Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love, has many vibrant and diverse neighborhoods; it is known for its culture, its history, and its food. New York and Washington DC are within easy reach for a weekend too. You’ll find more below on accommodation ideas and places to visit during your stay.

Accommodation

Penn Vet is in University City, West Philadelphia, at 3900 Spruce St. Try to find accommodation in this area, so that you are within walking distance of the campus.

• Penn Off-Campus Housing Marketplace: a large selection of roommate and housing options for students and faculty/staff; as a member of the Penn community, you will be able to search for housing and roommates and post a sublet listing; includes ‘Short Term’ and ‘Flexible Lease’ options). Properties are added throughout the year, so keep checking.
• Philly Off-Campus Housing: not a Penn-endorsed site, but more good accommodation ideas
• Penn Residential Services
• Penn International Student & Scholar Services (Housing)
• Life at Penn
• University City District (also restaurants, current events in the neighborhood)
• Penn suggests a couple of convenient hotels; another popular option is The Study at University City
• Apartments.com
• Apartments at Penn
• Campus Apartments
• University Realty
• University City Apartments
• University City Apt
• Arrive University City
• Avira
• The Eleanor
• Greystar
• Hamilton Court
• Korman Residential at 3737 Chestnut
• Facebook, Airbnb, Vrbo and Craigslist are good resources
• Campus maps
  
• Register here for Penn’s Off-Campus Housing Fair, a virtual event held in Spring each year (in 2025, it opened on March 27)

The transportation & parking portal is a useful guide to parking and bus routes if you are staying further away; the portal has cycling information too. Uber is useful way to get from the airport.

Get to know Philadelphia

The University area; ’36 Hours in University City 2020′; Philadelphia tours; Delaware River Waterfront; and a little bit of history; Visit Philadelphia includes a section on what’s going on in the coming week and weekend (updated each Monday).

There are plenty of places to eat in the vicinity, whether you’re in the mood for coffee and pastries or a celebratory supper. Eater is a good source of ideas.

Further afield

– New York: NYC official guide; travel guide; travel to NYC
– Washington DC: ‘The District’
– Baltimore: ‘Visit Baltimore’; Baltimore tours

Travel & Living Expenses: all costs associated with a visit to our hospital are the responsibility of the visitor. The US Government posts estimates of daily living expenses (lodging, meals, incidentals) here, which may help you with budgeting.

Take a look also at our News and Events page, and our Frequently Asked Questions, where you’ll find more information, including a few restaurant ideas.