Understand
With the exception of a few colonial and early federal mansions like the Woodlands and Bartram's Gardens, most of West Philly developed from farmland as an early suburb. Development moved west from the Schuylkill following the course of a network of trolleys many of which still run today and the El which runs above Market St. University City is also known as the "Left Bank" an homage to Paris' Latin Quarter, as well as Philadelphia's "international" neighborhood because of the multitude of ethnicities living here.
Not surprisingly, West Philadelphia today presents a living catalog of 19th- and early 20th-century residential architecture ranging from dramatic ornate Queen Anne Victorian mansions to more humble brick rowhouses. Although many sections suffered decline and urban blight as the heavy industry that fed the demand for housing construction in West Philly dwindled and departed the United States, areas like Powelton Village, Spruce Hill and Cedar Park have been largely preserved and provide an opportunity to "step back into time" as you stroll the wide tree-lined streets of stately 19th-century homes. The area has been declared a National Historic District. (http://en.wikipedia.org/w...)
West Philly is home to several large educational institutions including the University of Pennsylvania (http://upenn.edu), Drexel University (http://drexel.edu) and the University of Sciences in Philadelphia (http://usip.edu/).
The area also holds most of Philadelphia's expansive Fairmount Park, the largest municipal park in the country. It is home to Mann Music Center, the Philadelphia Zoo, and soon the Please Touch children's museum. On Sundays, MLK Drive is closed to traffic, so bring your Rollerblades!
Check out Clark Park on Baltimore Ave at 43rd Street, or take a stroll on Spruce or Pine.
