Uwishunu.com

There are many things I’ll always remember about Ratman, my first Penn neuroscience doctoral candidate, but the one I never want to forget took place during our second date. We’d gone to the Bridge movie theater for a few hours of lighthearted romantic comedy and from there to Mad for Mex for celebratory libations before I found myself sitting with him on a bench in possibly the most persuasive environment I’ve ever encountered in a public Philadelphia space. The moonlight glancing off the lenses of his glasses almost blinded me to the flurry of pink cherry blossoms falling from the trees, the crickets chirped encouragement from the underbrush, and the sound of the murky pond water rippled musically on the nearby shore.

It wasn’t until later that I wondered where this magical place was. Turns out it was the Biopond, five acres of donated Penn campus that could easily, on the right starry night, pass for an enchanted grove straight out of a Harlequin romance. Dr. John M. MacFarland, the Biopond’s creator, knew what he was about when he put this oasis behind the science buildings: I imagine it’s been the driving force behind many a botany major’s nuptials since its conception in 1897.

The Biopond can be found off Hamilton Walk near 38th Street in the rear of the Richards Medical Research Building on the southeast corner of the Penn campus. Check out the Biopond’s official website for a really cool 360 virtual tour feature.

Biopond Official Website

Biopond @ Flickr

Penn Biopond
S 38th St & Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104