Scully Company

Avenir is great. I had mediocre experiences my first couple of years with housing, but I am very happy in this complex I have lived in since August 2018. Management is great, there are new appliances, and it's located in a very central location. It is a 30 minute walk to school, but I enjoy the exercise, and the metro station is only a block away if the weather is inclement. The apartments are small and a bit pricy, but it is safe, there is 24 hour security, a sprinkler system, and if you watch the prices, you are generally able to apply to rent a space at a comparable price. The flats are also great because, though they are small, they have a ton of built in storage, so no need to invest in many furnishings. Also the building is very quiet. The people who live here are mostly young professionals, so if you prefer to study away from campus, there is no problem doing so here.

Good place if you want to stay close to stores and restaurants. Cons are that you are a little further away from Huntsman (consider biking, bus or trolley) and no cheap grocery store nearby.

Building very modern, great amenities and I personally love the location (Although if you study at University City it is a little bit further away). Would definitely recommend.

I enjoy living at the ICON. There's some construction noise going on behind the building, but north facing apartments mostly don't hear it. Sometimes annoyed by other street noise, but that's typical of any apartment in center city. Generally, amenities are top-notch and the apartment finishings are solid.

Good facility, gym and security, but inconvenient to social with the Wharton crowd due to the distance

Avenir is a great apartment complex, definitely pricy, but worth it.

Great apartment

So far my experience at the Icon has been amazing. I really enjoy that each unit has its own thermostat and individual ventilation system. The walls seem to be quite thick as we rarely hear our neighbors. I personally think we have some of the best views in the city and the roof is always a great place to bring guests.

Bad medicine

The St. James is a newer high rise building and is extremely well maintained with a friendly staff. Our unit has floor to ceiling windows with stunning views of center city, and a balcony that lets us enjoy amazing sunsets every evening. The building includes an indoor pool and gym and allows pets. The location is perfect, right off Washington Square and walking distance to all the city has to offer. We've lived here for 5 years and wouldn't want to live anywhere else!

Very busy area - all the noise from 15th and chestnut comes right into the apartment because the walls are paper thin (I was also on the 5th floor). The area can get shady at night. There are frequent power outages. Also, for Wharton students, the location is quite far from where most students live and is not within walking distance of Huntsman Hall.

My wife and I have really enjoyed the Fairmount @ Brewerytown. This is the only reasonably affordable place in Philly to my knowledge that can accommodate 3 pets and has a parking garage at the unit.
The units themselves are stylish and spacious and the common areas/gym/amenities are excellent (especially the rooftop deck with a pool!).
The only possible downside is that it isn't really within walking distance of PCAM or any of the Penn hospitals. That said, it's an easy 15 minute bike ride down the Schuylkill trail to JMEC.

This is an excellent commute to the law school if you want to live in Center City. My building is about a block from the 15th Street Market Frankfort Line stop at City Hall, and it runs right to 34th and Market. I usually leave my apartment at 8:30am and am at school no later than 8:45am with plenty of time to print things and get organized before 9am class.
Note, friends who live in Uni City may be less willing to travel over to Center City, but there is way more to do in the Center City area, so introduce people to the MFL and that will help the social aspect.

The leasing office was a little disorganized, but the unit is beautiful and I've had no issues with electric, water, heat/AC or anything. There is a nice gym and some silent study spaces in the penthouse if you don't want to study in your apartment. No noise from neighbors, and there are definitely some Wharton folks in the building. Building is wired for Comcast and Verizon Fios.
There is some construction across the street and we're on the corner of 15th and Chestnut, so there can be some noise, even a few floors up. It's not the end of the world to me because I am a heavy sleeper and cityscape sounds don't bug me in general. But, nonetheless, make sure you pay attention to the noise level when you visit to see if you are ok with it. Leasing was very upfront and honest about noise and construction, too, so ask questions.
If you have an apartment on the Chestnut St side (south facing) there is a bunch of sunlight! All around a good place to be. Close to Rittenhouse, a quick walk to the Sansom St bars and the cool 13th St neighborhood. I'll likely stay all 3 years of law school.

Outstanding place to live and really convenient to get around the city. Nice amenities, friendly doormen, and a new Stephen Starr coffeeshop (Parliament) right downstairs.

Great building with lots of Wharton students. Building has amenity space (great for small group gatherings), gym and roof deck with stunning views of Philadelphia.