Access to the suite
Entertainment
Especially for new arrivals,
international researchers and visitors
Finding a place to live
Getting around in Philadelphia
Information for new researchers,
faculty and staff
Other offices you may need
Outreach programs
Technical resources at IRCS
Useful phone numbers and URLs
The Institute for Research in Cognitive
Science is located at
Hours of administrative operation are Monday through Friday,
University of Pennsylvania
IRCS
3401 Walnut - Suite 400A
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6228
Main phone number: 215-898-0357
Fax Number: 215-573-9247
John Trueswell
is the Director of IRCS.
His office is in room 477; phone number 215-573-6286; trueswel(at)psych.upenn.edu
Christine Massey is the Associate Director
of Research and Education, and Director of PENNlincs.
Her office is in Room 475; phone number is 215-573-6293; massey(at)seas.cis.upenn.edu.
Laurel Sweeney is the Office Manager. She is
in room 467; her phone number is 215-898-8750; laurels(at)seas.upenn.edu
Jessica Marcus is the Event
Coordinator. Her office is located in
the reception area; her phone number is 215-898-3103; jmarcus(at)seas.upenn.edu
Chris Leary is the IRCS IT Support
Specialist. Please send email regarding questions or concerns about your
computer account or equipment to: manager3401(at)psych.upenn.edu
IRCS main phone number (has voicemail):
215-898-0357
Deva Laurel is the 3401 Psychology Administrative
Assistant; her phone number is 215-746-0426. Her office is located on the 3rd
floor, C Wing in 302C; deva(at)sas.upenn.edu
Zipora Roth works on curriculum development for PENNlincs. Her office is in Room 426; her phone number is
215-898-0364. zroth(at)seas.upenn.edu
Please see the IRCS website for the IRCS
suite directory and a complete listing of phone numbers and email addresses
for faculty, postdocs, students and staff who have offices at IRCS. All phone numbers in this manual
are in the (215) area code unless otherwise specified. If calling on campus,
only the last five digits need to be dialed.
The IRCS suite has two
wings: The "East wing (A wing)" includes administrative staff
& directors, two large conference rooms, a kitchen, and a few offices; and
the "West wing (C wing)," includes PENNlincs,
more IRCS offices and psychology offices and labs. The main entrance to the
IRCS suite is in the East wing (A wing), 4th floor, and is accessed from the
corner at 34th and Walnut.
Lockers are available in the
kitchen (481) and at the entrance of the galley kitchen in the West wing for
anyone to use who does not have an office. See a staff member to reserve a
locker for which you will need to supply your own lock and provide the
combination or a key upon making the reservation.
The front door to the suite
(A wing) is open from
The middle elevator at the C wing is
available as an exit only.
Christine Massey and Zipora Roth develop curricula that
promotes the use of cognitive science in both formal and informal
pre-college educational settings, such as K-12 schools, museums, and zoos.
IRCS sponsors a weekly
series of talks on Fridays from
Generally, on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays
during the fall and spring semesters, there are talks given on "Brain and
Language" at
To be added to the IRCS mailing list, a list
which announces talks and other activities related to cognitive science and IRCS, send mail that includes your participant status (i.e.
faculty, cognitive science major or minor, etc.) to ircs-info@ircs.upenn.edu.
You can view other related talks
in associated departments, and you can visit related departments, labs and
research group's webpages to find out about their events.
IRCS publishes a series of
technical reports, covering various issues in cognitive science. Everyone
working at IRCS is encouraged to contribute research papers to the series.
Technical Reports are freely available on the website, and hard copy
prices are also listed there. All
technical documents have been added to the ScholarlyCommons
library at Penn, as well.
You will need to get an
access code in order to use the fax or copy machines. A fax machine and copy
machine are located in the multimedia room (474) which is located next to the
Large Conference Room (470). Charges for personal faxing and copying are listed
above the fax machine. Please ask a staff member for assistance.
Two laser printers (COGSCI2 and COGSCI3) are
located on the East wing side "multimedia" room 474
. The third printer, COGSCI, is located in the reception area.
Individual mail folders are
in the copy room in hanging file folders. If you anticipate receiving mail at
IRCS, please ask a staff member for a folder.
A mailcard needs
to accompany all work-related outgoing mail unless the correct postage is
already furnished on the envelope. The mailboxes for outgoing US and foreign
mail and for intramural mail are located in the multimedia room. Mailcards and FedEx forms and envelopes for business/work-related
mailing can be obtained from any staff member. There are two FedEx boxes on
The phones at IRCS are set
up to make local (215 and 610) calls and toll-free (800 and 888) calls. For all
other long-distance calls, you will need to use a calling card, credit card or
pre-paid phone card.
For IRCS business calls, you will need to
establish a TRAC (Traveling Authorization Code) authorization number.
Long-distance call costs will be applied to your grant. You can contact networking &
telecommunications to set up a TRAC account.
For personal calls, pre-paid phone cards can
be purchased from most convenience and drug stores. Most major long-distance
companies and phone companies have calling cards, and many credit cards have a
calling card option.
Monthly paid employees work
the month and are then paid the last day of the month.
Timesheets for hourly/weekly
paid staff must be signed by your supervisor and delivered or faxed to the
Moore Business Office in 293 Towne Building by
You should go over your
first paycheck with a Moore Business Office payroll staff member to ensure that
all deductions are correct. It is important to find out if any corrections are
necessary and have them made as early as possible so you don't lose money to
incorrect deductions (after the first month or so, the only way to get the
money back if there is an error will be to file for it with the government).
Some fellowship recipients (both postdoc and
graduate) are not required to pay
If you are eligible for
health care coverage, you are encouraged to contact the Benefits Office
(888-736-6236) about receiving health insurance as soon as you are on the
payroll. They can give you information about the insurance plan options and a
list of doctors in each plan.
In order to be reimbursed
for meals and entertainment, please review Penn's policy
#2358 that describes the conditions under which meals while traveling or
meals with guests of Penn can be reimbursed. For travel, unless you are using
the Federal
per diem rate which varies by city and is updated yearly, receipts for
meals costing over $25 must be provided. The C-1 form is used for this. When
entertaining for business purposes, the amount per person should not exceed $35
for lunch or $80 for dinner, including tax, alcohol and gratuity. An itemized
receipt and list of guests and their affiliation must accompany the
request for reimbursement. The forms used for reimbursements and for furnishing
the list of guests are the C-1 and C-1A.
Reimbursement forms are
available at the front desk and online in Penn's
travel website. For the smoothest reimbursement process, please remember to:
It generally takes about a month for a check
to be issued once the paperwork is approved and submitted to the Business
Office. If you have any questions after the paperwork has been sent to the
Business Office, or if you need to check on the status of the reimbursement,
please direct inquiries to mbo@seas.upenn.edu.
It is important to note that
you must fly with a
The only exception to this is if you are flying from a non-US location to a
non-US location on a route that is not normally covered by US carriers.
However, all flights that originate or arrive in the
If you are flying with an airline that has a joint operating agreement with a
foreign airline (for example, Northwest and KLM), please make sure that your
tickets are issued through the
Employees and authorized
students renting cars for University business purposes must take Penn's Driver
Education Program. The course is generally offered once a month and fills up
quickly. It is free, and takes about 2 1/2 hours. You can contact the Office of
Risk Management at 215-898-4327 for more information and to sign up.
293 Towne,
898-8113 (mbo@seas.cis.upenn.edu). Business Office staff can help you with any
financial problems or forms -- payroll issues, initial appointment set up,
tuition fellowship payments, etc. Mark West, Gail Shannon and amy Deitz
are Business Administrators; TowaLillian Thomas, and
Jean Weiner are the business staff.
3401 Walnut - 302 C (Deva Laurel,
Administrative Assistant)
PennCard
can be obtained in
3701
Chestnut,
Located at 166 Levine
(Phone: 898-8115) the center will make black & white and color copies at a
reasonable cost. They offer several kinds of binding for larger documents. Copy
center forms are in the bin at the front of the IRCS Reception area for your
use. You will need to supply your project or department's budget code (grant
number).
Room 527A,
Room 328,
Room 302,
Postdocs, faculty and staff can receive free short-term
counseling through PENN-Friends, 36th and Market Streets, 1-888-321-4433.
For further information, please contact the Division of Human Resources at
215-898-0380.
Students can receive short-term counseling for free at Counseling and Psychological Services
(CAPS), 2nd floor,
The Transportation Services is in
room 447A,
The police headquarters is
located at
Penn has two gyms, David Pottruck Health and
See the Department of Recreation
website and their fees.
Van Pelt Library, Penn's main,
general library, is on Locust Walk, between 34th and 36th Streets. Be sure to
have your PENNCard activated for checking out books.
Penn Guest card holders may enter the library (until
There are also other school and departmental libraries on campus.The
School of Engineering and Applied Science Library in 217 Towne Building and the
Biomedical Library in the Johnson Pavilion.
Penn Library resources (including the catalog, the Oxford English Dictionary,
Encyclopedia Brittanica, etc.) are also available online.
|
IRCS |
215-898-0357 |
|
|
Department of Bioengineering |
215-898-8501 |
|
|
Center for Cognitive Neuroscience |
215-573-3538 |
|
|
Department of Computer and Information Science |
215-898-8560 |
|
|
|
215-898-7246 |
|
|
Engineering Operational Services (EOS) |
215-898-7246 |
|
|
Department of Genetics |
215-898-3582 |
|
|
Department of Linguistics |
215-898-6046 |
|
|
Department of Mathematics |
215-898-8178 |
|
|
Department of Neurology |
215-662-2700 |
|
|
The Mahoney Institute of Neurological Sciences |
215-898-8754 |
|
|
Department of Philosophy |
215-898-8563 |
|
|
Department of Psychology |
215-898-7300 |
|
|
Campus Police/Division of Public Safety |
511 (from on-campus phone) |
|
|
Penn Healthlink |
215-662-PENN |
|
|
Walking Escort Service (PennWalk) |
215-898-WALK |
N/A |
|
Escort Service (Penn Transit) |
215-898-RIDE |
N/A |
If you are planning to set
up a local bank account, check out the various banks before you decide which
one to patronize. You'll want to get information on the different kinds of
accounts they offer, the fees involved, and how easy it may be to do
international banking through them. Take into consideration their location,
their hours, the location of their ATMs (Automatic Teller Machines) and the
fees involved with MAC (
When you set up your new account, you will
need a photo ID, and to provide your social security number and a local address
for mailing bank statements.
Direct deposit can be useful, and may have
advantages as far as the types of accounts are concerned, however it takes
several weeks to set up from the time you file the form at the CIS Business
Office.
Following is a list of banks located near
You should visit the OIP when you first arrive. The people in
this office will help international visitors with any forms or governmental
requirements. They are also a good source for information about Penn and
You will need a Social
Security Number in order to get paid, so it's best to do this as soon as
possible when you arrive. You need to go to the Social Security office to apply
for a SSN. You'll need to take your passport and your IAP66 forms from
International Programs with you. The closest office is at
Be sure to get a receipt, which the Business
Office will need as part of the appointment paperwork, so that you can get
paid. Once your permanent number arrives, you should take it to the Business
Office so they can put a copy of the card in your file.
The nearest
The American
Automobile Association (AAA) is located locally at
The Large Seminar Room (470)
is equipped with a multimedia presentation projection system that provides for
large screen demonstrations using Macintosh, Windows, ReflectionX,
DVD, and VHS video. It is also possible to connect laptops into the projection
system. If you plan to do this, please check ahead of time to be sure that your
laptop/cables will work.
Equipment that can be signed out, but needs
to be reserved
through the online form are: LCD projector, overhead projector, TV and VCR,
tape recorder and microphone, tape deck, and a 35mm slide projector.
Please check the appropriate box when
filling out the reservation form and plan to check with IRCS staff about
testing your presentation with the equipment in advance.
This is a brief introduction
to computing at IRCS for visitors and newcomers. We assume a general
familiarity with Unix, Windows, and/or Macintosh
usage. If you have any questions or problems, please send email to manager@ircs.upenn.edu.
The computing environment at IRCS is
Unix-based. However, to accommodate those users who are not familiar with Unix, we have two Macintoshes, several PCs running Windows
2000, and two PCs running Linux RedHat. Offices are
equipped with Windows 2000-based PCs with ReflectionX
to support X-windows environment.
The bulk of the
computational resources shared by IRCS exist within the Research Computing Facility
of the Department of Computer and Information Science (CIS). They are accessed
by non-CIS members via terminal over on-campus network. Email access is also
provided via these shared facilities.
The primary computing resources are based on
large configuration Sun Ultra-SPARC servers running Sun Solaris. Research
groups have one or more dedicated Sun servers as well as other computers such
as Sun workstations, PCs, and Macintosh computers. Printers are located
throughout the facilities. Every faculty member and all postdocs
and graduate students have workstations in their offices which are capable of
accessing any system in the shared facilities.
Each computer is connected to SEASNet network and to the Internet.
You should get a computer
account when you arrive. However, first you will need to obtain a PennCard
before we can process your computer account. Please talk to a staff member if
you have questions about obtaining your PennCard
and/or computer account.
Please do NOT send your Social
Security Number (SSN) via email.
If you want to be able to logon to Penn's
systems remotely, you will have to obtain your own ISP for this purpose. Please
read Penn Computing
website for remote access to Penn's systems, and a list of available ISPs for
which Penn has negotiated preferred pricing and services.
Any of the public PCs
running Windows 2000 have the same username and password.
The username is ircsppc, and the password is 3401walnut,
all lowercase, one word, no spaces.
A number of email readers
are available here. Mutt, Eudora, and Netscape are the most commonly used
mailers.
Mutt is the recommended choice for Unix environment,
and Eudora is the recommended choice for Windows environment.
Click here for a list of
supported software at
· upenn.cogsci:
newsgroup for cognitive science at Penn
· upenn.ling.general: newsgroup for linguistics at Penn
· upenn.cis.grad:
newsgroup for CIS graduate students (includes announcements for CIS talks)
· upenn.cis.general: newsgroup for general CIS announcements (includes announcements for
CIS talks, and also CIS machine downtime, etc.)
· upenn.psych.general: newsgroup for general Penn psychology announcements
All IRCS postdocs
and graduate students are strongly encouraged to create a webpage. Read
this page for information on how to set up a webpage for yourself.
Once your webpage is up, please send the URL to Laurel Sweeney.
X-windows environment is
enabled via ReflectionX on Windows 2000-based PCs.For detailed instruction,
click the icon "ReflectionX how-to" on the
Windows desktop.
|
pwd |
(print working directory) displays current directory on your screen |
|
cd |
(change directory) will change to your home directory, the directory where you normally start after logging in |
|
cd .. |
go up one directory in the hierarchy |
|
cd <text> |
change to the text subdirectory of your current directory |
|
ls |
list files and directories in current directory |
|
ls -a |
list all files in the current directory, including "dot" files (see 'man ls' for a list of other useful switches) |
|
man <command> |
displays the manual page for command |
|
more <file> |
shows contents of file, pagewise |
|
rm <file> |
removes file |
|
mv <file1> <file2> |
renames file1 to file2 (will write over an existing file2) |
|
cp <file1> <file2> |
copies file1 to file2 (will write over an existing file2) |
|
emacs <file> |
edit (or create, if it does not already exist) the file named file, using the GNU-Emacs editor |
|
<command> & |
runs command in the background (on X-terminals this will usually, but not always, run the command in a separate window and free up your command line) |
For more extensive information on using Unix and help with many commands, see Unixhelp for
Users (University of Edinburgh).
Fetch on the Macs works
quite well to transfer files between the Macs and Unix
accounts.
Choose Fetch from the apple menu, and follow directions to log in to your account
and transfer files.
FileZilla can be used to transfer files between PCs and Unix accounts.
Click here for a list of
supported software at
You can print using a variety
of Unix commands. The most common command is 'lpr -P[printername] [filename]'.
You need to specify the file you want to print and the printer you want to
print to, for example, to print a file "test.ps"
to the printer "cogsci2", type 'lpr
-Pcogsci2 test.ps'
The following table lists the printers
available at IRCS. You may want to check the printer status before you print by
using 'lpq -Pprintername'. However, documents printed
from the Macs and PCs do not show up on the printer queues (they also do not have
a header page printed first). If there is a problem and you need to remove your
job from the print queue, first find its job number from lpq
(the number next to your job's name under the "Job" column). Then
remove it with 'lprm -Pprintername
jobnumber'. You can only remove jobs that belong to
you.
|
Printer |
Type |
Printing features |
Location |
|
cogsci |
HP LaserJet 4M |
black and white |
East-wing, behind yellow wall, near kitchen |
|
cogsci2 |
HP LaserJet 4050 Series |
double-sided default, black and white |
East-wing, Multimedia room (across room 474) |
|
cogsci3 |
HP LaserJet 2200 Series |
double-sided capable, black and white |
East-wing, Multimedia room (across room 474) |
Soft and hard quota limits are
given to each user. If you go far enough over quota, you will be unable to do
certain things, such as open/edit files, and eventually you may not be able to
log in. Run 'cleanup' or 'raisequota' if you receive
over quota warnings.
'cleanup' allows you to remove "junk" files,
lowering your disk usage.
'raisequota' lets you send a
standardized message to the managers requesting a quota increase (after also
giving you a chance to remove "junk" files).
You can check your quota status with the command 'quota -v'.
Try 'help topic' where you
specify the topic you are wondering about, or 'man program' where you specify
the program you are wondering about.
Send email to manager@ircs.upenn.edu
for trouble with software and general problems with your account.
Probably the quickest way to get help for
many problems, though, is to ask around the suite to see if anyone knows what's
going on.
Good sources of information are your fellow postdocs,
grad students, and staff.
IRCS has two Macintoshes,
both set up in the East wing of the suite. The PowerMacs have Zip drives, and
they may have different applications installed. If you have any problems or
need help with anything, please check with IRCS staff or send email to manager@ircs.upenn.edu.
You must keep all of your files on disk or
zip disk, since files cannot be saved or copied to the harddrive,
and the computers may be erased from time to time without notice.
IRCS has two scanners: one
is hooked up to a Dell computer and the other one is hooked up to a Mac. Both
computers are located at the first two work stations near Room 465. You can
scan both text and pictures with them.
Penn campus maps: Maps & Building Locations
at Penn
SEPTA maps
and schedules are available down the hall at the parking office (447A
Penn's Transportation Services
offer free transportation during evening hours for members of the Penn
community.
PennBuses run on fixed schedules and routes between
PennBus
routes and schedules
Penn Shuttle Services: Various shuttle
vehicles provide transportation to and from Campus Transit Stops,
Schedules
PAT (Penn Accessible Transit) is a fully
accessible vehicle that provides transportation within service boundaries for
persons with disabilities. To obtain approval to use PAT, or to receive
schedule information, contact the Office of Affirmative Action at (215)
898-6993 (voice) or 898-7803 (TDD).
Walking Escort from one on-campus location
to another can be called for help between
LUCY (Loop Through University City) is a shuttle run by SEPTA in
cooperation with the University City District. The route loops through
University City serving 30th Street Station, University of Pennsylvania, Drexel
University, University City Science Center, University of Pennsylvania Medical
Center, Presbyterian Medical Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia,
Children's Seashore House, and VA Medical Center. The nearest stop is just
south of Walnut on
Van Pools exist for
faculty and staff of Penn, HUP, CHOP, Drexel and the
Single fares on the bus/trolley/subway are
$2.00 (exact change) per ride, or one token. Transfers are $0.60. Tokens cost
only $1.30 each, however, you have to buy them ahead
of time. You can buy tokens at the Penn Bookstore, 30th Street Station,
University City Station, Thriftway, several though
not all of the Blue line subway stops, and also at the Penn Student Credit
Union just down the hall from IRCS.
Transpasses are a worthwhile investment if you plan to commute
daily using Regional Rail or more than one bus/trolley/subway. Penn has a
Trolleys: the nearest stop
is at 36th and Sansom Streets (underground). They run
between
Subway: the nearest stop is at 34th and
Market Streets. It runs along
Buses: the 21, 40 and 42 run between
Regional Rail: the nearest stop is
Amtrak:
Parking near campus is
somewhat at a premium, but it can be done. Street parking very near campus is
usually limited to one or two hours, and you get 15 minutes for a quarter on
the meters. Please be sure to put enough into the meter and watch the time --
ticketing is aggressive (and expensive!).
There is a parking lot at 34th and Chestnut
Streets. There are also parking garages on 34th Street between Market and
Chestnut Streets and on Walnut Street between 37th and 38th Streets.
Penn's Parking and Transportation Office is
down the hall from IRCS in Room 447A of 3401 Walnut. See their website for information
on parking at Penn.
For a more long-term solution, you can call
898-8667 at Penn and get a permit to park in a Penn lot for either two
semesters or a year (there may be a long waiting list). Also, if you park a bit
further away from campus, it is possible to find street parking that has no
time limit (watch out for neighborhood permit restrictions, though). Please
consider safety issues if you plan to be leaving alone in the evening.
Remember that you are in an urban
area, and you should take the usual precautions when parking your car.
SEPTA runs a half-hourly train to and from the
For schedules, see SEPTA's
website.
Lady Liberty Airport Shuttle - 215-724-8888
- 5 a.m. to 12 midnight - No reservation needed from the airport, dial #27 on
the Ground Transportation Courtesy Phone in the baggage claim area and give
your terminal location and destination information.
Taxi fare between Center City and the
airport is set at a flat rate of $20.00 (not including tip).
Penn publishes a monthly
calendar of events, talks, etc. called the Almanac and the same information is available online.
Philadelphia has two free weekly papers that
list many events, restaurants, etc. in the area. The City Paper and the
Philadelphia Weekly are available in boxes on many campus street corners.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
"Weekend" section on Fridays includes event, etc. listings for the
weekend.
More information is available at the
Independence National Park Visitor's Center at 3rd and Chestnut Streets
(215-597-8974).
Philadelphia tourist information:
West Philadelphia community information:
Penn activities and resources:
Philadelphia has a number of
well-known art museums, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art
(215-763-8100), the Rodin Museum (763-8100), and the
Barnes Foundation (610-667-0290) in Merion.
Several art galleries in center city, mostly
near the historic district, have receptions and viewings the first Friday of
every month, an event called "First Friday".
For evening entertainment, go to Guide to Philly Nightlife
and be sure to check for Wednesday night events for the City's "Make it a
Night" promotion of mid-week happenings, when some stores and museums are
open later, and special events are planned just for that evening.
Reading Terminal Market (12th and Arch
Streets) and the Italian Market (9th Street between Wharton & Christian
Streets) are interesting places to visit, in addition to being excellent
sources of fresh produce, meats, and baked goods. The Firehouse Market (50th
Street and Baltimore Avenue) is a similar market in West Philadelphia, but
smaller and more neighborhood-oriented. During the summer and fall months,
local farmers sell produce at the Clark Park Farmers Market on Thursday
afternoons from 3-7 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 43rd Street
and Baltimore Avenue.
Fairmount Park is actually a system of parks
throughout the city, including the Philadelphia Zoo (America's first) at 34th
and Girard and a large section of park along both sides of the Schuylkill River
and also Wissahickon Creek. There are nice trails in
the park for hiking, roller-blading and biking.
The Morris Arboretum is part of Penn, and is
located in Chestnut Hill. Admission is free with a Penn ID. The public entrance
is at 100 Northwestern Ave., between Germantown and Stenton
Avenues.
The Jersey Aquarium is on the waterfront in
Camden. From Penn's Landing, you can ride across to New Jersey on the RiverLink Ferry.
There are frequently festivals or events
happening on the weekends at Penn's
Landing, on the Delaware River front at 2nd and Chestnut. During the winter
there is an outdoor ice-skating rink there.
Philadelphia has a number of well-known
sports teams. Here is a website for up-to-the-minute status of Philly Sports.
The "Weekend" section of the
Philadelphia Inquirer on Fridays is a good resource for events in and around
the city, as are the free papers, City Paper and Philadelphia Weekly.
There are several cafes and
restaurants on the blocks right around IRCS, especially on Sansom
Street between 34th and 36th, and there is a food court in 3401, in the middle
of the block, and a food court called "Houston Market" in the lower
level of Houston Hall.
Many of the food trucks are quite good and
not very expensive. They are located in several areas around campus, including
near Meyerson Hall at 34th and Walnut, near Pottruck Fitness Center at 37th and Walnut, near Franklin
Field at 33rd and Spruce, near the hospital at 34th and Spruce, near 38th and
Walnut, and on the street/sidewalk near 36th and Market, 37th and Spruce, and
40th and Locust. You can find a variety of foods at the food trucks, including
hoagies, cheese steaks, fruit salad, vegetarian, Thai,
Middle Eastern, Mexican, Chinese and Japanese.
University City and Center City have many
good restaurants, and people at IRCS will be happy to recommend their favorite
places to eat. Some places near IRCS include:
This is an excellent guide
for planning to live near Penn: Preparing for and
Living in the Penn Community.
For additional information about many aspects of life in University City, see UCity
website.
One of the best resources at
Penn for finding housing and for many housing-related issues is the Office of
Off-Campus Living (OCL). Their office is at 4046 Walnut Street, 898-8500.
They have weekly-updated listings of available housing in the Philadelphia
area, though most listings are for West Philadelphia or Center City. You can
fill out a form for finding a roomate or subletting
opportunities on their website.
There are also housing listings in the
newspapers, especially the Sunday Philadelphia Inquirer and the free weekly
papers.
Consider what part of the
city or suburbs you want to live in. You can talk to other people at IRCS or
Penn about the advantages and disadvantages of the various areas; but you
should see them for yourself, and ask people there about the neighborhoods'
strengths and weaknesses.
When you look at a house or
apartment, you should pay attention to the character of the neighborhood, the
physical condition of the apartment or house, the character of the landlord or
management company you will have to deal with.
OCL will help with
interpreting and understanding leases, but any changes, exclusions or additions
must be made before the lease is signed.
OCL also has the Penn Consumer Board Fair
Lease available (you can purchase it for the cost of the copying). This is a
slightly revised version of the standard lease that is designed to be fair to
both tenants and landlords, and many landlords will use it if you show it to
them.
It is standard in this area for landlords to
require a security deposit of one month's rent, and also the first (and usually
last) month's rent when you sign the lease.
If you will have a car here,
you'll need to consider parking arrangements when you consider places to live.
Apartment buildings sometimes have garages, but most of the time you will
either need to park on the street or make arrangements for a space in a
separate lot or garage. Some blocks have limited time parking except for
residents with permits, so you would need to get a permit to keep a car on
those blocks.
Porch and yard sales in West
Philadelphia are places where you can often find good bargains on household
items. There are porch sales in West Philadelphia nearly every weekend which
are particularly common in May-June and August-September. Porch sales are usually
publicized by fliers posted to bulletin boards, kiosks, and telephone poles
around campus and the neighborhoods.
There are second-hand thrift stores at 45th
and Walnut (Second Mile) and 6th and South (Thrift for AIDS).
Questions? Comments?
E-mail ircs-info(at)ircs.upenn.edu
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