Exploring Philly on a Budget

Whatever background you come from, it’s always good to find out things are free! And if you’re cheap like me, Philly luckily offers many opportunities for Penn students and city residents to go out and explore the city even when on a restricted budget. Here are some of my personal favorite spots:

1) The first Sunday of every month is “pay-what-you-want” at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, so that is the time to go visit the museum if they have an exhibit that interests you! In past experiences, the museum was never as packed as I expected it to be on those free admission days, so definitely expect a crowd, but also expect to have space for yourself.

2) The Curtis Institute, one of the most renowned music schools in the world, offers free recital tickets for student performances. Given that these are some of the most prodigious musicians globally, you can expect to be absolutely amazed by the quality of the performances, and Curtis is only a SEPTA ride away from Penn’s campus! If more contemporary music is your taste, the World Music Cafe also offers free shows at noon on Fridays, which is directly on Penn’s campus.

3) If you like traveling or hiking, there are plenty of free opportunities to do so as well! Cira Green which is located on the top floor of the Cira Building right by campus, which is a gorgeous lawn space overlooking the city. They also have block parties on Fridays so keep an eye out for that! For scenic hiking trips, I recommend Wissahickon Valley Parkwhich is not too far from University City but far enough to get away from the hustle and bustle. It is extremely peaceful and beautiful there!

4) For cheap eats, Chinatown right by Reading Terminal Market offers very offerable options for food with all you can eat dim-sum or hotpot at extremely affordable prices. I have great memories walking down the streets and just grabbing whatever looks delicious! For great, classic Philly cheesesteaks, Dalessandro’s Steaks are a fan-favorite location. My general advice is not sleep on the Asian food scene in Philly, there are some amazing spots! 

That is an extremely non-exhaustive list of some of my personal favorite spots in Philly, but be sure to always keep an eye out and ask around for any off-campus recommendations! 

-Seyoon C.