My Small Visit to Philadelphia (Ridley Park, New Hope: closing, live, park)

[DarkWolf]

You can also journey across the River , after i left Philly i went to Camden.

//www.city-data.com/forum/new-j...wn-camden.html

[FindingZen]

Nexis4Jersey: now remembering your previous thread asking about fares, I'm wondering how you made out. I was under the impression that you'd be focusing on the suburbs flowing out from 69th Street/Upper Darby so I'm curious to know what fare choices you made while visiting Center City.

[DarkWolf]

Originally Posted by Tone509

Nexis4Jersey: now remembering your previous thread asking about fares, I'm wondering how you made out. I was under the impression that you'd be focusing on the suburbs flowing out from 69th Street/Upper Darby so I'm curious to know what fare choices you made while visiting Center City.

I didn't leave CC , but the fare system is easier now.... I paided the direct 2$ since i had alot of Change. Next Trip will be Florence-Roebling and Burlington City,NJ & Media,PA. Next week , depending on the Weather. The Riverline was running a weekend schedule was driving me mad , so i cut my SJ trip early and went to Philly. But next week , hopefully everything will be normal including the Septa Trenton line which had shuttle buses. The PATCO was another issue , nothing seems to work in SEPA / SJ compared to NNJ/NYC i'm not used to that.

[Clark Park]

Originally Posted by creeksitter

So can I have advice for my small visit to Philadelphia?

I'm not big on skyscrapers or historical sites - but I'm sure I can find them if I change my mind.

What I like are quirky neighborhoods, courtyards, gardens, narrow streets, developed alleys, etc. Greenery in an urban context is good. Just by way of example I love Charleston SC, but BTDT so many times I'm looking for something different.

For quirky neighborhoods and quaint narrow streets and lanes, I would suggest a visit to Elfreth's Alley (near the Betsy Ross House ... the oldest continuously residential street in the whole US!); also wander around Society Hill and Queen Village neighborhoods; the "artist's colony" of Manayunk; and for the "hippy-ish" South Street.

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by Nexis4Jersey

I didn't leave CC , but the fare system is easier now.... I paided the direct 2$ since i had alot of Change. Next Trip will be Florence-Roebling and Burlington City,NJ & Media,PA. Next week , depending on the Weather. The Riverline was running a weekend schedule was driving me mad , so i cut my SJ trip early and went to Philly. But next week , hopefully everything will be normal including the Septa Trenton line which had shuttle buses. The PATCO was another issue , nothing seems to work in SEPA / SJ compared to NNJ/NYC i'm not used to that.

Thanks for satisfying my curiosity! Regarding the transit efficiency, I wonder if the recent weather had anything to do with the shuttle buses and PATCO issues that you alluded to. (I'm currently out of the area so I don't know for sure.) If so, I'm sure that affected NJ Transit/Amtrak in North and Central Jersey as well.

[rotodome]

Originally Posted by creeksitter

So can I have advice for my small visit to Philadelphia?

I'm not big on skyscrapers or historical sites - but I'm sure I can find them if I change my mind.

What I like are quirky neighborhoods, courtyards, gardens, narrow streets, developed alleys, etc. Greenery in an urban context is good. Just by way of example I love Charleston SC, but BTDT so many times I'm looking for something different.

Not big into shopping or bars but I could use advise on unique restaurants.

Elfreth's Alley is an obvious one that was already mentioned, but I think that the vicinity of Washington Sq West & Society Hill is the best spot in CC for quaint narrow streets & developed alleys. Roughly between Locust & Lombard, and between 3rd and Broad. You have to wander and poke around in all of the nooks and crevices. There are tiny, hidden, and some fully pedestrian streets which give a really unique character to the neighborhood, sort of "behind the scenes" of the main streets.

There are also some great hidden away gems in Olde City in the vicinity of Elfreth's Alley, such as Loxley Court (off of Arch Street, between 3rd and 4th). It's so low key that it's very easy to miss while walking down Arch St, and you have to go through a gate to enter. It's not at all a tourist attraction like Elfreth's alley, and IMO a lot more interesting, too, as it offers a little glimpse into what a traditional Philadelphia mews was like.

The greenway system in Society Hill is wonderful to walk through as well. My favorite spot in it is Lawrence Ct walk, which starts/ends right where Delancey St meets 3rd street.

While not especially touristy, another point of interest is the block of Camac street, just south of Sansom Street, which is a narrow street paved with historical heart-wood blocks (as opposed to cobblestone or belgian block). It was renovated a few years ago, but I was very happy to see that instead of covering it with asphalt, they restored the historical wood, which many Philadelphia streets were paved with at one time. It was quieter and easier on horses' hooves. That block is one of the few remaining examples of this in the city.

[DarkWolf]

Originally Posted by Tone509

Thanks for satisfying my curiosity! Regarding the transit efficiency, I wonder if the recent weather had anything to do with the shuttle buses and PATCO issues that you alluded to. (I'm currently out of the area so I don't know for sure.) If so, I'm sure that affected NJ Transit/Amtrak in North and Central Jersey as well.

I'm sure it did , Septa's Trenton line trains were underwater at Trenton.... The PATCO issues seem normal , or happen enough i asked a few people on the platform. Septa's inner city network was wonderful , the M-F runs like every 2-5 mins....and so did the Trolleys.

[kidphilly]

Originally Posted by creeksitter

So can I have advice for my small visit to Philadelphia?

I'm not big on skyscrapers or historical sites - but I'm sure I can find them if I change my mind.

What I like are quirky neighborhoods, courtyards, gardens, narrow streets, developed alleys, etc. Greenery in an urban context is good. Just by way of example I love Charleston SC, but BTDT so many times I'm looking for something different.

Not big into shopping or bars but I could use advise on unique restaurants.

There is an area in the Midtown Village/Washington Sq West that has great little streets to check out, plus is easy to wlak just about anywhere from there plus a plethora of dinning options in the area and close to the Reading Terminal Market

Here is a google street view with a map - hope you enjoy if you make the trip

philadelphia pa - Google Maps

[creeksitter]

Thanks, guys - it looks and sounds great!

[Clark Park]

I almost forgot ...

Sandwiched between Walnut and Locust Streets at 22nd Street - not far from Rittenhouse Square - is a tiny two block residential enclave of unbelievable charm and character known as "The English Village" ... it's like visiting a hamlet in Cheshire or Hampshire in Merrie Olde Englande. Quaint yet elegant attached terraced houses with potted flowers and cottage like gardens. Now that's something very very few tourists ever see!