University City

University City is a lower-cost base for solo women who like a campus setting, varied cheap food and museums. Stay within the busy campus area, since conditions get worse on quieter blocks farther west and south.

University City sits across the Schuylkill River from Center City and is home to the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University. The campus area is full of students, researchers and hospital staff, and the university runs its own security patrols and a night escort service. Around Locust Walk, Walnut Street and 40th Street there are cafes and inexpensive restaurants serving food from all over, which suits a solo meal. The Penn Museum and the riverside walking paths are also here. Once you leave the campus core, conditions change fast. Blocks west of 43rd Street and south of Baltimore Avenue can be quiet and are better avoided at night. The 30th Street Station area is a major transit hub and has a steady crowd throughout the day.