<p>That’s a function of being in the middle of a large city – there is a heck of a lot of ambient light, even at night. It can be disconcerting for people who are used to real dark. Ditto with noise/quiet.</p>
<p>In the fairly suburban part of Philadelphia where I live, at least you can see a bunch of stars at night. It’s not like being in the country, but you can see major constellations and planets. When my kids come home from Brooklyn and Chicago, they always comment that they haven’t seen a star at night since the last time they were home.</p>
<p>The Penn campus is active well into the wee hours of the morning.</p>