A College Kid’s Guide to Philadelphia

I couldn’t be happier to call this city my home. As I’m writing this, fireworks are going off around me. The energy is infectious, go downtown to City Hall and you have hordes of college students, activists, lifelong Philly residents all dancing in the streets, some dressed as mailboxes, popping champagne and holding Biden-Harris signs. Saving our democracy isn’t the only reason I love it here, however. I always knew I wanted to go to school in a city and that was part of the reason I picked Penn but Philly exceeded all of my expectations. It's gorgeous, quirky, prides itself on being “gritty” so much so that the city’s mascot is an orange monster named exactly that, and has the best food scene on the East coast. 

While I highly recommend doing your best to get out of the Penn bubble or the 3 block radius around campus, it exists for a reason. Anything you could ever need, you can find right next to campus. Since I’m obsessed with food, I’ll start with that. For breakfast: Metropolitan Bakery (the cutest place with great sandwiches, coffee and baked goods), Renata’s (yummy Mediterranean with giant pancakes), Sabrina’s (a little far but the french toast is completely worth it). For coffee/studying: Saxby’s (a Philly coffee chain with the best oat milk chai, my absolute favorite place near campus) and United by Blue (half outdoorsy shop, half coffee shop). For lunch, I usually end up stopping at a food truck. Some of my favorites are: Chez Jimeni (African-French food with the kindest owner), Lyn’s (amazing breakfast sandwiches), Magic Carpet (the rare vegan food truck) and Schmear (the best bagels I’ve found outside of New York but the one exception to cheap food trucks). For dinner: Terakawa (dangerously good ramen), Distrito (classic Mexican with a daily happy hour), Hummus Grill (the name implies it all and the vibes are the best) and New Delhi Indian Restaurant (best buffet deal near campus). Late nights: Wishbone (fried chicken with the pesto parmesan dipping sauce is my go to), Allegros (the pizza’s okay but it’s really the feeling of sitting in a booth with your friends after a night out, laughing and watching people trickle in around you) and Wawa is of course a freshman year must. 

Penn’s campus is gorgeous; there’s really nothing like Locust Walk in the summer and fall and one of the small upsides of COVID is more people trying to take advantage of the outdoors. The upper campus is full of spots to picnic at and on the weekends you can see the engineering students out flying kites. I love going farther down to the Schuylkill river where you can see people picnicking, taking photographs of the river, kayaking or just wandering down the paths. If you’re into running, keep going farther towards the Philadelphia Museum of Art (and then run up the iconic Rocky Steps) or even Boathouse row. Shopping near campus could be better, there’s always Urban Outfitters if you’re in a pinch but there are some spots that hold a special place in my heart. In particular, I love A House of Our Own, a used bookshop run by two Penn grads for the past 49 years, and its sprawling piles of books on just about anything you could think of. United by Blue has some outdoorsy clothes and gear in addition to its coffee and Hello World has the cutest assortment of home goods, cards and memorabilia. For workouts, Orange Theory is my favorite but if you prefer classic gym vibes, Fit Gym on Chestnut St. has a great yearly membership. 

West Philadelphia

It always amazes me how you can go three blocks from campus and be in another world. Suddenly you see families walking their kids to school and teenagers skateboarding, a peaceful reminder that life beyond college exists. West Philadelphia is full of sprawling gardens, deport Trump signs, overgrown trees and beautiful row houses. It’s also the best glimpse at the real Philly that exists outside of the Penn bubble. 

Where to Eat: Clarksville, Don Barigas, Vietnam Cafe and Greenline Cafe. 

What to Do: Walk around Clark’s Park, they have a great farmer’s market every Saturday. Check out Urban Exchange Project, a thrift and handmade shop. Stop for a coffee at Reanimator, the best I’ve found on this side of the river. 

Center City

Right across the river is Center City, beautiful, fun with endless possibilities. 

For Coffee: Res Ipsa, La Columbe, and Rival Bros.

Where to Eat: K’Far, Harper’s Garden, Parc, Barbuzzo, Harp and Crown, Veda, Zama, Pumpkin and Rosy’s Taco Bar. 

Where to Shop: Buffalo Exchange, Rikumo, Open House Store, and The Shops at Liberty Place. 

What to Do: Rittenhouse Square is a perfect park in the city’s center surrounded by shops and restaurants, stop there, shop a bit and then keep walking down to City Hall. Get a drink and tapas at Assembly Lounge above Hotel 1, which has beautiful views of downtown. Visit one of Philly’s museums, my personal favorites are the Barnes, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Rodin. Or go for something less conventional and try the Eastern State Penitentiary (less weird than it sounds, I promise), and Mutter Center. Check out the Comcast Center which has little shops and a nice coffee bar to study at while overhead a giant screen plays endless stories. For something completely unique, check out Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, a beautiful set of outdoor murals made from pottery shards and glass bottles. In the winter, there’s a skating rink near City Hall and the cutest Christmas market. 

Old City

As the name implies, this is Philly’s historical district. While it’s also it’s most touristy, it’s very scenic and still has cobblestone streets, unlike most of the city. 

Where to Eat: Amada, Talula’s Garden, Franklin’s Fountain, Han Dynasty and Royal Sushi and Izakaya. And if you have something to celebrate and make a reservation two months in advance, Zahav is Philly’s best restaurant. 

What to Do: Independence Square is a must, especially if you’re a fan of National Treasure. Check out the Liberty Bell and the National Constitution Center. For something more modern, Wonderspace Philadelphia is a digital and sculpture museum. 

Writing this was one of the most fun but difficult things I’ve done recently. There’s so much more I love about Philly that I didn’t include here and so much I still haven’t seen. Yesterday, I finally visited Belmont Plateau which has been on my list for over a year. The sprawling park offers perfect views of Philly’s skyline and is a go to tailgate spot for locals. My friends and I set up a charcuterie board, watched the sunset and laughed about how much our lives have changed since freshman year. We all agreed moving here was the best decision we’ve ever made and I can’t wait for what the next two and a half years brings.