New hotels in University City

University City occupies the part of West Philadelphia across the Schuylkill River from Center City, defined by two large campuses: the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University, whose grounds run into each other around Walnut and Chestnut Streets. Add the hospitals, research institutes and 30th Street Station — Amtrak's third-busiest station in the country — and the result is a neighborhood whose visitor demand comes from academic conferences, medical appointments, admissions visits and families, rather than from tourism. That shapes the hotel market: one opening we track sits here, and it is positioned squarely for that audience.

What to do in University City

For a weekend

The campuses are the neighborhood. Penn's grounds around College Green and Locust Walk are open to walk through, and two museums on campus justify a visit on their own: the Penn Museum, with one of the largest collections of Egyptian, Near Eastern and Mesoamerican material in the country, and the Institute of Contemporary Art, which shows changing exhibitions and charges no admission.

The Schuylkill River waterfront on the eastern edge connects to the trail network running north toward Fairmount Park and south past the sports complexes. Baltimore Avenue, running south-west, has the neighborhood's most concentrated stretch of independent restaurants and cafés.

For a longer stay

University City works well as a base because of 30th Street Station. Trains reach New York in roughly an hour and a half, Washington in about two, and the regional lines connect to the airport and the suburbs. Center City is one stop away or a twenty-minute walk across the Market Street or Walnut Street bridges.

Within Philadelphia, the natural pairing is with Center City for museums and restaurants, Rittenhouse Square for shopping and dining, and Old City for the historic sites. The Market-Frankford Line runs directly under Market Street, linking all of them.

Where to stay in University City

Around 33rd and Chestnut, between the campuses

The heart of the academic district, walkable to both universities, to 30th Street Station and to the Schuylkill riverfront. This is where the one opening we track is located.

The Study at University City opened in January 2017 at 33rd and Chestnut Streets, between Penn and Drexel: a ten-story, 145,000-square-foot ground-up building developed by New York-based Study Hotels, with 212 rooms and design details referencing Philadelphia's architecture and local craftspeople. Its positioning is straightforwardly academic-adjacent — the market of visiting faculty, conference delegates and families that the neighborhood generates year-round. Rates start around $230.

Toward 30th Street Station

The eastern edge, closest to the trains and to the bridges into Center City, with the Cira Centre towers marking the skyline. Useful if rail connections matter more than campus proximity. No opening we track sits here.

South and west, toward Baltimore Avenue

More residential, with Victorian housing stock and the neighborhood's independent restaurant strip, further from the stations. No tracked opening here either.

Which hotel for your trip

Campus visits, conferences and medical appointments

The Study at University City is the only tracked opening in the neighborhood and is built for exactly this: between the two campuses, walking distance to the hospitals and to 30th Street Station.

If you want Center City prices and choice

Crossing the river opens the rest of the market. Canopy by Hilton Philadelphia Center City, an $80 million adaptive reuse of the historic Stephen Girard Building at 12th and Ludlow Streets, opened in August 2020 with 236 rooms from around $170. W Philadelphia opened in August 2021 in a new tower at 1439 Chestnut Street. Both are 15 to 20 minutes from University City by subway or on foot.

Convention and conference travel

Aloft Philadelphia Downtown is attached directly to the Pennsylvania Convention Center, and The Notary Hotel, Autograph Collection — 499 rooms in the 1926 building that housed the city's municipal courts, directly behind City Hall — is a two-minute walk from it.

Frequently asked questions

Which new hotel is in University City?

The Study at University City, opened in January 2017 at 33rd and Chestnut Streets with 212 rooms — the one opening we track in the neighborhood.

Is University City a good base for visiting Philadelphia?

Yes, particularly if you arrive by train: 30th Street Station is in the neighborhood, and Center City is one subway stop or a twenty-minute walk away. For historic sightseeing around Independence Hall, Old City is closer.

How far is University City from Independence Hall?

About 20 to 25 minutes on the Market-Frankford Line, which runs under Market Street and connects University City directly to Old City.

What is there to see besides the campuses?

The Penn Museum, with major Egyptian, Near Eastern and Mesoamerican collections, and the Institute of Contemporary Art, which is free. The Schuylkill River trail runs along the eastern edge.

Is it walkable?

Very. The two campuses, the stations and the main restaurant strips are all within a compact area, and the bridges into Center City are walkable in about twenty minutes.

Where do the trains go from 30th Street Station?

It is a major Amtrak hub on the Northeast Corridor — roughly an hour and a half to New York and about two hours to Washington — plus regional rail lines serving the airport and the suburbs.