Independence Hall

In November of 1682, William Penn sailed from Great Britain to the new world on the Welcome and named his new colony Pennsylvania. Here he laid out a city as a grid; streets running north to south where numbered from First to Eighth, and streets running east to west where named after trees. This city he named Philadelphia, a Greek word meaning City of Brotherly Love. In 1776, the colonies' representatives met in Philadelphia's Independence Hall to announce their freedom from Britain and to pen their names to the Declaration of Independence. Philadelphia, centrally located, was the capital of our country from 1790 to 1800.

Now, Philadelphia, the second largest city on the East Coast is conveniently located 100 miles south of New York City, 133 miles north of Washington, DC and 55 miles from Atlantic City, NJ. Within walking distance of PENN's campus is Amtrak's 30th Street Station, a major East Coast hub, with trains that run along the northeast corridor serving Boston, New York, Baltimore and Washington. Eight miles from Philadelphia's Center City is Philadelphia International Airport, with flights to more than 100 cities in the United States and 16 destinations abroad. Connecting the airport with Philadelphia is SEPTA's Airport Rail Line. Philadelphia's Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), has a vast network of bus, subway, and trolley commuter services throughout the city as well as connecting the city with surrounding suburbs.

Kimmel Center

Philadelphia boasts a rich nightife scene, like the famous "South Street" area, as well as an impressive amount of cultural offerings of music, theater, clubs, concerts, and comedy shows. The Philadelphia Orchestra, has distinguished itself as one of the leading orchestras in the world through a century of acclaimed performances, historic international tours, and best-selling recordings. Founded in 1964, the Pennsylvania Ballet has been at the forefront of dance in America and is widely regarded as one of the top ballet companies in the nation. The orchestra and ballet, along with other music and theater art groups, can be seen performing at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, a grand new complex on the Avenue of the Arts in Center City Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Also, rich in history, Philadelphia has the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Betsy Ross' House, Alfred's Alley and the purely Philadelphia tradition, the Mummers. Among the many museums in and around Philly are the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Franklin Institute, Rodin Museum and nearby Brandywine Musem. Other attractions include The Philadelphia Zoo, the famous Italian Market and Chinatown as well as nearby Longwood Gardens, Valley Forge and Brandywine Battle Fields.

Philly Phanatic

All major sports can be seen in Philadelphia, home to The Phillies (baseball), Eagles (football), Flyers (hockey), Sixers (basketball), Kixx (indoor soccer), Wings (indoor lacrosse), Phantoms (minor league hockey), Bulldogs (roller hockey), as well as collegiate athletic teams, many competing PENN's sports venues, the Palestra, and Franklin Field, home of the Penn Relays. City sports complexes include the First Union Spectrum, the First Union Center and Veteran's Stadium.

 

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