Penn c/o 2015 Applicants (2011-2012 cycle) Forum

[sandwiches5000]

Hey now, even if cheesesteaks were all that Philly had it'd still be enough. I'm not sure I could ever move that far from Philly just because I'd miss them too much.

One word: Wawa.

Omg. I just have to give this the recognition it deserves. YES. I've been out of the area/country for years and I miss Wawa dearly.

[quaker10]

Penn alum here - no need to worry about West Philly being unsafe. You feel the complete opposite while on campus. Also, many grad students live downtown.

Oh goodness. I have missed Wawa terribly over the last 3.5 years. Penn's pro list keeps getting longer. Also, in terms of safety, is it really any worse than Columbia's proximity to Harlem/ Wash. Heights?

Hey don't jump down my throat! Personally, I'm not sure if I'd prefer a big city atmosphere like Penn of NYU or Columbia, versus a more peaceful setting like Ann Arbor or Berkeley or Palo Alto. I was just pointing out the differences.

I wasn't attempting to jump down your throat- I was being optimistic. I haven't visited Penn, but I've visited Columbia twice and decided that the surrounding areas don't scare me enough to keep me away. I'm hoping the same is true of Penn, as I definitely want to be in a big city.

I've been to both and I felt just as safe, if not safer at Penn.

[maxpower430]

Oh goodness. I have missed Wawa terribly over the last 3.5 years. Penn's pro list keeps getting longer. Also, in terms of safety, is it really any worse than Columbia's proximity to Harlem/ Wash. Heights?

Hey don't jump down my throat! Personally, I'm not sure if I'd prefer a big city atmosphere like Penn of NYU or Columbia, versus a more peaceful setting like Ann Arbor or Berkeley or Palo Alto. I was just pointing out the differences.

Columbia is interesting in that regard though b/c I find the Upper West Side to be a lot more relaxed than say, the West Village. I also thought the area surrounding Columbia felt really safe. I can't say for Penn b/c I haven't visited yet, but I'd also like to throw in the Reading Terminal Market for a reason to pick Penn haha, that place is amazing. I really just think Philly get a bad rap b/c of Eagles/Phillies fans (which isn't entirely undeserved), but the city itself is great, and cheap (at least compared to NYC)

[thestillpoint]

Oh goodness. I have missed Wawa terribly over the last 3.5 years. Penn's pro list keeps getting longer. Also, in terms of safety, is it really any worse than Columbia's proximity to Harlem/ Wash. Heights?

Hey don't jump down my throat! Personally, I'm not sure if I'd prefer a big city atmosphere like Penn of NYU or Columbia, versus a more peaceful setting like Ann Arbor or Berkeley or Palo Alto. I was just pointing out the differences.

Having just spent the last four years at Penn... the Wawa on campus is definitely a life-saver (open 24/7)! Also, I think one advantage of Philadelphia over some smaller cities is certainly the broader/more diverse community. Depending on the clinical opportunities you're interested in, I think serving people in the Philadelphia area, particularly West Philadelphia, could be incredibly rewarding. I definitely found this to be true during my time in undergrad there.

Penn also has incredible security, and I think many Penn Law students actually live in Center City-- which is objectively a safer area. But I never really felt unsafe while on campus and all of the dorms and buildings have security there around the clock.

Also yes, Reading Terminal Market. So amazing! Should stop by there (down on Arch St. and 11th) if any of you are visiting Penn's campus

[Nelson]

There was a power outage starting at 7:30am. Systems are still coming back up. Please check back in one hour.

We are still working to recover from the morning power outage. Systems are still coming back up, please check back in an hour.

From @pennlawitsalert. Explains why the tracker is down. Looks like decisions could be delayed a little today.

[JoeMo]

Please don't hate me... I'm not sure about the area immediately surrounding Penn.

However, I went to a concert in Philly a few years ago and it was one of the most disgusting cities I've ever visited. Also, one where I felt the least safe.

I would imagine the area around Penn is slightly different but just wanted to throw that out there. If I were to go there I'd probably have to be secluded to the area surrounding the Penn campus.

[Nelson]

Please don't hate me... I'm not sure about the area immediately surrounding Penn.

However, I went to a concert in Philly a few years ago and it was one of the most disgusting cities I've ever visited. Also, one where I felt the least safe.

I would imagine the area around Penn is slightly different but just wanted to throw that out there. If I were to go there I'd probably have to be secluded to the area surrounding the Penn campus.

[Killingly]

Please don't hate me... I'm not sure about the area immediately surrounding Penn.

However, I went to a concert in Philly a few years ago and it was one of the most disgusting cities I've ever visited. Also, one where I felt the least safe.

I would imagine the area around Penn is slightly different but just wanted to throw that out there. If I were to go there I'd probably have to be secluded to the area surrounding the Penn campus.

It'd a good thing you've decided on Michigan, then.

[curiousgeorgia]

Please don't hate me... I'm not sure about the area immediately surrounding Penn.

However, I went to a concert in Philly a few years ago and it was one of the most disgusting cities I've ever visited. Also, one where I felt the least safe.

I would imagine the area around Penn is slightly different but just wanted to throw that out there. If I were to go there I'd probably have to be secluded to the area surrounding the Penn campus.

Was the concert actually in Philly or was it in Camden? Camden is terrible, but entirely separate. It just happens to be where the concert venue is located (and two rivers separate it from Penn's campus).

Parts of Philly, yes, are rough, but Penn's campus and University City are really nice. Even if you did choose to be secluded in University City, it would still be a great place to live with a lot of housing/dining/entertainment options.

[JoeMo]

It'd a good thing you've decided on Michigan, then.

I agree, and maybe it was just the part of town that I had to drive through to get from point A to point B but I did not like it. I have been told repeatedly since then that the rest of Philly isn't like that so I'll likely visit again soon to see what everyone is talking about. Plus, I'd like to try a proper Philly Cheesesteak.

[JoeMo]

Was the concert actually in Philly or was it in Camden? Camden is terrible, but entirely separate. It just happens to be where the concert venue is located (and two rivers separate it from Penn's campus).

Parts of Philly, yes, are rough, but Penn's campus and University City are really nice. Even if you did choose to be secluded in University City, it would still be a great place to live with a lot of housing/dining/entertainment options.

It could've been in Camden, I'm not exactly positive.

[Curious1]

It'd a good thing you've decided on Michigan, then.

I agree, and maybe it was just the part of town that I had to drive through to get from point A to point B but I did not like it. I have been told repeatedly since then that the rest of Philly isn't like that so I'll likely visit again soon to see what everyone is talking about. Plus, I'd like to try a proper Philly Cheesesteak.

On this note, I'd like to say I was extremely disappointed by Gino's.

The REST of the food I had in Philly were all incredible though.

[iamrobk]

It'd a good thing you've decided on Michigan, then.

I agree, and maybe it was just the part of town that I had to drive through to get from point A to point B but I did not like it. I have been told repeatedly since then that the rest of Philly isn't like that so I'll likely visit again soon to see what everyone is talking about. Plus, I'd like to try a proper Philly Cheesesteak.

On this note, I'd like to say I was extremely disappointed by Gino's.

The REST of the food I had in Philly were all incredible though.

The best cheesesteak in Philly is Steve's Prince of Steaks in the northeast, though I do prefer Gino's to Pat's (though neither is particularly amazing).

[sandwiches5000]

Was the concert actually in Philly or was it in Camden? Camden is terrible, but entirely separate. It just happens to be where the concert venue is located (and two rivers separate it from Penn's campus).

Parts of Philly, yes, are rough, but Penn's campus and University City are really nice. Even if you did choose to be secluded in University City, it would still be a great place to live with a lot of housing/dining/entertainment options.

It could've been in Camden, I'm not exactly positive.

Lol. Did you cross over a bridge? Camden's in Jersey. I ended up going over there though once or twice by accident when I was living in Philly. It is not a fun place.

[JoeMo]

Lol. Did you cross over a bridge? Camden's in Jersey. I ended up going over there though once or twice by accident when I was living in Philly. It is not a fun place.

Oh, then no, it def wasn't in Jersey. Oh wait, Camden is where Rutgers is? I've been there. hate it there too. LOL

[maxpower430]

Lol. Did you cross over a bridge? Camden's in Jersey. I ended up going over there though once or twice by accident when I was living in Philly. It is not a fun place.

Oh, then no, it def wasn't in Jersey. Oh wait, Camden is where Rutgers is? I've been there. hate it there too. LOL

Rutgers has a few campuses, one of which is in Camden. I'm kinda curious where the concert was, b/c the Wachovia Center (or w/e they're calling it these days) is in an isolated/fine area. I'll agree that parts of Philly are really rough (my personal experience with it was in north Philly), but I also think it's pretty difficult to accidentally end up in those bad areas, at least in my experience.

[curiousgeorgia]

Lol. Did you cross over a bridge? Camden's in Jersey. I ended up going over there though once or twice by accident when I was living in Philly. It is not a fun place.

Oh, then no, it def wasn't in Jersey. Oh wait, Camden is where Rutgers is? I've been there. hate it there too. LOL

Rutgers has a few campuses, one of which is in Camden. I'm kinda curious where the concert was, b/c the Wachovia Center (or w/e they're calling it these days) is in an isolated/fine area. I'll agree that parts of Philly are really rough (my personal experience with it was in north Philly), but I also think it's pretty difficult to accidentally end up in those bad areas, at least in my experience.

I was just thinking the same thing. Penn's landing? That area is not too bad, but could be better. Was it at a smaller venue like the TLA, the Troc or the Electric Factory?

Don't mean to take over the thread, but it could serve as a good distraction while we wait for more decisions to come out

[maxpower430]

I thought the Troc/Electric Factory were in decent areas too though? I've never been but my friends have gone to both numerous times and never mentioned any issues or feeling unsafe. Who knows though, I'm really excited to visit Penn sometime this winter/spring. Even though i've been to Philly a lot, I still think it's a really cool city and I'm curious to see how much weight I can gain in a weekend haha.

For those who are Philly natives, how is the public transportation? It was my understanding that the subway isn't that great, and it's much easier to use the buses, is that true/changed in recent years?

[addy11]

It could have been the Mann Center. The center itself is beautiful and has awesome acoustics, but the area around it is seriously rough. I almost got car jacked one time I went there, and another I was walking with a pretty young woman and shit got really dangerous really fast.

I grew up in Philly and the area around it is almost worse than going to Tweeter. At least at Tweeter (in Camden) there is a very delineated path back to public transportation that is well worn by other concert goers and policemen.

Either way Philadelphia gets a realllly bad rap. It's the same thing with Jersey or Detroit: people who have never been there or who have been there very few times make snap judgments about it based on what they've heard or what they've seen on TV. It's really asinine most of the time.

I have no desire to live there (other than to go to Penn), but I would say it holds its own against Boston and DC in terms of cool things to do, culture, education of the population, cleanliness and food. It's less cosmopolitan than either (people tend not to leave Philly), but it's pretty great.

[JoeMo]

Lol. Did you cross over a bridge? Camden's in Jersey. I ended up going over there though once or twice by accident when I was living in Philly. It is not a fun place.

Oh, then no, it def wasn't in Jersey. Oh wait, Camden is where Rutgers is? I've been there. hate it there too. LOL

Rutgers has a few campuses, one of which is in Camden. I'm kinda curious where the concert was, b/c the Wachovia Center (or w/e they're calling it these days) is in an isolated/fine area. I'll agree that parts of Philly are really rough (my personal experience with it was in north Philly), but I also think it's pretty difficult to accidentally end up in those bad areas, at least in my experience.

I was just thinking the same thing. Penn's landing? That area is not too bad, but could be better. Was it at a smaller venue like the TLA, the Troc or the Electric Factory?

Don't mean to take over the thread, but it could serve as a good distraction while we wait for more decisions to come out

Ok, so after much hunting it was at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby so it looks like it's closest to West Philly.

[curiousgeorgia]

Ok, so after much hunting it was at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby so it looks like it's closest to West Philly.

Upper Darby AKA Upper Dirty = not as cool as University City. I agree with addy, it is easy to make snap judgments about cities with one or two encounters (esp. if they are from movies/TV**) but Philly is cooler than a lot of people think.

**It's Always Sunny is actually pretty accurate/hilarious, though extreme and obviously satirical

[iamrobk]

Ok, so after much hunting it was at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby so it looks like it's closest to West Philly.

Upper Darby AKA Upper Dirty = not as cool as University City. I agree with addy, it is easy to make snap judgments about cities with one or two encounters (esp. if they are from movies/TV**) but Philly is cooler than a lot of people think.

**It's Always Sunny is actually pretty accurate/hilarious, though extreme and obviously satirical

I love Always Sunny. Such a great show (though the first 4 seasons are much, MUCH better than the more recent ones IMO).

So seeing as how their website is still down (and had a message earlier saying they had some severe hardware problems), I guess we won't be hearing any decisions today. Wouldn't be unheard of for them to call people from like 2-5 (they did last year I think), but unless their computer systems are back up soon, I doubt they'd be able to (unless all they need is to get peoples phone #'s, or something like that).

[grimfan]

Either way Philadelphia gets a realllly bad rap. It's the same thing with Jersey or Detroit: people who have never been there or who have been there very few times make snap judgments about it based on what they've heard or what they've seen on TV. It's really asinine most of the time.

Never underestimate the power of the media, man. I must admit that I became a lot more fascinated with Philly after reading "The Corrections". That restaurant-in-the-warehouse idea seemed really hip and cool.

[addy11]

Either way Philadelphia gets a realllly bad rap. It's the same thing with Jersey or Detroit: people who have never been there or who have been there very few times make snap judgments about it based on what they've heard or what they've seen on TV. It's really asinine most of the time.

Never underestimate the power of the media, man. I must admit that I became a lot more fascinated with Philly after reading "The Corrections". That restaurant-in-the-warehouse idea seemed really hip and cool.

TITCR. It was weird to have references to so many places with which I was familiar. Also interesting to try to show the pluses and minuses of Midwestern living vs. a glamorized "Beta" East Coast city and the downsides of Manhattan.

[iamrobk]

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I am not happy if this means I have to wait another day or 2. I can barely concentrate on studying for my one final as it is.