University City is a district in the West Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, so called for the presence of several institutions of higher learning including University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Lincoln University Urban Center, and The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College. University City was once a suburb of Philadelphia, today known for its strained town-gown relations, particularly with Penn.

University City's boundaries are 29th Street and the Schuylkill River to the east, Spring Garden, Market Street, and Powelton Avenue to the North, and Civic Center Boulevard, University Avenue and part of Woodland Avenue to the south. The district extends to 50th Street. It includes some part or all of zip codes 19104, 19139, and 19143. As the University City District is a non-profit organization designed to serve a geographic area, the district, unlike most neighborhoods in Philadelphia, can be said to have official boundaries. Coloquially however, the District's boundaries may not coincide with all residents' perceptions of where the neighborhood lies.

Controversy

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Prior to the 1960s, the name University City was rarely used to describe the entire easternmost part of West Philadelphia, as it often does today. The historic name given to the eastern area was Hamilton Village. Much of the northern and western portion of what is today Penn's campus was colloquially referred to as the Black Bottom, a nickname that referenced the neighborhood's racial and economic status. To the west of the Bottom was the Spruce Hill neighborhood. Because of this history of urban renewal and "Penntrification", many associate the University City name with these acts, and seek to revive original neighborhood names or simply call the area West Philadelphia. The universities and their populations continue to label University City as such, and the University City district name appears on virtually all city maps. The University City District's website depicts the district as containing the neighborhoods of Spruce Hill, Walnut Hill, Garden Court, Cedar Park, Squirrel Hill, and Powelton Village.

Demographics

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Because of the above controversies, boundary discrepancies and constantly changing socioeconomic landscape, the statistics below are subjective and may be considered inaccurate.

As of the census of 2000, there were 46,490 people and 17,004 households residing in the district. 40,714 were students, with 16,348 affiliated with Drexel, 19,983 affiliated with University of Pennsylvania, 2,518 affiliated with USP, 600 affiliated with Lincoln University Urban Center, and 555 affiliated with Walnut Hill College. 59,187 people worked in the district. Of these workers, 76.7% worked in services; 14.9% in transportation, utilities, and communication; 3.2% in retail; 2.4% in finance, insurance and real estate; and 1.7% in manufacturing.

The racial makeup was 42% White, 39% African American, 14% Asian, and 5% from other races. The median income for a household in the neighborhood was $29,116. 21.5% of those in the district had earned a college degree, while 21.3% had earned a graduate degree. 17.7% of district residents were homeowners.

The average home sale price in 2002 was $147,179.

Government

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• City Council: Hon. Jannie L. Blackwell, 3rd District
• PA Senate: Hon. Anthony H. Williams, 8th District
• PA House: Hon. James R. Roebuck, 188th District

Schools

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• Public School District of Philadelphia
  • Alexander Wilson School (K-5): 46th and Woodland Ave.
  • Charles R. Drew School (PreK-8): 38th and Powelton Ave.
  • Henry C. Lea School (K-8): 47th and Locust St.
  • Middle Years Alternative & Parkway School (6-12): 49th and Chestnut St.
  • Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander University of Pennsylvania Partnership School (K-8): 42nd and Locust St.
  • Samuel Powel School (K-4): 36th and Powelton Ave.
  • University City High School (9-12): 36th and Filbert St.
  • West Philadelphia High School (9-12): 48th and Walnut St.
• Private
  • Christ Memorial Day School (K-6): 43rd and Chestnut St.
  • HMS School for Children with Cerebral Palsy (ages 2-21): 4400 Baltimore Ave.
  • Spruce Hill Christian School (K-8): 42nd and Baltimore Av.
• Parochial
  • St. Francis de Sales School (1-8): 912 S. 47th St.
  • West Catholic High School (9-12): 45th and Chestnut St.

Source: University City District

See also

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External links

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• University City District
• University City Historical Society
• InfoResources West Philadelphia Neighborhood - University City
• History of Hamilton Village

Philadelphia neighborhoods | Academic enclaves | Historic districts