Center City offers alternative housing options

Students wanting to escape “the Penn bubble” or find cheaper housing often look to Center City for a place to live.

“The thing I like best about living [in Center City] is being able to get out of the whole Penn undergrad bubble,” said College senior Allison Tetreault, who lives past the South Street Bridge on 27th Street. “When I go to study at a coffee shop downtown, its not like I’m going to Starbucks on 34th … It’s a very different feeling from being on campus.”

Escaping mainstream undergraduate life is one reason why many graduate students choose to live off-campus. Wharton MBA student Dan Chen, who lives with other MBAs in Rittenhouse Square, said “you feel less like a student than if you lived in University City.”

Wharton senior Andrew D’Agostino, who lives on Christian and South streets with his brother, said living in Center City allows him to explore a different part of Philadelphia. “I definitely get a different feeling than if I was living on campus. I’m pretty close to an Italian market, which is really cool,” he said.

However, for D’Agostino, the main reason for choosing to live off-campus is the cost.

“My dad bought this house partially as an investment property and also partially to save money on rent and dorm expenses since he had two kids in the city,” he said, “I kind of wanted to live on campus because it’s way more convenient, but my dad’s paying for school and everything so it’s just a way that I can help him out a little bit.”

Though maintaining distance from campus might be a relief, the commute to classes takes longer than usual.

D’Agostino, who lived in the Quad freshman year, said he used to “roll out of bed 10 minutes before class.”

“Now I have to actually plan ahead, wake up a little earlier, all that jazz,” he said, adding that he usually alternates between taking SEPTA and walking.

Chen said he usually takes the bus, trolley or a cab to class. “Oftentimes you’ll see a lot of other Wharton students waiting for the bus at 19th and Walnut, and then we often flag down a cab and share,” he said. “ But it’s not even a big deal if you have to go alone. If you include the fare and tip, it’s probably like $8 to get to Huntsman Hall from here.”

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