out of town 

(two hours to New York, two and a half to DC), 

but between tolls and gas you won’t beat the price 

of the buses. Frequent trips will be speedier with an 

E-ZPass. Directions to PennDesign and parking are 

on page 10. 


From Penn to nY 

• from the South Street bridge, turn left onto the onramp 

for I-76 W 

• merge onto I-676 E toward “Central Phila” (on the 

right) 

• merge onto I-95 N toward Trenton (on the left) 

• take EXIT 26 (on the right) to the Betsy Ross Bridge 

• follow signs for “90 to 73” 

• shortly after passing 295, exit on the right to NJ 

Turnpike N to New York 

From nY to Penn 

• take NJ Turnpike S from New York 

• take EXIT 4 (on the right) toward Philadelphia 

• follow signs to the Betsy Ross Bridge 

• merge onto I-95 S (on the left) 

• take EXIT 22 onto I-676 W toward “Central Phila” 

• exit onto I-76 W towards “Int’l Airport” (on the 

right) 

• exit onto South Street (on the left) and turn right 

From Penn to dC 

• from the South Street bridge, turn right onto the onramp 

for I-76 E 

following signs to the airport, you will: 

• take EXIT 347A toward I-95 (on the left) 

• I-76 will become 26th Street 

• turn right onto PA-291 W and cross the bridge 

• merge onto I-95 S (on the left) 

• passing the airport on your left, follow signs for “I-95 



AiRPoRtS 

to Baltimore” 

• I-95 continues through Baltimore to Washington 

From dC to Penn 

• take I-95 N toward New York 

• after the Delaware House rest area, the road splits: 

take EXIT 5D (on the 

left) onto I-495 N, following signs to Philadelphia 

• when you’re in sight of the airport, take EXIT 13 

(on the right) toward 

“I-76 West/Valley Forge” (stay to the right) 

• cross the bridge, then turn left at the first light onto 

S 26th Street 

• 26th Street becomes I-76 W 

• take EXIT 346A (on the left) to South Street and 

turn left 

A WidE 

AiR nEt 

PHL is Philly’s hometown airport, but some 

bargain-hunting travellers may find cheaper flights 

to airports in New York, New Jersey or Baltimore. 

PhL Philadelphia international 

PHIlaDElPHIa, Pa 

• SEPTA’s R1 from 30th Street or University City 

Stations: 20 minutes, $5.50 

• Shared Van (Lady Liberty, 215-724-8888): 30 


minutes, $10 

• Taxi (PHL Taxi, 800-936-5111): 15 minutes, $25 

AiRPoRtS 

EWR newark Liberty international 

NEWaRK, NJ 

• From Philadelphia, take SEPTA’s R7 to Trenton, connect 

to NJ Transit’s Northeast Corridor train to the Newark Airport 

station, then take the AirTrain to EWR: 2.5 hours, $7 

R7, $14 NJ Transit (at ticket machine use “101” for Newark 

International destination, use same ticket for AirTrain) 

• Shared Van (Dave’s Best, 800-255-2378): 1.5 hours, $60 

JFK John F. Kennedy international 

JaMaICa, NY 

• From Penn Station in Manhattan, take the LIRR 

Ronkonkoma line to Jamaica, go to Station D and take the 

AirTrain to JFK: 40 minutes from Penn Station, $4.75-$12 

LIRR (cheaper if you buy online), $5 AirTrain 

LGA Laguardia Airport 

FlUSHING, NY 

• From Times Square, take the N train to Astoria Blvd, walk 

one block to Hoyt Ave/31st St and take the M60 bus to 

Laguardia: 40 minutes from Times 

Square, $2 subway, $2 bus 

BWi Baltimore Washington international 

BalTIMORE, MD 

• From 30th Street Station, take Amtrak’s Regional Service 

to BWI: 80-95 minutes, $37-$57 



CARS & PARKinG 

LEARninG 

RUBBER 

Philadelphia doesn’t make owning a car easy, and you 

may find that trading in your four wheels for two will 

simplify your life (then you’ll need to go to Home Depot 

and the remorse will set in). If you come to Penn 

with a car, know what to expect: parking is elusive, 

insurance is expensive, and registering your car here 

makes applying to grad school seem comparatively 

simple. 

REGiStERinG YoUR CAR 

The major disadvantage to registering your car in 

Pennsylvania is that your insurance will almost definitely 

increase. One advantage, aside from being on 

the right side of the law, is that Pennsylvania has traditionally 

been a swing state and being a PA voter may 

be more consequential than it was back home—not to 

mention popularity with your foot-powered friends. 

PennDOT has a website www.dmv.state.pa.us that is 

designed through its illogical organization to discourage 

you from bringing a car into the state, so expect 

some confusion. 

1. Insurance Your first step towards registering is 

to switch your insurance. Auto theft in Philly keeps 

premiums high, but be sure to ask your insurance car- 



rier about your coverage. While rates are steep, the state 

minimums are very low (perhaps even too low for your 

own security). 

2. Inspections The next step is to get safety and emissions 

inspections. You’ll need your insurance card and 

registration.One recommended location is: STRaUSS 

DISCOUNT aUTO 4733 Chestnut St/ 215-476-8040. 

The cost is around $70. Find more under “Automobile 

Inspection Stations” in the yellow pages or visit www. 

drivecleanpa.state.pa.us. 

3. tags, title & Registration Once you are insured 

in Philadelphia and have passed your state inspections, 

you can get your license plate, stickers, title and registration. 

Here’s where it gets sketchy. While it is possible to 

do this directly through the state, information on how 

to do it is vague and the process is time-consuming. 

Your easiest option is to go to a commercial auto tags 

retailer or an auto club and pay about $90 to have it all 

done for you. When you register through one of these 

private companies you won’t need a tracing of your VIN 

or form MV-1. Check www.dmv.state.pa.us to determine 

which documents you will need. Two companies 

students have used previously are AAA and Abat’s. These 

and other license services competing to be first in the 

alphabet can be found in the yellow pages. 

FindinG PARKinG 

Residents of Center City and other ares with restricted 




parking will want to get a PaRKING PERMIT. The cost 

for the first year is $35 and $20 to renew. The permit 

office (215-683-9730, M-F 8:30-5) is walking distance 

from campus, located in an unmarked building at 

3101 Market Street. The desk guard will direct you to 

the office. You’ll need your PA registration and a proof 

of address in the form of a driver’s license, lease, or 

recent utility bill in your name. 

If you don’t have a parking permit there are only 

limited areas where you can leave your car for long periods. 

In Center City certain blocks below South Street 

are fair game, and in West Philly the closest UNRE- 

STRICTED STREET is Locust between 40th and 41st. 

Some streets further west and north are also available. 

(While parking in South Philly may seem like the less 

appealing option, it is the undergrads of Locust Street 

who are more likely to inflict random violence on your 

car.) For more info, check the city’s recently improved 

parking website www.philapark.org. For those with 

no time to drive around looking for a spot, a list of 

garages with daily rates is on page 10. 

For daily commuters, PENN SEllS a PaRKING PaSS 

for specific campus garages. PennDesign students will 

want the 24-hour parking pass (sorry, it’s true). The 

price for the academic year is $1,160. Summer students 

may want to get the yearly pass, which is $1,545. 

To apply for a parking pass, go to www.campusexpress. 

upenn.edu, log in, go to My Transportation, then 

Student Parking. 


TaGS, TITlE & 

REGISTRaTION 

AAA 


215-399-1180 

Abat’s Auto tags 


215-476-4943 

TOWING 

City of Philadelphia 

www.philapark.org 

215-561-3636 

George Smith 

215-729-9100 

Lew Blum towing 

215-222-5628 

R & K towing 

215-271-0505 

CaR RENTal 

Enterprise 

36th & Chestnut 

(in the Sheraton) 

215-387-3283 

Avis 

2000 arch St 

215-563-4477 

Budget 


215-222-4262 

hertz 


215-492-2958 


Got toWEd? 

Not getting enough sleep and becoming 

forgetful? Studio has consumed your 

thoughts for the last three weeks? Car 

has disappeared from last known parking 

place? Well, you’re not the first. 

If you think your car has been TOWED 

BY THE CITY, call 215-561-3636. They 

can tell you if they have it and at which 

impound lot. A list of documents you’ll 

need to retrieve your car, lot locations and 

hours, and towing fees can be found at 

www.philapark.org. The main impound lot 

is located at 2501 Weccacoe Avenue (near 

Columbus Boulevard and Oregon Avenue). 

You can get there on Bus 7 from Center 

City. 

GEttinG A dRiVER’S LiCEnSE 

Getting a driver’s license (or a non-driver’s 

ID card) is one thing that is done at the 

DMV. Check out the web site www.dmv. 

state.pa.us beforehand to be sure you 

have the CORRECT DOCUMENTS. Noncitizens 

must get a written verification of 

attendance from the university Registrar 

Office, located in the Franklin Building at 

3451 Walnut. The closest DMV to Penn 

is located at 1108 Market. Get there early 

and bring a book. 




CAR REntAL 

Not too bad for a big east-coast city: compacts hover 

around $30 a day for the weekend, $45-60 for weekdays, 

and $25 a day for weekly rentals. Check rental 

companies’ websites for those sweet, ephemeral specials. 

CARShARE 

PhillyCarShare (www.phillycarshare.org/rates/university-of-pennsylvania), 

a nonprofit founded by Penn 

grads, aims to fill the gap between occasional renters 

and full-time owners. The partnership with Penn is the 

largest university car-sharing program in North America 

and get access to a network of cars throughout the 

city, including a Prius parked at 38th and Walnut. Usage 

plans (including gas and insurance) are explained 

on their website. PhillyCarShare will contribute 1% of 

revenues into a special Penn Sustainability Fund. 

Zipcar (www.zipcar.com/penn) gets you 24/7 access to 

a variety of cars on campus as well as access to thousands 

of Zipcars all around the world. Penn students 

can join Zipcar for only $35/year. Usage plans (including 

gas and insurance) are explained on their website. 


BiKES & BiKinG 

LiFE on thE 

ChAin GAnG 

Being compact, flat, and gridded, Philadelphia is 

easier to bike than almost any other big city. Few 

destinations and attractions are all that far away. 

Most of the roads are well paved, with South Street 

and its bridge as notable exceptions. 

Find good routes, bike shops, and transit stations 

with the city’s EXCEllENT BIKE MaP (go to www. 

phila.gov/streets, then click on The Bicycle Network). 

There are designated bike lanes on many major 

streets in West Philly: Spruce, Walnut, Chestnut, 

33rd, 34th, and 38th. Bike stands are easy to find, 

certainly around campus. Meyerson has plenty of 

outdoor bike racks, but its indoor basement rack 

provides space for precious few. Get yourself a good 

lock if you’ll be leaving your bike outdoors. And be 

mindful of those trolley tracks. 




Located on campus, 

NEIGHBORHOOD BIKE 

WORKS (www. neighborhoodbikeworks.org) 

is a 

non-profit whose primary 

aim is teaching kids. They 

offer drop-off repair on 

Saturday mornings and 

ongoing “Bike Church” 

co-op repair clinics three 

times a week, as well as 

Urban Survival Biking 

courses. They can always 

use volunteers and occasionally 

have used bikes 

for sale. 


MaINTENaNCE & 

aCCESSORIES 

Bicycle Therapy 

www.bicycletherapy.com 

2211 South St 

215-735-7849 

M-Sa 10-6, W 10-7 

Marin makes good commuter 

bikes popular with students. 

trophy Bikes 

www.trophybikes.com 


215-627-3370 

10-6, 7 days 

Via Bicycle 

www.bikeville.com 

606 South 9th St 

215-222-2020 

T-Sa 10-5, W 1-9 

Firehouse Bicycles 

50th and Baltimore ave 

215-727-9692 

T-Sa 9-7 

Features vintage cruisers 

and lightweight road bikes. 

neighborhood 

Bike Works 

3916 locust Walk 

(inside St. Mary’s Hall) 

215-386-0316 


3 BiKE RidES 

Philadelphia lies between two rivers and is thus fairly 

flat (with a few notable exceptions such as the hills 

above Manayunk) and is a pleasant city to explore by 

bike. Bicycling is perhaps the easiest way to take in 

Philly’s architecture, sites, sounds, and smells, for one 

can dismount the two-wheeler at any time, yet still 

cover a good amount of ground while on the saddle. 

The heart of Center City can be too congested for 

sharing the road (riding a circa-1969 green Raleigh one 

drizzly Fall evening, I rear-ended the silver Jetta at 20th 

and Walnut when, mid-right turn, the driver came to 

a grinding halt to avoid a pedestrian–ouch!), but other 

areas of the city with wider roads are easier to navigate. 

Still, watch out for the old, old cobblestones of Germantown 

Avenue and its tire-swallowing streetcar rails 

along ride #1. 

Ride 1 thE CitY And thE CoUntRY 

Explore Germantown Avenue (a historical road from 

ghetto to affluence, from Germantown through Mt. 

Airy to Chestnut Hill) and Forbidden Drive in Wissahickon 

Creek Park. This ride highlights the changing 

state of the built environment of a 19th century linear 

city along a historic and present-day streetcar line, starting 

in the post-apocalyptic inner city and ending among 

upscale boutiques. 




POINTS OF INTEREST: The shell of the Divine Lorraine 

hotel on Broad Street, the brisk pace of pedalpushing 

through the ghetto, Sugar Stick bar, the gable 

roof of a storefront church painted onto a row house 

front, Cliveden, the site of the battle of Germantown, 

Germantown’s town square and its war monument, 

North by Northwest in Mt. Airy, a circa-1960s addition 

to a branch of the Free Library, a classic diner, 

Chestnut Hill shopping district, Morris Arboretum 

(owned by Penn), Chestnut Hill College, horse stables, 

Forbidden Drive (once a major thoroughfare into the 

city but closed to preserve its water supply), the Wissahickon 

Creek viewed from high above, and Tommy 

Gunn’s American Barbecue. 

DIRECTIONS: Go east on Chestnut to Broad Street, 

then go north on Broad to Germantown Avenue. Follow 

the full length of Germantown beyond Chestnut 

Hill. Turn left on W Northwestern Avenue, pass the 

horse stables, then turn left on Forbidden Drive, following 

its full length to the falls of the Wissahickon 

near Tommy Gunn’s. Connect to ride #2. 

Ride 2 SChUYLKiLL RiVER PARK to 

mAnAYUnK 

POINTS OF INTEREST: the bike path itself, including 

joggers, the Cira Center and its light show, the Philadelphia 

Art Museum, the Fairmount Water Works, 

Boat House Row, the tunnel of schist, bridges of steel, 



stone, and concrete (engineering is cool), Laurel Hill 

Cemetery, the Wissahickon waterfall, Tommy Gunn’s, 

Main Street Manayunk, Venture Scott Brown’s storefront 

windows, and the used CD table at Main Street 

Music (the end of the ride). 

DIRECTIONS: The Schuylkill River Park begins where 

Locust Street meets the river in Center City. Follow 

the path upriver until it (and Kelly Drive) end near 

the Wissahickon waterfall (Tommy Gunn’s delicious 

Oklahoma Corn Salad is served here, across from the 

bus terminal on Ridge Avenue). Bear left to Main 

Street Manayunk (you’ll see the big sign overhead), 

and end below the concrete arch rail bridge spanning 

Main Street. 

Ride 3 PEnnYPACK PARK 

This ride requires a car to reach the entrance to the 

park, or you could pack your bike onto SEPTA’s R7 

and take it from 30th Steet to Holmesburg Junction. 

The bike path is about eight miles one-way and crosses 

the picturesque Pennypack Creek numerous times. 

POINTS OF INTEREST: I-95 billboards, the city 

skyline, the hundred year-old Holmesburg Prison, 

the ups and downs and bridges of the Pennypack bike 

path, thick woods, a rocky creek, massive concrete arch 

bridges, and a seemingly whole other world beyond 

the confines of the laser cutter room. 




DIRECTIONS: By car, take I-76 W to I-676 E to I-95 

N towards Trenton. Exit at Cottman Ave/Rhawn 

Street and go north on Cottman, then turn right onto 

Torresdale Avenue. After Torresdale crosses the creek, 

park near the prison. 

miSCELLAnEoUS 

Connect with the folks at the Bicycle Coalition of 

Greater Philadelphia (bikephilly.org) for more routes, 

safety tips, maps, and how the heck you take your bike 

on public transportation. 

Finally, please be advised that Philly is known for its 

annual Naked Bike Ride. If you were scarred by the 

sight of hundreds of bikers in various states of undress, 

just know that it is like to happen again and 

prepare yourself accordingly. Googling the videos not 

recommended. 



Food tRUCKS 

FaST FOOD 

BURRitoS 

DINING alFRESCO 

CHEaP EaTS 

ChEESEStEAKS 

NEaR CaMPUS 

STEVEN STaRR 

FindinG 

Food 

KEEP ON 

(FOOD) 

TRUCKIN’ 

Philadelphia is renowned for its food. 

Traditionally, it’s been mostly about three 

items: cheesesteaks, hoagies, and soft 

pretzels. But ask a Philadelphia foodie 

what they’re favorite hometown dish is, 

and you’ll more likely hear responses 

such as banh mi, tacos al pastor, and tofu 

meatballs. In my opinion, the best restaurants 

aren’t the ones that have storefronts, 

tables, and waiters, but instead are 

the ones that live are on four wheels and 

travel the city. Philadelphia’s hundreds 

of food trucks and carts serve everything 

from General Tso’s chicken to pork buns, 

enchiladas verde to edamame tacos, and 

tiramisu macaroons to earl grey tea ice 

cream. In University City, where a salad 

from Houston Hall or Cosi cuts deep into 

your bank account, there are hordes of 

food trucks serving up all kinds of delicious, 

original, and fresh fare at reasonable 

prices. 

As a first year, you may find yourself willing 

to venture forth into this food scene 

and wonder which trucks are worth visit- 


finding food 

Food CARtoGRAPhY 

ing. Does Steak Queen really have the best 

cheesesteaks on campus? Should I visit le 

Anh or The Real Le Anh? And where can I find 

a decent burrito aside from Chipotle? Before 

you shell out serious cash on some truck’s subpar 

Sesame Chicken, here are my recommendations 

for food trucks that you cannot miss: 

One of the newest additions to the food truck 

scene is the wildy popular tyson Bees 

(33rd and Spruce), which serves up some of 

the Korean fusion in Philadelphia. For $8, you 

can try all three of their tacos (Korean BBQ 

Short Rib, Thai Chicken Basil, and Edamame), 

or try them a la carte for $3 a pop. They also 

serve equally delicious curry rice bowls ($7), 

lemongrass Pork Banh Mi ($5) and their savory 

and sweet Steamed Pork Buns ($3). On really 

stressed out days, I like to add a Thai Iced Tea 

to help put my mind at ease. 

Further up Spruce between 36th and 38th 

streets is a whole collection of food carts that’s 

Penn’s own international food court. although 

the one place you shouldn’t miss on this stretch 

of asphalt is hemo’s (37th and Spruce), 

where Hemo himself has been serving up his 

signature grilled chicken sandwiches with his 

tangy white secret sauce (don’t laugh) for generations 

of undergrads and grads alike. The 

subs are absolutely worth the wait, and the av- 


finding food 


erage cost is about $5 per sandwich. Hemo’s also 

makes a mean cheesesteak and chicken cheesesteak 

that’s not as big as some of his competitors, 

but just enough to keep you satisfied without 

feeling too full. 

On the other side of locust Walk behind the 

Pottruck Fitness Center lies one of Penn’s (not 

so) hidden food truck gems: Kim’s oriental 

Food Truck (Sansom between 37th and 38th). 

You’ll know you’re there because it’s the only truck 

in this vicinity with a consistent wait. However, 

the service is speedy so don’t feel daunted. all 

of your Chinese favorites, from Sesame Chicken 

to Shrimp lo Mein, Pork Fried Rice, and General 

Tso’s Chicken are all here in nice-sized portions 

and for less than five bucks. My advice? Try the 

Sesame Chicken ($4.50) at least once, then step 

up to the Grandfather or Orange Chicken ($4.50) if 

you want something a little more authentic. 

But you’d be a fool to miss out on what I have 

dubbed as the holy trinity of Penn Food Trucks, 

and it just so happens that they are lined up like 

ducks in a row. If you’re willing to hike as far as 

38th street, then you’ll be handsomely rewarded 

with KoJa, Tacos Don Memo, and Sugar 

Philly, (38th between Walnut and Sansom). 

KoJa, a portmanteau of Korean-Japanese (get 

it?) serves up delicious beef bulgogi and teriyaki, 


finding food 


along with heaping portions of noodles, 

kimchi, and the incredibly cheap Bulgogi 

Cheesesteak (less than $4, and named one 

of america’s 10 best sandwiches by the 

Huffington Post). In addition, their entire 

menu is half-priced starting on Fridays 

after three (such a deal!). Tacos Don 

memo’s tacos and burritos are so good, 

even the Californians at PennDesign approve. 

I recommend a Burrito al Pastor 

($7) served with “medium” salsa (half mild, 

half spicy). They also serve enchiladas 

and tortas (Mexican sandwiches). Finally, if 

you can even think about dessert, Sugar 

Philly has been the go-to cart for all things 

sweet for Penn students recently. Not only 

is the owner the nicest man on the face of 

the Earth, but they have the most incredible 

French Macaroons in a whole host of intriguing 

flavors (Milk and Honey, Tiramisu, Meyer 

lemon, to name a few). They also have a 

rotating assortment of other top-notch desserts, 

perfect for a sweet moment alone or 

sharing with a friend! 


finding food 


Some other tips if you want to eat at the trucks like 

a pro: 

• Go early or order ahead. Many of 

these carts have long lines (looking at you, 

Tacos Don Memo), so make sure you get 

there early to avoid waiting forever. If you’re 

in a time crunch, many of the allow you to call 

ahead to place an order. Get their business 

card or check Yelp for their specific number. 

• Know what you want before it’s 

your turn to order. There’s nothing that 

a cart owner or other hungry guests hate more 

than someone who gets to the window and 

takes forever to decide what they want. Use 

your time in line to peruse the menu and figure 

out what you want so that you can keep the 

line moving and get to your food faster. 

• Follow Follow Follow. Many of the 

carts have a strong online following and presence. 

Tyson Bees, Sugar Philly, and KoJa are 

all on either Facebook and Twitter, along with 

many of the other nearby trucks. Follow your 

favorites or become a fan to check their hours, 

specials, and truck updates. You can also 

check out PennFoodTrucks.com to learn about 


content text 


all the other food trucks, including hours, 

menus, and reviews. 

lastly, here are some other trucks and carts that 

get an honorable mention and my personal seal 

of approval: 

• Magic Carpet (34th and Walnut and 

36th and Spruce): Vegetarian staples that 

even meat eaters will love. Get the Falafel 

or Magic Meatball pita. 

• Lucky’s Mexican Spot (37th and 

Spruce): a solid alternative to Tacos don 

Memo. Get the Enchiladas Mole or anything 

with Guacamole. 

• Denise’s Soul Food Truck (30th 

and Chestnut): a bit of a hike from campus, 

but you won’t find better Fried Chicken and 

Macaroni and Cheese elsewhere. 

• new York Gyro Cart (37th and 

Spruce): New Yorkers will love this hometown-style 

Halal cart. Get the lamb and 

Chicken combo with rice and salad. Don’t 

skip the hot sauce. 


FAt oF 

thE LAnd 

McDONALDS 

7 DaYS, 24 HRS/ 3935 WalNUT ST 

34TH & CIVIC CENTER BlVD (INSIDE 

CHOP) 

Though they both boast the full 

Mickey-D’s compliment of juicy 

burgers, crisp fries and social pathos, 

these franchises each have unique 

strengths: the Walnut Street location 

is jockeying for the citywide title of 

most frequently robbed food purveyor, 

while the CHOP location mystifies 

with its peculiar segregated layout. 

What exactly is wrong with those 

people? Or is it better not to ask? 

BEiJinG 

M-TH 11:30-10:30, F 11:30-11, 

Sa 12-11, SU 12-10:30 

3714 SPRUCE ST/ 215-222-5242 

This Beijing doesn’t refer to the 

Chinese capital, it translates as “gold 

mine.” As the only Chinese place 

adjacent to campus that doesn’t roll 

away at sunset, and one of the few 

cheap table-service joints, the house is 

packed for lunch and dinner. Beijing’s 

kitchen is competent and its portions 

healthy (the ‘pint’ is enough for 

dinner), but you’ll get better value 

in Chinatown. Scandal: the T-shirts 

read “Beijing at Penn” in English but 

“University City” in Chinese. 

FASt Food 

dUnKin’ donUtS 

M-F 5:30-8, Sa-SU 6-6 

3437 WalNUT ST 

The fantastic thing about donuts 

is that you can’t feel guilty about 

scarfing them down at 6:00am. A 

Dunkin’s donut, frankly, should 

feel ashamed to even share an 

elevator with a Krispy Kreme, and 

DD’s policy of handing out a sad 

little tin of cream cheese in lieu of 

properly schmearing your bagel 

is infuriating. But Dunkin’ is a 

godsend in the early morn after an 

all-nighter, when the only other 

things open on Walnut Street are 

storm drains. Quality coffee, too. 

PiCniC 

M-F 7-7:30, Sa 7-6 

3131 WalNUT ST/ 215-222-1608 

As the name implies, Intermezzo 

is just a placeholder. Pass it by in 

favor of its friendlier Left Bank 

neighbor. When there’s no time 

to cook, Picnic can satisfy your 

need for a homemade meal and 

an alternative to typical Philly 

foodservice attitude. The deli case’s 

daily variety of tempting meat, 

vegetable, and pasta dishes may 

fluster the indecisive, but alternating 

soup, salad and sandwich offers 

are excellent too. A little pokey by 

fast food standards. 


finding food 

DINING 

ALFRESCO 

LoCUSt WALK At 37th 

What more could you want than shade, tables, a location 

convenient to Spruce Street and 38th Street food 

carts and a constant passage of unwary tourists sitting 

next to the Franklin statue? 

33Rd St BtW WALnUt St & FRAnKLin 

FiELd 

A quick stroll east from Meyerson brings you to a frontier 

of carts selling bargain-priced cheesesteaks and OK 

Mexican food. Just behind the hedges is a lovely little 

patch of grass with benches and center-court views. 

AnnEnBERG PLAzA BtW LoCUSt WALK & 

WALnUt St, 36th & 37th 

New and undiscovered, the tables here bask in shade 

and quiet, with the Annenberg building as a stark, 

handsome backdrop. 

LoCUSt WALK At thE Foot oF thE 38th 

StREEt PEdEStRiAn BRidGE 

The silvery flash of the chairs here reminds us of a 

European sidewalk café, as do the Whartonites yammering 

on cell phones. Adjacent Au Bon Pain sells off 

its baked goods for half price starting at 4pm. 


LEhmAn BRothERS QUAd, noRth oF 

SPRUCE BtW 37th & 38th 

Admit it, you’ve always wanted to dine al fresco on 

a lawn named for a bondtrading firm. Space and 

solitude just steps from Wawa. 


finding food 

ChEAP EAtS 

thE 

dEBtoR’S 

dininG GUidE 

I could barely afford my iPod Shuffle! Where can I eat 

cheap? Besides all the convenient places around school, 

there’s a world of choice cuisine in Philly, which is 

good, because how long can you really trust the magic 

meatballs? 

Plan a nice day to visit the Italian Market, where the 

produce is fresh: 

If you do nothing else, go to Sabrina’s Cafe, a 

BYOB on 9th and Christian. When you go on Sunday 

afternoon, you’ll hit their super popular brunch. Go a 

little later, around 2pm, and the wait’s shorter. Don’t 

miss out on their eggs benedict: they’re amazing. The 

cali-turkey sandwich is excellent, the fries are crispy, 

and the crowd is young and attractive. While waiting 

to get a table at Sabrina’s, go around the corner to 

Anthony’s Italian Coffee House, 903 S 9th 

Street, a family cafe that’s been around for a hundred 

years. Their coffee is even better with a cannoli from 

Isgro Pastries, 1009 Christian, down the street. 

Looking for pizza? Grab a slice at Lorenzo’s Pizza 

at 9th and Christian. Impress your friends by getting 

a slice of white broccoli pie or one of their breakfast 

themed slices. 


ChEAP EAtS 

For the best authentic Mexican, walk over to Plaza 

Garibaldi, 935 Washington, where the service 

is sweet and the green salsa is spicy! The food is so 

gratifying and yet so inexpensive. Get steak tacos or 

tostadas, but don’t bother with their guacamole. If 

you’re a born adventurer, keep walking down Washington 

Avenue and you will hit a slew of large Asian 

restaurants. Go for Vietnamese, like Nam Phuong, 

1100 Washington. 

A little north, on South Street, there are so many 

places to eat, it would entail changing this cute little 

survival guide into a survival bible (maybe next 

year?)... 

For burgers, fries, and pear margaritas (watch out, 

their doubles are strong!), stop by Copabanana 

at 334 South Street. The Tattooed Mom, 530 

South Street, has lovely pierogies, because there is 

obviously nothing better than stuffed dough rolls with 

a lager. Govinda’s Café, 1408 South Street, makes 

fake meat fun! Start with the mock “shrimp” and “scallops” 

appetizers, and move on to their “cheesesteak”. 

For exciting Middle Eastern (Seriously now. You’ve had 

enough Magic Carpet.) taste the falafel at Alyan’s, 

603 S 4th Street. 

The sushi at Houston Hall is so lame. Help! 


finding food 

ChEAP EAtS 

Go to Raw Lounge, 1225 Sansom, where the sushi 

is savory, and so is the sake. For the best Chinese in 

the city (this place comes highly recommended) eat at 

the Sang-ke Peking Duck House, 9th Street 

and Vine. It’s perfect for birthday dinners. A friend’s 

favorite dish ever is the wonton noodle soup with 

duck. Nearby is Harmony, 135 North 9th Street, 

which boasts a very, very vegan menu and is constantly 

mentioned at the Fine Arts building. 

I feel so guilty being too far away from my studio… 

where can I go? Step away from the food carts and 

forsake the Quizno’s subs: 

For choice fare close to school, try Lou’s Restaurante, 

305 N 33rd Street. They have a fantastic 

shrimp quesadilla. It’s virtually unknown to Penn students, 

which is a shame, because it’s a tasty little jewel. 

Don’t forget to grab some beer at Drexel Pizza on 

the way, as Lou’s is BYOB. 

West of campus, Abyssinia Restaurant, 229 

South 45th Street, also known as the downstairs of 

Fiume, is low-priced and vegetarian-friendly. Tandoor, 

at 106 South 40th Street, has an all-you-caneat 

buffet and gives a 20% discount with student IDs. 

Pattaya Grill, 4006 Chestnut Street, has good Pad 

Thai, which is what I always get at Thai restaurants, 


and I’m sure there’s a suburban joke just waiting to 

be made. 

To satisfy your sweet tooth, skip the Dunkin’ Donuts 

and take a walk to Metropolitan Bakery, 

at 4013 Walnut. While you’re there, stop by the 

Slought Foundation next door and check out their 

exciting art shows. 

CITY OF 

SMOTHERLY 

LOVE by Kristopher Powell 

Now that you’ve arrived in Philadelphia, it is 

time to start taking in some of the local culture. 

The Philadelphia art Museum and the 

Philadelphia Orchestra are great, but what if 

you’re looking for culture at 2 in the morning? 

Your best bet is to load your friends into the 

Geo Metro and head to South Philly for that 

native delicacy and true epitome of brotherly 

love: the cheesesteak. Everyone, from 

bond traders to homeless people, can meet 

and share their common love for a simple 

sandwich. That and a complete disregard for 

carbcounting, fat intake, and the risk of heart 

disease. 


finding food 

all the action goes down in South Philly, home 

to the Cheesesteak Holy Trinity: Pat’s, Geno’s, 

and Jim’s. You’ll find the first two at the intersection 

of 9th Street and Passyunk avenue. 

This location is easy to find, even from outer 

space, thanks to the stands’ impressive dueling 

fluorescent facades. The third member of 

the trinity is Jim’s, conveniently located across 

from Pearl art & Craft Supply at 4th and South 

Streets, and a frequent destination of late-night 

partiers. 

at any one, the ordering process moves quickly, 

so be prepared. The man behind the griddle 

has no time for hesitation or indecision, and like 

most places in this city, if you take too long, 

somebody is going to yell at you. Consequently, 

you are advised to get your order and 

your money ready while still in line. Though the 

process can be intimidating, just tell yourself 

that if the guy in the wifebeater two spots ahead 

of you can handle ordering, you can too. 

The first part of your order refers to whether you 

want your steak with grilled onions. You have 

two choices: “wit” or “wit-out”. The next part 

specifies what topping you’d like: plain, cheese 

whiz, provolone, american, or a pizza steak. 

So, for example “Wit’ whiz” means: “I would like 

a steak with grilled onions topped with cheese 

whiz, please.” Depending where you are, your 

steak will be ready somewhere between 0.7 


and 10 seconds later. all that is left to do is pay 

your money (cash only, please), apply ketchup 

as necessary, and enjoy your meal, aware that 


finding food 

REStAURAntS: nEAR CAmPUS 

FoLKS And 

SPoonS 

Parents are in town, looking for signs of life, but you 

barely have time to pull yourself away from your latest 

meisterwerk? Set a lab machine to render, and let your 

folks buy you a decent meal that’s still within walking 

distance of campus. A few suggestions, each with a 

nearby backup plan: 

WhitE doG CAFÉ 

3420 Sansom St/ 215-386-9224 

The most obvious choice, this is the Nice Collegiate 

Restaurant par excellence with delectable, expensive, 

organic “New American” food, just the right light 

levels and cozy décor. The bar offers a respite from the 

businesslike despair of the New Deck and a food menu 

reasonable enough that you just might eat here on 

your own. 

Nearby: LA tERRASSE 

3432 Sansom St/ 215-386-5000 

La Terrasse offers a bistro menu, similar prices and 

upscale-enough digs. In season, go for the outdoor 

tables on the namesake in back. The long, narrow bar, 

complete with bombastic brass beer spigot, is one of 

the best-looking around. 



Pod 

3636 Sansom St/ 215-387-1803 

Don’t tell your parents that the neo-mod-resin-whiteness 

thing is past its prime; they’ll think this is the 

coolest place on earth. A pan-Asian menu stands up 

to the décor, and we have to admit a soft spot for the 

airline-style bathrooms. Grab a semi-private pod with 

changing colored lights. 

Nearby: PEnnE 

3611 Walnut St/ 215-823-6222 

We haven’t actually eaten at Penne (in The Inn at 

Penn, get it?) but we would take our parents here a 

thousand times before dragging them down the street 

to that poorly-lit cesspool of watered-down tequila 

called Mad4Mex. 

LEmon GRASS thAi 

3630 lancaster ave/ 215-222-8042 

A 10 minute stroll north of campus (or quick cab 

ride) is one of the best Thai restaurants in the city, 

and certainly the best affordable Thai. Deep red walls, 

giant tan ceramic platters, Golden Monkey beer, and 

a dessert concoction of fried banana, coconut ice 

cream and mango sauce make this a uniquely satisfying 

palace of Siamese comfort food. 


finding food 


Nearby: zoCALo 

3600 lancaster ave/ 215-895-0139 

A great deck and designer margaritas call like sirens 

from Zocalo, although the food doesn’t always live up 

to the haute-Mexican promise or the prices. 

nAn 

4000 Chestnut St/ 215-382-0818 

As you enter Nan, the dim lighting will almost cover 

up the cheap decor and office-like chairs. But watching 

waiters in ties serve up not-quite-Thais like cranberry 

and pepper-encrusted venison, you can see this 

BYOB’s top-end aspirations. The food is quite good, 

not good enough to justify the dinner prices—lunch is 

a better option. The warm chocolate cake is marvelous 

with vanilla ice cream. 

Nearby: thAi SinGhA hoUSE 

3939 Chestnut St/ 215-382-8001 

Is Thai Singha House somehow sponsored by the Thai 

beer of the same name? We’ve never figured it out, but 

we can say the décor, food, and prices here, though a 

step down from Nan, are still parent-worthy and probably 

better value. 


REStAURAntS: StEVEn StARR 

StARR 

REPoRt 

What’s the deal with this Steven Starr? Well, he has 

designed a fleet of restaurants, most of them in downtown 

Philly (lucky you). Think Columbus with his 

ships, but way hipper. Watch out! This is true of all 

twelve Starr joints: they’re tasty, yes, and they might 

glow in the dark, but the drinks take a heavy toll on 

the wallet. Check out the menus before you go on 

their flashy websites (starr-restaurant.com). Oh, and 

you might want to make reservations. Welcome to 

adulthood. 

For a comfortable introduction, I suggest the Continental 

Mid-Town, at 1801 Chestnut. Get a dish for 

each person and share. The pad thai is good and there’s 

plenty of it. The wasabi mashed potatoes are a great 

side, as are the szechuan fries. The lobster mac’n’cheese 

sounds lame, but is actually the opposite. 

Or try Pod, located at 3636 Sansom, right in our 

backyard. They have drink specials (sometimes). The 

dumplings are delicious, and so is the stir-fry. Go with 

friends and get one of their sushi platters. 

Head to El-Vez, 121 South 13th Street, for good 

guacamole, nice waiters and margarita pitchers. It’s 

Mexican and it’s the cheapest of the Starrs. Go figure. 


finding food 

REStAURAntS: StEVEn StARR 

Movin’ on up? Go to Buddakan, 325 Chestnut. It’s a 

beautiful place to eat or go on a date. Stay away from 

the prawns, as they have faces. Go for the salmon or 

tuna instead, and save room for dessert. 

Trust fund baby? Get thee to Morimoto! At 723 

Chestnut, they proudly house Iron Chef Masahuru 

Morimoto, who totally beat the apron off Bobby Flay. 

The chef has a multi-course tasting menu, starting at 

$80 a person, with extra for beverages specially selected 

to compliment the food. The sushi looks good, too. 

There are many more Starr restaurants but we’ve been 

stuck in studio. If you’ve done your math, you know 

there are still seven more lavishly designed restaurants. 

Try them all. Go on weeknights when the crowds are 

more manageable, and dress nicely. It’ll be a welcome 

change from the shabbiness of everyday life at school. 



STUDIO SUPPlIES 

SUPERMaRKETS 

MallS 

ERRaNDS 

THRIFT STORES 

BUYinG 

StUFF 

StUdio SUPPLiES 

GEt YoUR 

FoAmCoRE 

on 

UtRECht ARt SUPPLY CEntER 

Utrecht does not offer student discounts, but 

they usually have seasonal discount programs 

if you rack up a high enough tab. Selection 

is relatively small due to store size (the Broad 

Street location is slightly bigger), but the stocking 

tends to be more predictable than Pearl. 

Friendly staff will pre-order items in advance if 

you know you’re going to need a lot. Sign up for 

the mailer and hold on to the coupons. 

DIRECTIONS: Utrecht’s Chestnut Street store 

is a 20 minute walk from Penn, or take Bus 21 

or 42 there from 34th & Chestnut, returning 

on Walnut. Street parking is hit or miss at both 

stores. 

BLiCK ARt mAtERiALS 

A good place to go for material ideas, the store 

often has products that cannot be found at 

other local art stores. The store is located on 

13th and Chestnut Streets. 

DIRECTIONS: Take the 21 Bus or any eastward 

bound Trolley to 13th and walk south. Parking 

is hard to come by. 


uying stuff 


EVERYthinG 

PLAStiC 

(née Arch Street 

Plastics) 

They’ve got one word 

for you (sorry, had 

to), in a wide variety 

of thicknesses, colors, 

and finishes. They will 

cut plexi to suit, but 

call ahead to confirm 

cutting hours. Also be 

sure to check the large 

scrap room for the best 

bargains. 10% student 

discount. 

DIRECTIONS: Take 

the Market-Frankford 

(blue) subway line to 

the Spring Garden 

station. Walk west on 

Spring Garden, then 

turn left on 2nd Street. 

A.C. mooRE 

Welcome to the unsettlingly 

large world of 

“crafters.” If Martha 

Stewart went AWOL 


aRTIST SUPPlY 

Blick Art Materials 


215-238-1900 

M-Sa 8-8, Su 11-6 

Utrecht Art Supply Center 


215-563-5600 

M-F 9-6, Sa 10-6, Su 12-5 

301 S Broad St 

215-546-7798 

M-F 8-7, Sa 9-6, Su 12-5 

taws Artist materials & 

Studio 


215-563-8742 

MTThF 9-6:20, W 9-7:20 

A.C. moore 


215-465-0930 

M-Sa 9:30-9:30, Su 11-6 

StoA 

3rd Floor Meyerson 

M-Th 7-9 

charette.com 

nationalbalsa.com 

METalS 

metal Supermarkets 

5101 Cottman ave 

215-335-2003 

PlaSTICS 

Everything Plastic 

444 N 2nd St 

215-238-9800 

M-F 8:30-5, Sa 9-2 

HaRDWaRE STORES 

home depot 


215-218-0600 

M-Sa 6-10, Su 8-8 (varies) 

2200 Oregon avenue 

215-551-1753 

M-Sa 6-10, Su 7-10 (varies) 

Lowe’s 


215-982-5391 

M-Sa 6-10, Su 8-8 

Rittenhouse Hardware Inc. 

2001 Pine Street 

215-735-6311 

lUMBER 

Groff & Groff Lumber 

858 Scotland Rd, Quarryville 

800-342-0001 or 717-284-0001 

Woodland Building Supply 

4701 Woodland ave 

215-727-5333 

Sawbell Lumber Co. 

4505 lancaster ave 

215-877-7988 


from the big house, this is 

where Tommy Lee Jones 

would track her to. At hectic 

review times, check here for 

basswood and dowels. 

DIRECTIONS: From Penn, 

take I-76 W to I-676 E. Take 

I-676 to I-95 S and use the 

first (left) exit, Columbus 

Blvd. Turn right at the light 

onto Columbus. The slice 

of suburban consumerism 

known as Pier 70 and home 

to Home Depot, A.C. Moore, 

Wal-Mart, SuperFresh, Old 

Navy and more, is a half-mile 

down on the left. 

homE dEPot 

Neither of the two Home 

Depots can claim great prices 

or great lumber, but they are 

open late. They will cut large 

pieces of wood (only the first 

two cuts are free). Beware 

though, at the Columbus 

Blvd store the blade on the 

saw hasn’t been changed since 

the store opened and the 

tolerance is about a foot. 


uying stuff 


DIRECTIONS: For the Columbus Blvd store follow the 

same directions for A.C. Moore. For Oregon Ave, take 

I-76 E to the Passyunk Ave/Oregon Ave exit (347B). 

Take the Oregon Ave East ramp. Then merge onto W 

Oregon Ave. 

ChARREttE 

Charrette is a Massachusetts mail-order retailer geared 

to the design professional. Large selection and reasonable 

prices, but you pay for shipping. 

StoA 

STOA is PennDesign’s student-run supply store and 

sells a limited selection of Charrette items at cost, 

making it cheaper than Pearl or Utrecht for many 

items (get their price list and keep it handy). In-house 

location makes it a good place for big, floppy things 

like foamcore and drawing paper. 

thE FABRiCAtion LAB 

The PennDesign Fab Lab on the 4th floor of Meyerson 

regularly places wood orders for students. This can be 

more convenient than schlepping to Home Depot but 

you won’t get to pick your own pieces. Talk to Dennis 

for prices. Deliveries are usually made two to three 

days after an order is placed. The Fab Lab also has a 

stockpile of odd-sized wood like birdseye maple and 

cherry priced by the board-foot. To place an order, see 

Dennis Pierattini, Fab Lab Manager. 


Got 

miLK? 

SUPERmARKEtS 

FRESh GRoCER 

A Wood + Zapata building houses the main food destination 

for West Philly’s students. There’s a large selection 

of standard groceries plus a hot food bar open for 

breakfast through dinner, a coffee stand and upstairs 

seating. Sadly, the building isn’t used as it was designed 

(you choose the blame) with extra merchandise shelves 

filling every inch of floor space—yet some items are 

always out of stock. And the produce doesn’t live up to 

the store’s name. 

Bus 21 to 40th & Walnut. 

WhoLE FoodS mARKEt 

Both locations have great selections of fish and meat, 

produce, and prepared foods, but it’ll cost ya. Groceries 

are more reasonable since 365, the Whole Foods 

brand, dominates. As you’d expect from a place that 

stocks Alternative Medicine at the checkout, the 

organics come fast and furious; for Oreos and Doritos, 

go to Fresh Grocer or SuperFresh. 

Bus 40 to 10th & South, no direct transit to Penn Ave store. 

tRAdER JoE’S 

The Ikea of gourmet, Joe’s has good quality and very 

reasonable prices, but this location has a small selec- 


uying stuff 

SUPERmARKEtS 

tion and, due to state liquor laws, can’t flog cheap 

wine. The frozen foods and house-label beverages are 

very good. Joe also discounts luxury euro treats such as 

Ritter and Limonata. No street entrance—go through 

the parking lot in back to enter. 

Green line trolley to 21st St. 

SUPER FRESh 

A better-than-average grocery store, without the 

checkout ’tudes of the Fresh Grocer. The South Street 

location is across from Whole Foods and rather large; 

the 5th Street store isn’t much of a destination, but it’s 

a convenient stop on the way back from Pearl (catch 

the westbound 42 bus at the corner of 5th and Spruce 

to return home to Meyerson). 

Bus 40 to 10th & South. Bus 40 to 5th & South. 

thRiFtWAY 

There won’t be Hawaiian shirts or free samples to 

greet you at these dingy, no-frills stores. Go for cereal 

and yogurt—you’ll be disappointed if you’re looking 

for anything slightly exotic or especially fresh. Unfortunately 

they aren’t all that thrifty either—for a real 

bargain you gotta head for the ’burbs. 

Bus 40 to 22nd & South. 

SUPREmE FoodmARKEt 

The lights have been burning inside the old Thriftway 

for two years, and to PECO’s relief, someone has 

finally moved in. This new store is said to feature a 

great variety of ethnic foods including an addictive 


SUPERMaRKETS 

Fresh Grocer 


7 days, 24 hours 

Whole Foods market 

929 South St 

7 days 8-10 

2001 Pennsylvania Ave 

(2 blocks N of Franklin 

Pkwy) 

7 days 8-10 

trader Joe’s 


7 days 9-9 

Super Fresh 

1001 South St 

M-F 7-11, Sa-Su 7-10 

309 South 5th St 

(btw Spruce & Pine) 

M-F 7-11, Sa 7-10, Su 7-9 

thriftway 

2221 South St 

7 days 7-10 

Supreme Foodmarket 


SUPERmARKEtS 

Argentinian soda which is “so damn 

good.” Sorry, no hours posted at 

press time. 

Bus 21 to 43rd & Walnut. 

PRodUCE mARKEtS 

Philadelphia may be famous for 

cheesesteaks, hoagies, scrapple 

and Tastykakes, but there’s actually 

some healthy stuff to eat here 

too. The fertile agricultural land of 

Philadelphia’s neighboring counties 

is home to a variety of small 

independent farms, many of them 

organic and family-run; some 

Amish, some not. 

Several days a week, from spring to 

late fall, the farmers pack up their 

latest crops and head to markets 

scattered throughout the city. 

The vegetables are incredible, the 

prices are fair, and you have the 

rare chance to meet the people who 

actually grow your food. After a few 

runins with the sadistic, produceabusing 

cashiers at Fresh Grocer, 

your faith in humanity will be 

restored when you see that some 

people honestly do care about good 

food. 


uying stuff 

SUPERmARKEtS 

Even if you hate vegetables, don’t avoid the farmers 

markets. Vendors sell everything from fresh baked 

goods to artisan cheeses, fresh meats, eggs and milk. 

Depending on the market, you can often find freshcut 

flowers, local maple syrup, salsas and sauces, and 

a variety of other specialty items. And let me tell you, 

the Amish make a mean whoopie pie. 

For more information and to find markets in other 

parts of the city, check out the Philadelphia Food Trust 

at www.thefoodtrust.org. 

tUESdAYS 

South St & Passyunk Ave/ 2-7 

12th & St. James St (1 block below Walnut)/ 2-6 

WEdnESdAYS 

Jamaican Jerk Hut (1436 South St)/ 2-6 

thURSdAYS 

Clark Park (43rd St & Baltimore)/ 3-7 

SAtURdAYS 

Clark Park (43rd St & Baltimore)/ 10-2 

Lancaster & Powelton Aves/ 10-2 

Fitler Square (23rd St & Pine)/ 10-2 

2nd St & South/ 10-2 


SUPERmARKEtS 

REAdinG tERminAL mARKEt 

Don’t forget the indoor, 113 year-old Reading Terminal 

Market, a unique urban experience with dozens of stalls 

and restaurants. Sellers offer baked goods, meat, seafood, 

produce, flowers, desserts and ethnic specialties. Did you do 

a doubletake? Yes, the Amish are here too. Located at 12th 

& Arch Streets. Take the Market-Frankford blue line to 

Market East. 

MaRKET HOURS: M-Sa 8-6 (many restaurants close after 3) 

PENNSYlVaNIa DUTCH MERCHaNTS: W 8-3, Th-Sa 8-5 


uying stuff 

mALLtoPiA 

tARGEt 1 Mifflin St/ 215-463-7311 

M-Sa 8-10, Su 8-9 

WAL-mARt Wal-Mart: 1601 S Columbus Blvd/ 

215-468-4220/ 7 days 7-10 

iKEA 2206 S Columbus Blvd/ 215-551-4215/ 

M-Sa 10-10, Su 10-8 

As you cruise south on Columbus Boulevard, the road 

bends left just after a Wawa/gas station combo. If you 

go straight instead, you’ll find TaRGET (the thinking 

designer’s big box) a bit down on the right. If you slide 

around the curve, you’ll come to the dual left-turn 

lanes for Pier 70, where Wal-MaRT sits next to Home 

Depot. More selection at the latter, but the depression 

factor ratchets up a notch as well. A few lights down 

on the left is IKEa, fave interior decorator to poor but 

fastidious design students. 

DIRECTIONS: Take I-76 W from Spruce St to I-676 E to 

I-95 S (to Chester). Take exit 20 and turn right at the light 

onto Columbus Blvd. IKEa is 1.5 miles down on the left. 

KinG oF PRUSSiA mALL 

The newest and largest mall in the Philadelphia area, 

King of Prussia is nationally recognized as one of the 

leading upscale malls in America. Bloomingdales, 

Macy’s, Nordstrom, and Neiman Marcus anchor the 

mall, which also has over 365 specialty shops and 40 

eateries. There is no sales tax in PA on clothing, so 

knock yourself out. The mall is a planet surrounded 


mALLtoPiA 

by satellites like Best Buy, Crate & Barrel and more 

stores with “World” in their names than you can shake 

a stick at. 

DIRECTIONS: I-76 W to exit 327, Mall Blvd. Be sure 

not to get onto the PA Turnpike. It should take about 

45 minutes from Penn. 

FRAnKLin miLLS mALL 

Once the largest “outlet” malls in the country, Franklin 

Mills is still home to many bargains. The mall also 

contains a movie theater and Jillian’s, a large restaurant 

and entertainment complex similar to Dave & Busters. 

DIRECTIONS: Take I-76 W to I-676 E across Center City, 

then I-95 N (toward Trenton) to the exit for Woodhaven 

Rd. Follow the signs for Franklin Mills Mall, which is 

located at Woodhaven Rd and Knights Rd. It is about a 40 

minute drive from the Penn campus. 


uying stuff 

EVERYthinG ELSE 

ERRAndS 

AtmS 

1. CVS - 3401 WalNUT (PNC Bank) 

2. PENN BOOKSTORE (PNC Bank) 

3. HOUSON Hall (PNC Bank) 

4. WaWa NORTH (PNC Bank, no fee) 

5. WaWa SOUTH (PNC Bank, no fee) 

BAnKinG 

6. CITIZENS BaNK 

134 S 34th St 

M-F 9-5, Sa 10-2, Su 11-2 

7. COMMERCE BaNK 


M-F 7:30-8, Sa 7:30-6, Su 11-4 

8. PNC BaNK 

Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania 

(34th St, south of HUP) 

M-F 9-3 

BaNK OF aMERICa 


M-Th 8-4, F 8-6 


LAUndRY 

9. CURlY’S ClEaNERS 

(drop-off) 

39th & Sansom 

10. SaIa’S ClEaNERS 

(drop-off & tailoring) 

41st & Spruce 

M-F 7:30-6, Sa 9-5 

11. U-DO WE-DO 

(coin-op & drop-off) 

4303 Locust/ 45th & Locust 

7 days 6-mid (last load 11pm) 

dRUGStoRES 

12. CVS 


215-823-6993 

M-Sa 8-11, Su 8-10 

13. CVS 


215-662-0406 

M-Sa 8-11, Su 8-10 

RITE aID 


215-636-9634 

7days 24 hours 



uying stuff 


FAXinG, CoPYinG & PRintinG 

14. THE UPS STORE 

3720 Spruce St 

215-222-2840 

M-F 8-7, Sa 9-5, Su 12-5 

15. CaMPUS COPY CENTER 


215-386-6114 

M-F 8-6, Sa 10-4 

16. CaMPUS COPY CENTER 


215-386-6410 

M-F 8-6, Sa 10-4 

17. KINKO’S 


215-386-5679 

7-11, 7 days 

mAiLinG & ShiPPinG 

18. UNIVERSITY CITY POST OFFICE 

228 S 40th St 

(btw Walnut and Locust) 

215-387-5469 

M-F 8:30-5 


PHIlaDElPHIa MaIN POST OFFICE 


215-895-8980 

7 days 6-mid 

30TH STREET STaTION POST OFFICE 

M-F 7-5:45 

15. CaMPUS SHIPPING CENTER 


215-386-6114 

M-F 8-6, Sa 10-4 

14. THE UPS STORE 

3720 Spruce St 

215-222-2840 

M-F 8-7, Sa 9-5, Su 12-5 


You can receive packages at Meyerson, sent to your 

name, at 210 S 34th St, Philadelphia, PA 19104. 


uying stuff 

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thRiFt StoRES 

GEt 

USEd 

From insanely cheap, unselective, anything-goes 

dealers to classy, upscale consignment shops that deal 

in pedigreed stock, Philly has a thriving secondhand 

clothing scene. Here’s a list to get you started: 

thE ChEAP: Jeans for less than 

$10, T-shirts for a buck 

Second Mile Center 

214 S 45th St (at Walnut)/ 215-662-1663 

A church-run shop (dig the heavy murals on the righthand 

wall), with a large, constantly restocked selection. 

A row of three or four shops selling clothing and 

furniture, books and electronics, dishes and assorted 

domestic knickknacks. Open until 8 PM. 

toviah thrift Shop 

4211 Chestnut St/ 215-382-7251 

A small, interesting, random sort of place. You might 

not find anything here you want to buy, but it’s fun to 

look, and if you do find something it’ll be cheap. 

Salvation Army thrift Store 

2240 Market St/ 215-561-0178 

The old standby. This one’s a pretty good shop, with 

two levels of used clothing. 


hope on 7th Street 

700 Bainbridge St/ 215- 413-2301 

A great all-around thrift store. 

thRiFt StoRES 

thE ChiC: Jeans for $14 or more, 

t-shirts for $5-10 

Buffalo Exchange 

1713 Chestnut St/ 215-557-9850 

Part of a national chain of thrift stores that reliably 

offers quality used clothes at decent prices. 

Greene Street 

Consignment Shop 

700 South St/ 215-733-9261 

A wide selection of all sorts of clothes, from shoes 

to hats, t-shirts to evening gowns, in next-to-new 

condition. Generally, nothing more than two years 

old is on the racks. 

Vintage Clothing Co. 

530 S 4th St (at South)/ 215-925-7607 

Don’t expect to get any fantastic bargains here. But if 

you’re into polyester, this is the place to go. 


OUTINGS 

RElaTIONSHIPS 

EXERCISE 

SPoRtS 

BEER & WINE 

nEW dECK 

BaR GUIDE 

DIVE BaRS 

oLd mAn CitY 

REEl WORlD 

MUSEUMS 

DaY TRIPS 

hAVinG 

FUn 

oUtinGS 

10 thinGS 

i

having fun 

oUtinG 

life as men and even the odd man performing as a 

man—work for that dollar that you might just toss 

their way. Between entertainers, raucous revelers 

are also given the chance to boogie on B&B’s tiny 

stage. The always wild Miss Liza Liza keeps the 

show moving, and the whole pageant-carnival is 

fueled by seriously cheap PBR. 

chow down at CARMAN’S COUNTRY 

KitChEn 

1301 S 11th Street (at Wharton)/ 215-339-9613 

Late one afternoon in 1996 Carman Luntzel’s 

small South Philly breakfast joint burst into flames. 

When the firemen left and the smoke cleared, Carman’s 

prospects weren’t pretty. She lacked insurance 

or the cash to rebuild. Was it truly curtains for her 

beloved Country Kitchen?! Unexpectedly, adoring 

neighbors and patrons rushed to her aide providing 

the materials and labor necessary to quickly get the 

bacon frying again. Like me, they couldn’t imagine 

a future without the delight of hearty weekend 

brunching at Carman’s. Ten years have passed since 

the “miracle of 11th and Wharton” and Carman 

is still serving up killer Latin-influenced breakfast 

fare with panache. Her highly original menu is 

constantly rotating and her food consistently good, 

cooked by Carman herself. The place is small—it’s 

best to call for a reservation—and charmingly 

outfitted with off-beat (and often off-color) bric-abrac 

echoing the cooking’s eclectic essence. In good 

weather larger parties are treated to outdoor seating 


oUtinG 

courtesy of Carman’s brightly painted truck. Always 

handily parked on the corner, there’s nothing quite 

like having your tasty breakfast served up hot in the 

bed of the cook’s own pick-up! 

get locked down in EASTERN STATE 

PEnitEntiARY 

2124 Fairmount avenue/ www.easternstate.org 

In 1822, Philadelphia Quakers began constructing 

the monstrous Eastern State Penitentiary with love in 

their hearts. Stern, well-intentioned love. The resulting 

panopticon is a lesson for all budding architects 

on the dangers of building too didactically. Outfitted 

with indoor plumbing and heating systems, the 

prison was state of the art; however, the building also 

imposed ideals of monastic reflection that proved 

unobtainable by most of its prisoners. Forced into 

solitary confinement in narrow cells—each eerily 

illuminated by a solitary overhead skylight—many 

of Eastern State’s matriculates went mad from years 

of isolation. Others found that by plunging their 

heads into their privies, the building’s plumbing 

could be used to communicate with fellow inmates. 

A descent into madness or a toilet telephone–neither 

option was pretty. The prison finally closed in 1970 

and reopened as a historic site in the 1990s. Today a 

decrepit beauty persists in the prison’s dramatically 

lit cells as guided tours make their way through the 

cellblock corridors uniformly exfoliating paint like 

diseased skin. The cells of celebrated prisoners such 

as Al Capone have been reconstructed, while others 


having fun 

oUtinG 

are frequently used by artists invited to mount 

installations exploiting the site’s chilling ambiance. 

Halloween and Bastille Day events are 

annually hosted behind the prison’s fortress-like 

walls. Sadly, Meyersonites who attend these affairs 

are rarely seen in the studio again...until— 

gasp!—the next day. 

rock out at the FIRST UNITARIAN 

ChURCh 

2125 Chestnut Street/ www.r5productions.com 

Fittingly, it was Furness, America’s original 

outlaw architect, who designed the First Unitarian 

Church: the church destined to double as 

one of Philly’s most kick-ass music venues. As I 

was raised in a sect that considers dancing a sin, 

I encourage you to visit a church that doesn’t 

mind if you raise your fist to fly the sign of the 

devil downstairs after hours. Basement shows at 

the FUC (WTF?) are loud, sweaty and deeply 

spiritually satisfying affairs. They are also cheap, 

smoke-free and largely devoid of drunken loutishness 

as no alcohol is served. R5 Productions 

is the small Philly-based promoter currently 

organizing the shows that range from hip-hop 

to three chord punk (basically anyone ready 

to rock the basement of one hip congregation) 

and nationally known independent artists are 

regularly booked. Note that smaller shows are 

often neatly tucked into a stained-glass side 

chapel with very pleasing results. strut your 


oUtinG 

stuff with the MUMMERS PARADE Center City/ 

www.mummers.com I love New Year’s Eve but hate 

my typical New Year’s Day. I usually awake groggily to 

the realization that half the day’s already gone and the 

second half ain’t promising much. Stores are closed. 

Friends look haggard. It’s really, really cold outside. 

How can one look forward to a new year amid such 

depressing circumstances? In Philly, it’s Mummers to 

the rescue! Mummers are men—manly men—who 

bravely dress up in flamboyant costumes to play 

stringed instruments while performing elaborate synchronized 

dances on Center City streets in zero-degree 

weather. They do this to chase away our New Year’s 

Day demons. They are often drunk. Mummers have 

been officially parading since 1901 and come in many 

varieties like “comics” and “fancies.” You can learn a 

lot about the Mummers at their museum on the corner 

of 2nd and Washington, but all you really need to 

learn is the “Mummers strut.” You’ll pick it up on the 

fly at the parade and even the inebriated can usually 

pull it off without toppling over. The spectacle lasts all 

day and concludes with a dazzling scene on 2nd Street 

south of Washington—Mummers’ clubhouse row. By 

the end of the parade, the party rivals Mardi Gras. In 

the midst of this Philly free-for-all you’ll realize that 

the festivities of New Year’s Eve have been stretched 

across the whole of the day. You might then wonder 

how you’ll recover when the 2nd rolls around, but, 

like the Mummers, you’ll probably be dancing too 

much to care! 


having fun 

oUtinG 

dry heave in the mÜttER mUSEUm 

19 S 22nd Street (btw Chestnut and Market) www.collphyphil.org/mutter.asp 

When naming his band Motörhead, Welsh metal 

god Lemmy Kilmister claims he added an umlaut, 

not to guide pronunciation but “to make it look 

mean.” One wonders if Philadelphia’s own diacritically 

acclaimed Mütter Museum was the first to 

establish the umlaut as today’s preferred mark of 

the beast. The museum of the College of Physicians 

proudly boasts a collection of more than 20,000 

haunting “objects.” The visible majority of these 

appear to be the preserved bits and pieces of 19th 

century medical unfortunates: i.e. people. Inside 

the museum, a wall of skulls decimated by syphilis 

vies with a skeleton of conjoined twins for your 

attention. Sliced sections of a human head demand 

closer inspection. Did I mention the museum 

houses the world’s largest preserved human colon? 

Despite attempts to present the collection with 

tact and scientific acumen, a kitsch Chamber of 

Horrors ambience reigns over the Mütter’s largely 

subterranean galleries, ultimately lending the 

whole ghastly display a rather endearing—if no less 

grisly—charm. 

lower your pulse at ShoFUSo hoUSE & 

GARdEn 

West Fairmount Park/ www.shofuso.com 

The words serene and architecture are not often 

paired in the design studios of Meyerson. Dynam- 


oUtinG 

ic, emergent, reflexive, catalytic, rigorous and, lately, even 

horrific are all candidates more likely to precede architecture’s 

utterance—words designed to keep a student’s adrenaline 

surging all night long. Who’s going to stay up 25 hours a 

day, eight days a week in search of an irenic, tranquil, sedate 

or serene architecture? We might even have to maintain lucid 

mental states in order to produce such work! Whether or 

not we ever strive for designs that impart restful calm over 

destabilizing momentum, visit ing such projects is good for 

our health. We are fortunate to have the Shofusu House 

nearby. Designed in the manner of 16th century Japanese 

villas, residences like Shofuso once housed scholars seeking 

a serene environment for reflection. Indeed, after the din of 

the studio, it’s easy to welcome the meditative hush suffusing 

the house. When the villa’s sliding walls are opened to reveal 

its elegant garden, the house and landscape invoke a profound, 

singular stillness. Though now thoroughly embedded 

in its current site, the building was first exhibited at the New 

York MoMA in 1954. The garden was designed when the 

structure was relocated to its present position in the Horticulture 

Center in the West Philly section of Fairmount Park. 

Shofuso’s legacy as artwork will be further extended in 2007 

with the installation of site-specific murals by the acclaimed 

Japanese painter Hiroshi Senju. 

cycle scenic WEST RIVER DRIVE 

West River Drive (btw Spring Garden & The Falls Bridge) 

Philly drivers are out for blood. They habitually roll through 

stop signs. They compulsively pull into crosswalks. When a 

light goes green, they love peeling out to make a quick left 


having fun 

oUtinGS 

in front of traffic with the right of way. Ironically, 

the City has responded to vehicular delinquency 

not by enforcing traffic laws (if there were any to 

begin with) but by marking in miles upon miles of 

bike lanes so that now cyclists, too, can share the 

road with killers. We need the protection of jersey 

barriers not thin stripes of paint! Fortunately the 

Parks Department has heard the cyclist’s plea. West 

River Drive, one of the more scenic stretches of 

Philly blacktop, is now closed to autos from 7am 

to 5pm on weekends from April through October. 

West River Drive runs along the west bank of the 

Schuylkill River and you can pick it up just north 

of Powelton Village from Spring Garden Street. 

Also beautiful is the dedicated trail for biking, jogging 

and rollerblading that parallels Kelly Drive on 

the Schuylkill’s east bank. The Kelly Drive trail is 

always car-free and runs past Boathouse Row—the 

home of Philly’s rowing clubs—and the art museum. 

I recommend biking up West River to the 

Falls Bridge and returning on Kelly or visa versa. 

You may still want to sport a helmet, but definitely 

shed the body armor you wore while riding there. 

cavort among WOODLANDS CEMETERY 

quadrupeds! 

4000 Woodland avenue/ www.uchs.net/Woodlands/ 

woodlandshome.html 

To be planted there will cost you, but to walk 

in is free at this swank cemetery-cum-parkgoer’s 

paradise with one caveat: no dogs please! The final 


oUtinGS 

address of choice for Philadelphia’s historic elite, 

Woodlands is also a beautifully landscaped (and very 

close) respite from the pressures of the studio. A 

straight shot down Woodland Walk on a sunny day 

will land you at the very impressive cemetery gates 

designed by the School of Design’s own forebear, Paul 

Philipe Cret. Beyond those gates you won’t find the 

names Keats, Yeats or Wilde, but many—like Drexel—are 

instantly familiar. Pondering the lives of the 

less recognizable denizens while strolling or jogging 

the park’s meandering tree-lined lanes is an addictive 

pastime. Researching those inhabitants can yield 

odd biographical tidbits. For example Rufus Welch 

(1800-1855) whose monument lies just east of “Vault 

Avenue” dared to be the first American importer 

of giraffes. While no giraffes currently frolic in the 

vicinity, the cemetery is wildly popular with Philly’s 

hip urban deer. The idyllic appeal of Woodlands is cemented 

by the late afternoon grazing of these peaceful 

ruminators who seem quite unconcerned by the 

proximity of bipeds—below ground or above. 

get your film on at the TLA VIDEO 

1520 locust Street/ www.tlavideo.com 

Anyone who has resided in a less populated American 

locale knows that Netflix has made ours a more livable 

country. When it comes right down to it though, 

nothing beats browsing titles at a video store with 

an expansive collection. Fortunately TLA Video is 

still around and tends to offer the esoteric selections 

Netflix streaming sorely lacks. 


having fun 


LGBt niGht LiFE 

niGhtLiFE 

GAY BARS 

Philadelphia's gay scene is smaller compared to New 

York and DC, but what it lacks in size it makes up 

for in convenience and comfort. Most of the city's 

gay bars can be found in the Gayborhood (formally 

Washington Square West) along 12th and 13th streets 

between Walnut and Spruce. Whether you're out with 

friends or on the prowl, here are some of the more 

colorful bars for Philly's LGBT crowd. 

Tabu (200 S. 12th St): Where else can you drink 

to the beats of Beyonce and Lady Gaga while watching 

the latest Phillies, Flyers, or Eagles games? A great 

place to start the night, we love Tabu for the welcoming, 

neighborhood feel and the terrific drink specials. 

Don't miss $5 Absolut nights, or $4 Jack, Jim, 

or Jose specials. 

Sisters (1320 Chancellor): When the ladies of Philly 

want to party, they head on over to Sisters. Enjoy 

drink specials in the downstairs bar, or head upstairs 

to dance the night away to your favorite club hits. A 

favorite and frequent venue of local phenomenon DJ 

Deejay. Don't be surprised if some of the boys nearby 

come over to party. 


having fun 


Knock (225 S. 12th St): An upscale bar for gentlemen 

of a certain age. Come for the quality cocktails 

and masterful martinis. Stay to get hit on by the clientele 

(you might get a free drink out of it!). 

Woody's (202 S. 13th St): A Philadelphia mainstay 

for decades, they just recently underwent renovations. 

It's the go-to spot for those who want to dance or 

drink from open 'til close. Attracts all ages, types, and 

scenes, but gets cruisey as the night wears on. Don’t 

miss their many specials: 80 and 90 cent drinks on 

Sundays, College Night on Wednesdays, and no cover 

on the dance floor on Fridays if you check-in with 

Foursquare before midnight. 

Tavern on Camac (243 S. Camac St): Tucked 

away on quiet Camac street, this popular weekend 

spot is anything but. Downstairs hosts a charming 

piano bar where you can sing along to your favorite 

tunes, but head upstairs for a hot dance floor and 

younger atmosphere. Come on Fridays and Saturdays 

when the boys of Philly swarm the dance floor. Stay 

for show tunes on Sundays. Cash only. 

iCandy (254 S. 12th St): The newest addition to 

the Gayborhood, this hotspot boasts three different 

bars under one roof (plus a roof deck!). Get sweaty 

in the Cobalt Lounge on weekends while shirtless 

muscleboys serve shots and gyrate on the stage. Ex- 



pect a cover to head upstairs on weekends. Needless to 

say, it's fairly cruisey. 

Stir (1705 Chancellor St): Though not in the Gayborhood 

proper, Stir has weekly, inexpensive drink 

specials and a more low key crowd. We love the $5 

Absolut drinks on Wednesdays and $1 well drinks on 

Thursdays. Tucked away in an alley off Rittenhouse, 

It’s a nice respite for those who grow tired of the usual 

Gayborhood scene. 

I LEFT MY

content text 

time in the studio as your partner does, it can be nice 

to drop in. Sometimes this will be your quality time 

together for the week. Find a project you can work on 

(I knitted socks and mittens) so you won’t be dependent 

on your partner for entertainment. 

Network. We’re all in this together. Your partner’s 

classmates will also have significant others in the same 

boat you are. Get together with them for some tea and 

sympathy. 

Free Beer. I’m not sure this is actually allowed, but 

I’d advise going to the Friday night Happy Hour. You 

can get to know your partner’s classmates when they 

are eager to procrastinate. 

FOR lONG-DISTaNCE RElaTIONSHIPS: 

SKYPE is a beautiful thing. Just remember not to 

leave the screen grabs on the desktop. 

Don’t visit on a Visual Studies weekend. 

Drag your partner out while you are visiting. You 

didn’t come all that way to see the inside of the studio. 

You have the right to expect brunch. 

Take this guidebook and explore Philadelphia by 

yourself. Visit the architectural wonders, since the odds 

are high that your partner will never have time to see 

them. Describe them in vivid detail over dinner. 


EXERCiSE 

hit thE 

SPAndEX 

Remember the “freshman fifteen” you gained during your 

college days? Expect the same to happen this time around, 

except your newly acquired curves will be the result of a 

sedentary grad-student lifestyle, not all-you-can-eat dorm 

food or devotion to perfecting the art of the keg stand. 

At Penn, students have two options to stay fit: Hutchinson 

Gym and the recently erected Pottruck Center. If you 

prefer working out with vintage equipment that looks like 

it was salvaged from the promenade deck of the Titanic, 

then Hutchinson Gym is the place for you. Built in 1928, 

nothing has been updated since Penn researchers started 

balancing their checkbooks with ENIAC. But it does have 

a pool, squash courts, and a gym that fills most nights with 

basketball, volleyball, and soccer players. Unlike Pottruck, 

it’s free for grad students. 

hUtChinSon 

Hutchinson hides behind the Lott Tennis Courts east of 

33rd Street (for information about playing here or at the 

indoor Levy Tennis Pavilion, call 215-898-4741). Walk up 

the driveway between the courts and Franklin Field and 

you’ll find Hutchinson next to The Palestra, Penn’s storied 

basketball arena. Your card will be swiped just inside the 


having fun 

EXERCiSE 

front door. Request a towel and a lock and avoid a 

trip back to the front desk by remembering the locker 

number they give you (it’s not written on the key). The 

men’s locker room is straight back, down the halfflight 

of stairs. Follow the stairs going up, then along the 

long hallway and down again for the women’s locker 

room. One more flight up, on a balcony overlooking 

the gym floor, is the fitness equipment, which officially 

requires a $175-peryear (or $120 per semester) membership 

to use. 

PottRUCK CEntER 

If you are serious about your workout routine, you 

can’t go wrong with the Pottruck Center. Opened in 

2003, Pottruck has become a fitness Mecca serving 

everyone from Penn undergrads to the residents of 

West Philadelphia. But watch out: the gym is packed 

on weekdays between 4 and 8pm, so it is advisable to 

schedule your workout routine during off-peak hours. 

If you can only make it during rush hour, the upside is 

that you can ogle undergraduate booty while waiting 

in line for a treadmill. 

Pottruck is on Walnut Street, just west of 37th. Pottruck 

fees for 2011(which include use of Hutchinson’s 

fitness equipment) are $300 for the year. A spouse or 

dependent can get a membership at for $275. Add 

$120 for climbing wall or group classes. Sign up at 

Pottruck’s membership office, or you can mail in the 

form posted online (www.upenn.edu/recreation). 


PENNREC 


recreation 

3701 Walnut Street 

215-898-6100 

EXERCiSE 

LoCKERS 

If you shower at the gym, a permanent 

locker is a worthwhile investment. The 

men’s and women’s locker rooms in 

Pottruck have full lockers, while half 

and quarter-sized lockers are installed 

throughout the rest of the building to 

accommodate high demand. 

To obtain a full-size locker ($150) at 

Pottruck, you must have entered the 

PennRec lOTTERY SYSTEM online 

or at the membership office over the 

summer. Arrive at Pottruck at least 30 

minutes ahead of the locker offering as 

you will be competing with a flock of 

vultures for a limited supply. Half and 

quarter lockers are issued on a firstcome, 

first-serve basis on September 6. 

Unloved Hutchinson, by contrast, always 

has a surplus of full and half lockers 

available beginning September 7. 


having fun 

mY tEAm WEARS BLACK 

THE 

PENNDESIGN 

SPORTS GUIDE 

Besides painting your face blue for a Penn- 

Princeton basketball showdown in the Palestra, 

or catching a Phillies game at Citizens Bank 

Park, Philly and Penn both offer a wide range 

of sports venues. College basketball fans don’t 

want to miss the Big 5 tournament featuring 

local powerhouses Penn, Temple, Villanova, 

laSalle, and St. Joe’s. and while it seems like 

most Philadelphians live and die by the Eagles, 

but there are two other sporting events which 

most people aren’t as aware of. 

If you’re on your way to campus in late april 

and notice that the streets are lined with yellow 

school buses, the smell of deep-fried food, and 

approximately one-half the population of Jamaica, 

it’s Penn Relays time. To enjoy the action, 

grab some fried conch, jerk chicken or collard 

greens and wade through the crowds down to 

Franklin Field. For those of you who haven’t 

made it inside Franklin Field, this is your opportunity. 

Franklin Field was built in 1895 to host 

the Penn Relays. among such feats as being 

the nation’s first two-tiered stadium and site of 

the first sports radio and television broadcasts 

ever, the stadium also holds the grand distinc- 



tion of having the sweetest men’s room ever. all 

men (and adventurous women) should go to the 

lower level restroom and enjoy the fullroom wraparound 

wall urinal. It’s truly unique. 

Beyond the thrill of being able to urinate while 

walking, the true fun lies in the Penn Relays event 

itself. The Penn Relays are a five-day track and 

field extravaganza that will be run for the 113th 

time this spring. Known as the largest and highest 

profile track event in the world, the Relays consist 

of events for everyone from grade school kids to 

geriatrics, from small-time college teams to the 

world’s fastest men and women. You don’t have 

to know anything about track and field to feel the 

excitement in the air. as the Penn football team 

isn’t a huge draw these days, the only time to see 

Franklin Field full to capacity is during the Friday 

and Saturday events. 

Though you may have no idea who is running, 

sit on the third turn of the track and watch as the 

crowd rises to its feet during a close race. Everyone 

should go see the Relays at least once during 

your PennDesign career. No excuses—it’s a block 

away from Meyerson. Plus, you might see Bill 

Cosby roaming the field. 

Every June, when only a few extremely lucky 

PennDesign students remain in this great city, the 

US Pro Cycling Tour’s Philadelpha International 

Championship is held. like the Penn Relays, you 


having fun 


don’t have to have any knowledge of the sport, 

or any sport for that matter, to be impressed 

with this event. For the last 20-plus years, the 

best cyclists in the world have gathered on 

the Ben Franklin Parkway, making ten looping 

circuits out to the infamous Manayunk Wall and 

back. Hundreds of thousands of people (about 

twenty-three of whom know anything about cycling) 

line the course and cheer on the athletes, 

their chase vehicles, drunk idiots distributing 

beer from insecticide sprayers, and the occasional 

flasher. 

The biggest and rowdiest crowds gather at the 

aforementioned Manayunk Wall, aka lyceum 

avenue, which is a regular old Manayunk street 

which happens to be at a steep 17 percent 

grade. (For those of you who aren’t civil engineers 

or truck drivers, it’s pretty much like 

trying to ride up the side of a cliff.) Every residence 

on the street has a party, one of which 

includes a custom-made street shower both 

that cools off exhausted cyclists and flushes 

urine down the hill. One of my first times at the 

race, I was amongst the beer-guzzlers at the 

Wall when the pack of cyclists made their way 

by. like many people around me, I leaned over 

the barrier and yelled inspirational insults into 

lance armstrong’s ear. Meanwhile, the future 

legend swerved to avoid hitting a mentally 

handicapped gentleman who had wandered 

onto the course to sell pretzels from a shopping 


BEER & WinE 

cart. Now that’s Philadelphia. Besides the Wall, 

key places to enjoy the race are the Parkway, 

lemon Hill, and Kelly Drive. 

as a native Philadelphian, these two events 

hold a dear place in my heart, and cannot be 

missed. So, don’t forget…lance armstrong + 

insecticide sprayers + pretzels + fried conch + 

Bill Cosby + peeing while walking = Philadel- 

FYi on 

BYoB 

There is nothing like seventeenth-century morality to 

make for a fun night out. Because of Pennsylvania’s archaic 

blue laws, Philadelphia is “The City That Sleeps.” 

Pious teetotalers rejoice! 

Last call at most bars is 1:30am, and most moderately 

priced restaurants don’t have liquor licenses. But why 

stop there? Wine and hard alcohol are only sold at 

stores run by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, 

making it “The City That Can’t Find a Halfway- 

Decent Bottle of Red to Go With Dinner” as well. 

(Though we are grateful for the generosity of the state’s 

liquor czars who have recently allowed Sunday sales at 

some stores.) 

Equally elusive is a simple six-pack. Beer can be 

bought very dearly from a tiny handful of corner pizza 


having fun 

BEER & WinE 

places, as take-out from 

certain bars, or, more 

reasonably, by the case 

at warehousestyle beer 

distributors. University 

City Beverage will sell 

you a case of hometownbrewed 

Philadelphia Lager 

for $25 and change. 

Why do you have to plan 

in advance if you want a 

sip of wine with dinner? 

So far as we understand, 

the city caps the number 

of liquor licenses at one 

per 3000 residents. Licenses 

can be purchased 

on the open market 

(with the aid of lawyers 

and brokers), making 

it an costly ordeal for a 

small restaurateur. 


PENNSYlVaNIa 

WINE & SPIRITS 

4049 market St 

215-823-4709 

M-Sa 9-9, Su 12-5 


215-560-4215 

M-Sa 9-9:30, Su 12-5 

2429 South St 

215-731-2080 

M-Tu 11-7, W-Sa 9-9 


215-560-4380 

M-Sa 9-9, Su 12-5 

This “premium collection” store 

with a larger selection might be 

worth the trip if you’re looking 

for something more interesting. 

Note Sunday hours. 

BEER DISTRIBUTOR 

University City Beverage 


215-387-2337 

M-W 11-9, Th-F 11-9:30, Sa 

12:9:30 

BEER & WinE 

PINT PULLING 

FOR DUMMIES 

There are only three words for PennDesign’s 

alcoholics: New Deck Tavern. It is not new, it 

does not have a deck, and “Tavern” summons 

up the sort of jovial, beery camaraderie that 

does not exist within. But this Irish bar’s nearby 

location at 3408 Sansom Street (not to mention 

budget-stretching nightly drink specials) makes it 

a standby of PennDesign students and a convenient 

place to decompress or—thanks to the lack 

of attentive waitstaff—study for a final. 

Stellar bar food options include the Bacon and 

Blue Burger, which should be washed down with 

a pint of Yuengling (just say “lager”). New Deck is 

the home of Philly’s original QUIZO every Monday 

and Wednesday night beginning at 10pm. Tuesday 

is Karaoke Night with 2-for-1 domestic drafts, 

and the entire menu is half price every night from 

11pm to 1am. 


having fun 

BAR GUidE 

BARS FoR 

EVERY 

nEiGhBoRhood 

Philadelphia is a city characterized by its neighborhoods; 

and what better defines a neighborhood than 

its bars? I’ve barely skimmed the surface, but I have 

tried to mention my favorites, along with some other 

popular spots. So, go on, get out of West Philly. There’s 

so much more to this city than Penn, and you really 

should make an effort to see what goes on east of the 

Schuylkill. 

noRthERn LiBERtiES 

This neighborhood is about as far from Penn as possible. 

It’s a concrete jungle, but don’t be scared. Though 

the neighborhood looks gritty, it’s a haven for young 

artists and former New Yorkers. 

First stop: The Standard Tap (901 N 2nd St). 

The crowd consists of grungy young hipsters and the 

daily menu is scribbled on a chalk board on the wall. 

For dinner vie for one of the large tables or booths 

downstairs, for drinking squeeze into the upstairs bar, 

or if the weather is nice, the roof deck, where you can 

enjoy cool draughts of local beers, the only kind they 

serve here. 

Next stop: North Third (801 N 3rd St). This great 

little bistro features delicious food and a wide variety 


BAR GUidE 

of beers, both local and imported. Ever changing artwork 

adorns the walls. The crowd has a healthy mixture 

of straight and gay couples. 

Wander up the street to Ortlieb’s Jazzhaus (847 

N 3rd St) where the long, narrow room is divided into 

bar and dining area by a central stage. The mix of people 

in here is diverse, with the most comfortable interracial 

vibe I’ve felt in Philadelphia. 

If you’re heading towards Old City make your final stop 

Abbaye (637 N 3rd St). You can sample a wide variety 

of beers in this spacious restaurant/bar where the food 

is good and the servers are friendly. A great place for a 

quiet chat with friends. 

oLd CitY 

Along Philadelphia’s eastern boundary with the Delaware 

River, this neighborhood is touted by many as the 

SoHo of Philly. First Fridays draw huge crowds into 

the galleries, which stay open late serving free wine and 

snacks. 

Steven Starr’s original Continental (138 Market St) 

features Asian-American fusion cuisine, and the longest 

list of martinis I’ve ever seen. Among the many original 

takes on the classic cocktail are the Buzz Aldron, a Tanginfused 

martini served in an orange Tang-rimmed glass. 

Next door is Drinker’s Tavern (124 Market St). 

This dive features some of Philly’s best happy hour deals. 


having fun 

BAR GUidE 

Be sure to drink your pitcher of beer quickly so as to 

numb your sense of smell. 

Society Hill Hotel (301 Chestnut St) is a great 

bar for people watching, especially at an outdoor table. 

The food is only so-so, and awfully expensive, but the 

drinks are mixed strongly. 

For a game of pool stop in at Buffalo Billiards 

(116 Chestnut St). Games can be expensive, though 

they have deals on weeknights. For beer, definitely get 

a bottle because I don’t think the taps have ever been 

cleaned. 

Just up the block visit Eulogy (136 Chestnut St). 

Squeezing into a narrow row house, Old City’s Belgian 

bar features a wide variety of draught and bottled 

beers and a decent menu featuring, of course, mussels 

(though popular opinion would say Monk’s are better). 

In addition, Old City features a wide variety of clubs 

along the south side of Market Street between 3rd and 

Front Street. 

GAYBoRhood 

Located in Center City proper, just east of Broad 

Street, this little enclave of alternative lifestyles offers a 

decent array of bars and clubs. 

Start your evening at Bump (1234 Locust St), where 

the glowing orange bar looks good enough to lick. 


BAR GUidE 

Mixed drinks are your best bet here, as they only have 

bottled beer. Be sure to stop in during happy hour, 

when all martinis are just $2-$3. 

Next, swing by Tavern on Camac (243 S Camac 

St), a piano bar where you can take the mike and belt 

out show tunes. The scene is pretty cruisey, making it a 

great place to sneak a kiss. 

If you’re looking for someplace to break it down on the 

dance floor I suggest Woody’s (202 S 13th St). This 

establishment has a downstairs bar and a huge dance 

floor upstairs. Be sure to bring singles to stuff in the 

g-strings of the counter-top dancers. 

CEntER CitY 

This is the heart of Philadelphia’s financial and commercial 

district, with performance venues scattered 

throughout. 

Monk’s (264 S 16th St) is Philadelphia’s finest 

Belgian bar. It features close to two dozen beers on 

tap, not to mention close to two hundred varieties in 

bottles. If you’re even a little bit hungry, order a basket 

of pommes frites, those zesty fries served alongside a 

delicious dipping sauce. 

Nearby is McGlinchy’s (259 S 15th St), home of 

Philadelphia’s seedy underbelly. While the clientele 

can be a bit scary, the unbelievable cheapness of their 

drinks makes it a worthy place to stop on occasion. 


having fun 

BAR GUidE 

The Good Dog (224 S 15th St) is easily my favorite 

Center City Bar. This long, narrow joint features 

a variety of affordable beers and wines and a menu 

offering great burgers, as well as pb+j sandwiches. The 

crowd consists mainly of young hipsters in the dimly 

lit space, which is decorated with photographs of, what 

else, dogs. 

RittEnhoUSE SQUARE 

This neighborhood is finally expanding its bar scene 

beyond the upscale, overpriced bars it is best known 

for. Check out Continental Mid-Town (1801 Chestnut 

St) the sister to the original in Old City. Featuring 

a similar menu including the arm’s-length list of 

martinis, the décor is straight out of the seventies, 

including hanging basket chairs upstairs. If the weather 

is nice head up to the roof deck, but be prepared to 

fight crowds. 

NoChe (1901 Chestnut St) is located on the second 

floor, featuring standard beers and mixed drinks, but 

the vibe is decidedly cool. Cow hide decorates the 

walls and seats of the dim space, which is lined with 

huge windows along two sides. 

Drinker’s Midtown (1903 Chestnut St) recently 

opened next door. Like its Old City counterpart the 

interior is creepy and dingy, reminding me of a basement 

from the late seventies. The drinks are not as 

cheap, and the crowd is not as edgy as the original, but 


at least it doesn’t smell like urinal cakes. 

BAR GUidE 

ARt mUSEUm/FAiRmoUnt 

The area surrounding the Philadelphia Museum of Art is 

home to a mix of large apartment buildings and singlefamily 

row homes that are soaring in price, along with 

some of my favorite bars in this city. 

Start out at Brigid’s (726 N 24th St). A cramped bar 

leads into a cozy dining area where the food is consistently 

good. I really like the vibe in this neighborhood 

bar, though on Friday evenings it’s tough to get in the 

door. 

For a bit more space, stop in at The Bishop’s Collar 

(2349 Fairmount Ave), where the crowd ranges 

in age from 20s to 50s. The beer can be expensive, but 

there’s usually something on special. The bar becomes 

more crowded as the evening wears on, and there’s a 

dining area in back. The menu is pasted into children’s 

story books, and I recommend the quesadilla. 

Up the block is London Grill (2301 Fairmount 

Ave). A bit more upscale than its neighbors, a fine restaurant 

fills the back of the first floor as well as the second 

floor of this establishment. The bar faces the street 

and has a decent menu of its own, though the beers are 

standard selection. 

Around the corner stop in at Rembrandt’s (741 N 


having fun 

BAR GUidE 

23rd St), a big bar and restaurant. The crowd is a bit 

older here, and beyond the occasional lunch, I rarely 

frequent this bar. 

FitLER SQUARE 

This laid-back neighbor to Rittenhouse Square is just 

over the South St Bridge from Penn. Quaint houses 

line the streets, and the tiny park that gives the ’hood 

its name is a gem. 

Doobie’s (2201 Lombard St) once my favorite bar, 

has undergone a recent transformation. The exterior 

no longer reminds one of a strip club, but the interior 

is still the same, filthy and smoky, filled with students, 

young professionals, and anarchist-bike-messengertypes. 

When I brought my brother and his girlfriend 

here she commented that she wanted to return with a 

power washer and bleach, for the bar and the people. 

But if you like dive bars, this might just be the place 

for you. 

A slightly more upscale bar in this neighborhood is the 

Ten Stone (2063 South St). There are a surprising 

amount of little rooms tucked around the main bar, 

including an area where you can play a game of darts. 

The food is good, and the beer variety is wide, plus the 

candles hanging in ladles on the wall make for a cool 

vibe. 

Grace Tavern (2229 Gray’s Ferry Ave) may look 

dark and divey, but everything on the menu (includ- 


BAR GUidE 

ing farm fresh sausages and blackened green beans) is 

divine. And the beer’s good too. 

WESt PhiLLY 

Instead of focusing on the bars right near campus, 

which draw in a fair amount of barely-legal undergrads, 

head further out into the real West Philly. 

Gojjo (4540 Baltimore Ave) is an Ethiopian restaurant 

featuring a well-lit bar with cheap pitchers. 

A variety of neighborhood types hang out here, from 

commune- dwelling co-op members to recent Ethiopian 

immigrants. On weekend evenings you can break 

it down in the back room, which has music and a 

disco-ball. 

Just up the block is Dahlak (4708 Baltimore Ave), 

another Ethiopian restaurant featuring a bar hidden in 

back. The crowd tends to be similar to that at Gojjo, 

but in a cozier atmosphere. The food here is good, 

featuring meat, seafood, and vegetarian options. Be 

prepared to eat with your hands, and ask for extra 

injera, the spongy bread that you use to pick up the 

food, and mop up the spicy sauces. 


having fun 

diVE BARS 

dRinKinG in 

thE dARK 

Let’s face it, sometimes studio can be just too much to 

bear. In times of desperate stress, you need a place to 

go to drown your sorrows, but your Stafford loan isn’t 

going to cover a night of cover charges and clubbing. 

Besides, you need a place to really wallow in your 

misery, and New Deck isn’t going to cut it. Somewhere 

unglamorous and well-worn is what you seek—without 

dress codes or drinks in coconut shaped cups. So 

here is your insider’s guide to five of the best dive bars 

in Philadelphia, consider it a look at the best of the 

worst. 

oSCAR’S tAVERn 1524 Sansom Street 

Conveniently located within the Rittenhouse 

enclave, Oscar’s is a sure bet when you are looking 

for solace on a budget. The crowd is a healthy mix 

of hipsters and weathered locals and you can enjoy 

23oz of PBR on tap for about two bucks. The interior 

is reminiscent of a club basement circa 1978, 

and the acoustic ceiling tiles clearly reveal what 

smoking can do to your lungs. Don’t try and order 

off of the colorfully tempting paper placemats, as 

their sassy waitress will inform you that the blender 

has been out of service since 1974. If, however, you 

are in the mood for something other than beer, try 

the Malibu Bay Breeze for a deliciously sweet treat. 


diVE BARS 

Above all, make sure to bring lots of quarters for the 

jukebox so you can keep the Bon Jovi rockin’ all night. 

thE LoCUSt BAR 235 S 10th Street 

Affectionately known as “The Low-cost Bar,” this 

charming Washington Square West locale is well worth 

the trip east of Broad Street. The bar is usually full of 

older locals during the day, and it is not uncommon to 

see a recently released patient from one of the nearby 

hospitals sitting at the bar with a trusty oxygen tank 

at his side. A more youthful crowd intermixes in the 

evenings, but be warned that certain nights have been 

hijacked for karaoke and QUIZO. The unfortunate 

result of these activities is that they require more lights 

to be on, revealing an interior best left in the dark. Food 

is decent here if you’ve had enough to drink first, and 

if you aren’t feeling adventurous enough to sample the 

fare, you can buy cheese curls by the bag at the bar. 

LES And doREEn’S hAPPY tAP 1301 E Susquehanna 

avenue 

Situated in Fishtown, this corner bar is the best place 

to mingle with a colorful crowd of locals. It certainly 

requires a cab ride and although it is difficult to get 

to, Saturday karaoke nights make the trip worthwhile. 

The bar is tiny and you may get some wary looks upon 

entering, but don’t be shy. Remember the key to fitting 

into any dive bar is not ordering anything too fancy. 

Stay away from anything that requires more than two 

ingredients. Stick to the basics and use the karaoke to 


having fun 

diVE BARS 

aid in the bonding process. A husband and wife 

team run the sing-along enterprise, and the evening 

often includes some heartfelt tributes from one to 

the other. If you are feeling the urge to partake, 

be sure to choose songs that everyone can enjoy. 

Standard classics by Philadelphia’s 

own Hall and Oates are always a favorite. By the 

end of the night 

you will be sharing shots with everyone at the bar 

like you’re old friends. 

thE LoCUSt REndEzVoUS 1415 locust Street 

Often overlooked and seemingly out of place near 

the Kimmel Center, this unusual bar combines an 

extensive diner-style menu with a full service bar. 

It’s the perfect place to enjoy a rum and Coke right 

alongside an ice cream sundae, and it’s great for accommodating 

larger groups. It attracts an unusual 

crowd consisting largely of University of the Arts 

students who may know better than most how to 

have fun on a budget. 

2 StREEt CAFÉ The Gallery at Market East (Ninth 

and Market Streets) 

There aren’t many reasons to visit The Gallery 

at Market East, Philly’s downtown spin on the 

suburban shopping mall. However, within the 

basement food court of this commerce hub exists a 

relatively unknown establishment known as the 2 

Street Café. First of all, the sheer fact that this bar 

is situated within a food court, as in neighbors with 

TCBY and the bourbon chicken place, is completely 

amazing. Adding to the awesome factor is that 


you can bring your favorite fast food purchases into 

the bar with you. Enjoy your favorite beer or mixed 

drink while watching a Philly’s game or the Action 

6 News and chomping on Chick-Fil-A. While you 

should be prepared for a very local mix of patrons 

and a salty wait staff, the price and atmosphere 

make up for any shortcomings of this Center City 

attraction. 

OLD MAN 

CITY 

Philadelphia is a city known for its old men. The 

locals won’t let up on Benjamin Franklin. Or William 

Penn. It’s really difficult to walk down the 

street without tripping over and skinning your 

knee on a commemorative plaque reading “[Old 

man] [did something] here in [year].” I decided 

to explore this crazy old man fetish in detail. 

I set out one Thursday morning for Mc- 

Glinchey’s Bar and Grill at 15th and Spruce. 

Billed to me as “the best old-man bar in Filthydelphia,” 

I skipped the somewhat long walk and 

took the PaTCO Speedline instead. The bar 

opens at 10am and I didn’t want to miss a moment 

of the old-man action. 

Several drinks later, I still hadn’t spotted a reallife 

old man. In fact, the few other non-hipsters 

in the bar all held steno books and mechanical 


having fun 

pencils just like I did. I imagined they were all 

writing old man columns for the PEng primer, 

the PEdu primer, and the Plaw primer. I chatted 

up another old-man huntsman from the 

School of Nursing and convinced him to join me 

on my search. 

“Rittenhouse Square is just a few blocks away, 

and they’re always old men wandering around 

there!” said Pat. His name was Pat. 

We dashed over to the Square and secreted 

ourselves in the bushes. Surely we would 

find—oh, there’s one now! Polyester trousers, a 

muchstained shirt, a checked blazer, bright red 

nose, and a trilby atop his silver-wreathed head. 

Shuffling, shuffling through the Square. We decided 

to follow. He was moving slowly enough 

that we stopped for coffee at the Tuscany and 

played a round of Scrabble with some beatniks. 

He led us to the Cherry Street Tavern, at 

22nd and Cherry. This place is amazing. Standing 

at the bar, one notices a trough at one’s 

feet. This trough was built in a much different 

era, when old men were old men and public 

urination was not yet demonized. Yes, you read 

correctly. You could order a beer and pee at the 

same time. Sadly, the trough isn’t used anymore, 

but it still attracts old men like pie attracts 

old ladies. 


We approached art, the old man in question. after 

getting him loaded, Pat and I managed to get 

the following list of Old Man Haunts out of him: 

dRinKinG 

Dirty Frank’s, 13th and Pine. Daytime drinking 

at its best. 

Locust Bar, 10th and locust. Ditto, plus occasional 

karaoke. 

ShoPPinG 

Passyunk Avenue, South Philly. Products so 

obsolete and wholesome, it’s like a beautiful 

museum of the Greatest Generation. Have your 

shoes repaired, your hat reinforced, and your collar 

starched. 

69th Street, Upper Darby. Bargains, bargains, 

bargains. and just blocks from the Upper Darby 

Turf Club, an off-track betting parlor for those of 

you who can’t make it to the racetrack but still 

want to blow your pension check on the trifecta. 

SLEEPinG 

Society Hill Towers, Society Hill. For the old 

man with an accountant. These buildings were 

once described to me as “where your dad goes to 

live when your parents get divorced.” One stroll 

over this City on the Hill will have you convinced 

that daddy never, ever gets back together with 

mommy. 


having fun 

moViES 

Franklin Square, Old City. Remember reading 

that William Penn planned four airy, green 

squares, one in each quadrant of Philadelphia? 

Washington and Rittenhouse are nice, logan is 

a traffic circle, and…where’s the other one? It’s 

called Franklin Square, and the buzz of freeway 

traffic on the Benjamin Franklin bridge is a 

sweet, sweet lullaby. 

REEL 

WoRLd 

RAVE motion PiCtURES 

40th & Walnut/ 215-386-3300 

www.ravemotionpitcurescom 

Formerly The Bridge, this snazzy Wood + Zapata 

building across from the Fresh Grocer was originally 

intended to be an art house theater. But project partner 

General Cinemas went bankrupt halfway through 

construction and mainstream National Amusements 

stepped in (note the resulting contradiction of cool 

futuristic style with the blandness of its mainstream 

popcorn movies). The large theaters feature stadium 

seating with excellent sound and comfortable seats. 

It’s pricey but convenient and the sound is a thousand 

times better than The Roxy. 


moViES 

Ritz FiLmBiLL 

RITZ EaST 125 S 2nd St (btw Chestnut & 

Walnut)/ 215-925-2501 

RITZ FIVE 214 Walnut St/ 215-440-1184 

RITZ aT THE BOURSE 4th St btw Market & 

Chestnut/ 215-440-1181 

www.ritzfilmbill.com 

The art-house version of a multiplex, the Ritz theaters show a 

variety of independent and “artsy” films. The three theaters are 

all within a few blocks of each other and show some of the more 

hard-to-find films. You’re bound to find some movies that you’ve 

never heard of as well as more familiar titles. The snack bar has 

a selection of coffee, tea, cookies and imported chocolates, in 

addition to popcorn-and-soda fare. Each theater shows between 

three and five movies and on all days except Saturdays and holidays, 

students can get in for $6.75 with their ID. 

thE RoXY 

2023 Sansom St/ 215-923-6699 

Small, intimate theater showing independent films and second 

run Hollywood movies. Tiny theater space, but usually not 

crowded. The employees are usually very friendly and knowledgeable. 

dVd REntALS 

VIDEO VaUlT/$2 per night 

Houston Hall 10am-1am, 7 days 

VIDEO lIBRaRY/$2.50 & $3 for one 

night, $2 late fee 

4040 locust St/215-387-5440 

VaN PElT lIBRaRY/free 

www.library.upenn.edu/collections/videos 


having fun 

mUSEUmS 

hAUtE 

CULtURE 

AtWAtER KEnt mUSEUm 

15 S 7th St/ 215-922-3031 

Su-M, W-Sa 10-5/ $5 

www.philadelphiahistory.org 

A museum of Philadelphia history. 

BARnES FoUndAtion 

2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway 

215-640-0171 

www.barnesfoundation.org 

Watch The Art of the Steal and then visit the new location 

that sparked a huge controversy. 

ELFREthS ALLEY mUSEUm 

126 Elfreths alley (at 2nd St btw Race & arch)/ 215-574-0560 

M-Sa 10-5, Su 12-5 (Mar-Oct)/ $2 

www.elfrethsalley.org 

At 300+ years, the nation’s oldest residential street. 

inStitUtE oF ContEmPoRARY ARt 

3600 Sansom St/ 215-898-7108 

W-F 12-8, Sa-Su 11-5/ free w/ Penn ID 

www.icaphila.org 

Emerging visual artists. 

SLoUGht FoUndAtion 

4017 Walnut St / 215-701-4627 

Th-Sat 1-6/Free 

www.slought.org 

Check the online archives, then judge. 


mUSEUmS 

mUmmERS mUSEUm 

1100 S 2nd St (at Washington ave) 

215-336-3050/ Tu-Sa 9:30-4:30, Su 12-4:30 (Oct-apr)/ $2.50 for 

students 

www.mummersmuseum.com 

Learn about Philadelphia’s struttin’ New Year tradition. 

mÜttER mUSEUm 

19 S 22nd St/ 215-563-3737 x211 

7 days 10-5/ $7 for students 

www.collphyphil.org/musgal.htm 

Over 20,000 strange and curious anatomical and pathological 

objects, ranging from shrunken heads to medical illustrations. 

PhiLAdELPhiA ARt ALLiAnCE 

251 S 18th St, 3rd Floor 

215-545-4302/ Tu-Su 11-5 

www.philartalliance.org 

The oldest multi-disciplinary art center in the US. Satellite 

gallery at 210 Rittenhouse Square. 

PhiLAdELPhiA mUSEUm oF ARt 

Ben Franklin Pkwy at 26th St 

215-684-7600/ Tu-S 10-6; F 10-8:45 $7 for students, 

Su occasionally pay what you wish. 

www.philamuseum.org 

Rodin mUSEUm 

Ben Franklin Pkwy at 22nd St 

215-763-8100/ Tu-Su 10-5/ $3 sug 

www.rodinmuseum.org 

A collection of 124 sculptures. 

PEnn mUSEUm oF ARChEoLoGY & 

AnthRoPoLoGY 

3260 South St (near Spruce & 34th) 

215-898-4000/ Tu-Sa 10-4:30, Su 1-5 free w/ Penn ID 

www.museum.upenn.edu 


having fun 

dAY tRiPS 

hAd YoUR 

FiLL oF 

PhiLLY? 

mERion 

Is it Upper or Lower? Who cares! You really do 

have to visit the Barnes Collection while you’re 

here, if not for the manse chock full o’ impressionism 

than for the spectacle of enormous houses and 

lazily rolling grounds just minutes from the raw 

streets of West Philly. Follow up a trip to Barnsey 

with a sandwich at Murray’s Deli on Montgomery 

Avenue. 

FALLinGWAtER 

This house, designed as a mountain retreat 

for owners of the Pittsburgh department store 

Kaufmann’s, really does live up to the hype. Try to 

arrive early enough to also visit Kentuck Knob, another 

Wright house seven miles away that also features 

a modern sculpture garden. Located in Mill 

Run, PA, 275 miles west on I-76, this only counts 

as a day trip for drivers with Formula One in their 

blood. At a speedy clip, one way takes about four 

and a half hours. Buy your tickets for Fallingwater 

ahead of time from www.paconserve.org. 

CAPE mAY 

Grad students may find this New Jersey resort a bit 


dAY tRiPS 

too pricey and middleaged for a long stay, but 

the drive from Philly is a fast and scenic one and 

a half hours. If Cape May seems to polished, the 

tacky delights of the Boardwalk await just up the 

shore at Wildwood. 

AtLAntiC CitY 

Whether you’re a compulsive gambler or a true 

urbanist fascinated by the desperate mix of glam 

and grit hard by the ocean, A.C. is surreal and 

fascinating. Go in good weather (the boardwalk is 

far more captivating than the Baccarat) and take 

in a drink from the Top of Trop. Other recommendations 

include the Quarter at the Tropicana, 

the Borgata, the Walk outlet shops, the House 

of Blues at Showboat, the Casbah nightclub at 

Trump Taj Mahal, the 24-hour Chelsea Bar and 

Grill, the high-end mall opening soon across 

from Ceasar’s Palace, and last but not least, the 

Jitneys along Pacific Avenue passing the ladies of 

the night. 

WintERthUR 

The DuPonts have been replaced by an extensive 

decorative-arts museum (two words: soup tureens), 

but the reason people come is for the lush 

grounds and acres of gardens, big enough to be 

traversed by a little tram. The nearby Brandywine 

River Museum is also worthwhile, as is engaging 

in Delaware’s state pastime, stocking up on salestax-free 

booze! 


having fun 

dAY tRiPS 

nEW hoPE 

Bucks County is pretty, but its preeminent tourist 

town is a scene without the scenery. Apparently the 

idea is that, come summer, fighting for parking and 

dinner tables and sidewalk space in a small town on 

the river is preferable to doing the same things in 

the city. The galloping development here has priced 

out the charm. Save your gas and stop at Manyunk 

for a similar experience with better food. 

thE PoConoS 

Forget the heart-shaped tubs of yore, they’ve been 

replaced by outlet malls. There skiing is decent at 

Blue Mountain and Camelback. The latter is also a 

state park you can drive to the top of off-season for 

hikes and great views. 

thE mAin LinE 

The shops and cafes are quaint (but the prices 

ain’t) here in Gentility Central. Besides Lancaster 

Avenue, take time to visit Bryn Mawr College to 

see one of the most bucolic campuses in the East, 

including Lou Kahn’s dormitory. In comparison, 

Haverford’s campus is a bit more awkwardly 

planned, but also a nice place to stroll. 



INTERNaTIONal STUDENTS 

CHINESE 

KOREaN 

WoRK ABRoAd 

FoREiGn 

ASSEtS 

intERnAtionAL StUdEntS 

YoU doWn 

Wit oPt? 

Being an international student in the US, particularly 

in the post-September 11 climate, can 

seem a bit a scary, given the stories you might 

have heard. But rest assured, if you are a bona 

fide student pursuing a degree at a reputable 

university such as Penn and have no criminal 

record, you have nothing to worry about. 

In the eight years that I’ve been a foreign 

resident in the States, the one thing I’ve learnt 

is to be absolutely honest and never lie, even 

if for the smallest thing. Stay on top of any 

documents or papers that need to be updated 

and make sure that you receive constant communication 

from Penn’s Office of International 

Programs (OIP). If you haven’t already attended 

the International Student Orientation and registered 

with OIP, you should do so immediately. 

ViSAS And tRAVEL 

The majority of international students are in the 

country on an F-1 (student) visa, though 

some might be here on a J-1 visa (for exchange 

scholars). If you are holding an F-1 visa, you 

will also have a form I-20, issued by Penn, that 

is as important as your visa. Don’t be fooled by 


foreign assets 


the expiry date on your 

visa—you can enter and 

exit the country only as 

long as your I-20 is valid. 

If your visa is not valid for 

the entire length of study, 

make sure you give yourself 

enough time to renew 

it. In the past, regulations 

permitted you to renew 

your visa in a third country 

(i.e., countries besides 

your home country or the 

US) but rules constantly 

change and it is best to 

check this with OIP in 

advance. 

Most F-1 visa holders can 

enter and exit the United 

States multiple times 

(again, check your visa 

for exceptions). However, 

to re-enter the country, 

your I-20 must have been 

signed by an International 

Student Specialist from 

OIP within the last 12 

months. If you want to 

play it safe, take your I-20 

into OIP and get it signed 


RESOURCES 

Office of International 

Programs 

3701 Chestnut St, Suite 1W 

215-898-4661 

www.upenn.edu/oip 

Citizenship and immigration 

Services (USCIS) 

www.uscis.gov 

department of State 

www.state.gov 

Social Security 

Administration 

www.ssa.gov 


each time you are planning to leave the country (this 

includes travel to Canada!). 

When you arrived here, immigration officials stapled 

a small piece of paper to the page next to your US visa 

in your passport. This is Form I-94. It is very precious, 

so do NOT lose it! If you do lose it, report to 

OIP immediately and they will take you through the 

necessary steps for getting a duplicate form. The I-94 

is a departure record and is a way for officials to track 

when you leave the country. It is imperative that the 

form is taken from you when leave the United States. 

Unlike the procedure in most countries, in the US, immigration 

officials do not collect the departure record 

from you. Instead, airline personnel collect this when 

you check in for your flight. Be sure to remind the 

check-in agent to do so, since they very often forget to 

the collect the I-94! Lastly, when you return to the US, 

bear in mind that security measures have been heightened. 

But the addedsecurity benefits all of us living in 

the country, regardless of citizenship. 

moVinG RESidEnCES 

Under the new United States Citizenship and Immigration 

Services (USCIS) regulations, international 

students are required, within 10 days of moving, to 

report their address to Penn. This means not only the 

first time you got here, but also each time you move, 

whether to on-campus housing or not. Make sure 

you register your new address through Penn InTouch 

(found under “Online Services” at upenn.edu/ pen- 




nportal). This updates your records at Penn’s OIP, 

which in turn informs the necessary officials. 

FinAnCiAL Aid 

International students are not eligible for federal 

government grants or student loans. However, since 

Penn is a private university, international students are 

eligible for scholarships and grants that come directly 

from Penn. Some private companies (Citibank, for 

instance) will issue student loans to foreign citizens, 

as long as a US citizen is a co-signer. This means a US 

citizen must be willing to apply for the loan with you 

and to stand as surety that you will pay it back, or if 

you don’t, that they will. Check with Student Financial 

Services for more information. 

on-CAmPUS EmPLoYmEnt 

As an international student on an F-1 visa, you are 

eligible to work on campus, i.e. within any department 

or school of the University. This means you are not 

limited to your particular department at PennDesign. 

However, be aware that many jobs are work-study (i.e. 

paid for with US government funding) and are part of 

a federal financial aid package, which means that foreign 

students are not eligible. If in doubt, check with 

the department or supervisor whether it is a workstudy 

job. Note that international students can work 

a maximum of 20 hours a week during the academic 

year, and a maximum of 40 hours a week during the 

summer and winter breaks. 



oFF-CAmPUS EmPLoYmEnt 

As a general rule, foreign citizens on student or exchange 

visas CANNOT be paid for work off-campus without 

prior approval. This rule applies regardless of whether it is 

during the academic year or vacation. You should NEVER 

accept work from a non-Penn employer without ensuring 

that it will not jeopardize your student status. Working illegally 

off-campus can be very risky and might even result 

in deportation—it’s just not worth it. 

If you are on an F-1 student visa, there are legal provisions 

to gain practical work experience. Curricular Practical 

Training (CPT) allows you to be paid for off-campus 

work during school breaks while registered for a CPT 

course. This is a valuable resource and you should consider 

using it if you plan on getting a summer internship 

in the US. Getting approval for CPT is relatively easy and 

speedy (typically a week at most) and is handled by OIP. 

However, because you must register for course, you also 

have to pay tuition based on the number of credits the 

course is. For example, the Department of Architecture 

recently initiated a 

CPT course that allows students on an F-1 visa to work 

during the summer. The course counts for 0.25 credits 

and costs $500. Other departments might have similar arrangements 

and you should check with them individually. 

oPtionAL PRACtiCAL tRAininG (oPt) 

All international students on an F-1 visa get 12 months 

of Optional Practical Training (OPT) for each degree 




granted in the United States (i.e. Bachelor’s, Master’s, 

Doctorate). OPT is primarily designed to allow you 

to work legally in the US after graduation from an 

American university or college, and you do not need to 

be registered for a course in order to use it. Since your 

application has to be processed by USCIS, getting approval 

for OPT takes longer than CPT (sometimes up 

to three months) and you should plan accordingly. 

You can also split your time and use some of your 

OPT allowance before graduation. For instance, if 

you used three months for a summer internship, you 

would have nine months left to use after you get your 

degree. However, this would mean reducing your 

maximum time available after graduation, so if you 

plan to try to stay in the US, CPT is a better option. 

Regardless of what you do, plan ahead and give yourself 

enough time to get the necessary paperwork taken 

care of. 

diSCLAimER 

Immigration and visa regulations are constantly being 

updated and changed. Please verify the above information 

with OIP before you act on it. Also, stay up to 

date with OIP’s email bulletins. 

tAXES 

Regardless of citizenship or income, international students 

are required to file state and federal tax returns . 

Wages from on-campus jobs are taxable as are certain 

scholarships. Additionally, some countries have recip- 


CREDIT BUREaUS 

Experian 

www.experian.com 

Equifax 

www.equifax.com 

transUnion 

www.transunion.com 


rocal treaties with the US and citizens 

of those countries are eligible for particular 

tax benefits in the States. Taxes are 

due on April 15 of each year, and are 

filed for the previous calendar year. OIP 

has all of the necessary information and 

forms and provides walk-in tax advising 

in the spring semester. Check with 

them before you file your taxes. 

CREdit hiStoRY 

The US has a well established system of 

recording each person’s credit history, 

based on their social security number 

(SSN). If you haven’t already applied 

for a SSN, you should do so soon. 

While the credit history concept might 

be unheard of in many countries, it is 

essential to pay attention to your credit 

history if you want to live in the US. 

Almost any service provider or potential 

landlord will run a “credit check” 

on you through a credit bureau. These 

bureaus keep track of all prior and current 

credit card accounts, loans, bank 

accounts and even utility services in 

your name. There are three main credit 

bureaus, all with online presence (see 

below)—try to establish a record with 

any of these bureaus. When opening an 

account for banking or other services 




(phone, electricity, etc.) ask if the company will report 

it to your credit history. 

Read the fine print carefully when you apply for a 

credit card and don’t fall for the numerous “pre-approved” 

student cards that you might get in the mail 

or online. Also, keep track of all addresses you live 

at and have used on official documents—this too is 

reported on your credit history. Access to your credit 

history allows you to know and prevent someone from 

committing fraud in your name and allows you to 

clear up anything that looks suspicious to you. But it 

also enables you to build up “good credit” which will 

be invaluable to you later if you want to rent an apartment, 

buy a car, apply for a credit card or loan, or even 

buy a home. If you plan on working after graduation 

or don’t know how long you’ll be in the US, take care 

to maintain a good credit history—it can never hurt to 

do so, and you never know when you need it. 



indEX 

a.C. Moore 108 

abbaye 132 

abyssinia Restaurant 99 

addams Hall 9, 11 

admissions 11 

aetna 21 

administration 11-13 

airports 76 

alyan’s 99 

amtrak 74 

anthony’s Coffee House 98 

apartments 55-60 

appendicitis 24-25 

apple computers 32 

arch Street Plastics 108 

arch & anthro Museum 143 

architecture 37-38 

archives 28-29 

art Museum 62 

artist supply 108 

atlantic City 144 

aTMs 115 

atwater Kent Museum 142 

Bacon, Kevin 28-29 

Bacon, Edmund 28-29, 42 

banks 115 

Bar Guide 132-136 

Barnes Foundation 142 

Beijing 91 

Beer & Wine 130 

Bicycle Therapy 82 

Bikes & Biking 80-87 

Bike Rides 83-84 

bike stores & repair 82 

bills, paying 30 

The Bishop’s Collar 135 

Blue Mountain 145 

Bob & Barbara’s 119 

The Bridge 141 

Brigid’s 135 

Bryn Mawr 145 

Buddakan 104 

Buffalo Billiards 133 

Bump 134 

buses 67 

BUYING STUFF 106-117 

cable 60 

Camelback 145 

Campus apartments 57 

Cape May 144 

CaPS 22 

car rental 79 

Career Services 13 

Carman’s Country Kitchen 120 

Cars & Parking 77-79 

...registration 77 

...insurance 77 

...inspection 77 

Center City 61-62 

Charette 109 

Cheap Eats 98-99 

Cheesesteaks 100-101 

Cherry Street Tavern 139 

Chickering Group 21 

Chinatown buses 73 

Chinese 152 

Citiassist loans 19 

City Planning 42-45 

Clark Park 112 

commuter rail to NY 72 

computer certification 33 

Computer Connection 32 

Computing 12, 30-35 

Continental 133 

Continental Mid-Town 104, 134 

Copabanana 98 

copy stores 116 

CPT 149 

craigslist 57 

credit history 151 

Dahlak 136 

Day Trips 144-145 

DC, transit to 73-75 

...driving directions 75 

Dean’s Office 11 

Demetrios 93 

dental care 23 

dental insurance 22 

Dining alfresco 97 

Dirty Frank’s 139 


Dive Bars 137-138 

Doobies 136 

Dr. Cycles 82 

Drexel Pizza 99 

Drinker’s Midtown 135 

Drinker’s Tavern 133 

driver’s licensing 79 

drugstores 115 

Duhring Wing 9, 11 

Dunkin’ Donuts 91 

DVD rentals 141 

Eastern State Penitentary 120 

Elfreths alley 142 

electricity 60 

El-Vez 104 

email 30 

Errands 114-116 

Eulogy 133 

Exercise 126-127 

Experian 151 

Equifax 151 

F-1 visa 147 

Fabrication lab 109 

Facilities 12 

Fairmount Park 122 

farmer’s markets 111 

Fast Food 91 

Fallingwater 144 

faxing 116 

Fitler Square 61, 112 

Finance Office 11 

Financial aid 18-20 

FINDING FOOD 88-104 

Fine arts 46-47 

Fine arts library 9, 26-27 

First Unitarian Church 121 

Food Carts 92-95 

FOREIGN aSSETS 146-159 

Franklin annex 11 

Franklin Building 30 

Franklin Field 128 

Franklin Mills 113 

Franklin Square 140 

Fresh Fruit 93 


Fresh Grocer 110 

FTP access 33 

GaPSa 17 

gas 60 

Genji 99 

Germantown ave 83 

GETTING aROUND 66-87 

Getting Here 8-9 

Gojjo 136 

The Good Dog 134 

Govinda’s Cafe 99 

Grace Tavern 136 

Grad PlUS loans 19 

Graduate Hospital 61 

Greek lady 93 

Greyhound 74 

grocery stores 110-111 

gyms 126 

Hanan House of Pita 92 

hardware stores 109 

Harmony 99 

Haverford 145 

HaVING FUN 118-145 

Health & Dental 24-28 

health insurance 21 

Hemo’s 94 

Historic Preservation 48-49 

Home Depot 108 

Hospital of UPenn 21 

HOUSING 54-65 

HUP 21 

Hutchinson 126 

I-20 147 

I-94 148 

ICa 142 

Ikea 113 

immunizations 22 

Int’l Students 147-151 

internet service 60 

iTunes 33 

Isgro’s Pastries 98 

ITS, PennDesign 30-35 

J-1 visa 147 

Jamaican Jerk Hut 112 

Kahn, louis 28-29, 145 

Kentuck Knob 144 

King of Prussia 113 

Korean 153-156 

leann 92 

la Terasse 102 

landscape architecture 51-53 

laundry 115 

lemon Grass Thai 103 

les & Doreen’s Happy Tap 138 

light Bulbs 14-16 

libraries 26-27 

locust Bar 137, 140 

locust Rendezvous 138 

logan Square 62 

london Grill 135 

lorenzo’s Pizza 98 

lou’s Restaurante 99 

lUCY 69 

lumber 109 

Macintosh computers 32 

Magic Carpet 94 

mailing 116 

Main line 145 

Manayunk 84 

maps 

...PennDesign 8 

...University City 114 

...food carts 93 

McDonalds 91 

McGlinchey’s 134, 139 

mental health svcs 22 

Merion 144 

metals 108 

Metropolitan Bakery 99 

MexiCali 94, 96 

Meyerson Hall 9, 11 

Mom & Pop 95 

Monk’s 134 

Morgan Building 9, 11 

Morimoto 104 

Movie Theaters 141 

moving & moving trucks 59 

Mummers Museum 142 

section text 

Mummers Parade 121 

Museums 142-143 

Mütter Museum 122, 143 

My Rich Uncle 19 

Nam Phoung 98 

Nan 103 

Neighborhood Bike Works 82 

New Deck Tavern 131 

New Hope 145 

New York & DC 72-75 

New York, transit to 72-75 

...driving directions 75 

NoChe 135 

North Third 132 

Off-Campus living 56 

Office of Int’l Prgms 147 

OIP 147 

Old City 61 

Old Man City 139-140 

Ombudsman 13 

OPT 150 

Ortlieb’s Jazzhaus 132 

Oscar’s Tavern 137 

Outings 119-124 

parking at PennDesign 9 

Passyunk avenue 140 

Pattaya Grill 99 

PaTCO 69 

parking permit 78 

parking pass 78 

PDSC 17 

Pearl 107 

PECO 60 

PennBus 50 

PennCard 30 

PennCash 30 

PENNDESIGN 8-35 

...map 8 

Penne 102 

Penn In Touch 30 

PennKey 30 

PennRec 127 

Penn Relays 128 

PennPass 69 


PennPortal 30 

PennShuttle 51 

Penn Transit 70-71 

Pennypack Park 84 

Perkins loans 19 

PGW 60 

PhD architecture 39-41 

Picnic 91 

Philadelphia art alliance 143 

Philadelphia Food Trust 112 

Phl Int’l Championships 129 

Phila Museum of art 143 

PhillyCarShare 79 

Philly Weekly 57 

plastics 109 

Plaza Garibaldi 98 

plotting 34 

Poconos 145 

Pod 102, 104 

Pottruck 126 

Powelton Village 64 

print stores 116 

printing 34 

produce markets 111 

PSIP 21 

Public Transit 67-69 

Raw lounge 99 

Reading Terminal Market 112 

The Real leann 92 

Registrar 11 

regional rail 68 

Relationships 125 

Rembrandt’s 135 

research 26-27 

Restaurants 98-99, 102-104 

Ritz Filmbill 141 

Rittenhouse 61 

Rodin Museum 143 

The Roxy 141 

69th Street 140 

Sabrina’s Cafe 98 

Sallie Mae 19 

Sang-Ke Peking Duck 99 

Sansom Place 59 


scanners 34 

Schuylkill River Park 84 

SEPTa 67-69 

...R7 to NY 72 

...R1 to the airport 68, 76 

...tokens 69 

Site Research 50 

shipping 116 

Shofuso House 122 

shopping malls 113 

software 34 

Society Hill 61 

Society Hill Hotel 133 

Society Hill Towers 140 

Sports 128-129 

Spruce Hill 63 

Stafford loans 18 

The Standard Tap 132 

Steven Starr 104 

STOa 109 

student council 17 

Student Financial Svcs 12, 19 

student groups 17 

Student health 13, 21, 24-25 

student housing 59 

student loans 18-19 

Student organizations 17 

Studio Supplies 107-109 

subway 68 

Super Fresh 110 

Supermarkets 110-111 

Supreme Foodmarket 111 

SURViVAL GUidES 36-53 

tandoor 99 

target 113 

the tattooed mom 98 

Tavern on Camac 134 

telephone service 60 

ten Stone 136 

thai Singha house 103 

thrift Stores 117 

thriftway 111 

tommy Gunn’s BBQ 83, 84 

towing 78 

2 Street Cafe 138 

transunion 151 

trader Joe’s 110 

transcripts 30 

trolleys 68 

trophy Bikes 82 

UCA Realty Group 57 

University City 63 

...map 114 

University City housing 57 

utilities 60 

Utrecht 107 

Video Library 124, 141 

Video Vault 141 

Wal-mart 113 

walking escort 71 

Washington Square West 61 

water department 60 

Wawa 89-90 

West Philly 62-64 

West River drive 123 

White dog Cafe 102 

Whole Foods 110 

Wildwood, nJ 144 

Winterthur 145 

Wissahickon 83 

women’s health 22 

Woodlands Cemetary 123 

Woody’s 134 

Work Abroad 157-159 

work study 20 

Yue Kee 95 

Zocalo 103 


notES notES 



notES notES

PD Primer - PennDesign - University of Pennsylvania

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