One, possibly two days in Philly - Must see and do (Philadelphia: houses, to buy)

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by PHLondoner

I wouldn't recommend this over Independence or South Street - in fact, I'd avoid. It feels like they put some kegs next to a skycraper and on most evenings turns into a bro-fest.

Thinking about it, I do agree.

So, OP, opt for Yards Brewery at 5th Spring Garden instead.

[sirron]

Originally Posted by PHLondoner

To the OP - you need to narrow down your interests a bit more. Philly is a big city with dozens and dozens of sites and sounds. Do you like art? Culture? Drinking? Dancing? Theater? Walking? Biking? Hiking? We can give you more specific popular and off the beaten path (unique) suggestions.

A free one that I'd recommend would be to check out Cira Green. It's a really cool multi-acre rooftop park right on the river near 30th street station with awesome city and river views.

Cira Green sounds like something I'd go for.


And yes, to clarify, no dancing, and minimal drinking. (Not much fun, am I?) I'm actually going to Independence Hall and the Edgar Allen Poe house, and of course, a nice lunch. But that won't take all day. The zoo is out. A bike route would interest me, as would some art presentations. They say if you really want to experience a locale, ask the locals!

[1ondoner]

If you are coming on Saturday or Sunday, you could cruise around fairmont park. Not much of a workout but more of a break in the outdoors. I believe Kelly Drive is closed to traffic over the weekend. Starting from Eakins Oval you could ride around via Falls bridge.

I've never been to Philly Zoo, but if you've been to one big and good zoo, then you've been to all the zoos. Most zoos are not unique, It's like going to a different Wal-mart

Originally Posted by sirron

Cira Green sounds like something I'd go for.


And yes, to clarify, no dancing, and minimal drinking. (Not much fun, am I?) I'm actually going to Independence Hall and the Edgar Allen Poe house, and of course, a nice lunch. But that won't take all day. The zoo is out. A bike route would interest me, as would some art presentations. They say if you really want to experience a locale, ask the locals!

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by lpranger467

Walk thru old town, Elfreths alley and the small quaint alleys. Take the subway up to Fishtown (Girard stop) and have a drink at Frankford Hall. Wall along the Schuykill River trail from the Art Museum to South street, then take bus down south street and eat at Little Spoon.

Go to Pat and Genos at night and enjoy the lights and the steaks, then walk along Passyunk Ave, Maybe Eastern State Penitentiary. Observation deck at Liberty Center..Thinking of more

Pardon my terminological nit-picking, but in the interest of avoiding confusion:

It's Old City, not Old Town, and the locals call the rapid transit line that heads to Fishtown the "El," even when it runs in a subway under Market Street. (It's elevated for most of its length, including the station at Girard Avenue and Front Street.) Its formal name is the Market-Frankford Line.

(There's also a Girard stop on the "Subway" (or "Sub") too. But that route runs under Broad Street for its entire length and is named for it. It takes you nowhere near Fishtown.)

I don't know what weekend you plan to visit, but if you can time your arrival so that it falls on the first Friday of the month right around the end of the workday, hanging around Old City would be ideal. The area's art galleries host open houses that evening that draw healthy crowds, and everything's free (unless you decide to buy some of the art on display). Elfreth's Alley, BTW, is the oldest continuously occupied residential street in the country.

If you'd like to go bike riding, a popular thing to do is a circuit of the two bike/pedestrian paths that border the Schuylkill in Fairmount Park from the Art Museum to the Falls Bridge. That's about an 8-mile round trip. I think you can rent bikes at Lloyd Hall (at the Art Museum end on the east bank, at the south end of Boathouse Row), or you can use the Indego citywide bike share system, which lets you pick up a bike from one station and drop it off at another. I think the rates are by the hour. Unfortunately, I don't think it's reached Manayunk yet, or else I'd recommend you extend your trip up the Schuylkill's east bank to there. It has a very attractive Main Street (it's even called Main Street) lined with shops, restaurants and pubs in an old-mill-town environment (which it was).

Kelly (nee East River) Drive is open to traffic at all times, but Martin Luther King (nee West River) Drive is closed to auto traffic on Sundays from 8 a.m. to noon from May through October.

If you'd like to pay the Philadelphia Zoo (the nation's oldest) a visit, you could even arrange a detour as you come down (or head up) the Martin Luther King Drive bike path to hit the zoo, which is at 34th Street and Girard Avenue. (Also: A streetcar line runs along Girard Avenue using restored 1930s-1940s streamlined trolleys - you could if you wanted use it to travel from Fishtown to the zoo or vice versa.)

As far as cheesesteaks are concerned, Pat's and Geno's are the places everyone sends the tourists, but I'd rate Jim's at 4th and South above both. And above any of these I'd recommend a roast pork Italian from DiNic's in the Reading Terminal Market, which I'd second the recommendation you visit. Another good - and unique - sandwich served by an RTM merchant is the "Train Wreck" po'boy at Beck's Cajun Café - an amalgam of chopped steak, andouille sausage, salami, cheese and onions that's like nothing else you've ever had.

On your way from Center City to the bike paths are three art museums along the Ben Franklin Parkway. The Rodin Museum is free while the Barnes Foundation and the Philadelphia Museum of Art charge; however, if you only have time for one, I'd say the Barnes especially is worth the admission (not that the Art Museum isn't, but the Barnes has an unmatched collection of Impressionist and African art displayed in an idiosyncratic fashion that reflects its founder's theories of what makes art art).

[sirron]

Originally Posted by 1ondoner

...

I've never been to Philly Zoo, but if you've been to one big and good zoo, then you've been to all the zoos. Most zoos are not unique, It's like going to a different Wal-mart

Love this comparison. I'm sure it's interesting, but don't really want to spend 3-4 hours there. Thanks!

[kidphilly]

What weekend will you be in?


PAFA an arts festival is starting and running through early June with lots of art events


To me outside of the Liberty Bell, Ind Hall (Even the Revolutionary war museum and Constitution center if you like history


I would propose the following


Reading terminal Market - great people watching and interesting foods, really one of the best indoor food markets in the country. Stop in for lunch


On the Poe house is a little further afield (I would opt for either the mutter quirky medical museum or even the Penn Museum




If one nice lunch/Brunch hit up Parc on Rittenhouse Square


Also the bike share is decent, ride from Fitler sq west along Kelly drive, the trail runs along the river and is always a great ride (albeit crowded with joggers, walkers, and bikers)


Hit the art museum (even if not inside while on the bike, its along the River trail) and walk the front steps, catch the skyline view and the rocky statue (kitchy but fun). Also the Rodin and tinker are an easy hit from there too.


Lastly Philly is a great walking town


Walk down through Old City (Pine, Spruce, Locust, Walnut Chestnut) and up into Rittenhouse or vice versa


Philly has tons of nooks and cranies worth a stroll and exploration including a huge mural arts program nearly every other block it seems, its worth a few hours just sort of strolling and exploring


Best of luck and enjoy your visit


Maybe let us the dates and location of where you are staying and could offer up some weekend and local to your hotel ideas as well




Philly is a great eating town don't miss that aspect

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by sirron

Cira Green sounds like something I'd go for.


And yes, to clarify, no dancing, and minimal drinking. (Not much fun, am I?) I'm actually going to Independence Hall and the Edgar Allen Poe house, and of course, a nice lunch. But that won't take all day. The zoo is out. A bike route would interest me, as would some art presentations. They say if you really want to experience a locale, ask the locals!

Yards Brewery is a pub restaurant 2 blocks away from the Edgar Allen Poe house. Silk City diner is directly across the street(Spring Garden) from Yards. I don't drink much alcohol either.

The zoo, afaik, is a stop on one of the tourist buses. Also the Plash has a zoo shuttle. The zoo is adjacent to/ in the Centennial Dist which was where the 1876 Centennial took place. The Phila. Zoological Garden is the oldest in the country.
It's really not that far from Center City.

You can rent a bike: Indego Bike Share.

When are you coming? The Phila. Arts Fest is 5/30 thru first week of June, I think, wrt to the arts.

[Redddog]

If you make it into old city, take it a little further east to spruce Street harbor park. Great beer food truck and people watching right on the Delaware.

[sirron]

I won't be there for the arts fest, unfortunately. My stay is already booked at a B&B just outside of the city. Will be there primarily for historical and research purposes, but nothin' says I can't wander a bit.


Excellent ideas everyone. I'll be putting together an itinerary tomorrow; I think it will be fun. Now, to make it all fit! Thanks everyone for welcoming a country mouse to the citayyyy.

[Pine to Vine]

Originally Posted by sirron

I won't be there for the arts fest, unfortunately. My stay is already booked at a B&B just outside of the city. Will be there primarily for historical and research purposes, but nothin' says I can't wander a bit.


Excellent ideas everyone. I'll be putting together an itinerary tomorrow; I think it will be fun. Now, to make it all fit! Thanks everyone for welcoming a country mouse to the citayyyy.

Be careful! We visited 7 or so years ago and enjoyed ourselves so much we moved here.