A lot of Penn students spend their first year inside a ten-block bubble. The river is the edge of it. Cross a bridge and you’re in Center City, which is one of the best places to walk in America. If you live in University of Pennsylvania apartments on Chestnut Street, here’s a fall weekend from Uno on Chestnut.
What can you walk to from University of Pennsylvania apartments on Chestnut?
More than most people try. East through campus, across the Schuylkill River, and you’re at a riverside trail, a famous square and a line of museums. It’s all flat.
Uno on Chestnut is at 4125 Chestnut Street in University City. October is the month for this: cool, dry and bright.
Saturday morning: start at Clark Park
Before heading east, go a few blocks southwest to Clark Park. There’s a farmers market there on Saturdays for much of the year. Check the hours.
Buy apples and something baked. This is the West Philadelphia neighborhood at its best: families, dogs, chess tables and big old trees.
Late morning: the river trail
Walk east on Chestnut or Walnut across the bridge. On the far bank, stairs and ramps lead down to the Schuylkill River Trail.
It’s a paved path along the water, with a boardwalk section that runs out over the river itself. Runners, cyclists and people with strollers all share it. The skyline is on one side and the water on the other.
Head north. In about a mile, you reach the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Do you have to run up the steps?
Yes. Everyone does it once. The view back down the long, flag-lined boulevard to City Hall is the best free view in the city.
The museum itself is enormous. It has pay-what-you-wish admission at certain times. Check when. Just past it, along the river, is Boathouse Row, a line of Victorian boathouses where the rowing clubs are based. In fall, crews are on the water most mornings.
Saturday afternoon: Rittenhouse Square
Walk back south and a few blocks east to Rittenhouse Square. It’s a one-block park with tall trees, benches and a fountain, surrounded by restaurants and shops.
Get a coffee and sit. People-watching here is a full activity. In late October, the leaves come down gold over the paths.
Walk home across the Walnut Street bridge. You’ll have covered a few miles without noticing.
Sunday: lunch at the market
Take the Market-Frankford Line or a trolley east from University City. Get off near City Hall and walk to Reading Terminal Market.
It’s a huge indoor market with dozens of food stalls. Go hungry. Go early, since it’s crowded by noon. Check Sunday hours, as some stalls close.
Walk a few blocks around City Hall afterward, then ride home.
How do you fit this around Penn’s workload?
In pieces. You don’t need the whole weekend. The river trail alone is an hour round trip from campus. It’s a good run or a good walk between study sessions.
I’d make one trip across the river every week. It keeps the bubble from closing.
What should parents know?
Know that this is the weekend to plan when you visit. Stay in Center City, walk across the bridge to see your student’s apartment and campus, and do the river and the museum together.
It shows you how they get around, and it shows them that the city is theirs to use. Many students take years to find that out.
Ask the office about visitor parking if you drive. A hotel garage and a walk is often simpler.
Is it safe?
Use normal city habits. Go in daylight, especially on the trail. Walk with a friend. Keep your phone put away at crossings. After dark, take transit or a ride back instead of the bridge on foot, and look up the university’s evening escort and shuttle options.
When’s the best time?
Now through mid-November. Halloween is a Saturday this year, October 31. The clocks fall back the next morning, Sunday, November 1, and after that it’s dark by five. Do the long walks in October.
For more about the area around Uno on Chestnut, see the neighborhood page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you walk from Penn to Center City?
Yes. Bridges on Chestnut, Walnut and Market Streets cross the Schuylkill River from University City into Center City.
Where is the Schuylkill River Trail?
It runs along the east bank of the river, with access near the Chestnut and Walnut Street bridges.
Where is Uno on Chestnut?
Uno on Chestnut is at 4125 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
Key Takeaways
- Students in University of Pennsylvania apartments can walk across the river into Center City.
- Follow the Schuylkill River Trail north to the art museum and Boathouse Row.
- Sit in Rittenhouse Square and eat at Reading Terminal Market.
- Go in daylight; use transit or a ride after dark.