PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — From Logan Square to the Philadelphia Zoo, from the Shofuso Japanese House & Garden to the Kimmel Center, the Happiness Map is dotted with Philadelphia favorites.
But there are hidden gems as well, like the turtle-filled BioPond at the University of Pennsylvania, the Treehouse in the Sky behind the Art Museum and a pocket park in Mantua providing a home for homeless cats.
The Happiness Map came out of Drexel University’s Happiness Lab. The lab’s director, Eric Zillmer, challenged his Psych 101 students to go out and explore the city and come back with one place that makes them happy.
The 243 students narrowed their findings to 28 spots that now make up The Happiness Map. Dr. Zillmer says the key is a place that makes you feel alive and present, where you feel larger than yourself.
The city’s historical connection to the river is represented with the Wood Street steps and there are dessert shops like Maison Sweet, proving, Dr. Zillmer says, that happiness can be closer than you think.
There’s a free exhibit about The Philadelphia Challenge at Drexel’s W.W. Hagerty Library through November 30th.
The Philadelphia Challenge Exhibit | The Happiness Map
Drexel University W.W. Hagerty Library
3300 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19104
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