Ade Adedeji, WG'06
“Philadelphia is a good place to hit the ground running. You can see its past, and you can get a flavor for what's coming. It puts you right in the middle of the action. When you're recruiting, it's just a one-hour train ride from New York. For people who're more interested in government or public policy, they're just a ride away from DC.”
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Living In Philadelphia
Philadelphia is an ideal location for business school — small-scale and historic, with all the resources of a major East Coast city. One of the country's liveliest, most diverse cities, it also puts you right in the heart of all the opportunities of the East Coast — a train ride away from New York City, Washington, DC, and Boston.
Because the vast majority of Wharton students come from outside of the city, you will be part of a close-knit community in which it's easy to make friends quickly.
Philadelphia has more than 1.5 million residents, making it the sixth-largest city in the U.S. It offers diverse experiences and opportunities, yet is small enough to feel like home. It has the highest standard of living per dollar of any major city in the Northeast corridor. Its international airport is a short train ride from Penn's campus. And for day-trippers, Philadelphia is a short drive to the Pocono mountains to the north, Amish farmland to the west, and Atlantic shore to the east, as well as Boston, Washington, DC, and New York City.
See why National Geographic Traveler named Philadelphia America's "Next Great City."
This microsite (Flash 7.0 recommended) gives you a taste of the experience of a Wharton student in Philadelphia, an ideal MBA city with vibrant neighborhoods, varied cultural and recreational options, and lots to see and do as a student. Take this virtual tour of popular neighborhoods, cultural attractions, and restaurants.
Regional Business and Academic Hub
Philadelphia is a natural and convenient location for those with serious business interests. Many Wharton MBAs and spouses find internships and jobs in the Greater Philadelphia area at organizations as diverse as The Vanguard Group, Comcast Corp., Merck & Co., Pew Charitable Trusts, and the Philadelphia Federal Reserve. One of the nation's top hubs for biotech, pharmaceutical, health care, and life sciences organizations, Philadelphia also offers opportunities in telecommunications, technology, business services, insurance, education, and manufacturing.
Professionals and scholars from around the world are drawn to Philadelphia and Wharton for conferences, symposia, and other events — Philadelphia has the second-largest concentration of universities and colleges in the U.S.
Dining and Recreation
Philadelphia enjoys a thriving, eclectic restaurant culture that includes world cuisines from Belgium to Vietnam, haute cuisine, small BYOBs, reinvented pub grub, and Philly's famous cheesesteaks.
Nearby Fairmount Park, the largest urban park in the world, maintains running, cycling, and riding trails and offers boat rentals on the Schuylkill River, the site of Philadelphia's picturesque Boathouse Row and the Dad Vail Regatta, the largest collegiate regatta in the country. Even closer to home is Penn's state-of-the-art Pottruck Health and Fitness Center, right across the street from Wharton's Jon M. Huntsman Hall.
Philadelphia offers a wide array of choices for sports spectators, with professional football (Eagles), baseball (Phillies), basketball (76ers), and hockey (Flyers) teams, as well as pro lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, and even the U.S. Pro Cycling championship.
In amateur sports, Penn's own Palestra is home to Big Five college basketball, while the University's Franklin Field is the site for the Penn Relays, a collegiate and professional invitational meet that has been dazzling track fans since 1895 — longer than the modern Olympics.
Culture and History
The birthplace of U.S. democracy and commerce, Philadelphia is steeped in four centuries of history. Follow the footsteps of Benjamin Franklin through Independence Hall, past the Liberty Bell, and along Elfreth's Alley, the oldest continuously occupied street in the country. Important chapters of U.S. history were written at nearby sites such as Valley Forge and Washington's Crossing.