Southwest Center City

Philadelphia, PA

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Southwest Center City - Philadelphia, PA

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A renovated neighborhood in an enviable locale

Urban Historic Riverside Walkable Convenient

Nestled just southwest of the heart of Center City, Southwest Center City is a revitalized neighborhood strewn alongside the Schuylkill River. The neighborhood’s many alluring rentals include stylish lofts, modern apartments, and charming townhomes. Southwest Center City boasts excellent walkability, partly due to its layout and partly due to its ideal location.

The University of Pennsylvania, both a premier Ivy League institution and the area’s number one employer, lies just across the Schuylkill River from the neighborhood and is accessible within a 10-minute walk. Southwest Center City also sits within walking distance of SEPTA’s Ellsworth-Federal Station, which is served by the Broad Street Line. Major city attractions are just steps away as well, including Rittenhouse Square, the Kimmel Center, and Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens.

Rent Trends

As of March 2025, the average apartment rent in Southwest Center City is $1,500 for a studio, $1,893 for one bedroom, $2,211 for two bedrooms, and $3,370 for three bedrooms. Apartment rent in Southwest Center City has decreased by -1.2% in the past year.

  • Studio

  • 407 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $1,500/month

    Average Rent

  • 1 BR

  • 612 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $1,893/month

    Average Rent

  • 2 BR

  • 938 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $2,211/month

    Average Rent

  • 3 BR

  • 1,350 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $3,370/month

    Average Rent

Transportation

94

Walker's Paradise

out of 100 WalkScore® Rating

Lace up your walking shoes because this area is considered a walker’s paradise.

87

Excellent Transit

out of 100 TransitScore® Rating

You’ll have excellent transit living in this area, with several nearby transit stops.

92

Biker's Paradise

out of 100 BikeScore® Rating

Do you prefer to get around on two wheels? You’ll love living in this neighborhood, which is considered a biker’s paradise.

Points of Interest

Parks and Recreation

  • Schuylkill River Park
  • Penn Museum
  • University of Pennsylvania Observatory
  • Franklin Institute
  • The Academy of Natural Sciences

Airports

  • Philadelphia International
  • Trenton Mercer

Top Apartments in Southwest Center City

Houses for Rent in Southwest Center City

Property Management Companies

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Methodology

† Our analysis of utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare, home prices, and other goods and services is sourced from the Cost of Living Index, a respected benchmark published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) that provides a thorough overview of living expenses across different regions.

Rent data is provided by CoStar Group’s Market Trend reports. As the industry leader in commercial real estate information, analytics, and news, CoStar conducts extensive research to produce and maintain a comprehensive database of commercial real estate information. We combine this data with public record to provide the most up-to-date rental information available.

Consumer goods, services, and home prices are sourced from the Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). The data on this page is updated quarterly. It was last published in February 2025.