Philadelphia 2035 (Reading: city hall, how much, hotel)

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

Really?

If you have additional information that backs this up, please send me a DM. I think my fellow moderators might want to know, as this would mean we could do more than mute her and issue admonishments.

She dances along the boundaries all the time, and she dishes it out but can't take it.

Not to derail this thread too much more, but why can't you just ban her?

[cpomp]

Also the W opens today! If anyone happens to sneak around this weekend, let me know how it is. I am planning a stay hopefully soon.

[cpomp]

Hey All,

So, I visited Philadelphia over the weekend. I’ve been in and out of the city for work once a month, but this was the first time I spent 3 days/nights wandering and enjoying the city since 2019!
My boyfriend and I stayed at the new W Hotel. The hotel is stunning, we had a suite on the 40th floor (not all rooms are open yet). The rooms are beautiful, very dark and chic. The Lobby Bar / Lounge was great, competes with any hotel in New York. The 7th Floor contains a Spa, Gym, and outdoor Pool, all beautiful.

The pool / bar area will be a great summer spot in the coming years.
We walked all over Center City and pockets of Northern Liberties and Fishtown. Center City overall was very lively, people out and about, and a lot of tourists by the historic sites. My boyfriend loves all the old architecture, he likes to wander the little alleyways in Society Hill and Gayborhood. Washington Square Park is his favorite big city park in the country (Rittenhouse is great, but the vibe of Washington is very chill, which he likes).

We were in the Reading Terminal on Friday, it was busy, and most vendors were open, great to see. While in line for a cheesesteak we chatted with 2 separate couples near us. Both leisure visitors from Seattle and Arizona. Both couples had great things to say about the city and the food, which was also great to hear.

Other good points: I noticed a lot of construction everywhere, parts of Sansom and 13th Streets closed for outdoor dining was awesome (make that permanent), Walnut did not look as dreary as I imagined, restaurants and bars everywhere were busy, and we unexpectedly saw the Naked Bike Ride in Rittenhouse Square! My boyfriend likes Philadelphia a lot, he enjoys the food, energy, tight streets, architecture, and he likes the more brash attitude (similar to New York) that you don’t see in Chicago.

Places we ate or drank at… Various spots in the Reading Terminal, Alpen Rose (amazing), Pizzeria Vetri, Trattoria Carina, AKA Rittenhouse, La Columbe (Fishtown), Suraya, Royal Boucherie, JG Sky Bar, and various coffee shops. We love to eat and drink.

Now some slight negatives that I noticed all 3 nights / days…

1. Our room was on 40th floor facing North & East (we could see Broad Street and City Hall), the dirt bike and ATV riders were LOUD all 3 nights. They sporadically start around 11pm, and packs of them every few minutes until 3am. I even got up to look one night and saw them zooming by the Ritz Carlton. Definitely a problem and not exaggerated by residents. I don’t know what the city should do, but this is not “kids looking for a place to ride” (according to the progressive leftists).

2. Chestnut Street from 12th Street to 17th was not enjoyable, notably the 1200 Block and 1500 Block. Saturday night we were walking East toward hotel around midnight, there were at least a dozen ghetto teens by Foot Locker screaming at the top of their lungs, pushing each other, throwing garbage, we jaywalked midblock to avoid. And it was not a one-off circumstance. There should cops stationed along Chestnut. Before 12th and after 17th were fine though, like different worlds on certain blocks of Chestnut. The Element and W definitely help the 1400 block.

In summary, we had a great weekend. It is good to see the city bouncing back, and looks like it will only get better!

[AshbyQuin]

Originally Posted by cpomp

Hey All,

So, I visited Philadelphia over the weekend. I’ve been in and out of the city for work once a month, but this was the first time I spent 3 days/nights wandering and enjoying the city since 2019!
My boyfriend and I stayed at the new W Hotel. The hotel is stunning, we had a suite on the 40th floor (not all rooms are open yet). The rooms are beautiful, very dark and chic. The Lobby Bar / Lounge was great, competes with any hotel in New York. The 7th Floor contains a Spa, Gym, and outdoor Pool, all beautiful.

The pool / bar area will be a great summer spot in the coming years.
We walked all over Center City and pockets of Northern Liberties and Fishtown. Center City overall was very lively, people out and about, and a lot of tourists by the historic sites. My boyfriend loves all the old architecture, he likes to wander the little alleyways in Society Hill and Gayborhood. Washington Square Park is his favorite big city park in the country (Rittenhouse is great, but the vibe of Washington is very chill, which he likes).

We were in the Reading Terminal on Friday, it was busy, and most vendors were open, great to see. While in line for a cheesesteak we chatted with 2 separate couples near us. Both leisure visitors from Seattle and Arizona. Both couples had great things to say about the city and the food, which was also great to hear.

Other good points: I noticed a lot of construction everywhere, parts of Sansom and 13th Streets closed for outdoor dining was awesome (make that permanent), Walnut did not look as dreary as I imagined, restaurants and bars everywhere were busy, and we unexpectedly saw the Naked Bike Ride in Rittenhouse Square! My boyfriend likes Philadelphia a lot, he enjoys the food, energy, tight streets, architecture, and he likes the more brash attitude (similar to New York) that you don’t see in Chicago.

Places we ate or drank at… Various spots in the Reading Terminal, Alpen Rose (amazing), Pizzeria Vetri, Trattoria Carina, AKA Rittenhouse, La Columbe (Fishtown), Suraya, Royal Boucherie, JG Sky Bar, and various coffee shops. We love to eat and drink.

Now some slight negatives that I noticed all 3 nights / days…

1. Our room was on 40th floor facing North & East (we could see Broad Street and City Hall), the dirt bike and ATV riders were LOUD all 3 nights. They sporadically start around 11pm, and packs of them every few minutes until 3am. I even got up to look one night and saw them zooming by the Ritz Carlton. Definitely a problem and not exaggerated by residents. I don’t know what the city should do, but this is not “kids looking for a place to ride” (according to the progressive leftists).

2. Chestnut Street from 12th Street to 17th was not enjoyable, notably the 1200 Block and 1500 Block. Saturday night we were walking East toward hotel around midnight, there were at least a dozen ghetto teens by Foot Locker screaming at the top of their lungs, pushing each other, throwing garbage, we jaywalked midblock to avoid. And it was not a one-off circumstance. There should cops stationed along Chestnut. Before 12th and after 17th were fine though, like different worlds on certain blocks of Chestnut. The Element and W definitely help the 1400 block.

In summary, we had a great weekend. It is good to see the city bouncing back, and looks like it will only get better!

I've been noticing that too on South St. I'm thinking the 'flash mob' days are back, there's been reports of groups of teens doing the knockout game and harassing people in the general area.

[Redddog]

South street is a $hit show right now. As is that stretch of chestnut.

It’d be awesome if the city cared that two of their major commercial corridors are a total embarrassment and straight dangerous. One can dream.

[Tweb66]

I haven't been down there in a while so I am curious, in what way is South Street a ****show? I thought being a ****show was part of its appeal. Where else can I go to buy novelty condemns?

[Redddog]

Originally Posted by Tweb66

I haven't been down there in a while so I am curious, in what way is South Street a ****show? I thought being a ****show was part of its appeal. Where else can I go to buy novelty condemns?

It's like cpomp said. Mobs of kids who seem to thrive on creating public chaos - getting in peoples faces, throwing stuff, fighting with each other. At any moment, things could turn on innocent bystanders. South Street has an actual police station on 8th and they just watch (the new policing policy taking the city by storm is the new "I can't do nothin' " policy that's sweeping the nation). I realize that I probably sound like a scared old lady, but it's just uncomfortable in those areas due to the volatility.

Until the city decides to try to hold people accountable to basic decency in public spaces, this is what we have.

(now let me have it)

[Leps12]

Originally Posted by Tweb66

I haven't been down there in a while so I am curious, in what way is South Street a ****show? I thought being a ****show was part of its appeal. Where else can I go to buy novelty condemns?

That’s not what they mean. ****show as in sketchy people running around, homeless people screaming at you, etc. Dangerous ****show, not ****show in a sense of people partying and being rowdy.

We were just there over the weekend as well around the same area of Chestnut St (stayed at the Westin). Walked back and forth to Reading Terminal Market on Saturday, and that is what I experienced as well. Many vacant storefronts around there in the Rittenhouse vicinity, which is troubling since that is supposed to be the nicest and most upscale part of the city. By City Hall, a sketchy guy with no shirt sprinted right past us…maybe he was trying to snatch something off of us but failed? Then he paced back and forth on the next block, so we crossed the street.

Lots of homeless people all over the place. Right near RTM, one of them screamed at us as we passed, something about she thought we were going to try to steal her food…luckily we were still at a decent distance…and were wearing our masks.

[Redddog]

Yes. I don't know if I was just more used to the homeless before the lockdowns and such, but there seems to be 3 times more per capita than before.

It's sad to see. These people have little hope.

[KansastoSouthphilly]

Originally Posted by Leps12

That’s not what they mean. ****show as in sketchy people running around, homeless people screaming at you, etc. Dangerous ****show, not ****show in a sense of people partying and being rowdy.

We were just there over the weekend as well around the same area of Chestnut St (stayed at the Westin). Walked back and forth to Reading Terminal Market on Saturday, and that is what I experienced as well. Many vacant storefronts around there in the Rittenhouse vicinity, which is troubling since that is supposed to be the nicest and most upscale part of the city. By City Hall, a sketchy guy with no shirt sprinted right past us…maybe he was trying to snatch something off of us but failed? Then he paced back and forth on the next block, so we crossed the street.

Lots of homeless people all over the place. Right near RTM, one of them screamed at us as we passed, something about she thought we were going to try to steal her food…luckily we were still at a decent distance…and were wearing our masks.

This has been so frustrating. Nobody is doing anything because people are scared to to anger the activist crowd. Activists are incapable of comprehending the fact that this City absolutely needs things like (1) tourists, (2) people from the suburbs coming into the city to spend money, (3) young residents with disposable income that need little by way of City services etc. Things like this have a cumulative effect. Getting yelled at one time by a homeless person mike not convince you to stop going to the City to go out to eat but if every time you are put in an uncomfortable situation then many people are going to thinking it is worth it especially with fairly vibrant dining scenes in places Ardmore/Wayne/West Chester/Media/Ambler/Conshy/Collingswood etc. I fear it will be too late by the time our elected representatives realize this.