I spent the summer at one of the highest ranked universities in the world and the oldest medical school in America!
I lived there for a month and got to know UPenn in and out. I am here to share what I learned about the dorms, food and things to do around campus.
Dorms I have personally been in
Lauder College House
I lived in Lauder in a 3 person suite. There was a living room, sink area, bathroom and three bedrooms. The dorm was newly built. My only complaint would be that the mattresses are hard but you can buy a mattress topper to fix this.
Hill College House
I did not live here but my friends did. This is where the closest dining hall is located to Lauder. The rooms here are one shared room with either a single bed or two beds. The bathrooms are communal and located in the hallways. There are lots of lounges to study and hang out in.
Food
Hill Dining Hall
Hill dining hall is located on the bottom floor of the Hill College House dorm. It has lots of options but it is the same food everyday. The most popular food there were the burgers, chicken tenders, pizza and salads. The deserts are pretty good (try the chocolate chip cookie!).
Houston Hall
Houston Hall is an 8 minute walk from Lauder College House. The program I did gave us dining dollars which can be used around campus at places such as Houston Hall. This is set up like a food court with different little restaurants. My personal favorites were the burrito bowl from the Mexican restaurant and the falafel salad from the salad place.
Pret
Pret was another place you can use your dining dollars. It is located in the Wharton School of Business and is a 12 minute walk from Lauder. It is a cafe with ready made sandwiches, soups and coffee. My favorites were the cheddar and tomato sandwich along with an iced Americano.
There are a lot of food places in walking distance of campuses. Some of my favorites are –
KPod – an upscale Korean restaurant with pods to sit in. My favorite dish here was the Bibimbap.
Boba King – a boba shop with a super cute sitting area. I loved the Thai tea from here. The cups look like little bears!
Mr. Wish – Another boba cafe near Drexel. The Strawberry green tea with lemons is the most refreshing drink that you will need for those hot (and humid) Philly days!
White Dog Cafe – I went here for brunch and it is so cute inside. It is bigger than it looks from the outside. I had the strawberry French toast and I crave it everyday!
New Park Tavern – The Impossible burger with two patties is so big that it will take you two days to finish. It is one of the best Impossible burgers I have ever tasted!
Sweetgreen – the kale Caesar salad is amazing
Gyro carts near Drexel – only 6 dollars for a lamb or chicken gyro with a drink
Wawa – a convenience store open 24 hours a day. They have subs and other fresh eats.
Shopping
If you are someone who loves to shop, UPenn has plenty of places nearby!
CVS – a 1 minute walk from Lauder, the best place to buy anything you need
Urban Outfitters – Located near the bookstore, this is a great place to pick up a new outfit or accessories
UPenn Bookstore – It has a lot of UPenn merchandise along with every book you can imagine
Rittenhouse Square – I love to walk so I walked here and it took about 30 minutes. You can also Uber there. It has every shop. My personal favorites were Nordstrom Rack, Bloomingdales Outlet, Lululemon and Madewell.
I had the most amazing time at UPenn! If anyone has any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!
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