Swarthmore College
- Local Atmosphere

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Philly has often been called one of the country’s best college towns. It is home to countless museums, great shopping, award-winning restaurants, and for every red-blooded college student, the always happenin’ bars on South Street. However, Philly is a good 20 minutes from the College, and believe it or not, many Swarthmore students are reluctant to bypass their post-modern elitism reading to spend a night on the town. Philly provides an excellent getaway from what Swarthmore students call the “Swarthmore bubble,” but breaking the bubble is often more difficult than it may seem. Most students don’t have cars, so SEPTA (Philly’s public transportation system) is the most common way Swatties get around. While there is a train station on campus, SEPTA prices can be a bit steep.

The town of Swarthmore is quaint, consisting mainly of college professors and retirees. It provides little for college students, aside from a co-op food store, a pizza place, a few restaurants, and plenty of moderately priced novelty stores that specialize in Austrian llama hair sweaters (if that’s your thing). The Baltimore Pike is a short walk away, and within a 10-mile radius, students have access to a decent mall, several restaurants, the all-important Target, Genuardi’s (a supermarket), and Borders. The College has made some effort to get Swatties off campus, and College-sponsored trips have increased over the past few years. A shuttle runs to Target and Genuardi’s on Tuesday and Sunday evenings, and a movie theater shuttle runs on Friday and Saturday nights. Also, student council recently introduced a Philly shuttle on weekends, but students have to sign up in advance, and most end up taking SEPTA anyway.

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Local Atmosphere at Swarthmore College

kelsey115

Psychology '13

1.9

C-

Small, Not Much There

Swarthmore (usually called the ville) is very small. There isn't much else except a good pizza place, a terrible Chinese place, and a Dunkin' Donuts. It is safe to walk around in, and the residents are kind. There is also a convenient train station to ride into Philly just at the edge of campus.

Mar 15, 2012

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Local Atmosphere at Swarthmore College

pinkrabbit19

English '11

3.8

B+

Better With a Car

The "Ville" itself is safe but doesn't have a whole lot—a coffee shop, an expensive grocery store, and a handful of places to eat—so you probably won't spend a lot of time there. However, we're in a dense suburban area, so there are tons of great restaurants, malls, movie theaters, etc. The college provides vans to those places but a car allows the most flexibility. And of course, Philly is right there and a great city with amazing museums, concerts, and cultural events. The only hard part is finding time to do any of those things.

Dec 09, 2010

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Local Atmosphere at Swarthmore College

m19081

Mathematics & Statistics '14

4.2

A-

Just Close Enough to the City

The Ville is an easy walk past the train tracks. There isn't a lot to do there, but it's nice to be able to get off campus. It's also extremely easy to get into Philly on the Septa.

Nov 26, 2010

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Photos of Swarthmore College's Local Atmosphere

Lang Concert Hall

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Lang Concert Hall This concert hall features classical performing groups (chorus, chamber groups, or professional ensembles from outside of the College).

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Clothier Tower

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Clothier Tower

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Scott Amphitheatre at...

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Scott Amphitheatre at Swarthmore College

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