Penn Students Taking Questions Forum

[wackyjack22]

This might be a stretch but I figured I'd ask anyway. Does anyone happen to know what lesbian bar would be good to check out over ASW? I just want to get an idea of what the scene looks like in Philadelphia.

[r6_philly]

This might be a stretch but I figured I'd ask anyway. Does anyone happen to know what lesbian bar would be good to check out over ASW? I just want to get an idea of what the scene looks like in Philadelphia.

There used to be really good ones around Broad/13th and Locust. I am not sure if they are still the better destinations.

I can definitely help you out though, I work for the alternative newspaper here, so I can just ask my editors for suggestions. Hit me up closer to ASW I will find out for you.

[johnnyutah]

This might be a stretch but I figured I'd ask anyway. Does anyone happen to know what lesbian bar would be good to check out over ASW? I just want to get an idea of what the scene looks like in Philadelphia.

Go to Sisters on 13th and Chancellor. --LinkRemoved--

I'm a straight guy, so my evaluation might not be perfect, but I've ended up there a couple of times with a lesbian friend, and it's a good bar. It's got one section that is basically a chill-ish sports bar kind of place (which is what I prefer) and also has a dance floor upstairs. Plus, it's in the middle of the gayborhood, and there are other lesbian bars around you can head to if you don't like it.

[r6_philly]

This might be a stretch but I figured I'd ask anyway. Does anyone happen to know what lesbian bar would be good to check out over ASW? I just want to get an idea of what the scene looks like in Philadelphia.

Go to Sisters on 13th and Chancellor. --LinkRemoved--

I'm a straight guy, so my evaluation might not be perfect, but I've ended up there a couple of times with a lesbian friend, and it's a good bar. It's got one section that is basically a chill-ish sports bar kind of place (which is what I prefer) and also has a dance floor upstairs. Plus, it's in the middle of the gayborhood, and there are other lesbian bars around you can head to if you don't like it.

This was the place, but I don't know if it is still the place.

[mrm2083]

Has anyone had Coglianese for Environmental law?

[johnnyutah]

This might be a stretch but I figured I'd ask anyway. Does anyone happen to know what lesbian bar would be good to check out over ASW? I just want to get an idea of what the scene looks like in Philadelphia.

Go to Sisters on 13th and Chancellor. --LinkRemoved--

I'm a straight guy, so my evaluation might not be perfect, but I've ended up there a couple of times with a lesbian friend, and it's a good bar. It's got one section that is basically a chill-ish sports bar kind of place (which is what I prefer) and also has a dance floor upstairs. Plus, it's in the middle of the gayborhood, and there are other lesbian bars around you can head to if you don't like it.

This was the place, but I don't know if it is still the place.

Ehh, I don't know if it's the hip joint right now, but it's a good enough place to shoot bourbon

[cassidylane]

Hi Penn Students!

Can anyone talk to me about international law and human rights law at Penn? I threw in the app at the last second because they gave me a CRS fee waiver, but after doing more research the school is looking better and better to me in terms of student life. Now I'm actually wondering about the academics (guess those are KIND OF important too...)

P.S. JohnnyUtah- best name ever. If you are ever in LA be sure to see Point Break Live in West Hollywood. They pick one audience member to play Keanu each time. Funniest shit ever.

Thanks all! PM me if you prefer

[johnnyutah]

Hi Penn Students!

Can anyone talk to me about international law and human rights law at Penn? I threw in the app at the last second because they gave me a CRS fee waiver, but after doing more research the school is looking better and better to me in terms of student life. Now I'm actually wondering about the academics (guess those are KIND OF important too...)

P.S. JohnnyUtah- best name ever. If you are ever in LA be sure to see Point Break Live in West Hollywood. They pick one audience member to play Keanu each time. Funniest shit ever.

Thanks all! PM me if you prefer

Thanks for the heads up about Point Break Live

As far as international human rights, you will have opportunities from Penn. I know classmates who worked at various international organizations over the summer, like the ICJ or on the UN's International Criminal Tribunal (the one that prosecuted Milosevic). However, you should know going in that it is VERY difficult to get a job in this field straight out of law school, no matter what law school you go to. You will have to compile a great academic record and network extensively over your summers, and you will probably need to be close to fluent in at least one language other than English. That said, Penn is one of the schools that will afford you this opportunity.

May I ask what other schools you applied at?

[cassidylane]

Hi Penn Students!

Can anyone talk to me about international law and human rights law at Penn? I threw in the app at the last second because they gave me a CRS fee waiver, but after doing more research the school is looking better and better to me in terms of student life. Now I'm actually wondering about the academics (guess those are KIND OF important too...)

P.S. JohnnyUtah- best name ever. If you are ever in LA be sure to see Point Break Live in West Hollywood. They pick one audience member to play Keanu each time. Funniest shit ever.

Thanks all! PM me if you prefer

Thanks for the heads up about Point Break Live

As far as international human rights, you will have opportunities from Penn. I know classmates who worked at various international organizations over the summer, like the ICJ or on the UN's International Criminal Tribunal (the one that prosecuted Milosevic). However, you should know going in that it is VERY difficult to get a job in this field straight out of law school, no matter what law school you go to. You will have to compile a great academic record and network extensively over your summers, and you will probably need to be close to fluent in at least one language other than English. That said, Penn is one of the schools that will afford you this opportunity.

May I ask what other schools you applied at?

Thanks for the warning but I know what I'm up against! That's why I'm looking for schools with programs that will offer me as many opportunities as possible to make useful connections. For languages I've got Spanish down, working on Arabic next. I've built up a little bit of cred in undergrad as an IR/POLI double major with internship experience at the Pentagon, but I'm prepared to up all that 100-fold in law school. Applying to the UN internship program this summer (I'm graduating this year- probably the biggest factor working against me in apps.)

My first choice is NYU (I applied to the international law and justice institute) but I've applied a variety of other places as well (Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, BU, Berkeley, Georgetown, UCLA, etc. pretty much the usual suspects.) Penn really appeals to me as a city option with lower cost of living than NY, and I'll be over-the-moon if I get in . Penn's website really highlights the cross-disciplinary aspects so I wasn't finding a plethora of info about international human rights programs, so I really appreciate the info

[dabomb75]

Hey everyone, Penn ED'er here, so I'll definitely be coming to Penn next year and I'm starting to think about/look into housing.

I've read the entire thread and from what it sounds like, CC overall just seems like a safer, nicer, and more fun area of town to live in than UC, so I'm looking into some of the apartments over there. Do any of you have any specific recommendations for places to look into if I want to spend around ~1k for housing.

Also, is ASW too late to get good housing in Penn, or will I be fine if I actually check places out at the end of March?

[johnnyutah]

Hey everyone, Penn ED'er here, so I'll definitely be coming to Penn next year and I'm starting to think about/look into housing.

I've read the entire thread and from what it sounds like, CC overall just seems like a safer, nicer, and more fun area of town to live in than UC, so I'm looking into some of the apartments over there. Do any of you have any specific recommendations for places to look into if I want to spend around ~1k for housing.

Also, is ASW too late to get good housing in Penn, or will I be fine if I actually check places out at the end of March?

For the record, University City is extremely safe out to at least 44th St.

I know that it is possible to find studio apartments in some of the buildings around Rittenhouse Square for about 1k. A lot of law students like that area, and it puts you in a good spot vis a vis lots of the cultural or alcohol-related spots to hit up east of the Schuykill while not being too far from the law school. I think ASW should give you more than enough time to find housing for the fall, assuming that you're not planning on moving in until August.

PS: Welcome to Penn

[r6_philly]

You can live in doormaned semi-luxury places for around 1k if you want to share.

[whitman]

So I've heard Penn is very Big Law focused. I am interested in practicing environmental law/PI and was wondering if I would find many like-minded students there, if there was much support for such a career, etc. Thanks a lot.

[CCA]

The job search is what you make of it. The OCR process is very focused on big law, but otherwise you can look for whatever you want. They have the public interest center that might be able to help, but everything is still very competitive. You should be willing to consider various different opportunities and apply all over because sometimes there are very few choices in the end. It's best to take a flexible approach if you come to Penn and I'm sure it's the same anywhere.

[achilles]

So I have some pretty specific questions about the SEPTA, and would really appreciate it if someone who lives in Philly could answer them. Is the line that stops near the law school (I believe the Market-Frankford line) pretty good? It seems like there is also a trolley that runs near the law school too, so what's the difference between the two? Is the SEPTA underground? Do trains come often and regularly? Just wondering if I take it to school every day, will I have to wait outside for it for 20 minutes? I spent four years in Boston, and pretty much everyone HATED the public transpo there. Also, how is the bus system? I see that there are also bus stops near the law school, so any info on commuting on the bus from center city would be helpful. And for night life, the SEPTA website says the subway stops running around 12, so how do most people get home? Cabs? Or is there another form of transpo that runs later? Or do people just go out near home and walk (if it's safe)? All this info could affect where I live, so thanks for any insight!

[r6_philly]

So I have some pretty specific questions about the SEPTA, and would really appreciate it if someone who lives in Philly could answer them. Is the line that stops near the law school (I believe the Market-Frankford line) pretty good? It seems like there is also a trolley that runs near the law school too, so what's the difference between the two? Is the SEPTA underground? Do trains come often and regularly? Just wondering if I take it to school every day, will I have to wait outside for it for 20 minutes? I spent four years in Boston, and pretty much everyone HATED the public transpo there. Also, how is the bus system? I see that there are also bus stops near the law school, so any info on commuting on the bus from center city would be helpful. And for night life, the SEPTA website says the subway stops running around 12, so how do most people get home? Cabs? Or is there another form of transpo that runs later? Or do people just go out near home and walk (if it's safe)? All this info could affect where I live, so thanks for any insight!

The Market-Frankfort line (EL, or Blue line) runs from 69th to Frankfort. Underground from 46h - Spring Garden, the rest are above ground. There is a stop at 34nd street (1 and half block from law school) and 40th and Market. The north-south line is the Broad Street line which is entirely underground. You can make free interchange at City Hall (15th street).

Trolleys have a few different routes, you can make free interchange underground at 30th, 15th and 13th. There is a trolley station at the Penn Bookstore (36th and Walnut) and one near the Quad (37th and Spruce). Those stations are underground. The trolleys emerge from underground starting at 39th and Baltimore, and run like a bus for the rest of the way on surface streets.

There is a shuttle bus that runs after midnight on the same route as the EL and makes the same stops. Penn also have free shuttle service within maybe 10 blocks of the campus at night.

There is also commuter trains called Regional Rail. You can make connections at 30th street station (not free interchange). So if you want to live in the suburbs it's totally doable. Those trains are comfy and safe.

I wouldn't live anywhere that the EL line is above ground BTW, so it's probably not really a concern.

[OrdinarilySkilled]

If you take the train to 30th st sta. each day, whats the best way to go from there? Too far to walk?

[achilles]

thanks r6! helpful and speedy as always. sounds like commuting from center city on the blue line would be my best option. hopefully i will get to thank you in person at ASW!

[dakatz]

If you take the train to 30th st sta. each day, whats the best way to go from there? Too far to walk?

From the map I looked at, 30th Street station is only a half mile to the law school.

[r6_philly]

thanks r6! helpful and speedy as always. sounds like commuting from center city on the blue line would be my best option. hopefully i will get to thank you in person at ASW!

You are welcome! If you live off of Market, there are buses on every east/west route. Septa has a pretty decent trip planner, try it out.

See you at ASW!

[r6_philly]

If you take the train to 30th st sta. each day, whats the best way to go from there? Too far to walk?

It is very walkable. Philly blocks are small, the law school spans 1 block. So from 30th to 34th is 4 times the length of the law school lol then a block over to Chestnut.

If you have a trail pass (for the regional rail trains), you can always get in the subway and take the EL or any trolley for free. Trolley get you steps to the main entrance to the law school so it's actually closer than the EL. If you are taking the EL you can do the free switchover if you are lazy. I think 5 trolleys run through that route before separating, so one will come every 5 minutes or so.

[run26.2]

So I have some pretty specific questions about the SEPTA, and would really appreciate it if someone who lives in Philly could answer them. Is the line that stops near the law school (I believe the Market-Frankford line) pretty good? It seems like there is also a trolley that runs near the law school too, so what's the difference between the two? Is the SEPTA underground? Do trains come often and regularly? Just wondering if I take it to school every day, will I have to wait outside for it for 20 minutes? I spent four years in Boston, and pretty much everyone HATED the public transpo there. Also, how is the bus system? I see that there are also bus stops near the law school, so any info on commuting on the bus from center city would be helpful. And for night life, the SEPTA website says the subway stops running around 12, so how do most people get home? Cabs? Or is there another form of transpo that runs later? Or do people just go out near home and walk (if it's safe)? All this info could affect where I live, so thanks for any insight!

The Market-Frankfort line (EL, or Blue line) runs from 69th to Frankfort. Underground from 46h - Spring Garden, the rest are above ground. There is a stop at 34nd street (1 and half block from law school) and 40th and Market. The north-south line is the Broad Street line which is entirely underground. You can make free interchange at City Hall (15th street).

Trolleys have a few different routes, you can make free interchange underground at 30th, 15th and 13th. There is a trolley station at the Penn Bookstore (36th and Walnut) and one near the Quad (37th and Spruce). Those stations are underground. The trolleys emerge from underground starting at 39th and Baltimore, and run like a bus for the rest of the way on surface streets.

There is a shuttle bus that runs after midnight on the same route as the EL and makes the same stops. Penn also have free shuttle service within maybe 10 blocks of the campus at night.

There is also commuter trains called Regional Rail. You can make connections at 30th street station (not free interchange). So if you want to live in the suburbs it's totally doable. Those trains are comfy and safe.

I wouldn't live anywhere that the EL line is above ground BTW, so it's probably not really a concern.

The trolley stop is actually at 36th and Sansom which is just a block over from Walnut. This is the closest of the subterranean modes of transportation. As far as the difference between this and the Market-Frankfurt line - the trolleys run a bit more frequently (about every 5 minutes - mainly because there are 4 lines, I think, that go between 30th St Station and 36th and Sansom) and stop a bit closer. But if you're already on the Market-Frankfurt line, you can just stay on until 34th and Market and walk the extra block. My experience is that the trains generally run on time. Regional rail (for the suburbs) also is pretty good, although they tend to run about 15 minutes behind the first day after a major snow storm.

There is a SEPTA bus stop at 34th and Chestnut, which is the closest public transportation. These generally run on time. You can also commute on Lucy from 30th Street Station to 34th and Chestnut (the law school) on LUCY, which is free for UPenn students. It runs from about 6 AM to about 7 PM. A LUCY bus leaves about every 8 minutes from 30th St Station. You can find the schedule on SEPTA's site.

[bdubs]

.

[r6_philly]

The trolley stop is actually at 36th and Sansom which is just a block over from Walnut.

To be accurate Sansom is only half a block from Walnut (since it runs between blocks, a block would be from Walnut to Chestnut) - about 150 feet....

Oh boy I am going to be a horrible classmate.

[run26.2]

The trolley stop is actually at 36th and Sansom which is just a block over from Walnut.

To be accurate Sansom is only half a block from Walnut (since it runs between blocks, a block would be from Walnut to Chestnut) - about 150 feet....

Oh boy I am going to be a horrible classmate.

I thought about putting "short block" in there... I mentioned it because if someone went looking for it at Walnut, they might miss it, or if they passed Sansom and didn't get off, they'd go too far. For some reason, this entrance to the Trolley line seems really easy to miss despite it being right there. Possibly bc there is so much construction, traffic, and pedestrians it is easy to miss.

Regardless, this is the closest underground stop and is a very short distance from the Sansom entrance to the school.