BY DENNIS HOGAN

In print | October 5, 2006

Just a short train ride from the foot of Magill Walk is Philadelphia’s University City, a perfect daytrip destination for the Swattie suffering from feelings of isolation. University City began as a suburb of old Philadelphia, growing up as a community centered around the area’s many institutions of higher learning — University City is home to Drexel as well as most of the University of Pennsylvania facilities, and, as a result, the streets are literally crawling with college students. This means, of course, that many of the local business target the college demographic, resulting in lots of opportunity within a relatively small space. From cultural events to museums, shops and food, a day in University City can’t want for things to do.

Here are some highlights:

Arts and Culture

The University of Pennsylvania is a great cultural asset, with centers like the Kelly Writer’s House hosting speakers, exhibits and other events on a regular basis, all located conveniently within walking distance of SEPTA’s University City station. There are also opportunities for viewing visual art; a standout is the “40th Street Artists in Residence” program, which sponsors and supports artists in the University City Area, providing them with a gallery (AirSpace Gallery, located at 4013 Chestnut Street) to exhibit their work. For a less home-grown (but just as modern) visual art experience, be sure to visit UPenn’s Institute of Contemporary Art, located at 118 South 36th Street.

Museums

Thanks to the prevalent intellectual culture, University City is bursting with museums. To note is the University of Pennsylvania’s Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (just off the University City SEPTA station), which houses a variety of archaeological artifacts while striving to connect present-day Americans to a multitude of cultures, both past and present. If political activism is your thing, don’t miss out on the Paul Robeson House Museum, dedicated to the life and work of Paul Robeson, who strove for racial equality, social justice and peace before being forced out of the country on charges that he had communist sympathies. He returned to Philadelphia from overseas in 1963, and lived the last 10 years of his life in the house that now bears his name. The Paul Robeson House Museum is located at 4951 Walnut Street.

Shopping

If you’re feeling a little too cut off from the rest of America by de-corporatized, crunchy Swarthmore, University City boasts myriad locations of popular chains; from Barnes & Noble to Wawa to an assortment of chain food stores (more on that later). Though not a huge shopping district by any means, University City does have several specialty stores, including a bike shop, rollerblade shop, skateboard shop and a jewelry store. A must-see is The Marvelous, a book, music and comic store that offers a large selection of new and used CDs and vinyl, a sizeable comic section, and a variety of ’zines - both homemade and mass-produced - at extremely reasonable prices. The Marvelous can be found at 208 South 40th Street, just off the UPenn campus. A lot of these shops are centered around the 38th and Chestnut Street area.

Food

Of course, University City is well-stocked with chain restaurants (Subway, Cosí, McDonald’s and Papa John’s locations abound) but more adventurous eaters will find University City a great place for trying a variety of ethnic foods. While ambience is sacrificed for authenticity, the area is particularly rich with Indian, Thai and Caribbean restaurants. Tandoor Indian (106 South 40th St), for example, offers savory dishes from Northern India at reasonable prices (the buffets are especially recommended). Walking around is a great way to get a feel for the culinary atmosphere, and, of course, there are lots of student-friendly places offering more traditional food closer to the University campuses.

All in all, a day trip to University City is a great way to get out of Swarthmore for a while and experience Philadelphia culture, packed closely together in an accessible location. Lots of information about things to do can be found easily on the Internet; http://www.ucityphila.org is a great place to start.

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