In order to understand the surroundings of Science Leadership Academy, located on 22nd Street between Arch and Walden, we did a neighborhood walk shown in the shaded area seen in the map pictured below.
As we walked up 22nd street, it was very obvious that the majority of the area surrounding Science Leadership Academy was residential. There were several luxury apartment complexes and other housing areas. Several of these apartments or townhouses were very modern-looking and included gates or garages, leading us to believe that the residents of the area were considerably well-off.
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There were also several education centers in the area we walked through surrounding SLA. We noted that there were a handful of preschools, such as The Giving Tree, between Market Street up to Winter Street as well as from 20th Street to 22nd Street; we also saw that there was a French Communication Institute which provides services like a bilingual preschool, adult language instruction, and cooking and baking classes. There are several restaurants and pubs located in the blocks surrounding SLA, as well as a Trader Joe’s supermarket, giving students an option to grab a quick bite to eat before or after class.
Another frequently visited spot can be found right across 22nd Street – Arch Street Gourmet Deli. This deli and convenience store is frequented by students and faculty daily as a place to have a snack, buy lunch, or to hang out after school with friends. The manager and employees of the store have a great relationship with the students of SLA and enjoy seeing familiar faces in the store week after week during the school year. |
market street & SCHUYLKILL river trail
Because SLA is also very close to Market Street, the students also have access to the Financial District and Center City, which most students traveling to school may not experience otherwise. A former student teacher talked about Science Leadership Academy’s proximity to the main part of Center City as very beneficial for students because “it’s not in the heart of [the city], but it’s right on the edge which is nice.” This location allows students to be within blocks of the “hustle and bustle” as well as a few blocks away from the Schuylkill River Trail, where students have in the past worked on projects and performance art for class.
Images courtesy of Ashley Smith and Swetha Narasimhan.