Center City is the ideal place to live for students who enjoy the arts and culture. Museums, restaurants and theaters in the background dot its landscape.
Center City is home to world-renown culinary artists, representative of different ethnic backgrounds.
Theater performances range from local productions, to visiting Broadway shows, and The Philadelphia Orchestra perform masterpieces regularly.
The Benjamin Franklin Parkway, adorned on both sides by flags from every nation, connects City Hall to the famous Philadelphia Art Museum.
“There are often Saturdays and Sundays where the Parkway shuts down,” said senior Kevin McAlphin, who lives two blocks from the Art Museum. “They decide to hold festivals and things of that nature.”
Perhaps the biggest tourist attraction in the city is the Philadelphia Art Museum and its world famous steps.
“People come from all over the world to run up the famous ‘Rocky’ steps,” McAlpin said.
With museums displaying everything from medical oddities to archaeological discoveries, there is something for every taste.
The Rodin Museum features the work of Auguste Rodin, including a bronze cast of The Thinker.
The Franklin Institute features an exhibit where visitors are allowed to walk through an oversized model of a beating heart.
The Avenue of the Arts runs directly into the heart of Center City where it showcases the Academy of Music, Merriam Theater and the Kimmel Center for Performing Arts.
The Academy of Music stages performances by the Opera Company of Philadelphia, The Pennsylvania Ballet and the All-City Choir.
The Merriam Theater, recognized as the Broadway stop in Philadelphia, is home to the Philadelphia Ballet.
Another advantage of those living in Center City is the numerous transportation options.
To save themselves from rush-hour traffic in Center City, many students opt to take the Broad Street Line subway, which stops at Cecil B. Moore Avenue.
For those living at the Franklin House, Temple University offers a bus shuttle that starts outside Paley Library and runs to the Best Western on the Parkway. In less than 30 minutes, commuters can reach their destination free of charge.
With these advantages, it is easy to see why many students choose to live here.
From the Park Towne Apartments on the Parkway to apartments on Spring Garden, Temple students have made a home in Center City.
Jillian Swanson can be reached at jswanson@temple.edu.
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