Wednesday, September 22, 2004

Getting better

Before moving here, my impressions of Philadelphia consisted of the Liberty Bell, actor Will Smith, comedian Bill Cosby, MOVE, Mumia Abu-Jamal, battery-throwing Eagles fans and the Rocky steps. I had my doubts about enjoying my life in West Philadelphia.
University City has fulfilled my worst and best expectations. Philadelphia is a dynamic city - and there always is something happening. Watching the city grow and recapture its past glory is fascinating. Getting to participate in the process has been a learning experience.

A lot of what I feared about University City was based on the limited information, or misinformation, I had been given. Before moving here, I called a friend, an alumna of Penn, and asked about Philadelphia. She said that the university told students not to live farther west than 43d Street, and no farther south than Baltimore - it was too dangerous. That was the single biggest piece of misinformation. I now live by Clark Park at 43d and Baltimore.

There are a lot of people working to make this city a great place to live - the neighborhood improvement initiatives, civic groups, Philly CarShare, the museums, the trolleys, and the walkability of my neighborhood and the city. The great thing about University City is that it has as much to offer as anyone can ask, and it's getting better all the time.

Bruce Andersen

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