GUEST COLUMN: "Home Sweet Home"

There is no doubt that West Philadelphia has changed over the years. If anyone has looked into the history of the area, they would learn that it was Philadelphia's first suburb. In fact, in 1782, the University moved from its Center City location to West Philly in order to escape the confines of the city. Much later in the mid-1900s, a proposal was made to move the University once again, this time to Valley Forge. But, Penn chose to stay in the city. As a result, "the Penn experience" has now become more than that of just attending college, but also of learning continuously from our diverse, heterogeneous urban surroundings. So homecoming is more than just coming home to Penn, it's coming home to the city, and West Philadelphia. This Homecoming Weekend we have a new idea: Let's start making the most of our West Philadelphia neighborhood while we're still here so that when we come back and visit in a few years we have fond memories not just of going to school in West Philadelphia but of spending four years of our lives in a remarkable urban neighborhood. Even if you're just back visiting for the weekend, it's not too late to start exploring some of the wonderful things that West Philly has to offer. Here is a brief list of some of these great places: ·The Firehouse Farmer's Market. A smaller version of Reading Terminal with a more quaint and friendly atmosphere, 50th and Baltimore ·The Carrot Cake Man. Cool guy, good cake. (47th & Pine) ·Dhalak. Ever wonder what people who work for Dining Service do in their spare time? Run the best Ethiopian Restaurant on the East Coast. (47th and Baltimore) ·Hollywood Palace. Jazz 8:00-1:00. Sundays. 52nd & Walnut ·The American Diner. a traditional 50's hangout. 4201 Chestnut · The 4600 block of Locust Street-A finalist in the Philadelphia Most Beautiful Block Competition. · Lip Lic'ns. Great American Soul Food. Good Corn Bread. 4909 Catherine Street. More than this, there are an abundance of other ethnic restaurants, grocery stores and community resources. Clark Park and Cobbs Creek Park are great places to take a walk or ride a bike. And finally we have one more thing to tell you about, our neighborhood right off campus. The few blocks west of Penn comprise one of the cities extraordinary neighborhoods. Cafes like Chimes and delis like Koch's are famous throughout the city. But more importantly the diversity and sense of community give the neighborhood its unique character. Students are just one of the many groups who live in West Philly and sometimes they don't do as much as they could to contribute to the community. It is unfortunate but true that students who could serve as one of the neighborhood's greatest strengths are too often a weakness. Problems with trash disposal and poor maintenance of houses and grounds are two seemingly trivial issues that have a large effect on the neighborhood. Penn Friends & Students for Neighborhood Involvement (PFSNI II) is an organization of students and community members who do simple things to make our "home" better. In fact this Sunday, during Homecoming Weekend, we're holding a neighborhood clean-up. So, go to the Tiger Death Fest, but also join us on Sunday, November 5. At 11 a.m., 4052 Spruce Street (41st and Spruce). Its a good place to start. "Can you live without the willow tree? Well, no, you can't, because the willow tree is you." -- John Steinbeck.

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