One of the biggest reasons I chose to attend Swarthmore was the college’s close proximity to one of the most major cities in America: Philadelphia. Not only is Philly extremely close to Swarthmore, but starting this year, the college gave every student a SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority) card with up to eight uses per day on it, included in the price of tuition. Going from Swarthmore to Philly would be about $5.50 each way without this, so I have been able to explore Philadelphia much more often than I would have otherwise been able to since last September.
Philadelphia has so much to offer, from shopping to dining, as well as a multitude of other opportunities for fun. Here are some of my favorite things to do in the city, organized by which stop they are on the Media/Wawa train line.
Penn Medicine Station: This is easily my most-visited stop on the line, and for good reason. It offers two of my favorite things in life: beautiful, yet quiet study spots, and hot pot. The Penn Medicine stop is right by the University of Pennsylvania’s medical complexes and it is a brief walk from their main campus. I like to visit the Fischer Fine Arts Library. As a Swarthmore student, my ID card gives me access to this library through the Quaker Consortium, Swarthmore’s partnership with UPenn. Just a little bit further away is a spot that is much visited by myself and my friends: La Tao Hot Pot. For just $30 you can enjoy unlimited hot pot for two hours, which is the perfect reward for a long day of studying.
30th Street Station: This is the main hub if you want to get on a different line of SEPTA or to get on an Amtrak train to go to another major city (Hartford, NYC, DC, Boston, etc.), but this is not the only reason to get off here. My favorite thing about this station is its close proximity to the Schuylkill River (although, you should not ask me how to pronounce Schuylkill out loud). Not only is it nice to simply walk along the river, but the Philadelphia Museum of Art is easily within walking distance of the station. There are many classes at Swarthmore for which you will be given a semester-long pass to the museum, but if you are not enrolled in such a class and are still 18, your admission is free. Otherwise, with a student ID, you can get in for $14. Or, with a bit of planning, you can visit during Pay What You Wish hours, currently the first Sunday of the month and every Friday night.
Suburban Station: This is easily the best stop to fulfill any of your clothes-shopping needs or indulgences. Walnut Street, which is less than a quarter mile of a walk away, has so many of my favorite clothing stores, from Urban Outfitters to Free People, Madewell, and Brandy Melville. As an additional bonus, just about two blocks away is another shopping hotspot, with a Buffalo Exchange, Nordstrom Rack, and Barnes and Noble. Shopping isn’t the only thing to do, though, you can also catch a glimpse of the nearby City Hall, or walk to Rittenhouse Square, a really beautiful park where you can always hear some live music. On warmer days, I like to stop at Van Leeuwen Ice Cream on my way to the park.
Jefferson Station: This station is best for when I need some alone time, which, in my opinion, is best spent watching movies. There is an AMC theater inside of this station (yes, inside!), which is extremely convenient for a cinephile like myself. Additionally, Philly’s famous Reading Terminal Market is located extremely close to this station (so close that you don’t even have to go outside, in fact), so you can also grab a bite to eat.
Philadelphia is certainly not the only fun place to stop along the Media/Wawa line, though. I like to go to Media for my Trader Joe’s needs, or Morton for the best Mexican food I’ve had on this coast. There is so much fun to be had along the Media/Wawa line!