Philly has failed to live up to its expectation as a big city

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by DavePa

Do Philly museums have free days for PA residents? I know Chicago museums do. This set by the state too. Perhaps it provides cost to the museums? But many are crowded especially all summer long. Best to get city passes or on-line tickets faster to get thru lines. But still waits. Especially weekends.

But certainlyh not a bad thing if PA state ask does this also in a day for free entry of a state resident
.....

But I still don't get this Philly s not a large urban American city opinion of a few.....

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania doesn't provide support for any museum in the state other than the State Museum in Harrisburg. Nor does the City of Philadelphia provide support for any museum. So no, there are no free days, but as has already been noted above, the Philadelphia Museum of Art has pay-what-you-wish admission on one Sunday a month and every Wednesday evening from 5 to 8:45 p.m.

Also, holders of Pennsylvania ACCESS cards or other EBT cards can get into the PMA for free and bring three other adults with them anytime (they need a photo ID along with the card).

[DavePa]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania doesn't provide support for any museum in the state other than the State Museum in Harrisburg. Nor does the City of Philadelphia provide support for any museum. So no, there are no free days, but as has already been noted above, the Philadelphia Museum of Art has pay-what-you-wish admission on one Sunday a month and every Wednesday evening from 5 to 8:45 p.m.

Also, holders of Pennsylvania ACCESS cards or other EBT cards can get into the PMA for free and bring three other adults with them anytime (they need a photo ID along with the card).

I don't know if many states outside of State museums? Offer free or discounted days for residents.

But wouldn't be a bad idea for PA to require major museums to offer them.

Thanks to the Illinois General Assembly many museums are mandated by law to offer Illinois residents up to 52 free museum days each year. Some museums are free year round. Others offer free evenings. A valid ID is required for free or special admission prices.

But special exhibits are excluded that are generally extra over general admission anyway.

But though mandated by the State. The State does not finance these days. But these days many times are very crowded as a weekend with tourist are. But shows interest and can ADD TO MORE COMING INTO THE CITY for such offerings.

All reasons to bring more residents of PA to Philly from more distances. And add to its restaurant and retail scene and added interest then overall. Tourist SPEND $$$ them $'s get taxed and most city gets a share.

Also good for poorer families to be lured to a museum outing. So not a bad idea. Not limited to certain groups like Seniors.

[DXBtoFL]

If we're still talking about attracting overseas visitors, most European countries do not have free museums, if anything, museum tickets aren't cheap. London has free museums but you still pay for for the exhibitions and they can be quite expensive (£20 for example). All museums in Paris, Rome, Madrid, Berlin, Vienna and Amsterdam are ticketed and not necessarily cheap.

Washington having free museums is an afterthought for international tourism, not the reason.

[2e1m5a]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania doesn't provide support for any museum in the state other than the State Museum in Harrisburg. Nor does the City of Philadelphia provide support for any museum. So no, there are no free days, but as has already been noted above, the Philadelphia Museum of Art has pay-what-you-wish admission on one Sunday a month and every Wednesday evening from 5 to 8:45 p.m.

Also, holders of Pennsylvania ACCESS cards or other EBT cards can get into the PMA for free and bring three other adults with them anytime (they need a photo ID along with the card).

Not only PMA----Those with EBT cards can access nearly all Museums, Gardens and Historic Sites for $2/person. Including The Barnes, Academy Natural Sciences, Eastern State, Betsy Ross, Franklin Institute, Morris Arboretum, Mutter, Constitution Center, PAFA and much more.

[OyCrumbler]

What are these expectations? It sort of depends on what someone is looking for. Certainly DC has the leg up in terms of its current transit system, well-known national monuments and institutions, and long list of great free museums and there's always a host of interesting events due to all the diplomatic missions and NGOs. Those are pretty heavy hitters. However, Philadelphia has the better arts scene outside of major performing arts institutions and better restaurant scene running a broader range of budgets. It's got the better university and nearby smaller cities to explore. It has a much more mixed-use downtown area which makes it more bustling outside of work hours.

Also, given the host of things DC has available as the nation’s capital, I think the topic title is overstating things. This sounds more like a direct comparison with DC and not big city’s in general. There’s a lot of other big cities in the US that don’t have the things I listed above for DC.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Patmcpsu

In addition to what there is to do, Washington DC is simply cleaner; the houses are kept in better shape, the subway stations/trains are kept clean, and there is less "grit" basically everywhere.

I'm aware that DC has some gritty spots, but if we focus on them, it's only fair to compare the worst spots in DC to the worst spots in Philly. Meanwhile, Philly is just starting to make Market Street a pleasant walk between City Hall and Old City.

Even if you're not doing anything, DC tends to be a more pleasant space to simply get around.

Every time I go to DC, this is what I think: Why doesn't it impress me the way Paris and London do? Why doesn't Union Station look as amazing as Gare du Nord in Paris or King's Cross in London for instance? I am perfectly aware of how old Paris and London are. But DC has never been bombed or had a physical catastrophe like London was via war.

The powerful country in history should have a way more impressive and distinctive capital.

[Patmcpsu]

Originally Posted by kyb01

Every time I go to DC, this is what I think: Why doesn't it impress me the way Paris and London do? Why doesn't Union Station look as amazing as Gare du Nord in Paris or King's Cross in London for instance? I am perfectly aware of how old Paris and London are. But DC has never been bombed or had a physical catastrophe like London was via war.

The powerful country in history should have a way more impressive and distinctive capital.

The lack of war is a major difference between the old world and the new world; you'll notice that downtown Ottawa feels eerily similar to DC. We should be grateful for this.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Patmcpsu

The lack of war is a major difference between the old world and the new world; you'll notice that downtown Ottawa feels eerily similar to DC. We should be grateful for this.

I'm grateful that none of our major cities , except for WTC(9/11), have experienced war like destruction. No, I have not forgotten Civil War destruction.

But I always feel like there's something missing wrt DC and European cities or capitals. It's a subjective feeling of course.

[Muinteoir]

Originally Posted by kyb01

I'm grateful that none of our major cities , except for WTC(9/11), have experienced war like destruction. No, I have not forgotten Civil War destruction.

But I always feel like there's something missing wrt DC and European cities or capitals. It's a subjective feeling of course.

A big thing for me in this regard is the feeling of distinct local character. There are just so many transplants there, and it does not seem like people take a huge pride in their city like Philly, NYC or Boston. Maybe the Nats win will help change this, though.

[TownDweller]

Originally Posted by Muinteoir

A big thing for me in this regard is the feeling of distinct local character. There are just so many transplants there, and it does not seem like people take a huge pride in their city like Philly, NYC or Boston.

Great point, the local culture and identity is what makes Philadelphia and Chicago different from, say, Dallas and Atlanta. I think that is why you see Sunbelt city bashing here. And I agree that DC is missing that.

What makes Raleigh Raleigh, what makes Tampa Tampa? I bet most inhabitants can answer that one. What makes Philly Philly? Everyone can answer that one.