I didn't edit my post well. There was no $600/month CC apartment shown. The apartment was $1,600 + $300 for parking (versus $1,000 and easy street parking in UC for a much better 'luxury' one bedroom).
Best! Liz ---------- Original Message ---------- From: "campio...@juno.com" <campio...@juno.com> To: pf...@ccat.sas.upenn.edu, ucneighb...@hector.asc.upenn.edu, UnivCity@list.purple.com Subject: [UC] Another example of PENN helping UC? Wharton Housing Guide, NOT! Date: Sun, 18 Apr 2010 17:33:02 GMT The past few days were Wharton's big meet, greet and orientation for incoming MBA students. Widely distributed was the 58 page WHARTON HOUSING GUIDE. Starting with a cover photo that is an aerial view of Center City starting at the Ben Franklin Bridge, and moving through the text, there is a pattern of suggestion and omission that makes West Philadelphia look like the unsafe, not hip, under-served neighborhood. Specific instances include: 1. Every neighborhood description includes the presence (or absence) of access to the PENN Escort Service, EXCEPT UC, an area that has good coverage. 2. The only neighborhood for which "safety" is mentioned as a concern is UC. (The students I spoke to were surprised to hear of the rape murder of Wharton Student Shannon Scheiber, inside the area the booklet called Rittenhouse Square.) To the students with whom I worked this weekend, I suggested they rely on FBI statistics or other, less prejudicial crime reports, and to always be aware that big city living comes with proximity to both good and bad. 3. I tried to dispute the booklet's claim that 87% of students lived near Rittenhouse Square and that only 2.5% of Wharton Grad Students live in West Philly. (Between the Dorms and private housing, I know I can think of lots of Wharton students and many Professors and Staffers who live in UC.) GUIDE- "Most Wharton MBA students live in Center City, the downtown neighborhood that surrounds Rittenhouse Square. Most students who live in Center City live west of Broad Street (14th 25th), though a small minority does live east of Broad. Other neighborhood options include University City/West Philadelphia (near campus), the Art Museum area (north of Center City), Antique Row/Old City (east of Center City), and the surrounding suburbs." Part of the problem may be that "(survey results <were> based on <only> 604 respondents)" The Guide's map on page 6 outlines the neighborhoods as: "CENTER CITY" - Broad - 25th and Lombard to Market. (I encountered 2 Students who rejected 26th and South as "outside" the safe area of CC.) What the Guide called "ART MUSEUM" was more Logan-Parkway than Art Museum. It was bounded by JFK & Callowhill, 23rd to Broad. There was no map for "UNIVERSITY CITY/WEST PHILADELPHIA" and the map for the 'neighborhood' marked "WHARTON/UPENN" only covered an area between 30th and 40th. OLD CITY was defined as Pine to Race and 2nd to 5th. (This might confuse folks who think of most of that area as "Society Hill". Here is the blurb for UC. I imagine that many of my neighbors will chuckle at the thought that the "Left Bank" might be the best UC has to offer. GUIDE- "UNIVERSITY CITY/WEST PHILADELPHIA University City is the area between the Schuylkill River and the University of Pennsylvania. West Philadelphia is the area immediately west of the University of Pennsylvania. This area has become more popular in recent years as Penn has focused on developing the area around the University. A new movie theater and grocery store have both opened at 40th and Walnut, as well as several restaurants. Additionally, The Left Bank, a loft-style apartment building, opened a few years ago at 3131 Walnut. The Left Bank is the most popular housing option in University City. Some students have also bought houses in West Philadelphia, viewing it as a good investment." ... Disadvantages: few MBA students in such housing distance from social scene/team meetings in Center City quality and safety of housing varies from block to block" Compare this to the post on CC. GUIDE- "CENTER CITY For our purposes, Center City is defined as the area bordered by the Schuylkill River to the west, Broad Street (14th) to the east, South Street to the south, and JFK Boulevard to the north. This area includes one of the most upscale neighborhoods in Philadelphia and includes a number of Wharton haunts. In addition, Center City includes Rittenhouse Squares high-end shopping and restaurant district. The greatest density of Wharton students is clustered around Rittenhouse Square, which is marked by Walnut Street, 18th St., Rittenhouse West, and Rittenhouse South. There are a variety of both apartment building and brownstone options to choose from, and virtually any building that you choose will also house other Wharton students. The streets south of Walnut (Locust, Van Pelt, Spruce, Delancey, Pine) are more residential than the streets north of Walnut (Chestnut, Market, JFK). Center City locations are about a 25-40 minute walk or 10-15 minute public transportation or bike ride to campus. Most of the apartments and brownstones that will be available for viewing during the Open House session are located in Center City. Advantages:  most Wharton MBA students live in Center City  many team meetings are in Center City  serviced by Penns night shuttle service  proximity to shopping, social scene, and cultural activities" Disadvantages:  can be more expensive in the blocks closest to Rittenhouse Square  distance from school  parking can be difficult and expensive" Note: The plethora of good value and diversity Restaurants in UC is not mentioned. GUIDE- "While choosing your neighborhood for off-campus housing, you should also consider the safety of the alternatives of transportation to your area. Most students do not have problems that require the use of the University Police or the Philadelphia Police; however, it is important to stay alert when it comes to your personal safety. For late hours commuting, Penn Transit Service is available between 6:00 P.M. and 3:00 A.M. for transportation to/from Center City. Dial 898-RIDE to access the service. Please keep in mind that this service is up to 20th street. You should be aware that you will need to use other ways of commuting (i.e. Bus/Trolley/Taxi) to reach the neighborhoods to the east of 20th street. For details on on-campus transportation services, please visit: Walking Escort Service: http://www.publicsafety.upenn.edu/STS_Walking_Escort.asp Penn Transit Services: http://www.business-services.upenn.edu/transportation/ " For those who believe that "fear" of living west of 40th Street is still not the institutional message, sent by PENN to its new grad students, the literature distributed to their students says otherwise. I showed an amazing UC apartment one of the Wharton students. It was larger, prettier and less 'cookie cutter' than the $600 / month CC apartment he chose. It had easy parking (a savings of an additional $300/ month), and is a much easier commute to school, on foot and by PENN Escorts, but the messages he received at orientation included ... The Green-line Trolleys are not safe. The neighborhood is not "upscale". It is not "Wharton" materiel. If anyone wants a copy of the .pdf, I will be happy to forward it. I do not think it appropriate to put such a large attachment on the list. All the best! Liz Elizabeth Campion PRUDENTIAL, FOX & ROACH REALTORS, LLC 210 W. Rittenhouse Square, Suite 406 Phila, PA 19103 215-790-5653 Desk & Voicemail 215-880-2930 Cell & Emergency 215-546-9781 Shared office Fax campio...@juno.com or home.in.ph...@juno.com for Rental questions Link to Photos of available Listings and public, 'social' photos: www.PicasaWeb.google.com/CampionEF To check out all PFR and Multiple Listed Properties and to review CONSUMER NOTICE, link to www.PruFoxRoach.com Your referral is a welcome compliment. All the best in 2010 and beyond! ____________________________________________________________ $12/Month Auto Insurance Drivers in your area are paying as low as $12/m. Free Quote instantly. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/4bcb429e9be1da870fst01vuc ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>. ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." 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