History: University City is a name for the easternmost region of West Philadelphia. The University of Pennsylvania has long been the dominant institution in the area and was instrumental in coining the name University City as part of a 1950s urban-renewal effort. Today, Drexel University and The University of The Sciences in Philadelphia also call University City home.
The eastern side of University City is home to the Penn and Drexel campuses, several medical institutions, independent centers of scientific research, 30th Street Station and the Cira Centre. The western side contains Victorian and early 20th-century housing stock and is primarily residential.
Tree-lined streets, public gardens, and open green spaces make University City a verdant, livable community. Neighbors shop together for fresh produce at farmer’s markets, dine in cozy restaurants, and listen to open-air concerts and plays, all within blocks of the distinctive wide porches of the leafy residential areas.
University City grows each year, adding occupants, restaurants, world-class institutions, and programming, making it one of the most livable, well-kept, and friendly neighborhoods in Philadelphia. (Wikipedia UniversityCity.org)
Boundaries: Schuylkill River to the east; Spring Garden Street, Powelton Avenue, and Market Street to the north; 52nd Street to the west; and Woodland Avenue, University Avenue, and Civic Center Boulevard to the south.
Zip Codes: 19104, 19139, and 19143.
What To See / Do: Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Arthur Ross Gallery, Fisher Fine Arts Library, Penn Park , The Rotunda, Annenberg Center, Franklin Field, PhilaDanco!
More Information: University City District
Schools:
Primary/Public: Alexander Wilson School (K-5), Charles R. Drew School (PreK-8), Henry C. Lea School (K-8), Middle Years Alternative & Parkway School (6-12), Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander University of Pennsylvania Partnership School (K-8), Samuel Powel School (K-4) .
Private: Christ Memorial Day School (K-6), HMS School for Children with Cerebral Palsy (ages 2–21), Jubilee School (pre-K-6), Spruce Hill Christian School (K-8) Parochial: St. Francis de Sales School (1-8).
Secondary: Middle Years Alternative & Parkway School (6-12), University City High School (9-12), West Philadelphia High School (9-12).
Higher: University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Community College of Philadelphia, Lincoln University , The Restaurant School .
Public Transportation: SEPTA University City Station, LUCY Gold Loop, LUCY Green Loop
