About CHAS

About

Gregory College House


Van Pelt Manor: 3909 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6004
Class of 1925: 3941 Irving Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6191
House Office: 215.573.5171  •  Hours: Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM
http://gregory.house.upenn.edu  • gregory@collegehouses.upenn.edu

 

 

NOTE: For the 2024-25 academic year,
Gregory Van Pelt will house only first year students during Quad renovations.
Class of '25 will remain a four-year building.

"One of the smallest and coziest Houses"

Gregory College House, small in size, cozy in feel, immersive in academic focus and overflowing with events, is a vibrant College House community where everyone feels connected, empowered, and supported.

Gregory Exterior

Penn’s College House system was born in Van Pelt Manor and Class of 1925, the two matching 4-story buildings that make up Gregory; these innovative communities were the first to incorporate live-in faculty, to offer academic credit for living-learning programs, and to organize student-run computer support and student-spearheaded event calendars.

Gregorians eating in HallwayGregory is also a unique mix of the independent living and the social; all residents, including first-years, have their own bedroom and within-suite bathroom, affording them plenty of privacy when they need it. We pride ourselves on being one of the most highly active and involved House communities.  We offer many opportunities for students to hang out with their neighbors at regular social get-togethers or House-wide activities. Gregory is an ideal community for students who value their space and study time, but love the idea of a lively environment. Gregory hosts a variety of House-wide events occurring every week, where residents can get to know just about everyone, including staff and faculty, not just for one year but potentially four. Gregorians take part in a wide range of campus organizations, teams and performing arts groups, or patronize the vibrant restaurant scene on the west end of campus. House residents appreciate the fact that they will always have a family waiting for them when they get back home. 

Gregory Film Lounge

To walk through Gregory’s halls at night – any night – is to see this programmatic model in full swing. In the piano lounge of Van Pelt Manor you will likely see students playing the piano, engaging in group study, or dining with a visiting faculty member at our longstanding Dinner with Gregory speaker series. Next door our state-of-the-art Cinema Lounge will be showing a classic film or contemporary blockbuster on its giant screen, with a film manager on hand for follow-up discussion. Gregorians will be chatting, eating, studying and playing board games along a hall of comfortable chairs, looking out at festive Spruce Street through floor-to-ceiling windows, or shooting pool in the club room as their neighbors bake desserts in the adjoining kitchen. 

Gregory KitchenMeanwhile, over in the Class of 1925 building participants in our language houses will be conversing animatedly in Spanish, French, Mandarin, or German while engaging in an interactive culture activity. Our Greenhouse is noted as a favorite study space; along the walls you will see mosaic art and shelves of community plants and herbs. The 1925 basement is Gregory's social hub, with a mix of private study rooms, TV lounge, yoga studio – and residents can enjoy free coffee and tea at the Darkroom Café.

A Discussion at Gregory

Gregory first-year students receive an ideal first year experience, with extra RAs on hand to ease their transition into a new environment. Most of the upperclassmen have lived here for two or more years, many taking advantage of opportunities to become Gregory house managers, who are active leaders in this tight-knit community who manage the Darkroom Café, run their own film series, and put on a variety of regular events.

But everyone from first year students to seniors come together in a hungry throng at weekly gatherings like Bring Your Own Mug!, study breaks, film screenings, and Darkroom Café nightly meetups. You will often find residents doing some collective cooking in the community kitchens, cheering or booing at the Oscar and Super Bowl parties, bonding through House-led off-campus adventures including Apple picking, a 76ers game, Broadway shows, Center City trips, and more!  Residents will never experience a night where they cannot find company. Our staff and faculty are always a part of this mix offering a diverse programming and learning experiences for everyone to enjoy.