@ncan360 @nel09 I can only speak to the department or its reputation based on second-hand knowledge (I have friends who went through the program), but I did my master's in a related Penn program and can tell you about campus life. Penn spends a good amount of money on social stuff for students; I really felt the difference when I transferred to a state school. Campus is a little insular and there have been historic tensions between the school and the surrounding neighborhoods, but as gentrification is now well underway, that has mostly eased (whether that is good or bad depends on your perspective). It's beautiful and walkable, and the libraries are great. ICA on campus and Slought Foundation and Lightbox Film Center are just three art-focused institutions nearby; there are many. A bunch of my friends teach art practice at Penn and they enjoy their undergrad students, who tend to be dedicated and very smart.
I lived in Philly for 10 years and really loved it. If you're wanting to be involved in the arts outside of academia, it's a place where it is relatively easy to make connections, and there are a handful of great institutions where you can do internships (I did one in the Contemporary department at the Philadelphia Museum of Art).
I think of Philly like "Cheers" -- it's a big city with a small feel, and after you've been there a little while you will often run into people you know. I am regretting a bit that I didn't apply to UPenn for my PhD, but 10 years felt like long enough. I'm not sure whether this information is helpful, but let me know if there's anything I can fill in.
I'm also struggling with making a decision in the absence of campus visits, so I thought I'd chime in!