University City is a neighborhood in West Philadelphia. This area’s boundaries consist of the Schuylkill River to the east, as far as 44th Street to the west, Powelton Avenue to the north, and again the Schuylkill River to the south. The neighborhood gets its name from the multitude of universities that reside within its borders: the University of Pennsylvania, the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Drexel University, and more. The area was originally the oldest suburb of Philadelphia, known as Blockley Township, as named in 1677 by its purchaser, William Warner. The area had a poor reputation in the 19th century, known as a dangerous place where criminals and ne’er-do-wells lived. This neighborhood grew more developed towards the end of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, but many structures within its boundaries became dilapidated and uninhabitable. In the 1960s, the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University worked together with the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority and used government funding to improve the area by removing these unsound structures. The plan was known as University City, which gives the area its current name. However, during this process, the University of Pennsylvania demolished too many valuable structures. The University now is expanding in a more deliberate and community conscious manner. Today the area is thriving with its younger, multiracial population and numerous cultural attractions.
RESOURCES
University City Historical Society
Executive Director Lewis Wendell to leave University City District in June 2009
PlanPhilly: Planning Philadelphia's Future