City Cast Philly logo
Advertisement image

Your Guide to University City, Philadelphia

Posted on August 3, 2023   |   Updated on September 30, 2025
Brittany Valentine

Brittany Valentine

This West Philly neighborhood is an academic hub, getting its name from Drexel University, Saint Joseph’s University’s new campus (formerly USciences), and the University of Pennsylvania. It’s also home to some great art galleries, museums, and restaurants. Here are a few essential spots to visit next time you’re in the area.

You don’t have to go too far to explore the world. The Penn Museum invites guests to delve into the anthropological history of ancient Egypt, the Americas, Greece, and more. You can find artifacts like Chinese Buddhist sculptures.

3260 South Street

This family-owned restaurant and bar offers delicious beef noodle soup, shrimp rolls, pork chops, and green tea ice cream in a super cozy interior. It’s well-known for its banh mi sandwiches.

816 S. 47th Street

This lovely all-day cafe offers American brunch favorites like chicken and waffles and French toast. There’s also great happy hour snacks from Wednesday through Saturday, such as beet hummus and caramel popcorn!

2929 Walnut Street

This popular multi-level venue features a laid-back dining and listening space, a concert space, and a chic upstairs cafe. The main performance venue downstairs hosts nationally known artists like Jazmine Sullivan and Alt-J.

3025 Walnut Street

map of University City

Here’s a map of University City. (Google maps)

Share article

Hey Philly

Stay connected to City Cast Philly and get ready to join the local conversation.

Can't subscribe? Turn off your ad blocker and try again.
Advertisement image

The latest in Philly

Sponsored

Moving to Philadelphia? What to Check Before You Pick a Neighborhood, Book a Truck, and Sign a Lease

With this guide, you can move to Philadelphia, move from another place to Philadelphia, or just see if living in Philadelphia fits your d...

Wellknown Moving Company Logo
Philly, ExplainedOctober 9

Play Our Philly Crossword Puzzle

This mini-crossword is filled with clues on Philly history and headlines.

City Cast Philly Crossword
Keep It LocalOctober 8

4 Places To Get Very, Very Scared in Philly

Get chased through a “Terrifier” filming site, wander a former prison after dark, or hunt ghosts along the Manayunk Canal at these four f...

On a foggy night, a man dressed in all black, wearing a top hat, and holding a cane faces the Lincoln Mill Haunted House in Manayunk, a former textile mill. A police car with its lights on is parked in front of the brick building.
Keep It LocalOctober 8

Philly Spooky Quiz: How Well Do You Know Eastern State Penitentiary?

Over 100 inmates escaped Eastern State, but can you name its most famous? Put your Philly history to the test before your next eerie visi...

The imposing Gothic stone facade of Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, with its castle-like turret, arched iron gate entrance, and weathered dark stone walls.
Philly HistoryOctober 5

What’s Philly’s Connection to Edgar Allan Poe?

The “The Tell-Tale Heart” author lived in several homes in the city, but only one remains to this day.

A mural on a brick wall depicting a portrait of Edgar Allan Poe against a blue background in an oval frame. He is wearing a black dress coat and tie, and white shirt. Beside him is a quote from his short story Hop-Frog: “ I never knew anyone so keenly alive to joke as the king was. He seemed to live only for joking. To tell a good story of the joke kind, and to tell it well, was the surest road to his favor.”
Philly, ExplainedOctober 2

Prove Your Weekly Philly Knowledge

How well do you know Philly's latest headlines and historical facts? Try your hand at this quiz to find out!

A rainy view of South Broad Street at a traffic triangle. Several cars drive on the moist street under a cloudy sky.
Philly's BestOctober 2

How to Spend October 2026 in Philly

Mark your calendars with these frights and delights. This month, visit Philly’s pumpkin patches and haunted houses, or explore the city o...

Text that says “Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary” is projected onto the stone facade of the Neo-Gothic prison. Light emits from inside the building as guests enter through the main doorway.
Keep It LocalOctober 1

Where to Spend a Cozy Fall Afternoon in Philly

Looking for a warm, cozy place to enjoy an autumn afternoon? Here are four spots in Philly sure to give you maximum coziness.

Interior of Eremita Cafe in Roxborough, with customers sitting at tables and vintage upholstered chairs beneath a pressed-tin ceiling. A colorful abstract mural covers the left wall, while framed artwork lines the opposite wall and tall windows fill the space with natural light.