Philadelphia

Philadelphia Travel Guide

Historically speaking, Philadelphia is a city of superlatives: the world’s largest municipal park; the best collection of public art in the United States; the widest variety of urban architecture in America; and according to some experts, the greatest concentration of institutions of higher learning in the country.

Philadelphia Sights

Philadelphia is known as a city of neighborhoods (109 by one count). Shoppers haggle over the price of tomatoes in South Philly’s Italian Market; families picnic in the parks of Germantown; street vendors hawk soft pretzels in Logan Circle; and all over town kids play street games such as stickball, stoopball, wireball, and chink. It’s a city of neighborhood loyalty: ask a native where he’s from and he’ll tell you: Fairmount, Fishtown, or Frankford, rather than Philadelphia. The city’s population is less transient than that of other large cities; people who are born here generally remain, and many who leave home to study or work eventually return. Although the population is nearly 1.5 million, its residents are intricately connected; on any given day, a Philadelphian is likely to encounter someone with whom he grew up. The “it’s-a-small-world” syndrome makes people feel like they belong.

Philadelphia Restaurant Reviews

Back in the “dining dark ages” when Philadelphia was known best for its “snapper” (turtle) soup and overstuffed Italian sandwiches (hoagies) and not much else, this was a difficult city to get excited about. Thankfully, those days are over. In fact, now the only thing that is difficult is choosing where. Whether you’re in the mood to treat yourself to something fancy, sample innovative cuisine in one of several creative new spots, or just grab a quick bite, Philadelphia has an abundance of intriguing choices. A startling restaurant renaissance that put the city on the national culinary map began nearly 30 years ago and has been escalating ever since—both in the number and variety of places to eat. As each year passes, the tally of restaurants and the range of their cuisines have continued to mushroom—now Philadelphia’s dining scene is truly international in scope.

Ethnic restaurants of nearly every persuasion, from Vietnamese and Malaysian to Jamaican and Cuban, have also enhanced the dining scene. Italian food, a stalwart in any city, has its own connotations here, ranging from South Philadelphia home style to restaurants that rate among the city’s most elegant. And, despite people’s mounting awareness of their cholesterol levels, steak houses have multiplied, both chain-affiliated and individually controlled. In keeping with a nationwide trend, hotel dining has improved significantly.

A good source for reasonably up-to-the-minute dining information is Philadelphia, a monthly magazine with restaurant listings. Two free weekly local papers, the City Paper and Philadelphia Weekly, also have restaurant reviews and numerous listings. These “freebies” are available in metal sidewalk dispensers on nearly every Center City street corner

Philadelphia Hotel Reviews

From historic digs with four-poster beds to grand hotels serving room-service foie gras, Philadelphia has lodgings for every style of travel. Thanks to the Pennsylvania Convention Center and a hotel-building boom in the late 1990s, some mid-price chains have moved into town or have spruced up their accommodations. If you have greater expectations, you need look no further than the city’s handful of swank hotels, each with its own gracious character.

Budget, moderate, and luxury properties are spread throughout the downtown area. The Historic Area, on the east side of downtown, centers on Independence Hall and extends to the Delaware River, and is a good base for sightseeing. Old City and Society Hill lodgings are also convenient for serious sightseeing; Society Hill is the quietest of the three areas. For business-oriented trips, Center City encompasses the heart of the downtown business district, centered around Broad and Market streets, and Rittenhouse Square hotels are also nearby.

If you prefer to keep your distance from the tourist throngs, check out the Benjamin Franklin Parkway-Museum Area along the parkway from 16th Street to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. There are also a couple of hotels in University City—just across the Schuylkill River in West Philadelphia and close to the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University—a 5- to 10-minute drive or taxi ride from Center City. Additional hotels are clustered near Philadelphia International Airport, about 8 mi south (a 20-minute drive) of Center City. Four are in the City Line Avenue area, west of downtown. Other options can be found in outlying areas, including Valley Forge, and Lancaster and Bucks counties.

Philadelphia Nightlife

Philadelphia has a rhythm of its own. Whether you’re listening to the Philadelphia Orchestra while picnicking on the lawn at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, or having a jazz brunch at Zanzibar Blue, you’ll soon be caught up in that rhythm. Of course, Philly holds a special place in pop music history. American Bandstand, hosted by Dick Clark, began here as a local dance show. When it went national in 1957, it gave a boost to many hometown boys, including Fabian, Bobby Rydell, Frankie Avalon, and Chubby Checker. The city’s rock-and-roll tradition began in 1955 with Bill Haley and the Comets. In the 1970s the Philadelphia Sound—a polished blend of disco, pop, and rhythm and blues—came alive through Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff; its lush sound has been kept alive by chart toppers such as Hall and Oates, Patti LaBelle, Boyz II Men, and rapper/actor Will Smith, as well as newer acts, notably Jill Scott, Eve, and Pink.

Bars and clubs can change hands or go out of business faster than a soft pretzel goes stale. Many places are open until 2 AM; cover charges vary from free to about $12. Some may not be open every night, so call ahead. A few places do not accept credit cards, so carry some cash. For current information check the entertainment pages of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the City Paper, and Philadelphia magazine.

Philadelphia Shopping

Homey meets haute in Philadelphia. You’ll find it all here—funky artwork and highbrow housewares, fine jewels, and haute couture. Indeed, Philadelphia has spawned some influential fashion retailers. Nationally known clothing designer Paula Hian works out of a studio in Manayunk. The Urban Outfitters chain was born in a storefront in West Philadelphia. Its sophisticated sister, Anthropologie, also has its roots in Philadelphia. Lagos, the popular high-end jewelry line, was founded here, and all items are still produced locally. High-fashion boutiques Joan Shepp, Knit Wit, and Plage Tahiti, all in the Rittenhouse Square area, are well regarded by locals for designer clothing and accessories.

Some of the most spirited shopping in town is also pleasing to the palate. The indoor Reading Terminal Market and the outdoor Italian Market are bustling with urban dwellers buying groceries and visitors in search of the perfect Philadelphia cheese steak. Equally welcoming is the city’s quaint, cobblestone Antiques Row, the three-block stretch of Pine Street crammed with shops selling everything from estate jewelry to stained glass and rare books. Also worth a trip is Jewelers’ Row, the oldest and second-largest diamond district in the country.