A visual appreciation for Philadelphia’s outdoor spaces.
Photo essay by Charlie Hewson ’26
Intro:
Philadelphia has an unparalleled appreciation for outdoor spaces. From walkers and joggers to chatty friends and studying students, seemingly every green corner of the city is bustling with people excited to relax outside. When the weather is pleasant, all forms of recreation take place outdoors; music, visual arts, sports, and even a quick nap on one of the many inviting park benches are all fair game. But the main appeal of the city’s many outdoor spaces is the opportunity to commune with nature in an urban setting. And what better way to explore the beauty of Philly’s natural marvels than through a moody black-and-white lens, turning green spaces to grayscale?
A view from the Walnut Street Bridge of walkers enjoying the Schuylkill River Trail.
The gazebo at the Fairmount Water Works juts out into the Schuylkill River, providing an unobstructed view of the adjacent waterfall.
Along the Schuylkill River Trail, big, open spaces allow city dwellers to relax by the riverside. One couple enjoys a picnic, taking in views of West Philadelphia and I-76.
Parks on Tap is a traveling beer garden that sets up in parks around the city. The proceeds go to support the Fairmount Park Conservancy, a nonprofit organization working to preserve the city’s open spaces.
Photography students Maurice Williams ’26 (left) and Elliot Capecchi ’26 learn how to use a Pentax K1000 camera in the dead graveyard outside the Friends Free Library.
The class of ’26 enjoyed a trip to the Wissahickon this fall, in which many traveled Forbidden Drive, a large, gravel trail that follows the Wissahickon Creek. A group of students stand on a jutting rock wall, admiring the natural beauty of the creek.
Wissahickon Valley Park, centered around Wissahickon Creek, is the largest natural space in urban Philadelphia, providing miles of trails ripe for exploration. Outside of the park’s Valley Green Inn, a dirt path was occupied by students engaging in a writing activity about communing with nature.
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Teddy Helgerson ’25 and Elliot Capecchi ’26 enjoy a game of chess on a Wissahickon stone board next to the Valley Green Inn.
The facade of Franklin Field looms over the University of Pennsylvania tennis courts.
On a grey Saturday, students and pedestrians stroll along the tree-lined walkways of College Green, an open space at the center of the University of Pennsylvania’s campus.
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