April 27th, 2009
There is one reason Chestnut Hill has been named Philadelphia’s official Garden District: everywhere you turn, you see green. The tree-lined, cobblestone streets are scattered with flower pots. Morris Arboretum, the official arboretum of PA, is up the street from our school (which is next to Fairmount Park, the largest park system in any U.S. city). Philadelphia’s premier florist, Robertson’s, calls Chestnut Hill its home.
As a Chestnut Hill College student, it’s safe to say our neighborhood will become your very own victory garden. Here are a few ways to get your floral fix on campus, in town, and everywhere in between.
On Campus
Need some new scenery for studying? Maybe you just want to get outside (which can be a challenge when the three most important buildings on campus are connected). Either way, both main campus and Sugarloaf are full of flowery goodness. Try a study session in CHC’s chapter of the Garden of Forgiveness. Ours is full of roses, with bench space to spare.
The courtyard is another hotspot. Every season brings new life, with flowers in the spring and beautiful leaves in the fall.
Sugarloaf’s vast array of flowers made for a great nighttime photo shoot with fellow blogger Andréa, especially during the late-April heat wave. Every time we saw a security van, we ducked into the trees!
UPenn’s Morris Arboretum
Located within a five-minute walk of the College, Morris Arboretum contains over 13,000 labelled plants of over 2,500 types. It focuses on Asia, but represents North America and Europe, too. The 92-acre former estate was founded in 1889 and is now maintained by the University of Pennsylvania. Admission for all students is just $7!
Fairmount Park
At CHC, we like to think of Fairmount Park as our backyard. We do service there, along with 98,000 other volunteers each year, from planting trees to cleaning the Wissahickon creek. We hang out there, too. Near the park’s entrance, there is a sandy beach that is perfect for sunbathing, or in my friend Bleu’s case, a dip on a hot day. Feeling equestrian? You can see the horse stables with rentals from our driveway. Check out their official map to see everything the park offers.
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Tagged As: Chestnut Hill, Fairmount Park, garden of forgiveness, Morris Arboretum, Nature, Wissahickon
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