Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Agreed. The viewpoint of the the typical philly booster with their head in the sand. I should post a pic someone from the UK posted (on the weather forum) of their impression of Philly. It is 4 black guys standing on a street corner in the hood, lol.
Yes, but it's not all hood, a bit of a bad stereotype. I agree it's the weakest of the four major NE cities (DC, Boston, Philly and DC) and the least for tourists, but I've enjoyed my visits and find it an interesting city. Worth a short side trip, and more practical to visit from NYC than Boston.
Agreed. The viewpoint of the the typical philly booster with their head in the sand. I should post a pic someone from the UK posted (on the weather forum) of their impression of Philly. It is 4 black guys standing on a street corner in the hood, lol. Philly has a terrible rep as a tourist destination. I live here. I see it. Why doesn't he talk about this:
Yes, I'm sure Philly isn't too enjoyable for racist Britons. And here we go again with that "booster" label applied to anyone who has anything remotely positive to say.
At any rate, no city has a uniformly positive impression on every single person. That's life -- but it doesn't detract from the fact that is, indeed, a popular tourist destination.
It seems like NY and DC are the "shoo-ins" for tourist stops. As much as I love Boston and agree that it has more "polish" for the tourist crowd, I just don't see how it necessarily beats Philly in terms of attractions. In particular, both cities are chock full of very similar levels of history.
To the OP: For one week, I would only do 2 cities, spending 4 nights in NY and 3 nights in DC. NY because it simply an amazing hub of energy and excitement and DC because I think everyone should visit our nation's capital once in their lives to see all the monuments, museums and grandeur. It would be a shame to fly all this way and not spend a few days there. As others have stated however, NY in Dec is crazy - both in terms of the number of people and the hotel prices. Best to look into that now.
If you are determined to fit in another city, Philly is the one. Logistically it doesn't make sense to go to Boston on this particular visit as it is out of the way and Philly is nicely situation just about half way between NY and DC. Philly was, of course, the city where both the Declaration of Independence was signed and the Constitution was drafted, so would be a great stop over for anyone interested in US history. We've had many out of state visitors who love it.
Yes, I'm sure Philly isn't too enjoyable for racist Britons. And here we go again with that "booster" label applied to anyone who has anything remotely positive to say.
At any rate, no city has a uniformly positive impression on every single person. That's life -- but it doesn't detract from the fact that is, indeed, a popular tourist destination.
It seems like NY and DC are the "shoo-ins" for tourist stops. As much as I love Boston and agree that it has more "polish" for the tourist crowd, I just don't see how it necessarily beats Philly in terms of attractions. In particular, both cities are chock full of very similar levels of history.
Philly has nothing to match Boston Harbor and all those ferries going out to Cape Cod and islands. All the towns dotting the coast around Boston, etc, etc attract tourists. Tourists coming to Philly should spend no more than a day here. Not much to do beyond that. It is a hometown thru and thru. Very few outsiders moving in from across the country, and very few attractions for those not living here.
People visit Boston and New England (Boston is the capital of New England) for a few days and check out all the attractions around it. Philly is barely noticed as you whiz by on I-95 in New Jersey. You wouldn't even know you passed by it as the signs barely mention it. It is laughable for a city the size it is.
Beyond the Society Hill tourist area there is just nothing for the tourist to do. Even the transit here is unfriendly for them as they don't even have day or two day passes to ride all the transit. And really, where the heck would they ride out to anyway besides the historic district (Northeast Philly lol). And the Jersey Shore is a very local Philly hangout, and completely different from Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, etc. etc. which are national destinations with a huge draw.
Beyond the Society Hill tourist area there is just nothing for the tourist to do. Even the transit here is unfriendly for them as they don't even have day or two day passes to ride all the transit. And really, where the heck would they ride out to anyway besides the historic district (Northeast Philly lol). And the Jersey Shore is a very local Philly hangout, and completely different from Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, etc. etc. which are national destinations with a huge draw.
I really don't want to make this into a Boston v. Philly tourism brawl.
I will say that we're discussing cities only here, so the Cape, Nantucket, etc. don't apply, although I do certainly acknowledge that there is more of a coastal draw in the Boston area. Even so, you're still undercutting the Philly region. There are lots of quaint small towns/villages and attractions that tons of outsiders visit (Longwood Gardens/Brandywine Valley, Valley Forge, Washington Crossing and New Hope in Bucks County, etc). Even on the coast, Cape May and Atlantic City are huge draws.
It's very sad how you're downplaying the extent of history that this region has, which could keep enthusiasts occupied for days.
Let's not forget that Philly is extremely walkable to begin with, so that point's pretty moot. Not to mention the fact that Philly's effectively cut-off from 95 is not even relevant -- that's just poor highway planning.
I agree with the posters above about it not being ideal to see all three of Boston, NYC, and DC in one trip. You should go to New York and then pick either DC or Boston. If this is your first trip to the east coast it may be a while before you get back, so do the one of either DC or Boston that you most want to see. They are approximately equal distance/time from New York. All three can be done, but there is a lot to see and the distance from Boston to DC is fairly long if your time is limited.
If you really want to see three cities, then I would do DC, Philly, then NY and save Boston for a future trip (unless you are just dying to see Boston). Since Philly is between DC and New York it makes more sense to do those together. And Philly offers some really interesting historical stuff which might make up for not seeing Boston this time. Baltimore is also an interesting place, but you definitely don't need to add in another city.
Also, if I were you I would save New York for the second part of your trip. It is so big and so busy that even a great city like DC, Boston, or Philly might seem underwhelming. You will be better off to start with the smaller city for 2-3 days then head to the Big Apple.
Have fun! They are all great cities and have tons to see and do.
I really don't want to make this into a Boston v. Philly tourism brawl.
I will say that we're discussing cities only here, so the Cape, Nantucket, etc. don't apply, although I do certainly acknowledge that there is more of a coastal draw in the Boston area. Even so, you're still undercutting the Philly region. There are lots of quaint small towns/villages and attractions that tons of outsiders visit (Longwood Gardens/Brandywine Valley, Valley Forge, Washington Crossing and New Hope in Bucks County, etc). Even on the coast, Cape May and Atlantic City are huge draws.
I look at it like this: If I'm coming to Philly, I want to see Philly. Just like if I'm coming to NYC, I want to see NYC. Telling me about NJ's great locations to also visit while you're visiting Philly to kill time doesn't do much for me. Don't get me wrong, I love my state and I love my Jersey Shore, but if I'm coming to Philly I'm coming to Philly. I need things to do in Philly, not outside of Philly. Especially if I'm on such a short schedule, like a week for two major cities. NYC and DC are really the only two (in question here on this thread) where you can do things endlessly for 4 days then still have way more left to do by the time you wanted to leave. I love Boston and Philadelphia is okay, but unless you're into history, there isn't all that much left to do compared to NYC. DC is historical, but this is our capital. Who doesn't want to go around and see everything possible?
If I'm coming to NYC (on limited time), I don't want to go to the Hamptons (unless I have extra time)…
I look at it like this: If I'm coming to Philly, I want to see Philly. Just like if I'm coming to NYC, I want to see NYC. Telling me about NJ's great locations to also visit while you're visiting Philly to kill time doesn't do much for me. Don't get me wrong, I love my state and I love my Jersey Shore, but if I'm coming to Philly I'm coming to Philly. I need things to do in Philly, not outside of Philly. Especially if I'm on such a short schedule, like a week for two major cities. NYC and DC are really the only two (in question here on this thread) where you can do things endlessly for 4 days then still have way more left to do by the time you wanted to leave. I love Boston and Philadelphia is okay, but unless you're into history, there isn't all that much left to do compared to NYC. DC is historical, but this is our capital. Who doesn't want to go around and see everything possible?
If I'm coming to NYC (on limited time), I don't want to go to the Hamptons (unless I have extra time)…
Philly native here and JerseyGirl pretty much summed it all up. Philly is great to stay just a couple of days max or during one of the major holidays like New Years but that is the extent of it. Personally i would go with DC as there is a ton to see via museums, history etc. Will take a few days atleast to fully check out everything. NYC would be the other option for obvious reasons.
I agree, once past the Liberty Bell/Independence Hall and Betsy Ross's House the historic portion is pretty much done as the tourist area is quite compact. There are museums and other attractions but not enough to make it destination worthy in my opinion. The city has been trying to get visitors to stay beyond a half-day to day through massive advertising campaigns, but it's a tough sell.
Agreed, that's why I'd recommend a single day stopover on the way from NYC to DC, if the OP is so inclined. But definitely no longer than that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PatDJohns
A word of advice from a lifetime NYer about traveling in December in NYC. It is really, really crowded during Christmas season. If you plan on coming to NYC, you better start making plans NOW. I would not be surprised if you cant find a hotel at a reasonable price that month.
Not trying to discourage you from visiting but there is no way you can do the whole East Coast in a week. Id stick to just two cities like everyone says. I will say this, coming from the West Coast you'll be surprised how quick, easy, and far you can travel on the East Coast by train.
Definitely great points. As for the train though, Amtrak is actually pretty decent on the West Coast. It's the rest of the country between the two coasts that needs to catch up.
Even the transit here is unfriendly for them as they don't even have day or two day passes to ride all the transit.
Yeah, that did bother me a little the last time I visited, which was also the first time I needed to use transit in the area. I also think (could be wrong) that if you show up after hours, you'll need cash cause the machines dont take card.
When did this start? I am 99% sure this was not an option when I visited last September...it would have been ideal.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
