University City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
West Philadelphia
West Philadelphia, nicknamed West Philly, is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Though there is no official definition of its boundaries, it is generally considered to reach from the western shore of the Schuylkill River, to City Line Avenue to the northwest, Cobbs Creek to the southwest, and...
Philadelphia.
The University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
has long been the dominant institution in the area and was instrumental in coining the name University City as part of a 1950s urban-renewal effort. Today, Drexel University
Drexel University
Drexel University is a private research university with the main campus located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a noted financier and philanthropist. Drexel offers 70 full-time undergraduate programs and accelerated degrees...
and the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
University of the Sciences , officially known as University of the Sciences in Philadelphia , located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in pharmacy and a variety of other health-related disciplines.-History:The history of the University of the Sciences...
also call University City home.
The eastern side of University City is home to the Penn and Drexel campuses, several medical institutions, independent centers of scientific research, 30th Street Station
30th Street Station
30th Street Station is the main railroad station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and one of the five stations in SEPTA's Center City fare zone. It is also a major stop on Amtrak's Northeast and Keystone Corridors...
, and the Cira Centre
Cira Centre
The Cira Centre is a 29-story, office high-rise in the University City district of West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Developed by Brandywine Realty Trust and designed by César Pelli, the Cira Centre sits across the street from Amtrak's 30th Street Station...
. The western side, with its Victorian and early 20th-century housing stock, is primarily residential and is home to an ethnically and economically diverse population.
Boundaries
University City's boundaries, as defined by the non-profit University City DistrictUniversity City District
The University City District is a non-profit 5013 special services district created in 1997 to improve the University City section of West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
organization and the City of Philadelphia, are the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
to the east; Spring Garden Street, Powelton Avenue, and Market Street to the north; 52nd Street to the west; and Woodland Avenue, University Avenue, and Civic Center Boulevard to the south. Within these boundaries are the local neighborhoods of Cedar Park
Cedar Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cedar Park is a neighborhood located in the West Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was built as a streetcar suburb for Center City between 1850 and 1910. It is a racially and ethnically diverse part of the city, with much of the historic architecture preserved...
, Garden Court
Garden Court, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Garden Court is a neighborhood in the West Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is located west of Spruce Hill, north of Cedar Park, east of Cobbs Creek, and south of Walnut Hill....
, Spruce Hill
Spruce Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Spruce Hill is a neighborhood in the West Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is between 40th and 46th streets, and it stretches from Market Street south to Woodland Avenue. It has a population of over 16,000. It was built as a streetcar suburb for Center City between 1850 and...
, Squirrel Hill
Squirrel Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Squirrel Hill is a neighborhood in West Philadelphia, south of Baltimore Ave and west of Clark Park. It shares a border with the Spruce Hill and Cedar Park neighborhoods. By some accounts, this neighborhood is within the boundaries of the University City district.Squirrel Hill has the distinction...
, Powelton Village
Powelton Village, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Powelton Village is a neighborhood of mostly Victorian, mostly twin homes in the West Philadelphia section of the United States city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is a national historic district which is part of University City...
, Walnut Hill
Walnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Walnut Hill is a neighborhood in the West Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is located between 45th Street and 52nd Street, bounded by Market Street and Spruce Street. Most of the neighborhood is in the northwestern part of the University City District...
, and Woodland Terrace
Woodland Terrace, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Woodland Terrace is a street name and a small neighborhood of Italianate twin mansions in the West Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
. The boundaries also encompass several historic districts and the ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
s 19104, 19139, and 19143.
Names of the region
Blockley Township, Pennsylvania
Blockley Township is a defunct township that was located in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. The township ceased to exist and was incorporated into the City of Philadelphia following the passage of the Act of Consolidation, 1854.-History:...
had a poor reputation in the 19th century. "It was an ideal hideout for shadowy characters and evil-doers who crossed the river in skiffs after a thieving or smuggling job south of the city. As late as 1850 it was considered hazardous to be abroad alone in this area." The Blockley Almshouse
Blockley Almshouse
The Blockley Almshouse, later known as Philadelphia General Hospital, was a charity hospital and poorhouse located in West Philadelphia. It originally opened in 1732/33 in a different part of the city as the Philadelphia Almshouse...
, later known as Philadelphia General Hospital, was located here. Philadelphia was founded five years after Blockley, but its influence was quickly felt. People soon started calling the Township of Blockley "West Philadelphia". Later, parts of Blockley were carved out to form the District of West Philadelphia
West Philadelphia Borough, Pennsylvania
West Philadelphia Borough, also known as West Philadelphia District, is a defunct borough that was located west of the Schuylkill River in Blockley Township, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania...
.
In 1735, Andrew Hamilton
Andrew Hamilton (lawyer)
Andrew Hamilton was a Scottish lawyer in Colonial America, best known for his legal victory on behalf of printer and newspaper publisher John Peter Zenger. This 1735 decision helped to establish that truth is a defense to an accusation of libel...
, a "Philadelphia Lawyer", purchased 300 acres (1.2 km²) of land within Blockley Township. This area came to be known as Hamilton Village and The Woodlands, a sprawling botanical garden and mansion were built here. The gardens is now the Woodlands Cemetery
The Woodlands Cemetery
The Woodlands is a National Historic Landmark District on the western banks of the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It includes a magnificent federal style mansion, a matching carriage house and stable, and a garden landscape that in 1840 was transformed into a Victorian rural...
. Much of the rest of Hamilton Village is now covered by the 40th St. retail corridor.
A small section on the northern side of this area was once known as Greenville. Situated near Lancaster Ave, Powelton Ave, and Market St., Greenville served as a waypoint for travelers and cattle drivers. Many taverns and inns accommodated the travelers. Later, the area expanded in all directions with many German immigrants and offered much more than simple taverns. By the mid-20th century, the Greenville area had changed again to a neighborhood that was colloquially referred to as the Black Bottom
Black Bottom (Philadelphia)
Black Bottom was a predominantly African American neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that was razed for urban renewal in the 1950s and 1960s.-History:...
or (the Barbadian
Barbadian
Barbadian may refer to anything of or relating to Barbados and may also refer directly to:* Barbadian football* Barbadian cuisine* Barbadian dollar, a currency used in Barbados ISO 4217 code "BBD"....
named for immigrants from either Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
of the West Indies or the Bahamas in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
), signifying the neighborhood's racial and economic status. Much of this neighborhood was destroyed as part of a gentrification plan in the 1960s.
The late 19th and early 20th centuries were a time of enormous growth in the area. The arrival of electrified streetcars in the 1890s kickstarted development to the west of 43rd Street, and bridges and a tunnel in the first decade of the 20th century allowed people to easily commute into Center City. This led to rapid development within the borders of University City and far beyond. It was around this time that the "local" neighborhood names like Spruce Hill and Cedar Park were established.
In the mid-1950s, the name University City was coined as a marketing tool by two realtors (former Penn graduates) in an attempt to attract Penn faculty back to the neighborhoods near Penn. The boundaries were defined as extending from the "Schuylkill River to 52nd Street, and from Haverford Avenue to the Media-line railroad tracks south of Kingsessing Avenue — though over the years many have viewed it as a smaller domain". This has led to some community tension; some saw it as an attempt to secede from West Philadelphia.
West Philadelphia was a recent scene of the Urban Indian
Urban Indian
Urban Indians are Native Americans in the United States who live in urban areas. Urban Indians represent a growing proportion of the Native population in the United States...
culture, especially of the Lenni-Lenape or Delaware Indian tribe. Their community of University City, Philadelphia is called "Lenapehoking
Lenapehoking
Lenapehoking is a term for the lands historically inhabited by the Native American people known as the Lenape in what is now the Northeastern United States...
" for the indigenous name for the region. Also the Iroquois Confederacy formed communities here and in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Washington DC and Cleveland by the BIA relocation program during the mid 20th century. Although miniscule in number, many of them (their moniker the "Mohawks") arrived as skyscraper construction workers.
Town and gown relations
Town and gown
Town and gown are two distinct communities of a university town; "town" being the non-academic population and "gown" metonymically being the university community, especially in ancient seats of learning such as Oxford, Cambridge, Durham and St Andrews, although the term is also used to describe...
relations, particularly with Penn
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, the city's largest private employer and the second-largest employer in Pennsylvania. Since the 1960s, Penn has led a series of gentrification and redevelopment programs that have changed the character of the area. Some locals call this "Penntrification" or "McPenntrification", names meant to suggest that the efforts benefit only those with a relationship to Penn. Some, including local anarchists, believe Penn's actions divide the community.
Opened in 2001, the Penn Alexander public elementary school, which Penn helped to build and subsidizes, is closed to students outside its "catchment". The Penn Mortgage program is available only for homes purchased within Penn's definition of the boundaries of University City. The university is also an active participant in branding the area as "University City", with its logo showing up next to the name on signs and bridges (not including street signs directing to University City, which are erected by the city, state, and federal governments).
For decades, 40th Street was generally considered the "invisible campus boundary" between the residential neighborhoods to the west and the Penn campus to the east. In recent years, the "Penn bubble" is said to have expanded further west.
Science Center
As part of the Housing Act of 1949Housing Act of 1949
The American Housing Act of 1949 was a landmark, sweeping expansion of the federal role in mortgage insurance and issuance and the construction of public housing...
, Congress established the "Slum Clearance and Community Development and Redevelopment" program, commissioning federal funds to "assist local communities in eliminating their slums and blighted areas and in providing the maximum opportunity for the redevelopment of project areas by private enterprise." A few years prior, in 1945, the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia (RDA) was formed with the power to acquire and redevelop land through condemnation proceedings. This power to take land reached University City when The West Philadelphia Corporation (WPC) was formed in 1959 by a group of local institutions including Penn. By 1965, the WPC had developed a massive plan to demolish homes and redevelop the land as a center of private scientific research. Within four years, the University City Science Center
University City Science Center
The University City Science Center is the first and largest urban research park in the United States. It was established in 1963 with its headquarters in the University City neighborhood of Philadelphia...
had been established and most of the buildings on Market St. between 34th St. and 40th St. had been demolished.
Superblock
Over the course of 1968 to 1970 and with the assistance of the local redevelopment authorities, Penn acquired, cleared and redeveloped the 4 block area between 38th, 40th, Spruce, and Walnut streets. This area became known as "Superblock" and its primary features are three high-rise apartment-style dormitories. The key purpose of creating these high-rises was to accommodate 3,500 more students at the University. The whole superblock project and especially the high-rise design have been widely criticized, but this view is not held by everyone.Civic Center complex
Beginning in 1991, Penn publicly expressed official interest in acquiring the 19.2 acres (77,699.7 m²) to the southeast of its campus occupied by the Philadelphia Civic CenterPhiladelphia Civic Center
The Philadelphia Convention Hall and Civic Center, more commonly known as the Philadelphia Civic Center and the Philadelphia Convention Center, was a complex of five or more buildings developed out of a series of buildings dedicated to expanding trade which began with the National Export Exhibition...
complex. After the opening of the Pennsylvania Convention Center
Pennsylvania Convention Center
The Pennsylvania Convention Center is a multi-use public facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania which is designed to accommodate conventions, exhibitions, conferences and other events.-History:...
in 1992, the Civic Center was mostly unused. In 1998, a City Council resolution was put forth to turn over much of this property to Penn and CHOP
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is one of the largest and oldest children's hospitals in the world. CHOP has been ranked as the best children's hospital in the United States by U.S. News & World Report and Parents Magazine in recent years. As of 2008, it was ranked #1 in the nation for...
. The initial plans were not fully developed, but did not call for the demolition of Convention Hall, the location of several historic events. By 2005, plans had been expanded and the whole site, including Convention Hall, was slated for demolition to make way for a new clinical care facility attached to the hospital. Many local preservationists were opposed to this. Some were mollified by an exhaustive study commissioned by Penn to find alternate uses for the buildings and demolition continued. The last remaining building in the complex, Pennsylvania Hall, was demolished on March 3, 2007. Penn's Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine
Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine
The Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine is located at 34th and Civic Center Blvd, on the former site of the Philadelphia Civic Center, on the campus of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. The $302-million project was designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects and completed in 2008...
was officially opened on October 2, 2008.
Postal lands
In 2007, Penn bought 24 acres (97,124.6 m²) between its campus and the Schuylkill river, an area formerly occupied by the United States Postal ServiceUnited States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
known as the Postal Lands. (This 1994 map shows the area before the GE building was refurbished into the Left Bank and the Cira Centre was built.) According to plans in the works since 2005, Penn officials intend to build several facilities and to connect its campus with the riverfront and Center City. New buildings will include office buildings, parking garages, hotel and conference spaces and more green space on campus. A walkway will extend from Locust Walk and connect to Center City
Center City, Philadelphia
Center City, or Downtown Philadelphia includes the central business district and central neighborhoods of the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. As of 2005, its population of over 88,000 made it the third most populous downtown in the United States, after New York City's and Chicago's...
via a pedestrian bridge over the Schuylkill River. Construction began in 2007. The first of four stages will cost an estimated $1.94 billion, including about $194 million from city taxpayers.
In addition, the former post office is to be turned into office space for the Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
.
On November 6, 2008, Cira Center developer Brandywine Realty Trust
Brandywine Realty Trust
Brandywine Realty Trust is a real estate investment trust in the United States that buys, sells, leases and manages approximately 225 commercial properties, no more than 25 industrial parcels of land, mixed-use property, and over of undeveloped parcels. They also offer construction and...
said that it has postponed part of its Cira 2 mixed-use development because of the 2008 financial crisis. The larger tower, Cira Centre South
Cira Centre South
Cira Centre South is a skyscraper currently under construction in the University City district of West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which is across the Schuylkill River from Center City Philadelphia. The location of the buildings is between Walnut Street and Chestnut Street south of 30th Street...
, remains under construction with a planned completion date of 2011.
University City District
UCD demographics report
In 2007, the University City District released a new edition of its University City Report Card, based on 2006 demographic statistics.The report said the area had 45,787 people living in 16,625 households, 29% of which are classified as "Family" households and the rest as "Non-Family". The average household size was 2.0 people, whose median age was 23.8 years. Median household income was $23,749; median "Family" household income was $40,042. 8.1% of households had incomes of $100,000 or more and 35.2% had incomes of less than $15,000. The racial makeup of University City was about 42% Black, 35% White, 18% Asian/Pacific Islander, 4% Hispanic, with the remainder not classified.
The report said local businesses employed 63,878, with educational services employing 53.1% of them and health care services 21%. The largest employers were Penn, with 13,239 employees; Penn Health, 11,136; CHoP, 6,855; Drexel-Main, 2,706; AMTRAK, 2,551; and the VA, 2,100.
The median price of homes purchased in 2006 was $312,000, up 22% from 2005. The average monthly rent for a studio apartment was $667; a one-bedroom apartment, $823; and a two-bedroom apartment, $1,174.
Local institutions
Higher education
By number of students in 2006:- University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of PennsylvaniaThe University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
(23,704): Founded in 1740, moved to current location in 1872. - Drexel UniversityDrexel UniversityDrexel University is a private research university with the main campus located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a noted financier and philanthropist. Drexel offers 70 full-time undergraduate programs and accelerated degrees...
(Main Campus: 18,466): Founded in 1891 at current location. - University of the Sciences in PhiladelphiaUniversity of the Sciences in PhiladelphiaUniversity of the Sciences , officially known as University of the Sciences in Philadelphia , located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in pharmacy and a variety of other health-related disciplines.-History:The history of the University of the Sciences...
(3,008): Founded in 1821, moved to current location in 1928. - Community College of PhiladelphiaCommunity College of PhiladelphiaThe Community College of Philadelphia is a community college in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The main campus is located at 1700 Spring Garden Street in a building that was the former Philadelphia Mint...
, West Regional Center (748): Founded in 1965, West campus established in 1985. - Lincoln UniversityLincoln University (Pennsylvania)Lincoln University is the United States' first degree-granting historically black university. It is located near the town of Oxford in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania. The university also hosts a Center for Graduate Studies in the City of Philadelphia. Lincoln University provides...
(Urban Center: 596): Main campus in Chester County founded in 1854, Urban Center satellite campus opened in 1976. - The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill CollegeThe Restaurant School at Walnut Hill CollegeThe Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College was founded in 1974 as America's first private college to offer career training in fine dining and the luxury hospitality industry. The college offers four majors: Culinary Arts, Restaurant Management, Pastry Arts and Hotel Management...
(535): Founded in 1974, moved to current location in 1992. - Philadelphia Divinity School (0): Founded in 1858, left neighborhood in 1974, was merged into the Episcopal Theological School. The successor organization is the Episcopal Divinity SchoolEpiscopal Divinity SchoolThe Episcopal Divinity School is a seminary of the Episcopal Church based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Known throughout the Anglican Communion for prophetic teaching and action on issues of civil rights and social justice, its faculty and students have been directly involved in many of the social...
, located in Cambridge, MassachusettsCambridge, MassachusettsCambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
. "PDS" was located at 42nd and Spruce, where its buildings remain.
Secondary education
- Public (School District of PhiladelphiaSchool District of PhiladelphiaThe School District of Philadelphia is a school district based in the School District of Philadelphia Education Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that includes all public schools in the city of Philadelphia. Established in 1818, it is the eighth largest school district in the nation.The School...
)- Middle Years Alternative & Parkway School (6-12): 49th and Chestnut St.
- University City High School (9-12): 36th and Filbert St.
- West Philadelphia High SchoolWest Philadelphia High SchoolWest Philadelphia High School is a secondary school located in the West Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.The school was completed on November 1, 1912. and occupies an entire city block between 47th and 48th streets, between Walnut Street and Locust Street...
(9-12): 48th and Walnut St.
- Private
- West Philadelphia Catholic High SchoolWest Philadelphia Catholic High SchoolWest Philadelphia Catholic High School is a co-educational Catholic high school in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. It is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at 45th and Chestnut Streets, the University City neighborhood of West Philadelphia.- Mission :...
(9-12): 45th and Chestnut St.
- West Philadelphia Catholic High School
Primary education
- Public (School District of PhiladelphiaSchool District of PhiladelphiaThe School District of Philadelphia is a school district based in the School District of Philadelphia Education Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that includes all public schools in the city of Philadelphia. Established in 1818, it is the eighth largest school district in the nation.The School...
)- Alexander Wilson School (K-5): 46th and Woodland Ave.
- Charles R. Drew School (PreK-8): 38th and Powelton Ave.
- Henry C. Lea School (K-8): 47th and Locust St.
- Middle Years Alternative & Parkway School (6-12): 49th and Chestnut St.
- Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander University of Pennsylvania Partnership School (K-8): 42nd and Locust St.
- Samuel Powel School (K-4): 36th and Powelton Ave.
- Private
- Christ Memorial Day School (K-6): 43rd and Chestnut St.
- HMS School for Children with Cerebral Palsy (ages 2–21): 4400 Baltimore Ave.
- Jubilee School (pre-K-6):42nd and Chester Ave.
- Spruce Hill Christian School (K-8): 42nd and Baltimore Av.
- Parochial
- St. Francis de Sales SchoolSt. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church (Philadelphia)thumb|300px|St. Francis de Sales ChurchSt. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church, founded in 1890, is a Catholic church at 4625 Springfield Avenue in University City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Its cornerstone laid in 1907, the Guastavino...
(1-8): 912 S. 47th St.
- St. Francis de Sales School
Medical
- Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaChildren's Hospital of PhiladelphiaThe Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is one of the largest and oldest children's hospitals in the world. CHOP has been ranked as the best children's hospital in the United States by U.S. News & World Report and Parents Magazine in recent years. As of 2008, it was ranked #1 in the nation for...
("CHoP"): The top children's hospital in the country. - Hospital of the University of PennsylvaniaHospital of the University of PennsylvaniaThe Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania is a hospital affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania Health System located in the University City section of West Philadelphia. The hospital was founded at its current location in 1874 by the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine,...
("HUP"): #8-ranked general hospital in the country. - Penn Presbyterian Medical CenterPenn Presbyterian Medical CenterPenn Presbyterian Medical Center is a hospital located in the University City section of West Philadelphia. It is located between Market Street and Powelton Avenue, and N. 38th Street and N. Sloan Street....
("Presby"): 300-bed hospital, home to the Scheie Eye InstituteScheie Eye InstituteThe Scheie Eye Institute is the department of ophthalmology of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. It is located within the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and is a leading center for research and treatment of disorders of the eye. In 2007, Scheie was the leading...
. - VA Medical Center, Philadelphia ("The VA"): Local center for veterans' healthcare.
- National Board of Medical ExaminersNational Board of Medical ExaminersThe National Board of Medical Examiners , founded in 1915, is a United States examination board which sets state recognised examinations for medical students. The NBME is an independent, not-for-profit organization and is headquartered on and adjacent to the University City Science Center research...
: Co-sponsor of the USMLE
Scientific
Not including the scientific departments of the local universities- Monell Chemical Senses CenterMonell Chemical Senses CenterThe Monell Chemical Senses Center is a non-profit independent scientific institute located at the University City Science Center research campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
: Leader in research on smell and taste. - University City Science CenterUniversity City Science CenterThe University City Science Center is the first and largest urban research park in the United States. It was established in 1963 with its headquarters in the University City neighborhood of Philadelphia...
: Focuses on commercialization. - Wistar InstituteWistar InstituteThe Wistar Institute is a biomedical center, with a focus on cancer research and vaccine development. It is located in the University City section of Philadelphia, Pa...
: Leader in research on the causes and cures of disease.
Cultural
- A-Space, an anarchist community center
- PhiladancoThe Philadelphia Dance CompanyThe Philadelphia Dance Company is a professional dance company based in Philadelphia, PA that specializes in modern contemporary dance. The organization was founded in 1970 by Artistic Director Joan Myers Brown...
, a professional dance company - University of Pennsylvania institutions include:
- Institute of Contemporary Art, PhiladelphiaInstitute of Contemporary Art, PhiladelphiaThe Institute of Contemporary Art or ICA is a contemporary art museum located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. The museum is associated with the University of Pennsylvania, and is located on its campus. The Institute is one of the country's leading museums dedicated to exhibiting the innovative...
, Penn's modern artModern artModern art includes artistic works produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the style and philosophy of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the traditions of the past have been thrown aside in a spirit of...
museum - University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and AnthropologyUniversity of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and AnthropologyThe University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, commonly called The Penn Museum, is an archaeology and anthropology museum that is part of the University of Pennsylvania in the University City neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-History:An internationally renowned...
, also called "The Penn Museum"
- Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia
Charitable
- Neighborhood Bike WorksNeighborhood Bike WorksEstablished in 1999, the Neighborhood Bike Works is a nonprofit educational organization in West Philadelphia. It seeks to increase educational opportunities for urban youth through bicycling.-History:...
: Donates bicycles and helmets to local kids. Offers training in bicycle repair. - Philadelphia Elwyn: Care for the mentally disabled.
- Philadelphia Ronald McDonald HousePhiladelphia Ronald McDonald HouseThe Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House was the first of the Ronald McDonald House Charities and now stands at 39th and Chestnut Streets in West Philadelphia.-History:...
: A "home away from home" for families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at nearby hospitals.
Legal
- American Law InstituteAmerican Law InstituteThe American Law Institute was established in 1923 to promote the clarification and simplification of American common law and its adaptation to changing social needs. The ALI drafts, approves, and publishes Restatements of the Law, Principles of the Law, model codes, and other proposals for law...
: Provides Restatements of the Law. - Dechert: Large Philadelphia law firm.
Government representation
- City Council: Hon. Jannie L. Blackwell, 3rd District
- PA Senate: Hon. Anthony H. Williams, 8th District
- PA House: Hon. James R. Roebuck, Jr.James R. Roebuck, Jr.James R. Roebuck, Jr. is a Democratic politician who represents the 188th Legislative District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He was first elected in a special election on May 21, 1985.-Education:...
, 188th District
See also
- Saint Mary's Church, Hamilton VillageSaint Mary's Church, Hamilton VillageSt. Mary’s Church, Hamilton Village, is an Episcopal Church located on the University of Pennsylvania campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It calls itself the Episcopal Church at Penn to emphasize its campus ministry...
- Templetown, Philadelphia - North Philadelphia neighborhood surrounding Temple University.
- Ivy League Gentrification
External links
- WestPhillyNews.org West Philly News - Local news and information. Home of the West Philly Forum, a community bulletin boardCommunity bulletin boardA Community bulletin board is a digital signage system that Public, educational, and government access cable television providers use as a Barker channel to keep communities up to date of events listings, weather and other news that can be delivered by using digital on-screen graphic s. The...
(CBB). - WestPhillyLocal.com West Philly Local - A local, independent website that covers West Philadelphia and University City.
- University City Historical District - history of the area now known as West Philadelphia
- Phila Weekly Article Recounting University City's Recent History, Including Changes in the Penn/Community Relationship(PW - Sept. 2006)
- Photo tour of University City
- Photos of the Area
- Neighborhood Profile - from the Penn Library's InfoResources project.
Historical
- University City Historical Society (UCHS) - Local history organization.
- University of Pennsylvania Archives (UPA) - University Archives and Record Center.
- neighborhoodBase from Penn's Cartographic Modeling Laboratory.
- Penn Partners (PP) - The Plan for West Philadelphia, 1994.