There are plenty of places to stay outside of the main neighborhoods, and most of them are chains. There’s a cluster of hotels conveniently located near the airport as well as some near the many colleges in the Greater Philadelphia area.
With the exception of the Conwell Inn [1] on Temple University’s campus, a car is necessary to get around. Included here are a few alternatives to the big chains.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/philadelphia/hotels/greater-philadelphia/100-150/conwell-inn