You’ve probably seen the new Radian student apartment building being “constructed at seemingly record speeds” on the 3900 block of Walnut Street. With rooms priced at over $1,000 per month, Radian will surely attract a certain income class. As Urban Studies professor Sidney Wong said, “Maybe they’re looking for the top 50 percent [in income], not the bottom 50.”

An article in yesterday’s DP pointed out that Radian will have “a fitness center, WiFi, a game room and a private study room[.]”

Imagine if the only freshmen living in Hill College House in a few years are those on financial aid and those not wealthy enough to afford Radian. Imagine if Pottruck wasn’t used by any of the students living at Radian. What’s next? A dining hall in Radian? Penn could divide into a type of “barbell” society.

A free market allows people to buy what they want. Since Radian is so close to campus, I’m sure many freshmen who lived in Hill with me last year or this year and have that kind of money would opt out of the cramped, no-air-conditioner environment for something much more comfortable.

Radian will surely be a boon to West Philadelphia’s economy, but could it be a bane to the Penn experience?