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Guide to Bryn Mawr College

ἡ δ’ οὔτε ἁπλῆ οὔτε μία φαίνεταί μοι εἶναι. οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν ἡγεμόνων ἔδει.

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Directions for Driving

The college’s address is the following: 140 Morris Ave. Bryn Mawr, PA 19010-2899. Once you get to the college itself check the attached map for navigating campus. The parking lot between buildings #38 and #40 on the map is the best place to park given its abundance of “visitor” spots. The parking lot near building #31 on the map is the second best option.

Direction by train

Arriving in Philadelphia via Train
If you have arrived at 30th Street Station via AMTRAK, NJ Transit, or the like, you can transfer to a direct commuter train to Bryn Mawr on the area’s transit authority, SEPTA. The train you want is the Regional Rail line called the “Paoli/Thorndale line,” which is also known as the R5, and get off at Bryn Mawr station. Walking direction from Bryn Mawr Station to the college are provided below.

Arriving in Philadelphia via Airport
If you have arrived at the airport and want to take a train to Bryn Mawr, which will be significantly cheaper than taking a taxi, make your way to baggage claim to collect your luggage. You will ultimately walk down some stairs/go down an escalator to the baggage carousels. The entrance to the train to Center City lies just before you go down the stairs to the carousels. There are a number of signs to help you find it, as well as airport personnel that are happy to help. The train comes every 30 minutes, and have no fears about going the wrong way, because at this point the trains only go one way, to the city. You will need to transfer at 30th Street Station to the Paoli/Thorndale Line and get off at the Bryn Mawr stop. It is cheapest and easiest to tell the conductor on the train (from the airport) that you’re going directly to Bryn Mawr. This is the cheapest fare, and you won’t have to buy another ticket at 30th Street Station.

Helpful Notes about the SEPTA trains.

  • http://www.septa.org/schedules/rail/w/PAO_0.htm (for schedule from Center City to Bryn Mawr.)
  • http://www.septa.org/schedules/rail/w/AIR_1.htm (for schedule from the Airport to Center City)
  • Travel time from the airport to Philadelphia: 20-30 minutes; from Philadelphia to the College, approximately 20 minutes.
  • The cost is around $12 from the airport to Bryn Mawr station (the cost fluctuates slightly depending on the time of day).
  • Make sure you have cash! If you buy your ticket on the train itself, you must have cash. (For those of you coming from the airport, this is the only way to do it.) 30th Street Station has ticket counters where you can use plastic if you desire.

    • Walking to the college from Bryn Mawr Station

    The campus is a five-minute walk from the Bryn Mawr train station. – You want to be on the north, residential side of the station; you will be on the correct side as you get off the train if you are coming from Philadelphia. Take the stairs by the station under the track if you’re on the other side. – From Bryn Mawr station, walk north on Morris Avenue (straight ahead as you get off the westbound train) for two blocks. You will cross Montgomery Avenue (mind the traffic lights - traffic travels very fast here). The Benham Gateway, which houses the Office of Admissions, is located on the corner of Morris Avenue and Yarrow Street. From here see the attached map.

    N. B. If you have luggage and wish to take a taxi from the Bryn Mawr station to the College, you may call Bennett Taxi Service on a direct-line phone located on the train platform. The taxi service operates seven days a week from 5:30 a.m. until 12:30 a.m. Very often taxis are waiting for passengers at the two main entrances to the station.

    Navigating the college/Places of importance for the conference

    Here the attached map to the college will be of most use. Besides the parking lots which I indicated above, the two buildings of most importance (which are also conveniently attached to each other) are #17 Carpenter Library, where the conference is located on Friday, and #20 Thomas Hall, where the conference is located on Saturday. The campus of Bryn Mawr College is rather beautiful, so if you get the chance, I highly recommend wandering the campus at some point.

    Helpful Images

    If this is your first time in Philadelphia/Bryn Mawr, I figure that some maps might be of use. I have attached three. 1) A map of the Mainline (as it’s called) of Philadelphia (embedded below). Here you can see the relative locations of the suburbs of Philadelphia, namely Bryn Mawr and Wayne/Ardmore if you happen to be staying in the inns located there. 2) A complete map of SEPTA’s transit lines. The Regional Rail lines are the thin blue ones. 3) A map of the college, which has been referred to throughout.