Greetings!
Good Afternoon!
I am bugging y'all because I am looking into moving to Philly next summer to pursue my PhD at UPenn. I know next to nothing about Philly, having lived in the South my entire life. I was wondering if anyone has any advice about UPenn or about Philly in general as I begin my application process and convince my husband that it really is worth moving to Philly. My main questions:
Does Philly have an active theatre/arts community?
My husband is currently finishing up his Massage Therapy Degree; are there resorts or anything of the sort in Philly?
What are the major hospitals in Philly, besides UPenn Med?
Is Philly really as scary as some people say (I know this is silly, but I am a smally town/city type girl, so I wonder about these things)?
Anything else I should know?
Sorry to bug y'all, but I was just curious!
Cyn
I am bugging y'all because I am looking into moving to Philly next summer to pursue my PhD at UPenn. I know next to nothing about Philly, having lived in the South my entire life. I was wondering if anyone has any advice about UPenn or about Philly in general as I begin my application process and convince my husband that it really is worth moving to Philly. My main questions:
Does Philly have an active theatre/arts community?
My husband is currently finishing up his Massage Therapy Degree; are there resorts or anything of the sort in Philly?
What are the major hospitals in Philly, besides UPenn Med?
Is Philly really as scary as some people say (I know this is silly, but I am a smally town/city type girl, so I wonder about these things)?
Anything else I should know?
Sorry to bug y'all, but I was just curious!
Cyn
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Hi Cyn and welcome to the PA boards - I guess the first thing you need to ask yourself is if you're going to live within the City limits or outlying area. I'm not a city girl myself or a fan of that type of life, but Philadelphia does have an excellent theatre and arts community - for a listing of all the hospitals in Philly I would go to the internet and do a search there - that will give you the full list. There are many excellent hospitals in and around the city.
Certain parts of the city are very scary - some aren't - depends on what part you want to live in - how much you want to spend, etc. You really need to do some personal research on that - maybe take a couple of long weekends and come up and scout the areas out. I live south of the city near Wilmington, DE and I love this area, but there are many great areas that surround the city itself. If you're used to more rural living maybe north of the city in Bucks County would be better suited for you. Lots of things to consider since its such a big move.
Wish you all the best!
Kathy
Certain parts of the city are very scary - some aren't - depends on what part you want to live in - how much you want to spend, etc. You really need to do some personal research on that - maybe take a couple of long weekends and come up and scout the areas out. I live south of the city near Wilmington, DE and I love this area, but there are many great areas that surround the city itself. If you're used to more rural living maybe north of the city in Bucks County would be better suited for you. Lots of things to consider since its such a big move.
Wish you all the best!
Kathy
'One shoe can change your life'...Cinderella
Hi Cyn,
I live and work in Philly and have my entire life. I will try and help you.
I don't know too much about it but yes there is a huge theatre/arts community. They are naming a portion of the largest street in Phillie, the Avenue of the Arts.
There are new hotels that are opening up all the time. There is also major construction that is expanding the Convention Center. There are also many casinos being built. I am not sure if those will be "resort type", however we are one hour from Atlantic City.
Major hospitals and many are great teaching hospital. Besides U of P whi*****ludes Pennsylvania Hospital, the oldest hospital in the US, and Presbyterian there are Jefferson, Hannaman (sp?), and Temple that are in the city. There are also a few other smaller hospitals.
Philadelphia is made up of "neighborhoods". Some are good and some not so. But in any major city you have the same thing. Don't walk around where you know you shouldn't and you will be fine. Of course, sometimes crime happens in even the best of places.
As the other poster mentioned when saying Philly it includes our surrounding suburbs. We are also just across the bridge from New Jersey, just north of Delaware and only 90 minutes (depending on how traffic is) from NYC.
Hope you enjoy your move here. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Jeanne
I live and work in Philly and have my entire life. I will try and help you.
I don't know too much about it but yes there is a huge theatre/arts community. They are naming a portion of the largest street in Phillie, the Avenue of the Arts.
There are new hotels that are opening up all the time. There is also major construction that is expanding the Convention Center. There are also many casinos being built. I am not sure if those will be "resort type", however we are one hour from Atlantic City.
Major hospitals and many are great teaching hospital. Besides U of P whi*****ludes Pennsylvania Hospital, the oldest hospital in the US, and Presbyterian there are Jefferson, Hannaman (sp?), and Temple that are in the city. There are also a few other smaller hospitals.
Philadelphia is made up of "neighborhoods". Some are good and some not so. But in any major city you have the same thing. Don't walk around where you know you shouldn't and you will be fine. Of course, sometimes crime happens in even the best of places.
As the other poster mentioned when saying Philly it includes our surrounding suburbs. We are also just across the bridge from New Jersey, just north of Delaware and only 90 minutes (depending on how traffic is) from NYC.
Hope you enjoy your move here. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Jeanne
Location, Location, Location...sure you've heard it.
As far as arts go, Philly does have it's share, and it has a fantastic world reknown Flower show http://www.theflowershow.com/home/index.html each year, but you are also a mere 1 hr from Broadway!
There is also an adequate mass transit system, so you wouldn't have to live right on UPenn area....
I do thank the wonderful folks at CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia) for saving my son's life. It was a very, very scary time. It is the premier Children's Hospital in the country and the first of it's kind!
Every city has scary parts, it doesn't matter which one. However, i am not intimidated by the size of Philly. I find NY or DC to be far more intimidating.
But in philly you are 1.5 hrs by car to NYC, 5 hrs to Boston, 2hrs to Baltimore, 3 yrs to DC. Plus there is tons of historical things to do and see. We are also about 90 minutes to the Jersey Shore (I am still from NJ at heart, and in NJ that's what we call it).
Hope that helps
As far as arts go, Philly does have it's share, and it has a fantastic world reknown Flower show http://www.theflowershow.com/home/index.html each year, but you are also a mere 1 hr from Broadway!
There is also an adequate mass transit system, so you wouldn't have to live right on UPenn area....
I do thank the wonderful folks at CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia) for saving my son's life. It was a very, very scary time. It is the premier Children's Hospital in the country and the first of it's kind!
Every city has scary parts, it doesn't matter which one. However, i am not intimidated by the size of Philly. I find NY or DC to be far more intimidating.
But in philly you are 1.5 hrs by car to NYC, 5 hrs to Boston, 2hrs to Baltimore, 3 yrs to DC. Plus there is tons of historical things to do and see. We are also about 90 minutes to the Jersey Shore (I am still from NJ at heart, and in NJ that's what we call it).
Hope that helps
hi - good luck on your move to philly. as for u penn - aweosme awesome school, you will receive an excellent education there. theatre adn arts - there are lots of small and large theatres both inside and outside the main city. there are many hospitals here most of whihc are great. as steve said childrens hospital fo hpladelphia (CHOP) is the best childrens' hospital in the us. my daughter receives care there. as for philly being scary - i say it depends on where in the city you go - of course there are some poverty stricken neighborhoods ridden with drugs and crime. but phily has many neighboring suburbs which are slower and quiter usually than the city.
my hubby is from a small town in pa but he moved to philly in 2005 an dit was a huge adjustment for him due to how "fast" it is here but he has grown veyr quickly to love it here. i have lived in the city my whole life and i love it here. do your research and good luck to you.
my hubby is from a small town in pa but he moved to philly in 2005 an dit was a huge adjustment for him due to how "fast" it is here but he has grown veyr quickly to love it here. i have lived in the city my whole life and i love it here. do your research and good luck to you.
Hi Cyn,
I now live in Levittown, PA, just north of the northeastern part of the city, but I grew up in Philly in a neighborhood called East Falls. I'm probably going to be biased here because that's where I grew up, but East Falls is a wonderful place to live. It has a mixture of all incomes and it very close to Center City. The train is within walking distance to most homes. And buses also. The past mayor, now Governor Ed Rendell, lived right around the corner from me. And Senator Arlen Spector still resides in East Falls and lived around the corner also. I loved my neighborhood because of the people and the location to everything, especially Center City. I miss that aspect very much. And at the base of East Falls is the Schuylkill River and Kelly Drive and West River Drive where you can go biking and running and walking. East Falls is very safe and full of friendly people. And you're very close to the major highways also. Down the drive you're only 10 to 15 minutes to Center City.
The next neighborhood just a minute or two from East Falls is Manayunk. This area has been revitalized over the years and there are shops and restaurants all along Main Street. You're not going to get as much for your buck there, though, because of the main thoroughfare. And it's very, very hilly and a biotch in the winter.
An area very close to U of Penn is University City. Well, that's basically where U of Penn is, is in the neighborhood of Unviersity City. There are some beautiful old homes there where a lot of the college students reside. There are not so good parts to University City, but there are good ones, especially right around the campus. And I believe it is pretty safe.
I hope this has helped. Good luck!!
I now live in Levittown, PA, just north of the northeastern part of the city, but I grew up in Philly in a neighborhood called East Falls. I'm probably going to be biased here because that's where I grew up, but East Falls is a wonderful place to live. It has a mixture of all incomes and it very close to Center City. The train is within walking distance to most homes. And buses also. The past mayor, now Governor Ed Rendell, lived right around the corner from me. And Senator Arlen Spector still resides in East Falls and lived around the corner also. I loved my neighborhood because of the people and the location to everything, especially Center City. I miss that aspect very much. And at the base of East Falls is the Schuylkill River and Kelly Drive and West River Drive where you can go biking and running and walking. East Falls is very safe and full of friendly people. And you're very close to the major highways also. Down the drive you're only 10 to 15 minutes to Center City.
The next neighborhood just a minute or two from East Falls is Manayunk. This area has been revitalized over the years and there are shops and restaurants all along Main Street. You're not going to get as much for your buck there, though, because of the main thoroughfare. And it's very, very hilly and a biotch in the winter.
An area very close to U of Penn is University City. Well, that's basically where U of Penn is, is in the neighborhood of Unviersity City. There are some beautiful old homes there where a lot of the college students reside. There are not so good parts to University City, but there are good ones, especially right around the campus. And I believe it is pretty safe.
I hope this has helped. Good luck!!
Karen 
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