Is University City a safe area?

Hello. I looked into some bed and breakfasts that I liked in the University city area. Is this a safe area to stay in Philadelphia? I also looked into the Chestnut Hill area which seemed nice too. Can someone please help me decide with these 2 areas in Philadelphia? Thanks so much!!

Is University City a safe area?

The safety of the University City area has always been tenuous. It is usually okay, but muggings, especially after dark, are always a possibility. It is a fairly large area, so the exact location of the B%26amp;B is important. Also, I wouldn%26#39;t be surprised if the B%26amp;B was actually in a nearby adjacent area, such as Clark Park or Powelton Village, and not truly in University City. The adjacent areas are less safe. Additionally, Penn is out for the summer, so the number of people milling around will be few. Chestnut Hill would require daily trips (by train) into the city to see the sites, so is not as convenient as downtown or University City.

Philadelphia is not really known for its B%26amp;Bs. AFAIK, there are none that would rate any significant number of ';stars'; in a B%26amp;B guidebook, and the prices are not usually a whole lot less than a hotel.

But- the big question is, what do you want to do while you are here? That will help guide us to reccommend a place to stay.

Is University City a safe area?

Agreed with owlyn. UC is not a BAD area, but does require a higher amount of caution than some. On the campuses themselves is perfectly safe, but the surrounding areas can be a bit dodgy.

Depending on your budget, if you are looking for more of the B+B Botqiue hotel experience, I%26#39;ll throw out the Penns View hotel for starters and we can of course recommend some more.

Have you checked on hotwire for your dates? You might well be able to find a hotel in center city that will make your stay much more enjoyable and you will not have the incovenience of staying in the suburbs. You could also try bidding on priceline.

Thank you to all that have replied! I really appreciate it! We do plan to take the train into the city everyday. that is not an issue for us and we are well prepared for that. Most of the bed and breakfasts we chose are within walking distance to the train station. I was told that Chestnut hill is a nice area and pretty safe. The bed and breakfasts in university city were called...';the castle bed and breakfast'; and ';the carriage house';. The carriage house is booked and not available so that ends that. the others were located in chestnut hill in a quiet neighborhood. And I believe one other called ';Victorian Splendor'; is located by City line.

Also I would like to spend no more than $95 a night. I found a few that were $80 to $90 a night.

I was thinking of staying by the valley forge area but it takes from what i was told close to 50 minutes to get into the city plus the train tickets are about $10.00 or more for a round trip ticket.

so i figured the valley forge area was out of the question. is this info correct?

Valley Forge would be much less convenient and is not served by the SEPTA regional rail system so you would probably have to catch a bus.

From Chestnut Hill you can take the R7 Chestnut Hill East or R8 Chestnut Hill West lines into the city. The regular fare is $4.25 per person each way during peak hours..you must purchase your tickets at the station otherwise it is $5.00 on board the train.

Wow thats not a bad price. Sounds good! I was told if i stayed in the valley forge area oe just outside we would have to drive to Paoli, PA where the Septa Station would be and take the train from there. I was told it would take almost 50 minutes to get into Philly. And it would be more expensive to take the train too.

So i guess we will try to stay in one of the bed and breakfasts in Chestnut Hill. We were told it was an upscale nice neighborhood and the homes are very nice there. They call these places bed and breakfasts, but I think there mostly private guest homes just renting a room. Thanks again!

Anymore info send it my way!!

I lived about 4/5 blocks from The Castle for over 5 years. That particular area is very safe, and it%26#39;s convenient to the 34 trolley (runs along Baltimore Ave).

Wow theres a trolly down there? I wonder if that takes you to the Historic Area or close by it? Thanks for the info!

The trolley ends at 13th St, which is about 9 blocks to Independence Hall. It%26#39;s an easy walk, but if you wanted a more direct route, you could transfer to the blue line (Market-Frankford line) at 30th St Station. You would take that to 5th Street.

Figure that cabs will run you about $20 from Old City to your B%26amp;B.

The Chestnut Hill area can be as described, but it borders on some not-so-nice areas. It depends on the location of the B%26amp;B and its proximity to a train station. Also, there%26#39;s not much going on at night up there. But it sounds like you are determined to stay at a B%26amp;B. Please just check Hotwire or some similar site for your dates. You may find that hotels in the downtown area cost the same or less. Don%26#39;t forget to add in transportation costs to your room rate.