* What part of town do you live in? Fishtown, a neighborhood just north of Old City.
* How many people live with you? I live with a girlfriend and a good buddy.
* What is your couch/floor/bed like?
It's a pull out couch and pretty comfortable, if you ask me.
I do have an extra sleeping bag and a couple blankets.
* Do you have pets? YES, an adorable cat.
* Do you smoke? NO
* What fun things to do are there around where you live? Local landmarks? I live right near the Market Frankford 'El' train, which is less than $2 a ride. In less than 10 minutes, you can access all the traditional Philly landmarks, like the Liberty Bell, Independence Mall, the National Constitution Center and more.
In my neighborhood, you can walk to some great bars, the new SugarHouse Casino and the historic Penn Treaty Park -- where the famed agreement that started Philadelphia and, some argue, the country.
* Public transportation? I'm a 10-minute walk to the Girard stop on the Market-Frankford blue line, affectionately called the El. Take that 5 minutes into Old City or 10 into Center City. That same subway line runs to 30th Street Station. With a train, you can also get here from the Philadelphia airport, too.
* Can you show people around? Or, are you busy working? I am building a business, so my availability definitely varies. If I am around, I will happily take you around. I sometimes work from home. I've worked as a tour guide in Old City before.
* Do you prefer to go to bed early or late? With work I am more of an early-bird, but I don't mind.
* Best times that you can host? Weekdays? Weekends? Weekends are probably best, but we can make arrangements.
* Do you have blankets? Yes
* How many days is too many? I would say two nights unless other arrangements are made.
Sean Blanda 25, Male Philadelphia, Pennsylvania United States Friends since September 2007 "His awesomeness caught my attention" Friendship Type: Best Friend
Michael Butler 29, Male Bangor, Pennsylvania United States Friends since January 1999 "family friend" Friendship Type: Close Friend 415
Shannon McDonald 24, Female Philadelphia, Pennsylvania United States Friends since August 2007 "Relationship" Friendship Type: Best Friend
Patrick McNeil 26, Male Philadelphia, Pennsylvania United States Friends since September 2004 "college roommate" Friendship Type: Best Friend 30+
Brian Blanda 23, Male Philadelphia, Pennsylvania United States Friends since October 2008 "Brother's friend" Friendship Type: Friend 15
Joel Putnam 25, Male New York, New York United States Friends since July 2006 "Did a show together with NBC about studying abroad" Friendship Type: Friend I vouched for Christopher Wink
Thomas Pedersen 27, Male Copenhagen, Capital Region of Denmark Denmark Friends since October 2008 "Surfed my place" Friendship Type: CouchSurfing Friend 3
Above the flow of Exit Glacier, part of the Harding Ice field in the Kenai Mountains of south central Alaska. It was a day's hike. View all 6 photos
Personal Description
I love people and interacting with them. I may ask you a million questions. I want to see some of the world while I am young, with the help of others. I look forward to repaying a lot of debts when I am older and in a more stable position.
I am the co-founder of TechnicallyPhilly.com, a news site that covers startups, VC and the broad technology community of Philadelphia.
How I Participate in CS
A little kindness goes a long way.
CouchSurfing Experience
I couchsurfed through a swath of Europe in October 2008 - making stops in all the major cities and some smaller. I was hosted by great folks in Zurich, Switzerland; Miskolc, Hungary and Budapest, Hungary.
I backpacked through Italy March 2007 and made extended stops in Venice and Florence.
In the past, I opened up my first rowhome in Philadelphia, my hostel apartment in Harrisburg, Pa. and an apartment.
"Third and Indiana" by Steve Lopez; American country music; Philadelphia music, like the Roots, Dr. Dog, G-Love
Types of People I enjoy
I enjoy people who like interaction and sharing - not just things, but ideas. A good conversation can be worth more than a dozen trips around the world.
One Amazing Thing I've Seen or Done
The Great Wall of China; the sunrise over Mount Fuji in Tokyo; Hiking a glacier in Alaska; bike-riding in Zurich, Switzerland; eating in Budapest, Hungary; hiking the Grand Canyon; Walking Center City Philadelphia in Christmastime
Opinion on the CouchSurfing.org Project
This is a wonderful way for travelers to repay the debts of kindly locals - I've been helped by many.
This summary is not a replacement for reading references; it's a quick summary to help you get started. At a glance, you can see how many references a member has, and how many of them are positive, neutral, and negative.
In the second line, you'll see how many references came from people who hosted this member, surfed with them, and traveled with them. These numbers won't always add up to the total: some references are not categorized, and some may be categorized as more than one thing.
When viewing this summary, don't jump to conclusions! Things that are negative for one person may be positive for another, and vice versa. It's important to read references carefully and evaluate what that information means to you.
From Alan Younkin Saint Louis, United States Apr 23, 2011
Positive
Chris and I had fun times exploring St. Louis and discussing cities, architecture, and comparing notes on St. Louis and Philadelphia. He was eager to learn all about St. Louis and has a wealth of knowledge about cities in general...and he's an incredibly personable guy. Can't wait to have you show me Philadelphia some day!
Chris is one of the most interesting people with whom I've ever made acquaintance. He can crash on my couch anytime...but he should know that I will probably write on his face with permanent marker while he's sleeping, then put plastic wrap on his toilet seat. It's nothing personal; I'm just a ninja like that.
From Joel Putnam New York, United States Mar 21, 2009
Positive
Chris and I met long before I'd ever heard of couchsurfing, back when we were part of a blog/video podcast about studying abroad with NBC. He's a smart, well-travelled man with a good eye for the details that so many of us miss. If you meet him, you will learn something new, and it may very well be about something sitting in your own backyard.
Chris is genuine and kind. He's interested in meeting new people and learning about their lifestyles, and is equally passionate about sharing his experiences. I have hosted him before and would again.
From Patrick McNeil Philadelphia, United States Nov 30, 2008
Positive
I let Chris surf my couch for the entire sophomore year in college. It turned out to be a good call.
Christopher is a really cool and polite guest to have in your house. I hope he got some good pictures while he was here and the best of luck with your new job! I'm not doubting that you got it already :)
He really favoured me with his interest in...basically anything i told him:)
You can be sure you gonna have fun with him and his friends as well!
From William Myers San Francisco, United States Oct 19, 2008
Positive
Christopher Wink is the prime example of a Philadelphian citizen. I have hung out with Chris plenty of times and every time is a blast. I can't wait to hang out with him again.
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Philadelphia
Backpackers into the wild
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