The Art of Parking on Campus

Here’s a video that I did a few months ago. I just had a new exhaust put in so I wanted to take it out and hear it.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5eBq_-dGyA[/youtube]

Here are some great links that will help you park in the city. Whether you’re from out of town or a Philadelphia native, these links will help you save money and time!

1) Visit Philly – Parking

2) Meter Parking Tips

3) Parking Garage Rates

4) Philly Parking Lots

5) Philadelphia Rush Hour Guide

Parking Garages Credit: CPS Construction

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

I hope everyone enjoys the next few days. Friends, family, food. You can’t complain.

The one thing that I do hate about the holidays, is the traffic. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. That means Wednesday evening rush hour is going to be extra long. If possible, avoid typical busy roads or just don’t travel during that time period. Either go extra early or late.

Earlier today, my commute home went from the usual 20 minutes to 45 minutes.

Happy Driving Everyone!

Holiday Traffic Credit: Paulo Whitaker

There are reasons why I choose to park at certain locations on campus. Here’s an infrograph that my group compiled based on available public data.

Philly Crime Rates | Colleges Credit: MIS3538

Based on the data, it’s much safer to park in well lit, high traffic areas such as Broad St. & Polette or 13th Street.

This post is completely unrelated to parking on campus but I thought it was a post worth noting.

Are you a student of the Fox School of Business? Are you graduating soon? Was your LinkedIn photo taken at a bar? Do you want to help the American Cancer Society?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you need to come get your professional photo taken! Let’s not lie, the first time your potential employers will see you will probably be from a photo. Don’t let that photo be anything less then the best image of you!

Once you have your photo, update all of your profiles so that your potential employer can be impressed! As if it didn’t get any better, all proceeds from this event will be given to the American Cancer Society!
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LinkedIn. Monster. Facebook. Blogs.

If you just want your photo taken, stop by! Doesn’t have to be a business headshot!

Here’s how it’ll work:

On Tuesday November 29th, between 11AM-5PM, stop by room 217B at the Student Center. You must be dressed business professional in order to get your photo taken! Once you get to the room, you’ll sign in with e-mail address, pay, and then get your photo taken (two poses)

It should take no more then 5 minutes!

You’ll get an e-mail with your photos in about a week if not sooner.

Again, proceeds from this event will benefit the American Cancer Society. You’ll benefit from this because you’ll have a professional photo without having to pay a photographer $50 or more!

$10 measly dollars will get your photo taken and there’s no sitting fee!

Come in. Pay. Get photo taken. Simple.

COME DRESSED BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL.

Men: Shirt, tie, jacket. Avoid bright color shirts.

Women: errr something business professional lol (I’m a guy. I don’t know)

I think this will be a great event for business students at the school. Make sure you men and women go!

Headshot - Mike G. Credit: Tho Nguyen

Last Sunday, I had a bunch of errands to run which required driving all over the city. It was the worst driving experience ever.

Every major road, every highway seemed like there was something wrong which delayed my commute.

Don’t you hate it when you have to be somewhere but it seems like everyone else is trying to slow you down? 

Chestnut Street: delays due to construction

Supermarket: 20 minutes of driving around the lot just to get a spot

Exiting the Supermarket: Another 10 minutes due to people trying to get spots

Highway: Stop and goes, no more then 10 mph…due to construction that was taking place 6 miles away.

THIS DROVE ME CRAZY.

Crazy Frog Credit: Axel F

Tell me of a time that this has happened to you… 

As we get closer to the end of the semester, more and more students will be on campus studying and prepping for the finals.

Typically around this time of the semester, parking gets more congested and harder to find.

Plan on your departure accordingly! 

Personally, I’ll avoid coming to campus on my days off just because I know parking will be difficult. Starbucks, Panera, local libraries, and even other schools are my alternative studying spots. As finals week approaches, parking will substantially get harder to find. Commuters will actually leave there cars overnight just because of the difficulty involved in finding parking.

Congested Parking Credit: Praja

Again, I advise against this simply because it increases the likelihood of your car being broken into. I try to park on Broad Street between Montgomery and Diamond or on 13th street, between Norris and Montgomery. These are areas that are well lit, frequently traveled by students, and in plain sight.

Hopefully some of these will help you in the upcoming weeks as the semester comes to an end.

Happy parking! 

Temple University is a fairly large school; over thousands in attendance everyday.  With that, there is a great business opportunity for food vendors.  Typically, we see them in the form of food trucks throughout the main campus.

Affordable.  Variety.  Deliciousness.

What’s to hate about them?

THEY TAKE UP VALUABLE PARKING SPACE.

This is true. In the immediate area on campus, there are at least ten food trucks that take up space on campus. Although they are entitled to park there, I would appreciate it they would leave at the end of the day as opposed to parking there overnight each and every day.  There is one particular food truck located on Montgomery and 13th that thinks it can leave and park there the very next morning simply because of a sign he had placed on the pole. I work hard to pay for my tuition so that I can attend this campus. Those food truck vendors are simply there so that they can make money. I love food but I think I like making the most out of my education a little bit more.

Food Trucks (Credit: Metro Downtown)

I understand that they are just trying to make money for their family or what have you but why should they be allowed to park their trucks on campus overnight, at premium parking locations, and take away from other students that have to pay to be there? In addition to their trucks, they also have to drive to campus as well so that’s another spot that he or she will occupy. In many cases, these food vendors come to campus early so they tend to park next to or near their trucks. Again, another premium spot taken. One time I was in front of a truck owners car going down Montgomery. I turn my signals on so that I can park in between two food trucks. The owner, who’s behind me, hops out of his car and comes up to me. He goes, “this is my food truck…I’m going to park here…thank you.”

Automatically, he assumed that I would let him park here simply because he owned the truck. I didn’t want to be a complete asshole but I figured I’d just keep driving. Plus, I didn’t want to come back to a broken side view mirror or scratches on my car.

Something needs to be done about this.

Hello Hello!

Just a heads up for all you commuters out there…on Wednesday the 19th, between the hours of 2:00PM and 4:00PM, there will be a Off Campus Living Fair taking place at the Howard Gittis Student Center.

What does this mean?

Most likely parking will be slightly more difficult during that time frame.  I would be cautious and arrive at least half an hour earlier than usual.