I was really surprised at some of the reviews on here saying that The Courts is a terrible place to live, so I guess I'll start off addressing some of the negatives of The Courts as I see them. First off, in the five months I have been here the fire alarm has probably gone off a total of about 6 or 7 times. It's annoying and is a problem, but not a deal breaker. I also had several maintenance issues when I moved in like others mentioned, but they were all resolved quickly. One of my outlets is loose, but there are plenty in the room so it's not a big deal to me. The office staff is helpful, albeit gruff sometimes on the phone. The grocery store is about 6 or so blocks away, but they do deliver for $5 I believe. The only instance in which I would not recommend living here is if you must have a car. Street parking is limited and you can definitely get a nice parking setup elsewhere. When you live at The Courts you are paying a premium to be close to Drexel and Penn, so having a car negates that in my opinion. On the other hand you should be prepared to pay quite a bit for a commuter parking pass from your school if you do decide to live farther away. The cable television is not good here even though it is only $35 a month, which is a steal for this area. I complain all the time to Comcast to no avail (other than some refunds), so it appears if you live here you'll have cheap but inconsistent cable.
Now on to the good. The complex very attractive on the exterior and is in a very quiet area with little car traffic immediately around it. On top of this there is 24 hour security at the door who will also receive package deliveries for you. The building is extremely close to Drexel and only a 10 minute walk to the heart of Penn's campus. Trolleys and the subway are both very closeby, and 30th Street Amtrack/Septa rail station is a 15 minute walk or $5 cab ride away. Center City is accessible through all three of these. The Art Museum is also within walking distance as well. The courtyard within the complex is attractive and well kept, along with the actual buildings. The actual apartment I'm in is very nice with lots of windows and plenty of space. Cabinets, walls, and carpets were all in good order when I moved in. I have yet to see any sort of rodent or bug. The internet access is free, but it is sort of slow which is typical of places that provide internet in this way. Comcast usually runs $20/month for 6 month internet deals if it becomes unbearable, which it hasn't for me despite being a heavy internet user. It's very nice having your own washer/dryer to do your laundry at your leisure. Oven and dishwasher are apartment sized but work well.
I live with my significant other, and we are both grad students. Living here allows us to come and go from campus on our own time and not worry about a car while still getting to enjoy the city whenever we want to. The Courts has a higher rent than some of the surrounding apartments, but I think the difference in quality is appreciable. On grad student stipends we are able to afford this place comfortably and would recommend it to anyone. If you have questions or would like pictures feel free to email me, as you can also get a $200 check at move-in if you are referred by someone (I also would get $100 so it's worth my while too). Hope this helps in your apartment searching.