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Help me find a hotel a short subway ride away from a conference in Philadelphia

croutonsupafreak — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:04:57 -0800

Every hotel room within a mile of my upcoming Philadelphia conference is booked. Where can I stay that has easy weekend, weekday and evening public transit access to the University of Pennsylvania campus, specifically Jon M. Huntsman Hall at 3730 Walnut Street, Philadelphia? What do I need to know about using public transit to get back and forth? Must be safe after dark. Bonus points if it's affordable, as I'm paying for this out of my own pocket. My travel dates are Oct. 17 - Oct. 21, an apparently there's a much larger conference that's overlapping and eating up all the close-in hotel rooms during that time. I'll be arriving as early as 8 a.m., and leaving the conference as late as 9 p.m., and coming and going on weekdays and weekends both.

In the ultra-cheap realm, I found Apple Hostels, 32 Bank Street, which appears to be on a SEPTA line that connects directly to my conference. It looks like a pretty touristy/historic neighborhood, which leads me to guess that it's safe. But I've never been to Philly, and don't really know the ins and outs of anything.

I'd love advice on how SEPTA works, too. I've ridden subway systems in a number of systems, and most aren't too difficult to figure out. But SEPTA's Web site talks about tokens, which I've never used anywhere.

Cheap travel from Delaware to NYC?

viewofdelft — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:23:54 -0800

What are the cheapest ways to get from Newark, Delaware, to New York City? I'm a research assistant at the University of Delaware and as part of a long and wonkish I-95 corridor project, we've decided to produce a map or informational pamphlet letting students know the cheapest ways to get from here (Newark, Delaware) to New York City.

A few things to keep in mind:
1. Any mode of transportation is fair game (air, rail, highway, seaports, etc.), as is any type of vehicle (plane, train, automobile, bus, shoes, etc.).
2. Be creative, but within reasonable limits of safety (i.e., no airmailing oneself).
3. It's alright if many of the suggested travel methods begin in Philadelphia (and maybe even Baltimore) if these departure points are more familiar to you.
4. Cost is the most important factor, although I don't want to discourage that outlandish teleportation idea you've been waiting to uncork.

After we've completed the map or pamphlet, I'll contact each of the contributors about mailing them a finished product. Thank you.

I think I can, I think I can...

timory — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 14:25:52 -0800

Why are the trolleys in Philadelphia so unfathomably slow? I know that public transportation in Philadelphia is pretty abysmal overall, but it seems that the trolleys are particularly appalling. It's one thing that they never come on schedule, but why do they sometimes stop in the middle of the tunnel for no apparent reason, often for over ten minutes at a time? Why do they so frequently drive at less than 5 miles per hour (I'm assuming this figure, but it's certainly slower than my walking pace)? Why do they shut off so often mid-trip, and what are the drivers fixing when they step out of the trolley with that big metal stick? Why don't the drivers ever explain the reason for delays when these things happen?

I've actually tried to look up this information online, but all I've been able to find is general complaints.

If anybody feels like answering a bonus question, here's something else I've always wondered: why do people sit on the outside seat when the trolley is full, refusing to move over or let anybody into the inner seat?