Penn Carey Law students have a wide array of housing options with affordable rent ranges compared to other Northeastern cities.
As an admitted student, you can already begin exploring some of the many housing possibilities, both on campus and off campus, available to the members of our community through the resources we’ve provided on this website.
If you are looking for a roommate, you can use OCS’s roommate search service to reach out to other graduate students, who are also looking to share an apartment. We also recommend connecting with other incoming 1Ls through the Penn Carey Law Class of 2023 Facebook page if you’re interested in living with another Penn Carey Law student. Within the Facebook page, we have posted a Google Shared Doc for students looking for roommates. Please use this to share information about yourself and what you are looking for in a roommate (price range, neighborhood, studying habits, etc). This document is meant as a directory of information as you search for a roommate. The Admissions Office will not be making roommate matches.
Additionally, a Penn Medicine student created a website specific to finding roommates that attend your college/university. The website, Sublttr.com, is a great resource for students to find subletters and roommates, as well as both year-long and temporary accommodations.
Philadelphia
Our location in the thriving city of Philadelphia only enhances the Law School experience. It is not only the birthplace of the nation, but a vibrant and modern city
Philadelphia’s renaissance over the past decade has garnered national attention. USA Today referred to Philadelphia as a “cultural capital.” The New York Times lauded the “thriving arts and music scene,” adding that the “renaissance in real estate and restaurants has aligned with the city’s music scene, which runs the gamut of cool.”
National Geographic placed Philadelphia on its “Best Trips of 2020” list, which includes 25 destinations across the world (one of two American locations). Philadelphia was named “City of the Year” on GQ Magazine in 2018. Philadelphia ranked #2 on the U.S. News & World Report list of best places to visit in 2017 . Philadelphia ranked #3 on The New York Times’ list of 52 Places to Go in 2015 , landed a spot on Fodor’s Go List 2016 , named a top 10 food city by The Washington Post, and declared the top U.S. destination to visit in 2016 by Lonely Planet .
Throw in a cost of living significantly lower than that of New York, Boston, or Washington, DC, and you will find one of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods to be an ideal place to live and study. After only a few weeks living here, you’ll understand why we love Philly .
Just West of the Schuylkill River from Center City sits University City, home to the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University and University of the Sciences, as well as a plethora of restaurants, shops, galleries, green spaces and more.
General Services |
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3601 Walnut Street |
|
Silverman Hall Ground |
|
130 S. 34th Street |
|
3000 Chestnut Street & 228 S. 40th Street |
|
3800 Locust Walk |
|
3907 Walnut Street |
|
3601 Walnut Street |
|
3920 Spruce Street |
|
3419 Walnut Street |
|
Pennsylvania Optometrics |
3600 Market Street |
31 S. 42nd Street |
Grocery & Pharmacy |
|
3401 Walnut Street & 3925 Walnut Street |
|
4001 Walnut Street |
|
3401 Chestnut Street & 2303 Bainbridge St. |
|
3400, 1 Spruce St Ravdin Bldg |
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2301 Walnut Street (Center City) |
|
2121 Market Street |
|
2101 Pennsylvania Avenue (Center City) |
Hotels |
|
2929 Walnut Street |
|
3600 Sansom Street |
|
4109 Walnut Street |
|
3549 Chestnut Street |
|
20 S. 33rd Street |
Banks |
|
3925 Walnut Street |
|
134 S. 34th Street |
|
3535 Market Street & 200 S. 40th Street |
|
3802 Chestnut Street & 3131 Market Street |
|
3735 Walnut Street |
|
3431 Chestnut Street |
Shops & Services |
|
120 S. 36th Street |
|
3406 Sansom Street |
|
3603 Walnut Street |
|
3661 Walnut Street |
|
220 S. 40th Street |
|
3621 Walnut Street |
|
140 S. 34th Street |
|
3551 Chestnut Street |
|
3421 Walnut Street (clothing & coffee/cafe) |
|
110 S. 36th Street |
Hair & Nail Salons |
|
138 S. 34th Street |
|
3945 Chestnut Street |
|
3743 Walnut Street |
|
212 S. 40th Street |
|
4002 Spruce Street |
|
3730 Spruce Street |
|
3200 Chestnut Street |
Restaurants - Penn Vicinity |
|
3813 Chestnut Street |
|
3942 Spruce Street |
|
20 S. 36th Street |
|
3402 Sansom Street |
|
3714 Spruce Street |
|
218 S. 40th Street |
|
3929 Sansom Street |
|
3925 Walnut Street |
|
2955 Market Street |
|
3231 Powelton Avenue |
|
119 S. 39th Street |
|
203 N. 34th Street |
|
3925 Walnut Street |
|
3925 Walnut Street |
|
20 S. 33rd Street |
|
4000 Spruce Street |
|
140 S. 36th Street |
|
4708 Baltimore Avenue |
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3945 Chestnut Street |
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3513 Lancaster Avenue |
|
106 S. 40th Street |
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3428 Sansom Street |
|
3401 Walnut Street |
|
4540 Baltimore Avenue |
|
222 S. 40th Street |
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3711 Market Street |
|
214 S. 40th Street |
|
3931 Walnut Street |
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3400 Lancaster Avenue & 3417 Spruce St. |
|
3925 Walnut Street |
|
3606 Chestnut Street |
|
3801 Chestnut Street |
|
3333 Market Street |
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3630 Lancaster Avenue |
|
3611 Walnut Street |
|
3000 Market Street |
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3935 Walnut Street |
|
4013 Walnut Street |
|
111 S. 40th Street |
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3408 Sansom Street |
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4004 Chestnut Street |
|
4060 Chestnut Street |
|
3608 Chestnut Street |
|
4006 Chestnut Street |
|
3260 Sansom Street |
|
3636 Sansom Street |
|
129 S. 30th Street |
|
230 S. 40th Street |
|
4040 Locust Street |
|
227 N. 34th Street |
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3549 Chestnut Street |
|
3505 Lancaster Avenue |
|
3200 Chestnut Street |
|
60 S. 38th Street |
|
227 N. 34th Street |
|
3739 Lancaster Avenue |
|
3925 Walnut Street |
|
3900 Chestnut Street |
|
110 S. 40th Street |
|
4728 Baltimore Avenue |
|
3180 Chrstnut Street |
|
2929 Walnut Street |
|
3131 Walnut Street |
|
3604 Chestnut Street & 3744 Spruce Street |
|
3420 Sansom Street |
|
4034 Walnut Street |
|
3025 Walnut Street |
|
3200 Chestnut Street |
|
125 S. 40th Street |
Coffee Houses |
|
3406 Sansom Street |
|
140 S. 36th Street |
|
3437 Walnut Street |
|
4239 Baltimore Avenue & 4426 Locust Street |
|
3200 Chestnut Street |
|
2930 Chestnut Street |
|
3601 Walnut Street |
|
4000 Locust Street |
|
3401 Walnut Street & 3421 Chestnut Street |
Center City, just East of the Schuylkill River from campus, is Philadelphia’s “downtown” and home to many Penn Carey Law students. Let the City of Brotherly Love become your second home and a vital part of your education.
City Guides:
City of Philadelphia
The official web site of the city government.
Passport to Philadelphia Neighborhoods
Video features about a variety of areas in the city.
Visit Philly’s Explore Philadelphia Neighborhoods
Interactive site describing life in areas like University City, Graduate Hospital, Powelton Village, and more.
Greater Philadelphia Travel Guide
For things to do, places to stay and where to eat in the five counties that make up the Philadelphia region.
Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau
Information for visitors, meeting planners and the hospitality industry, plus news about upcoming special events.
Experience Philadelphia
Philadelphia is more than the nation’s fifth-largest city and cheesesteak capital.
On Campus Housing
The University of Pennsylvania provides on-campus housing for graduate and professional students in Sansom Place.
Sansom Place is located at 36th and Chestnut Streets, just one block from the Law School. Sansom Place includes one-bedroom apartments, two-bedroom apartments, and single rooms with a shared bathroom. All units are furnished.
Sansom Place is a composed of two high-rise apartment buildings. 700 graduate students comprise 75% of the building population, occupying lower floors of Sansom West and all of Sansom East. Approximately 10% of first-year law students live in Sansom Place. View pictures of Sansom Place sample apartments.
UPDATE as of May 20, 2020: We have been notified by Residential Services that due to the global health pandemic Sansom Place is currently not accepting new applications for the fall 2020 semester. We will promptly post updates as soon as we receive any additional information.
Approximate Monthly Rent for 2019 - 2020
Apartment Type |
Rent |
Single Room w/shared bath |
$1,008 |
Double Apt (2BR/kit/bath) |
$1,120 |
Single Apt (1BR/liv.area/kit/bath) |
$1,681 |
Graduate plus other (1BR/liv.area/kit/bath) |
$1,793 |
For more information on these facilities, please visit the Penn Residential Services website or contact the Graduate Housing Office:
Stouffer Commons, 3702 Spruce Street
215.898.3547
living@exchange.upenn.edu
Off Campus
While the numbers clearly indicate that the graduate student population in University City has been growing steadily over the last five years, Center City continues to be the neighborhood of choice for Penn Carey Law students.
University City:
Penn Carey Law is located in University City, within the area known as West Philadelphia. More than 5,000 Penn students, undergraduate and graduate, rent apartments/houses in the area. Thousands of other Penn affiliates — staff, faculty, alumni — own homes or rent in the University City neighborhoods of Spruce Hill, Garden Court, Cedar Park, and Powelton Village. University City is also home to affiliates of other colleges and universities in the area. The people living in University City come from diverse racial, ethnic, cultural and economic backgrounds, and this diversity is rewarding and enriching for the people who call this neighborhood home.
Housing options in University City range from large Victorian homes on tree-lined streets with large back yards and porches, two and three story row homes, to medium and large size apartment complexes. There are also three high-rise buildings, which are quite popular with graduate students (Chestnut Hall, The Fairfax, and Garden Court Plaza). As one would expect, prices are more moderate for the knowledgeable prospective tenant who has cared to explore the area a little farther west of campus, beyond 43rd Street, where beauty, space, comfort, and affordability come together. In the area closer to Campus, prices tend to be higher, due to high demand especially for undergraduate housing – but still generally lower than in Center City. Many good housing options are available in University City, but some of the places for rent can be expensive and in less than perfect condition. Students are advised to carefully inspect properties and request needed repairs in writing at the time of lease signing.
Most places in University City are within walking distance to Penn Carey Law (about 15-25 minutes) or a very short bike ride, if you prefer. The University of Pennsylvania Transit Services offers door-to-door services to the Penn affiliates who live in University City (including Powelton Village). This service is available between 6 PM and 3 AM and it is free with a Penn ID. The University also runs buses along established routes in the neighborhood. Some of the large area landlords run their own free shuttles to the campus area.
The University City area is home to many cultural institutions, a wealth of cultural events, and a large number of award-winning restaurants, many of them ethnic restaurants. Programs for clean and safe streets, marketing initiatives, friendly ambassadors who guide you through the area, and many developments in retail and entertainment are making University City a destination choice for living and having fun.
University City has many advantages when you are trying to decide on a place to rent: affordable prices, large apartments, wonderful restaurants, lots of green space, parks where you can jog and walk your dog, plenty of places that allow you to have pets, street parking, one of the nicest supermarkets in town (The Fresh Grocer at 40th and Walnut Streets), a luxury movie theatre, good public transportation to/from Center City and other areas of Greater Philadelphia and, most of all, vibrant communities welcoming you.
Center City and the Art Museum Area:
Center City is Philadelphia’s downtown district, east of the Schuylkill River and extending all the way to the Delaware River, including the Parkway/Art Museum area. Some of the most popular neighborhoods are Graduate Hospital, Fitler Square, Rittenhouse Square, Society Hill, Old City, and Chinatown (east of Broad Street).
Housing is comprised of modern luxury apartment complexes and condos, brownstones/townhouses, row homes and warehouse/loft apartment buildings. Prices for apartments in Center City have been on the rise for the last five years, with dramatic increases in the last two years – though it should be noted that Philadelphia housing is still considerably less expensive than other metropolitan areas.
Several thousand Penn graduate and professional students live in Center City, especially in the area west of Broad Street. Many of the students who choose to live in Center City cite the abundance of shops, cafes, arts and culture opportunities, movie theaters, and fitness facilities as the main attraction. While street parking is not easily available, some apartment complexes offer indoor parking at an additional cost.
Many students who choose to live in Center City use public transportation or bike to and from Campus. Between 6 PM and 3 AM transportation to/from Center City (east, up to 20th Street) is available to Penn affiliates through Penn Transit Services. Dial 898-RIDE to access the service.
The Art Museum area has more reasonably priced apartments and a better rent/value ratio but is not as easily accessible from the Penn Campus. There is no direct public transportation from this area, so you can either bike, use a car or plan to spend extra time going back and forth every day, although some apartment buildings do offer their own shuttle services. However, for people who love the outdoors and want to bike and jog, Fairmount Park nearby and the paths along the Schuylkill River may provide a great appeal.
Learn more about Philadelphia’s many neighborhoods through Visit Philly’s Explore Philadelphia Neighborhoods - a new interactive site describing life in areas like University City, Graduate Hospital, Powelton Village, and more.
Please use the below figures as a guide during your housing search. Depending on when you begin your search, there is a possibility that there will be a small increase in cost.
University City / West Philadelphia:
38th to 50th Streets and Powelton Village
|
Studio - Rental Range |
One Bedroom - Rental Range |
month-to-month leases available |
$1,900 - $4,500 |
|
Starting at $795 |
Starting at $945 |
|
N/A |
$1,451 - $3,198 |
|
N/A |
$2,675 - $3,000 |
|
$1,809 - $2,229 |
$2,419 |
|
$900 - $1,000 |
$1,100 - $1,300 |
|
$1,050 - $1,100 |
$1,460 - $1,650 |
|
$1,738 - $2,838 |
$1,786 - $3,902 |
|
$1,450 - $1,565 |
$1,655 - $1,900 |
|
Starting at $895 |
Starting at $895 |
*month-to-month leases available
In the area West of campus, rents tend to be the highest in new construction, high rises and recent renovations, such as:
- 4111 Walnut Street
- Chestnut Hall, at 39th and Chestnut Streets
- The Fairfax, at 42nd and Locust
- Garden Court Plaza, at 47th and Pine Streets
- The Hub, at 40th and Chestnut, Streets
- Pine Arms, at 40th and Pine Streets
- The Radian, at 39th and Walnut Streets
In the Powelton Village area, the Old Quaker Building, and especially The Courts Apartments have rental rates comparable to Center City. Similarly, in University City just East of Campus, Domus and the Left Bank provide luxury living with higher rental rates, similar to what you would find in the Rittenhouse Square area in Center City.
Center City:
East of Schuylkill to Delaware and Art Museum Area
|
Studio - Rental Range |
One Bedroom - Rental Range |
$1,566 - $2,679 |
$1,904 - $3,377 |
|
Starting at $1,750 |
Starting at $1,825 |
|
$1,300 |
$1,585 |
|
Starting at $1,776 |
Starting at $2,100 |
|
$1,490 - $2,875 |
$1,905 - $3,270 |
|
$2,030 - $2,510 |
$2,510 - $5,176 |
|
N/A |
$2,529 - $5,334 |
Additional Costs:
If utilities are not included in rent, that would add about $100 per person to your monthly budget. Also think of the cost of a renter’s insurance policy, which will add about $20 to your monthly expenses. While water is almost always included in the rent and heat can sometimes be included, electricity is most often the tenant’s responsibility and the tenant always pays telephone and cable.
Philadelphia provides great options for living off-campus. The University of Pennsylvania Office of Off-Campus Services (OCS) is designed to assist students at all stages of their off-campus living experience, from locating suitable housing, to finding roommates, reviewing leases and assisting in landlord-tenant matters.
OCS host an interactive database of available rentals, updated daily, with several hundred available units at every one time. Listings include individual rental units (studios, one-, two-, three or more- bedroom apartments and houses) as well as house share and sublet opportunities. Most of the rental listings are for West Philadelphia/University City and Center City areas; however, suburban listings are also available. Units available can be either in high-rise or other types of apartment buildings or in converted University City Victorian homes or Center City brownstones.
OCS maintains a list of buildings and realtors for the main areas of the city, with contact information for each and links to websites here.
For more information to assist in your off-campus housing search, please visit Penn’s Off-Campus Services website.
Housing Survey
Penn Carey Law has been working with VeryApt, an apartment review company, to compile the 2019-2020 Penn Carey Law Housing Guide. This guide is put together based on housing feedback from current students and can be a helpful starting point for your search for housing in Philadelphia. Please view the updated guide here.
VeryApt surveyed Penn Carey Law current students about where they live, with whom they live, the types of property and the sizes of residences in which they live, the amount of rent they pay, their most frequent method of transit and more.
- University City/West Philadelphia and Fitler Square are the two most popular neighborhoods among 1Ls and Penn Carey Law students overall.
- 45% of Penn Carey Law students live alone.
- 75% of our students walk to campus. Philadelphia was ranked the fifth most walkable city by Walk Score and fifth best for transit!