In an age of streaming and digital downloads, I have found myself moving further and further into the realm of physical media. The sheer number of times that I have gone to watch a movie that used to be on Netflix, only to find that it has moved to a new and obscure pricey streaming service has only grown as the years go on. Streaming quality continues to go down, as prices and number of services continue to go up.

While many people have thrown out their DVD and Blu-ray collections, the certainty of ownership and access that physical copies of my favorite movies bring is worth the storage space that they take up. Being able to grab my copy of “La La Land” off the shelf whenever I want and watch it in 1080p high bitrate quality is much better than spending hours in the vicious cycle of deciding what to watch, realizing it is not on any streaming service you have (if any) and starting over. Nothing is worse than wanting to show a friend or loved one a movie only to realize that it is only available now on a service you do not subscribe to.

One alternative to physical copies or streaming subscriptions is to purchase the movie digitally. While this has some pros, such as not needing a Blu-ray player, the downside is that you must trust that the service you buy the movie on will still exist in a year, five years, or a decade. Many streaming services have gone belly up, with people losing their past purchases. This happened famously with video game company Ubisoft when they closed and deleted past game purchases of accounts that people had not signed in on for over four years. Physical media is like books on a shelf– four years from now is no problem for a DVD or Blu-ray disk.

Another great reason to get into physical media is that due to most people moving to streaming, movie disks and Blu-ray players have dropped to all-time lows in terms of prices. Blu-ray players can be had on eBay for as low as $30 and often can be found even cheaper in thrift stores like Goodwill. The same can be said for Blu-ray and DVD disks, which are usually able to be found for between $15 and $30 new, and can be had for a few dollars each at thrift stores used.

While many of the conveniences of Netflix were great at first, as more and more studios have moved content on to their own paywalled platforms, the appeal of owning your media has only grown. By owning your favorite movies, you have the power to watch what you want when you want to watch it.

In an age of streaming and digital downloads, I have found myself moving further and further into the realm of physical media. The sheer number of times that I have gone to watch a movie that used to be on Netflix, only to find that it has moved to a new and obscure pricey streaming service has only grown as the years go on. Streaming quality continues to go down, as prices and number of services continue to go up.

While many people have thrown out their DVD and Blu-ray collections, the certainty of ownership and access that physical copies of my favorite movies bring is worth the storage space that they take up. Being able to grab my copy of “La La Land” off the shelf whenever I want and watch it in 1080p high bitrate quality is much better than spending hours in the vicious cycle of deciding what to watch, realizing it is not on any streaming service you have (if any) and starting over. Nothing is worse than wanting to show a friend or loved one a movie only to realize that it is only available now on a service you do not subscribe to.

One alternative to physical copies or streaming subscriptions is to purchase the movie digitally. While this has some pros, such as not needing a Blu-ray player, the downside is that you must trust that the service you buy the movie on will still exist in a year, five years, or a decade. Many streaming services have gone belly up, with people losing their past purchases. This happened famously with video game company Ubisoft when they closed and deleted past game purchases of accounts that people had not signed in on for over four years. Physical media is like books on a shelf– four years from now is no problem for a DVD or Blu-ray disk.

Another great reason to get into physical media is that due to most people moving to streaming, movie disks and Blu-ray players have dropped to all-time lows in terms of prices. Blu-ray players can be had on eBay for as low as $30 and often can be found even cheaper in thrift stores like Goodwill. The same can be said for Blu-ray and DVD disks, which are usually able to be found for between $15 and $30 new, and can be had for a few dollars each at thrift stores used.

While many of the conveniences of Netflix were great at first, as more and more studios have moved content on to their own paywalled platforms, the appeal of owning your media has only grown. By owning your favorite movies, you have the power to watch what you want when you want to watch it.

I first heard about ChatGPT when the first public “research trial” was launched in 2022, and right away I recognized the clear and present danger it presented to all industries, interests and people. While a lot of people have been drawn in by the convenience that generative AI presents, I think that more people should stop and ask themselves if what they are doing is worth the enormous, often ignored cost.

We are now a few years into this new age of generative AI, and I am only getting more and more concerned about the future of our youth and people at large. Beyond the constant threats of AI taking our jobs, it has already taken something far worse from us, and I see it in my friends every day. It has robbed us of curiosity, a will to explore, and a desire to learn. Friends of mine who are paying thousands of dollars to attend college are using ChatGPT to crank out their homework assignments with reckless abandon, without a single thought being given to the damage they are causing to their own learning. I cannot even imagine trying to be a high school English teacher right now.

The clear and present danger to academia is even further entrenched, as I have seen professors use ChatGPT to grade assignments, many of which were also probably written with ChatGPT. One of my professors even encouraged me to use ChatGPT for an assignment just last week. What is the point of the grading process if AI is used to generate an answer that is then checked by another person using AI? We could all do nothing in class, sit on the floor, and scream gibberish at a blank wall, and the same amount of learning would have taken place. I want to learn, but in an age with generative AI, fewer and fewer people are willing to teach.

Coding is a commonly defended use of ChatGPT, and a lot of people will try to tell you that it helps people code more effectively and efficiently. Those same people have tried to tell me in the past how there is “creativity in engineering and computer science.” Guess what? You cannot have it both ways; “creative problem solving” and “unique approaches to problems” are dead when you introduce the “efficiency” of AI. All you are left with is the answer to the problem, solved in the most average way mathematically possible. When ChatGPT is involved, we will never know if there is a more effective way to approach a programming problem, because unlike a human, ChatGPT can’t think outside the average, let alone outside of the box.

A frequent counterargument that I hear from people who are addicted to the convenience of generative AI is that it is only a “tool for learning” and that they would not use it for everything. Beyond the fact that I do not for one second believe that they are able to resist the temptation of just “asking ChatGPT,” I think that the harm goes far deeper. Using AI as a “tool” for the little tasks rips the small amount of humanity that was left in text messaging, emailing, and discussion boards away altogether. Text is already a medium where tone, personality and subtlety struggle to survive; adding in these “AI” tools guarantees that there is no chance for their survival. Human-to-human interaction via text is flatlined before a message can even be sent.

I fear that we are looking at the dawn of a dark age for the internet and humanity. Slowly but surely, all industries and interests will get absorbed into the growing pool of murky AI slop. The internet is already at the point where distinguishing between real human comments, images and videos is a struggle. Whatever your industry or hobby is will be quick to follow, just watch. All it takes is a few people in your field to give in to the lazy convenience of generative AI for your humanity to become completely devalued and ripped away. Next time you are typing that query into a generative AI, stop and ask yourself if the cost to humanity is worth it.

Popular food trucks “Happy Sunshine Lunch Truck”, “Pete’s Little Lunchbox”, Lucky Star, and others outside of Bentley residence hall on the corner of 33rd and Arch street have been given notice on Wednesday, March 26, that they will no longer be allowed to park overnight as of Tuesday, April 4.

When asked for a statement, Pete’s Little Lunchbox stated that leaving each night and coming back was not feasible for them due to the amount of work it already takes to maintain operations, and the uncertainty of parking availability. As a result they announced they would have to shut down.

 “We do it for the Drexel students, but having to leave and come back would be even more tiring, and too much after 17 years,” Pete’s told The Triangle.

When asked for a statement, Drexel University provided The Triangle with the following statement:

“Food trucks have long been a part of the fabric of University City with many located around Drexel University’s campus at any given time. The University supports this vending tradition as a food option for its community. Drexel and the City of Philadelphia also must ensure the safety of pedestrians and patrons of food trucks. The University is reminding vendors of street vending rules, established by the City, that require these vendors to adhere to health and maintenance codes, hours of operation, parking and other safety regulations. These rules restrict trucks from operating between midnight and 7 a.m. and prevent them from being left unattended overnight on a sidewalk or public property.”

This is not the first time that Drexel has tried to remove food trucks from campus. In 2017, city council passed an ordinance in partnership with Drexel that would have restricted trucks on campus past 12:30am. This was the first time of many attempts by Drexel and the City to stop food trucks on campus. In 2020, then Philadelphia Mayor Kenney vetoed a law that would have restricted food trucks on campus, after students and community members protested and signed a petition to stop the change. 

A petition on Change.org created by Drexel student Claire Toomey has begun circulating on social media with the intention of asking “the school to heavily reconsider and reverse this shameful decision to support our beloved small businesses.”

Currently it is not clear what rule or enforcement mechanism Drexel is using to restrict the time that food trucks are allowed to be on campus. It is unclear what caused Drexel to determine April 4 as the deadline for the removal of the food trucks. 

Pete’s and Happy Sunshine both theorized that overnight restrictions might have something to do with the new building that is going up on 33rd St.

Popular food trucks “Happy Sunshine Lunch Truck”, “Pete’s Little Lunchbox”, Lucky Star, and others outside of Bentley residence hall on the corner of 33rd and Arch street have been given notice on Wednesday, March 26, that they will no longer be allowed to park overnight as of Tuesday, April 4.

When asked for a statement, Pete’s Little Lunchbox stated that leaving each night and coming back was not feasible for them due to the amount of work it already takes to maintain operations, and the uncertainty of parking availability. As a result they announced they would have to shut down.

 “We do it for the Drexel students, but having to leave and come back would be even more tiring, and too much after 17 years,” Pete’s told The Triangle.

When asked for a statement, Drexel University provided The Triangle with the following statement:

“Food trucks have long been a part of the fabric of University City with many located around Drexel University’s campus at any given time. The University supports this vending tradition as a food option for its community. Drexel and the City of Philadelphia also must ensure the safety of pedestrians and patrons of food trucks. The University is reminding vendors of street vending rules, established by the City, that require these vendors to adhere to health and maintenance codes, hours of operation, parking and other safety regulations. These rules restrict trucks from operating between midnight and 7 a.m. and prevent them from being left unattended overnight on a sidewalk or public property.”

This is not the first time that Drexel has tried to remove food trucks from campus. In 2017, city council passed an ordinance in partnership with Drexel that would have restricted trucks on campus past 12:30am. This was the first time of many attempts by Drexel and the City to stop food trucks on campus. In 2020, then Philadelphia Mayor Kenney vetoed a law that would have restricted food trucks on campus, after students and community members protested and signed a petition to stop the change. 

A petition on Change.org created by Drexel student Claire Toomey has begun circulating on social media with the intention of asking “the school to heavily reconsider and reverse this shameful decision to support our beloved small businesses.”

Currently it is not clear what rule or enforcement mechanism Drexel is using to restrict the time that food trucks are allowed to be on campus. It is unclear what caused Drexel to determine April 4 as the deadline for the removal of the food trucks. 

Pete’s and Happy Sunshine both theorized that overnight restrictions might have something to do with the new building that is going up on 33rd St.

Popular food trucks “Happy Sunshine Lunch Truck”, “Pete’s Little Lunchbox”, Lucky Star, and others outside of Bentley residence hall on the corner of 33rd and Arch street have been given notice on Wednesday, March 26, that they will no longer be allowed to park overnight as of Tuesday, April 4.

When asked for a statement, Pete’s Little Lunchbox stated that leaving each night and coming back was not feasible for them due to the amount of work it already takes to maintain operations, and the uncertainty of parking availability. As a result they announced they would have to shut down.

 “We do it for the Drexel students, but having to leave and come back would be even more tiring, and too much after 17 years,” Pete’s told The Triangle.

When asked for a statement, Drexel University provided The Triangle with the following statement:

“Food trucks have long been a part of the fabric of University City with many located around Drexel University’s campus at any given time. The University supports this vending tradition as a food option for its community. Drexel and the City of Philadelphia also must ensure the safety of pedestrians and patrons of food trucks. The University is reminding vendors of street vending rules, established by the City, that require these vendors to adhere to health and maintenance codes, hours of operation, parking and other safety regulations. These rules restrict trucks from operating between midnight and 7 a.m. and prevent them from being left unattended overnight on a sidewalk or public property.”

This is not the first time that Drexel has tried to remove food trucks from campus. In 2017, city council passed an ordinance in partnership with Drexel that would have restricted trucks on campus past 12:30am. This was the first time of many attempts by Drexel and the City to stop food trucks on campus. In 2020, then Philadelphia Mayor Kenney vetoed a law that would have restricted food trucks on campus, after students and community members protested and signed a petition to stop the change. 

A petition on Change.org created by Drexel student Claire Toomey has begun circulating on social media with the intention of asking “the school to heavily reconsider and reverse this shameful decision to support our beloved small businesses.”

Currently it is not clear what rule or enforcement mechanism Drexel is using to restrict the time that food trucks are allowed to be on campus. It is unclear what caused Drexel to determine April 4 as the deadline for the removal of the food trucks. 

Pete’s and Happy Sunshine both theorized that overnight restrictions might have something to do with the new building that is going up on 33rd St.

People who know me will say that I have a lot of “random facts” or “lore” about seemingly arbitrary things. While this is true, I have a core philosophy about the way I interact with the world that drives this outside of my nerdy curiosity. The core drive behind this mindset is that I want to know how the objects I rely on work. What is it that makes a toaster toast? I believe everyone should figure out what technology is essential to their lives, and learn about how it works, its origins and who makes it. 

An example of this, is how I know the basics of how a refrigerator, dishwasher, toaster and coffeemaker work. I cannot explain every part, every chemical that makes up the refrigerant or exactly what heating coils make up my electric oven. However, I do know enough that if any of my essential appliances break, I can at least start from a place of basic understanding to fix them. I have fixed my dishwasher, washing machine and dryer, all because I took the time to teach myself a basic understanding of how they work. 

Knowing how the objects you take for granted work at a basic level can only help to serve you in life. In the age of the internet and wide access to information, there is no excuse to not understand the world around you. You can learn more about how your car works and how to fix it today than at any other point in history. There is no possible downside to knowing more than you might right now. You can also protect yourself from people who might take advantage of your lack of knowledge on a subject. If you ever go to an auto shop, computer repair shop, or have an appliance repairman come, by knowing how those items work at a basic level, you can better protect your wallet and make decisions about how to proceed. 

This idea of knowledge allowing repairs ties into my next point. If you know how the world works, you empower yourself. You can be more self-reliant, and able to diagnose problems and fix them. There will be times that you need a professional’s help, but you will save yourself money, time and frustration in many situations by trying to figure it out yourself first before asking for help. The satisfaction that comes from fixing something is its own reward in my experience. It also inspires pride in ownership, stops waste from unnecessary replacement and teaches valuable life skills I can guarantee you will use again. 

I encourage everyone reading this to not only learn more about the world around you but also to better equip yourself to meet it head-on. Going forward, keep the technology and objects that you rely on working. Invest in a few basic quality tools. Everyone on earth should own a good screwdriver and bits, a hammer, an adjustable crescent wrench and a nice pair of pliers. Another tool I rely on, and a nice item to have at your disposal, is a multitool. While not a replacement for my full toolkit, it lets me fix problems as they come up. Only two brands of multitools are worth your time in my opinion, and those are made by Leatherman and Victorinox. 

Founded by Tim Leatherman, they are still the best choice today in multitools. They have a 25-year warranty and will last a lifetime. I recommend the Leatherman “Rebar” for $80, which is available with either a knife or scissors if you do not feel ok carrying a blade, or the Leatherman “Wave+” for $120 if one-hand access to a knife is important. If the price is too high, secondhand Leatherman tools can go for as low as $20 on eBay and still have a lot of life left. Avoid knockoffs; they are poor imitations, and even a used Leatherman will last longer. I find pliers to be essential, but if you want just a knife and screwdriver, a good old Swiss army knife is also a great buy at around $45 for my favorite model, “The Super Tinker”, or $34 for the base “Tinker”, if you are ok with missing scissors and package hook. 

Knowing how the world works around you and how to repair it is as essential a skill as knowing how to walk and talk. Equip yourself with tools and knowledge so you can rely on yourself the same way you rely on your refrigerator and toaster daily to fulfill their function. You will serve yourself, your wallet and your community by being curious and learning about the objects that you rely on in life.

On the anniversary of the massacre committed by Hamas, in which 1,200 Israeli citizens were murdered and another 250 taken hostage, students of many universities took to their campus streets to protest Israel’s position in the ongoing year-long war. 

The Drexel Palestine Coalition posted on their social media proposing a “Student Walkout,” prompting students and faculty to leave whatever they were doing to call for a ceasefire publicly on Monday, Oct. 7. The pro-Palestine demonstration began on the lawn facing Schuylkill Yards. It slowly made its way down Market Street before turning on 34th Street and heading towards the University of Pennsylvania, later reaching as far as the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. At least ten police officers trailed behind and approximately twenty police cars followed. Some demonstrators were seen making hand gestures while chanting, “PPD, KKK, IOF, they’re all the same.” 

While the rally progressed, several people were seen with Israeli flags displayed towards the demonstrators. While both sides were initially calm, aggravation occurred later on. Both parties made offensive gestures at one another, and an outsider yelled, “Bring them home,” referring to the approximately 100 hostages and around 30 bodies held captive in Gaza. 

As the protesters marched, they chanted for a ‘student intifada’, a return to before the Arab-Israeli War of 1948, and accused Drexel and the University of Pennsylvania of being complicit in the genocide of Palestinians. Many Lebanese flags were waved alongside those of Palestine, coinciding with the recent Israeli operational development in south Lebanon against Hezbollah.

With many rallies held in several European cities and across the U.S., the gatherings were expected to peak on Oct. 7, the date of the first anniversary of the Hamas attacks. Drexel previously had been the site of an encampment on the Korman Quad in May. Drexel’s interim president, Denis O’ Brien, sent out a preemptive email to all students and faculty on Monday, Oct. 7 warning of the demonstration and noting a Public Safety advisory regarding the expected vehicular and pedestrian traffic along Market Street. In the same email, O’Brien stated to the Drexel community that there would be “ increased visible presence of Drexel Police and Public Safety officers to protect campus spaces and facilities and to ensure the safety both of participants who are exercising their rights to free speech and of passersby alike.”

With the war reaching a full year of its duration, pro-Palestine demonstrations stress the high death toll in Gaza — more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. 129 Palestinian journalists have also been killed since the start of the war according to the International Federation of Journalists.  There has not been substantial progress in a ceasefire deal. Emotions are expected to run high this week as the anniversary of the attacks falls in the week of significant Jewish holidays — Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Simchat Torah. 

On Monday, Sept. 23, Drexel University announced that enrollment was down 15 percent for the incoming freshman class. Drexel enrolled 500 fewer students than the previous year’s incoming class. In a letter from Interim President Denis P. O’Brien, he attributed a part of the loss in enrollment to the ongoing FAFSA rollout problems due to the larger number of students who attend Drexel on a Pell Grant. The drop in enrollment was expected by students early on to be around 15 percent, in part due to the drop in student club funding, which is tied to the enrollment-dependent “activity fee.”Another early warning sign that enrollment was declining was the last-minute closure of the freshman residence hall, North Hall for renovations, only two months before the start of the fall quarter. Residence Assistants had already been assigned, according to the Drexel RA Union, causing students to lose jobs and previously expected 2024-2025 academic year housing. 

 According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Drexel also has several satellite campuses such as the medical campus at Queen Lane, and Center City, that might see sell-offs or nonrenewals of leases. Drexel was already in the process of moving programs from its Center City and Queen Lane campuses to the new University City Health Sciences Building before the current announcement.

Drexel previously announced plans to merge several colleges and two schools and has requested former deans step down. This merger was one of a series of suggestions made by the University Advisory Committee on Academic Structure. The merger of the colleges would include the College of Computing and Informatics being merged with the College of Engineering (including the School of Biomedical Engineering), the School of Education being merged with The College of Arts and Sciences and “Drexel Health” to now include Medicine, Nursing & Health Professions, Public Health and Salus & Autism Institute. 

The UACAS in the same report also suggested the switch to semesters which The Triangle previously reported on here to support student recruitment, retention and partnership. The report also recommended establishing a set of core competencies and proficiencies to develop in conjunction with student learning. These competencies will fall within four categories: research and innovation, partnerships with organizations and businesses, civic and urban engagement and global engagement. Details are expected to be announced by the University in the future.

When moving to a new area, it can be disorienting not knowing where to find basic stores. This is compounded if you are from a different country or even the other side of the USA — you might not know anything about the different grocery or drug store brands around campus. Well, this guide is here to help. The following is a list of the nearest stores, movie theaters and more. 

Drug Store/Pharmacy:

CVS Pharmacy

3401 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104

This CVS is located on 34^th St and Walnut and is just on the Penn side of University City. In addition to a pharmacy, it also has a convenience store section that is usually well stocked but can run low during move-in week. The pharmacy has different hours than the store, so make sure to check. 

Grocery Store:

Giant Heirloom Market

3401 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104

This Giant is also located on 34^th St, just behind Market St, past the Wawa and MFL Septa station. Unlike the standard Giant supermarket, this one is a lot smaller, with a more limited stock. If you need cheaper groceries in larger quantities, Trader Joe’s at 2121 Market St is a better choice, but a bit of a walk especially from the dorms. The entrance to Trader Joe’s is around back from Market, so make sure to go around back from 22^nd or 21^st St. 

Movie Theater:

Cinemark Penn

4012 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104

The closest movie theater to campus is on the western edge of Penn’s campus, and can be reached by walking up Walnut St, or Penn’s Wooded Walk towards 40th. If you are unsure which way to go, the city skyline should be behind you.  The tickets are half price most Tuesdays, and it pays to keep an eye on their website. While Cinemark is the closest, the AMC Theater in Center City is much nicer. The AMC is in the Fashion District Mall on 13^th St.. 

Thrift Store:

Philly AIDS Thrift

710 S 5th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147

This is not the closest thrift store to campus. This is, however, the closest thrift store worth going to near campus. Philly AIDS Thrifts is a charity thrift store on South St near Old City. It collects donations with the proceeds going to free HIV testing, also at the same location. The prices are always very fair, and a good deal is always available here if you look hard enough. They also carry things other than clothes such as kitchen gadgets, electronics and music. 

Department Store:

This one has two answers depending on what you are looking for:

Target

1900 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19103

It is a Target. Despite being in a city, they managed to fit most of a full Target in by stacking it over two floors. They have a small grocery section, and the standard home goods section upstairs. The clothes selection is lacking, which is why there are two entries for department stores. 

Macy’s

1300 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Unlike the standard Target, this is an absolutely next level Macy’s. Located in the historic Wanamaker building, this Macy’s is three floors of shopping luxury. In addition to a great clothing and houseware section, Macy’s also has a good kitchen section if you need some of the basics. The prices are on the higher side, but the “Backstage” section has good deals if you are willing to take the time to look around. Probably the only time you will be shopping and also standing in a building on The National Register of Historic Places. The pipe organ that occupies one wall of the store is also the largest working pipe organ in the world. If you visit during the holidays, it is used to play carols. Beat that, Target. 

One of the best parts about living in a city is how close everything can be located, compared to the suburbs or rural regions. While here in Philadelphia, take advantage of the walkability and the convenience that comes with it.When moving to a new area, it can be disorienting not knowing where to find basic stores. This is compounded if you are from a different country or even the other side of the USA — you might not know anything about the different grocery or drug store brands around campus. Well, this guide is here to help. The following is a list of the nearest stores, movie theaters and more. 

Drug Store/Pharmacy:

CVS Pharmacy

3401 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104

This CVS is located on 34^th St and Walnut and is just on the Penn side of University City. In addition to a pharmacy, it also has a convenience store section that is usually well stocked but can run low during move-in week. The pharmacy has different hours than the store, so make sure to check. 

Grocery Store:

Giant Heirloom Market

3401 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104

This Giant is also located on 34^th St, just behind Market St, past the Wawa and MFL Septa station. Unlike the standard Giant supermarket, this one is a lot smaller, with a more limited stock. If you need cheaper groceries in larger quantities, Trader Joe’s at 2121 Market St is a better choice, but a bit of a walk especially from the dorms. The entrance to Trader Joe’s is around back from Market, so make sure to go around back from 22^nd or 21^st St. 

Movie Theater:

Cinemark Penn

4012 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104

The closest movie theater to campus is on the western edge of Penn’s campus, and can be reached by walking up Walnut St, or Penn’s Wooded Walk towards 40th. If you are unsure which way to go, the city skyline should be behind you.  The tickets are half price most Tuesdays, and it pays to keep an eye on their website. While Cinemark is the closest, the AMC Theater in Center City is much nicer. The AMC is in the Fashion District Mall on 13^th St.. 

Thrift Store:

Philly AIDS Thrift

710 S 5th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147

This is not the closest thrift store to campus. This is, however, the closest thrift store worth going to near campus. Philly AIDS Thrifts is a charity thrift store on South St near Old City. It collects donations with the proceeds going to free HIV testing, also at the same location. The prices are always very fair, and a good deal is always available here if you look hard enough. They also carry things other than clothes such as kitchen gadgets, electronics and music. 

Department Store:

This one has two answers depending on what you are looking for:

Target

1900 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19103

It is a Target. Despite being in a city, they managed to fit most of a full Target in by stacking it over two floors. They have a small grocery section, and the standard home goods section upstairs. The clothes selection is lacking, which is why there are two entries for department stores. 

Macy’s

1300 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Unlike the standard Target, this is an absolutely next level Macy’s. Located in the historic Wanamaker building, this Macy’s is three floors of shopping luxury. In addition to a great clothing and houseware section, Macy’s also has a good kitchen section if you need some of the basics. The prices are on the higher side, but the “Backstage” section has good deals if you are willing to take the time to look around. Probably the only time you will be shopping and also standing in a building on The National Register of Historic Places. The pipe organ that occupies one wall of the store is also the largest working pipe organ in the world. If you visit during the holidays, it is used to play carols. Beat that, Target. 

One of the best parts about living in a city is how close everything can be located, compared to the suburbs or rural regions. While here in Philadelphia, take advantage of the walkability and the convenience that comes with it.