Category Archives: To Penn in Ten

December 19, 2013 · 8:52 am

My Top Penn List: Ten to Penn Holiday Edition

Author: Casey Ryan, C’95

When I first moved back into West Philadelphia, I wrote my second Ten to Penn entry extoling the sights I enjoy on my trek to work through University City.

Now in honor of the holiday season, I share with you my newest and snowiest Ten to Penn from the snowstorm of December 10.

10.

At the corner of 45th & Baltimore, morning commuters leave Milk & Honey with office for the trek

A house spruced up for the holiday season

A snow covered sign at Green Line Café suggesting folks to “warm up”

Bright gingko foliage is now covered in snow

Holiday lights still on from the evening against the falling snow

The first glimpse of campus – the Hill Pavilion of the Vet School – behind snow crusted trees

Walking along Woodland Walk, spying the snowy Quad

The Class of 56 Trolley making a lovely winter scene

The view of College Green from my West Philadelphia approach

My destination – a warm Sweeten House on a cold wintry day

I hope that this photographic journey reminds you of how you found Penn to be so special! May your Holidays be fantastic and best wishes for a Happy New Year! (Plan to come back for Alumni Weekend 2014, May 16-19 and enjoy the spring in Philadelphia.)

My Top Penn List: Ten to Penn Redux

Author: Casey Ryan, C’95

Last year, I wrote an entry of My Top Penn List about my daily commute to Penn in ten pictures in celebration of Penn Park. This year, I have moved and I live in University City now, specifically Spruce Hill. I’m living 1½ blocks from where I ended my undergraduate experience and things have certainly changed in 17 years.

Most of my daily commute to work now includes US 13, a north–south highway established in 1926 that runs for 517 miles between Fayetteville, NC and Morrisville, PA. You may know the route on campus as Baltimore Avenue or for the engineering marvel, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, which carries the road between the Eastern Shore of Virginia and Hampton Roads.

10.

Just a few steps out from my door is the wonderful organic market, Milk and Honey. As you can see, they serve La Colombe coffee – which is a godsend in the morning.

The neighborhood is verdant. Look at this impressive tree and the hydrangea.

Welcome to Historic Clark Park. This place is a site of many outdoor plays, farmers markets, ultimate Frisbee games, and home to one of only two statues of Charles Dickens in the world.

The Green Line Café, another eatery along the way to work. They serve hot and cold fair trade coffee to the uncaffeinated. (See Baltimore Avenue signed as US 13.)

The #34 trolley runs up and down Baltimore Avenue, and when the trolleys divert from the 40th Street portal they turn up 42nd Street. This really hasn’t changed much over the years.

The Philadelphia Veterans Comfort House provides services for veterans while they undergo treatment for serious health issues at the VA hospital – like the Ronald McDonald House in our neighborhood, but for those who served our country.

The 40th Street Portal, where all but one of the subway-surface trolleys come up from underground. Beyond is the Woodlands Cemetery, where notable people like artist Thomas Eakins, Joseph A. Campbell – founder of Campbell Soup and many members of the Drexel family are buried.

Across the way from the 40^th Street Portal, Harrison College House (a.k.a. High Rise South) pops into view.

At 40th Street, you can behold the meeting of three impressive heath care institutions: the University of Pennsylvania Health System, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the Philadelphia VA Medical Center (VA Hospital).

The first Penn sign on my walk to work – along a stretch of Woodland Walk, announcing the Southwestern pedestrian entrance to campus. The School of Veterinary Medicine stands ahead of me. As before, I’m ready to start the workday and I check in on foursquare to see if I remain the Mayor of the University of Pennsylvania.

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August 22, 2011 · 8:32 am

To Penn in Ten: My Journey From LOLCats to Sweeten

Author: Leigh Ann P.

It’s true that a person can become quite bored with her morning commute, so it’s always nice to pause and try to appreciate the little things you see along the way. This is my daily journey.

The hardest part of my morning is bidding farewell to Franco, who I adopted from the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS). Here he is pictured in his post-breakfast coma. He is pretty devastated when I have to leave.

I live on Spruce Street just below Rittenhouse Square. I absolutely love this neighborhood, even on a dark, muggy morning such as this.

I do get the opportunity to walk through the park every day on my way to the bus stop. Follow that little white dog!

That object in the distance is the bus I frequently miss.

Hooray! I can always count on SEPTA to send another bus along straight away.

Wow, the sun has come out so quickly! It’s almost as if this picture wasn’t taken on the same day! The Schuylkill River and its sedimentary deposits look lovely this morning. In the distance you will see the beginning stages of a bridge that will connect the riverside park to South Street!

Can you believe how well this picture came out since it was taken on a moving bus? I know I can’t! I have enjoyed watching Penn Park evolve from a construction site into the multi-functional park facility you see before you. The grand opening of Penn Park will take place on Saturday, September 17th from 4 – 6 PM. Be there for fun, games and excitement!

Usually, I pull the cord too early and the bus ends up stopping at 33rd and Walnut, a block ahead of where I need to be. I am just so eager to get to work and see my friends at Sweeten.

Off the bus at 34th and Locust Walk, and already planning my lunchtime visit to get a Magic Meatball from this cart. Or perhaps I’ll go there for a second breakfast. The day has so many culinary possibilities.

Oh, hello there! The Button has been under protective wraps all summer while construction has been going on all around it. It revealed itself recently just in time for the new school year. And what’s that in the distance? Sweeten Alumni House, my home during the work day. Have a great Monday, everyone.

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April 26, 2011 · 7:45 pm

To Penn in Ten (Pictures)

Author: Jason Strohl

It’s beautiful out, so I decided to walk to work. I live in the Grad Hospital area of Philadelphia, up against Washington avenue, just shy of being in South Philly proper. It takes me about 25 minutes to walk to Penn and since there is a lot to see on my way, I thought I would share it with you.

This is the view from my front steps. You can see Liberty One and the Comcast Center in the background. Someday I am going to put a roofdeck on my house so I can see the skyline even better. It's really pretty at night.

Here we have the beautiful Anderson Yards little league baseball field, home of the Monarchs! Someone recetly told me that it is considered the nicest little league field in all of Philadelphia, and it is mere steps from my house! On my way home I like to stop for a few minutes sometimes and take in a game.

This is the corner of 18th and South Streets. Penn Medicine at Rittenhouse is located here.

This is the corner of 18th and Pine Streets, facing east. I took this picture to highlight the relatively new bike lane that was installed here. It stretches all the way from West Philadelphia to Front Street! For a cyclist like me this was a welcome addition to Philadelphia's streets.

The Southeast entrance to Rittenhouse Square. I love walking through here in the mornings because it gives me a taste of nature that I don't really have around where I live. Rittenhouse Square is also one of the best mid-day people watching spots during the warmer months.

This is a statue located in a fountain in Rittenhouse Square. Someone decided to decorate it festively for Easter. Personally I think it's an improvement, but I don't know much about art.

This was taken while I was crossing the Walnut Street bridge. Below you can see the jogging path sandwiched between the train tracks and the Schuykill river. The small building is a public bathroom that the city installed last summer. They are working hard to making the riverside a nicer place, and it really shows!

Again, this is from the Walnut Street bridge, but looking down on the contruction taking place on Penn Park, which is slated to open this summer. In the foreground you can see one of three footbridges that will take people down into the park. I'm very excited for a new green space so close by!