Alan H.

Campus Shipping Ctr

A direct competitor to Kinkos, with two locations on campus, Campus Copy and Campus Shipping provided good document services for professors and students alike. Prices are better than their direct competitors (Kinkos) but a little worse than if one did the job oneself through the school copy system (CHAS)

As a full service document center, binding, image editing, etc. is all offered here.

For their shipping services, I personally found prices to be exorbitant, and they charged a significant mark up on USPS Media mail, when I could've just gone to the USPS Depot on 40th St.

Oregonian Publishing Co

Catering to the Portland metropolitan area, the Oregonian is the largest newspaper in OR and southwest WA. It occasionally writes its own articles regarding national news rather than simply drawing the news from the AP or Reuter's wires.

It offers some local news regarding the various communities in the area, although that can be somewhat limited (given its wide circulation). I have not heard ot the Oregonian customizing the paper for specific regions of circulation.

Pennsylvania Book Ctr

Beware, this is not the large university bookstore owned by Barnes and Noble that some of the other reviewers have mistaken it to be. It is instead located near Moravian cafes on 34th street, and caters primariliy to a literary audience.

Favored by SAS and English professors who have no lost love for Barnes and Noble, the little bookstore usually has books on hold for specific writing classes. However, prices are high (pretty much MSRP) and they have a strict return policy (book untouched, very narrow window).

This place would certainly be more appealing if it offered some sort of advantage over the Penn Bookstore.

Mountain View Ice Arena

This location offers two rinks in which to skate, so even if there's hockey practice or a game going on, the public can still skate. They offer ice skate rentals for about 5 dollars, so even newbies to the sport are welcome.

At times, the rinks play host to fairly exceptional athletes, for example, Olympic qualifiers have been held in this rink.

The quality of the rink is good, and Zambonis are out on the ice every hour or so to keep it flat and smooth. It is a nice facility for parents and kids alike.

The Columbian

the Columbian serves Vancouver Washington, and has a fairly limited circulation. It treats local issues thoroughly, but is somewhat lacking when it comes to national and international news, offering basically whatever comes out on the Wires (e.g. AP, Reuters)

The Sunday Columbian is not particularly large, especially when compared with its neighbor across the river, the Oregonian, which features a mammoth Sunday issue. While useful for residents of Vancouver, the Columbian is not well suited for other subscribers.

PROS: treatment of local issues
CONS: no particularly comprehensive

Bridge Cinemas

Catering primarily to the Penn audience, the Bridge can be described in one word : expensive. However, the service at the Bridge is fairly proportional to the price you pay. Seats are very comfortable and the screens and sound are great. They offer all the newest movies that would appeal to a college crowd, although some local residents of West Philadelphia do come to this cinemas, it is primarily a college student attraction.

It is situated right on the hustle and bustle of the commerical area of 40th street, so there are plenty of dining/shopping opportunities available to those who are looking for it.

PROS: Good Screens and Sound
CONS: $$$

University Of Penn Daily Pen

The Daily Pennsylvanian is one of the nations oldest college dailys, publishing every weekday. The newspaper is run completely independent of the university and its staff are comprised entirely of students.

The newspaper usually features stories relevant to campus life, editorials, sports, as well as several pages of national and international news. Advertisements are featured that pertain to student life in general, for the most part. At times, the Daily Pennsylvanian is used to help distribute other literary magazines around campus, such as 34th Street and Punch Bowl.

The newspaper itself provides students with an excellent opportunity to gain real world experience in both journalism and photography, as well as the responsibility of managing and editing contributions by a large staff.

Hilton-Penn

Catering specifically to the parents of Penn students, the Inn at Penn is run by Hilton, although it has character unto its own. Located on Walnut St, in between 36th and 37th, the Hotel offers clean and spacious room, friendly staff, and several nearby dining options, such as Pod and Penne, which are just adjacent to the Hotel.

The Inn at Penn also caters some upscale events for the University, and good food is served by the staff in the formal dining room. That being said, it is only of only two hotel options near the university, and has expensive rooms.

Joseph Anthony Hairstyling

Located on the intersection of Walnut St. and 38th St, Joseph Anthony's is directly adjacent to the Huntsman building of the University of Pennsylvnania, in the heart of the campus. It's convenient location makes it a popular spot for students to get their hair cut, although it has a decent following among the local population as well.

Run by what I assume is an Italian family, the service is fast and the haircuts are pretty good. Prices are somewhat high due to its location in the city. They seem to cater primarily to "white" hairstyles as well as student haircuts, despite their location in West Philadelphia. On busy days however, the location is sometimes understaffed.