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Temple University


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I'm moving to Philadelphia in the fall from Richmond to attend graduate school at Temple University, but I have never visited the city. I started this thread so that somebody might be able to help me out with a description of the city and, in particular, the area in North Philadelphia around the school. I've done all the research I can do online - Ive searched for pictures on Flickr and studied images on live.com, but it doesn't give you a real feel for the place like walking around would. The other thing I was wondering is what is being done with all the empty lots that seem to surround the campus? I have to admit I was surprised to see so much empty space in a city so large as Philadelphia - especially since the school I attended for undergraduate study, Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, works so well with the city there and seems to use its land to its full potential. I appreciate the feedback and am looking forward to moving to Philadelphia in just a few months.

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Hey Go!

Glad to have you in the Pennsylvania forum and hope you enjoy it at Temple, I did have a GF that went up there for grad school a few years back so I have only heard things second hand, they have improved the area some but it is traditionally in a rundown area of the city, similar to a USC or GT type campus with it being very very urban. I would say though that it is no more dangerous then any other campus, you want to be cautious but it is pretty safe and secure.

Bill Cosby (I think this is right) is a grad of there and has donated huge amounts to the arts and media of the University, it's radio network spreads through much of E. and Central Pa., N. Maryland, Delaware and all of S. Jersey through his donations.

Any native have any news or experiences on Temple? Best thing I would advise is to check out the school's website, many of them have video tours you can preview online and tons of pictures, maps and interactive guides.

Let us know how it goes and if you have any other ?'s.

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I'm moving to Philadelphia in the fall from Richmond to attend graduate school at Temple University, but I have never visited the city. I started this thread so that somebody might be able to help me out with a description of the city and, in particular, the area in North Philadelphia around the school. I've done all the research I can do online - Ive searched for pictures on Flickr and studied images on live.com, but it doesn't give you a real feel for the place like walking around would. The other thing I was wondering is what is being done with all the empty lots that seem to surround the campus? I have to admit I was surprised to see so much empty space in a city so large as Philadelphia - especially since the school I attended for undergraduate study, Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, works so well with the city there and seems to use its land to its full potential. I appreciate the feedback and am looking forward to moving to Philadelphia in just a few months.

The campus itself as Pgh alluded to has improved immensely over the last decade. Its kind of gone from a local commuter college to a thriving state university. The problem is the area to the west of campus is about as bad as it gets. You can go 3 blocks to the west of campus and its like you are on another planet. Temple should have moved their campus 50 years ago, perhaps along the banks of the then barren Delaware River. I think I recently saw where there's 35,000 students but unfortunately its not in the greatest neighborhood. The campus itself is amazingly safe but don't get drunk and wander off into North Philly.

Center City/University City is about a mile or two south of Temple and its arguably one of the top neighborhoods in any city in the country.

Alot of Temple students live in University City or Center City with the Penn,Drexel,Thomas Jefferson and Hanahmein students.

http://www.phillyblog.com is great website if you need info or have any specific questions about Philly or Temple.

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I've spent a lot of time on TU's website, but unfortunately it's not very good for a university that size, especially the library's website (I couldn't even find a floorplan for the main library!) I'll be going up to see the school and the city at the end of the month after I graduate, so can anybody recommend some places worth checking out? I'm a huge fan of walking in an urban environment, which both Norfolk and Richmond (my current homes) are perfect for - they're clean and small enough not to be too intimidating, but still big enough so that you are walking in a dense city. Where are some good places to walk around within walking distance of TU's main campus (and it's Center City campus, which is where most of my classes will be located)? Also, if anybody has any pictures to post, or can direct me to a good set, it would be very helpful. Thanks again!

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Here's a walking tour

1. start at Rittenhouse Square. Walk west on Locust until you get to the Schuylkill River where there is a bikepath. You'll have to cross train tracks. If a train is blocking the tracks, go up 24th and up the stairs to the Walnut St. bridge and then walk down the stairs to the bikepath (on the close side of the river). Check out the bikepath (a really nice walk in warm waether when there are many joggers). Head back to 25th Street and walk south. Walk up Panama Street - its a narrow Belgian block street of the type typical to Philly - to Fitler Square. Walk through Fitler Square to 23rd. Walk north on 23rd to Delancey. Walk on Delancey to 17th (the street jogs north and south on each block so look at the street signs and bring a map). You'll pass through rows of 19th century robber barron townhomes. Walk up 18th past Rittenhouse Square and the sidewalk cafes lining it to Walnut Street. Walk west on Walnut until you get to 6th. You'll pass the posh shopping district and then the theater area. Cut through Independence Square to 5th and Cehstnut. Walk west on Chestnut to 3rd. Walk up 3rd to Race. You'll pass the Old City art gallery district. Take Race to 2nd and walk down 2nd to Chestnut (more galleries and tehn some bars and restaurants). Walk down Chestnut to Penn's Landing (a park along the Delaware River). Walk south along the River bank and the marina (it may get confusing but you'll find the way) to where teh walk ends. You'll pass some historic ships. Take a right and walk up the South Street overpass (over 95) and walk east on South Street where there are many off-beat stores. Walk down to 10th and then up 10th to Pine. Walk west on Pine, past "Antiques Row" where there are many antique shops. Walk up Quince Street to Locust and then take Locust west to Camac and tehn down Camac to Pine again. These are scenic narrow streets lined with cutesy homes. Take Pine to Broad and walk up Broad to Spruce. Go itno the Kimmel Center (the city's performing arts center) and check it out. Then walk west on Spruce until you get to 19th. Walk up 19th and you're back in Rittenhouse Square.

Other places to check out

- Chinatown

-Italian Market

- Washington Avenue between Broad and 5th (Asian and Mexican supermarkets)

- Chestnut Hill

- Manayunk

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Urban, that sounds like great tour, I'm thinking next time I'm in Philly to try that one out.

Thanks. I actually think Philly is America's best walking city - bar none. The only ones that come close are New York (Manhattan), SF, and Boston but its only in Philly where an afternoon's walk can take you itno so many diverse neighborhoods, due to the small scale of each neighborhood. I also think that Philly is one of the citys where you should defintiely NOT go from sight to sight since much fo teh character of the city lies in its small cobbelstoned streets, community parks, sidewalk cafes, and boutique stores - the stuff the tourguides usually don't tell you about. One guide I do recommend, however, is the Insight Guide to Philadelphia which does take you down the small streets.

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The campus itself as Pgh alluded to has improved immensely over the last decade. Its kind of gone from a local commuter college to a thriving state university. The problem is the area to the west of campus is about as bad as it gets. You can go 3 blocks to the west of campus and its like you are on another planet. Temple should have moved their campus 50 years ago, perhaps along the banks of the then barren Delaware River. I think I recently saw where there's 35,000 students but unfortunately its not in the greatest neighborhood. The campus itself is amazingly safe but don't get drunk and wander off into North Philly.

It might have been better for Temple to move to the Delaware Riverfront. However, tis better for the city overall that they are in North Philly since they are THE economic engine for that otherwise depressed area. The fruits of Temple remaining there are beginning to show too as the Center City rennaissance begins to spread north. With Girard Ave. now being the unofficial boundary between the "bad area" and the "gentrifying area", its not a big stretch to imagine the gentrifying area spreading, within the enxt 10 years, up to Temple. Already, the current Avenue of the Arts North plan calls for rejeuvenation along Broad Street from Center City all the way to Temple. The Temple bookstore and the commercial development taking place along Cecil B. Moore will strengthen that area in much teh same way Penn's efforts in West Philly have transformed that area dramatically over the last 10 years and basically made it an extension of Center City.

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^^Sounds very good, glad to see that the University crowd is moving in and recycling some of the beat up areas (or developers are planning to), I just wonder what took Temple so long to discover how much of a positive impact they could make on that section of the city. It is not unique to Temple and Philly though, for decades major Universities thought themselves too good or too cloistered to really give a care what happened just blocks away, good to see that attitude is changing in so many ways throughout America.

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  • 3 months later...

I'm moving to Philadelphia in the fall from Richmond to attend graduate school at Temple University, but I have never visited the city. I started this thread so that somebody might be able to help me out with a description of the city and, in particular, the area in North Philadelphia around the school. I've done all the research I can do online - Ive searched for pictures on Flickr and studied images on live.com, but it doesn't give you a real feel for the place like walking around would. The other thing I was wondering is what is being done with all the empty lots that seem to surround the campus? I have to admit I was surprised to see so much empty space in a city so large as Philadelphia - especially since the school I attended for undergraduate study, Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, works so well with the city there and seems to use its land to its full potential. I appreciate the feedback and am looking forward to moving to Philadelphia in just a few months.

I co-sign with someone who said Temple should have been moved to a better area. Why in the world would someone put a university in the worst area possible? Makes no sense.

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