Green Line Cafe $

4239 Baltimore Ave., 215/222-3431,
www.greenlinecafe.com [1]

HOURS: Mon.–Sat. 7 a.m.–11 p.m., Sun. 8 a.m.–7 p.m.

COST: Most entrées less than $10

When it opened in 2003, the Green Line Cafe complemented its University City/West Philly neighborhood so perfectly that it seemed to have been there forever.

Named for the #34 trolley that runs right outside on Baltimore Avenue, the coffee shop quickly became a vital gathering place for the community.

Green Line Cafe serves Penn and Drexel students, professors, families, punk anarchists, kids, and just about everyone else in the neighborhood. Standard coffee shop pastries and lunch fare are offered, and the café hosts a variety of events and artist exhibits.

The concept proved so successful that several other locations opened not too far away: The Other Green Line (4305 Locust St., 215/222-0799, Mon.–Fri. 7 a.m.–9 p.m., Sat.–Sun. 8 a.m.–8 p.m.), and Green Line–Powelton Village (3649 Lancaster Ave., 215/382-2143, Mon.–Fri. 7 a.m.–9 p.m., Sat.–Sun. 8 a.m.–8 p.m.).