The Scope
My name is Sonia Panchal and I am a first year student at Salus University Pennsylvania College of Optometry. Living so close to Philadelphia means there is never a dull weekend. There is so much to explore--cool restaurants, interesting museums, historical sites, and the whole center city area to name a few things. This city is filled with many attractions that are perfect for college and graduate students.
One of my favorite sites I have visited in Philadelphia is Magic Gardens located on South Street. It is an entire three city lot- span of unique artwork created by the mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar. The site consists of both an indoor gallery and a large outdoor mosaic “maze” with staircases, walls, and arches made entirely of various mosaic tiles and objects. I recommend going on a warm sunny day so you can appreciate how incredible the outdoor mosaic is put together.
Magic Gardens is a popular tourist site, especially in the summer when they host movie nights, socials, and lavish ticketed events with live bands and food. You could spend a good few hours here just looking at all of the mosaics pieced together with unique objects such as kitchen utensils, parts of bikes, dishware with Latin American art, and other colorful items placed on the walls. Many people come to take pictures in front of the art and look for hidden words and symbols on the tiles.
Another bonus of visiting this unique art exhibition is that Magic Gardens offers student discounts! ($8.00 admission if you present your student ID). I highly recommend checking it out!
- Sonia is a first-year optometry student at Salus University
