Visiting and staying in home in East Falls. What's in the neighborhood? (Philadelphia: hotel)

[Jkgourmet]

We will be doing a home exchange next month for ten days in a home in the 3100 block of West Coulter. I believe this is referred to as East Falls?

We will have a car as well as a handicapped parking tag. (Senior citizens)

Any suggestions of restaurants, bars, or anything else of interest in the immediate area would be most appreciated.

[rainrock]

Home exchange is an interesting concept and an adventurous deviation from the norm of staying in a hotel.

Chestnut Hill(Germantwn Ave ) and Manayunk(Main Street) are 2 neighborhoods that are trendy places to visit, shop have lunch.Morris Arboretum in Chestnut Hill is worth visiting. Chestnut Hill neighborhood is absolutely fabulous. Manayunk is an old mill town that is hip with the younger generation very good restaurants . Both are close to East Falls. FWIW the actress and Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly grew up somehere on Coulter St in East Falls and her son Prince Albert is in the process of turning the house into some sort of museum and semi residence.

East Falls itself there is Ridge Avenue if you want to get some coffee or lunch.

Center City is where most of the culture and top restaurants are. Its maybe a 20 minute drive from East Falls but its a nice pleasant drive IF you use Kelly Drive along the river. I would NOT recommend going through North Philly. In fact Avoid North Philly. Dont go wandering eastward from East Falls.

Other areas in the region to maybe put on the visit list Valley Forge and King of Prussia Mall, New Hope Pa-Lambertville- Princeton NJ, perhaps take a drive to Cape May NJ if you have the time. Lancaster Amish Country is pretty unique. The Pocono Mts and Jim Thorpe are an hour or 2 north.

Good luck.

[rainrock]

If you drive to Center City parking is a nightmare. You are better off just finding a garage eventhough it can get pricey.

In general traffic can be very congested.

If you want to get outdoors look into Valley Green and Forbidden Drive. You might want to eat luch at Valley Green Inn its sits in the woods along the Wissahickon Creek. Very popular with hikers,bicyclists, walkers.

[MarketStEl]

Best places to dine and drink in the immediate East Falls area:

Falls Taproom, 3749 Midvale Ave., just off Ridge. Great craft beer selection, good pub fare, dining on two levels, live music on some nights, weekly Quizzo.
In Riva, 4116 Ridge Ave.. Italian cuisine, very good wood-fired oven pizza, outdoor terrace with view of the Schuylkill.
Trolley Car Cafe, 3269 S. Ferry Rd. Same owner as Mt. Airy's Trolley Car Diner, but more outdoor space (the restaurant occupies a former city swimming pool). In the shadow of the Roosevelt Expressway overpass, but the bridge doesn't wreck the atmosphere.
Billy Murphy's Irish Saloon, 3335 Conrad St. The only honest-to-God Irish pub in Northwest Philly; they even have the proper equipment for drawing a pint of Guinness. Classic bar atmosphere, good food, convivial crowd.
Franklin's, 3521 Bowman St. Sports bar popular with the college crowd, but this train buff likes it because it's got an outdoor terrace overlooking the R6 Manayunk/Norristown Regional Rail Line tracks.

There are several other good places as well, but these are the ones I've been to.

[Jkgourmet]

Originally Posted by rainrock

Home exchange is an interesting concept and an adventurous deviation from the norm of staying in a hotel.

Over the last twelve years, we've done over ten home exchanges ranging from long weekends to 3 months including various places in the US, the Canary Islands, Mexico and South Africa. Some have included cars and (in just a few cases) pets. Obviously, we are HUGE fans.

I actually lived in S Jersey, Society Hill and 17th and kater st from 1975-1989, but haven't been back since.

Thanks to all for the suggestions and keep 'em coming!

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by rainrock

(generally good suggestions, but
Center City is where most of the culture and top restaurants are. Its maybe a 20 minute drive from East Falls but its a nice pleasant drive IF you use Kelly Drive along the river. I would NOT recommend going through North Philly. In fact Avoid North Philly. Dont go wandering eastward from East Falls.

The only reason I would not recommend going through North Philly if you're headed from East Falls to Center City is because it's not the most direct route - Kelly Drive is, with the other river drive (Martin Luther King) and the Schuylkill Expressway on the opposite riverbank the second and third most direct (at most hours of the day, traffic on the Schuylkill flows no faster than it does on the river drives).

The worst I've heard happen to anyone driving through North Philadelphia between any given Points A and B located outside it is they get depressed looking at the streetscapes, or approached by a panhandler working the stoplights.

Besides, other than the Temple campus and the Wayback Machine of science museums, the Wagner Free Institute of Science at 17th Street and Montgomery Avenue, there's not that much to see in North Philly.

[2e1m5a]

Wow-you will be staying 2 blocks from me-I'm right across the border off Coulter in Germantown. 3100 Coulter is also behind Penn Charter School-really beautiful campus and the oldest Quaker school in the World. Also Matt Ryan's alma mater if you're a football fan.

Originally Posted by rainrock

FWIW the actress and Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly grew up somehere on Coulter St in East Falls and her son Prince Albert is in the process of turning the house into some sort of museum and semi residence.

Yes, the home is literally a block away from where OP will be staying on Coulter and Henry-beautiful home but not the best site right now as they work on the windows and exterior. McMichael Park is right there-not much there but pretty park great for dogs.

[2e1m5a]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

Best places to dine and drink in the immediate East Falls area:

Falls Taproom, 3749 Midvale Ave., just off Ridge. Great craft beer selection, good pub fare, dining on two levels, live music on some nights, weekly Quizzo.
In Riva, 4116 Ridge Ave.. Italian cuisine, very good wood-fired oven pizza, outdoor terrace with view of the Schuylkill.
Trolley Car Cafe, 3269 S. Ferry Rd. Same owner as Mt. Airy's Trolley Car Diner, but more outdoor space (the restaurant occupies a former city swimming pool). In the shadow of the Roosevelt Expressway overpass, but the bridge doesn't wreck the atmosphere.
Billy Murphy's Irish Saloon, 3335 Conrad St. The only honest-to-God Irish pub in Northwest Philly; they even have the proper equipment for drawing a pint of Guinness. Classic bar atmosphere, good food, convivial crowd.
Franklin's, 3521 Bowman St. Sports bar popular with the college crowd, but this train buff likes it because it's got an outdoor terrace overlooking the R6 Manayunk/Norristown Regional Rail Line tracks.

There are several other good places as well, but these are the ones I've been to.

Great list. Also Chubby's and Dalessandro's are 2 Minutes up Henry Ave in Roxborough and are some of the best cheesesteaks in the Philly area. Dalessandros is probably my #1. Ashame Johnny Mananas closed-not the best food but Mexican is scarce in these parts-and the decor/drinks were ok. In Riva and Trolley Car are excellent.

Also-seriously for one of the best byob Italian restaurants in the city Fiorino on Indian Queen Lane is a really small but excellent place.

[discndav]

I'll second Trolley Car Cafe, it's a nice little place with good food.