Visiting Philly, likely late summer-early fall (Philadelphia, Chester: renting, neighborhood, university)

[VTinPhilly]

In addition to the attractions I noted above, here are a few of my favorite outdoor places to experience (assuming your visit will be in warm weather):

*Rittenhouse Square--an elegant urban park and a great place to people watch. Outdoor restaurants adjacent along 18th Street

*Franklin Square--features a beautiful fountain, miniature golf, food kiosk, and picnic tables

*Logan Square--magnificent Swann Memorial Fountain plus café with outdoor seating & children's fountain

*Antiques Row--dozens of antique shops line Pine Street from 11th Street eastward

*The Italian market--9th Street in South Philly. Fascinating mixture of shops and restaurants

*Jeweler's Row--700 block of Sansom St. Oldest and 2nd largest diamond district in U.S.

*River Ferry--from Penn's Landing across Delaware River to Camden, N.J. to see the aquarium and the battleship New Jersey

*Mummer's Museum concerts--(2nd St & Washington Ave.) free outdoor concerts Thursday nights featuring various string bands

[acenturi]

http://files.visitphilly.com/Visit-P...eport-2017.pdf
Visit Philadelphia - Official Visitor and Tourism Site for Philadelphia - visitphilly.com
Summer Pop Concerts: The 20 Biggest Concerts and Music Fests Coming to Philly in Summer 2017 — Visit Philadelphia — visitphilly.com
Jazz: Top Places to Listen to Live Jazz in Philadelphia — Visit Philadelphia — visitphilly.com
Small Theatres: Theatre Philadelphia
Big Theatre/Concerts: https://www.kimmelcenter.org/ (Click on Events)
The above web site provides events for several (theatre) venues, including the Academy of Music and the Kimmel Center.
Philadelphia Orchestra : https://www.philorch.org/concert/calendar/#/
Some of the above sites refer to or list concerts for 2017. The site itself (and its venues) are the relevant items to check out for 2018.

[FrankInPhilly]

Originally Posted by MoItaly

My wife and I will spend a week in Philly, a city we had meant to visit in the past but somehow never got there.

I would like to get a few insider tips from the locals. years ago we did the same before going to Chicago and it made our experience so much better, there are stuff you just need to hear from the people living in the place.

We are of course going to the main attraction but quickly., We love to discover a city, walk around, use public transportation, even just sit on a bench or outside a bar and watch live unfolding.

being the first time in Philly, I guess we will be staying in the downtown areas. Any tips on:

- other neighborhood areas worth visiting, walking around.
- food: any fav restaurant to suggest (no chains)? We also love ethnic food (any kind) if it's authentic and good.
- live music: is there a a particular area for that? How about jazz?

And just anything else that might come to mind, excluding the typical top 10 attractions which I will get online.

Thank you in advance, people!

Moe

Oh, shoot! My wife's going to kill me! Is there any nice shopping district that one can walk around, outside of malls that I find pretty much the same in every city?

You don't have to limit yourself to downtown (nor do you need to call it "downtown" - Philly folk refer to it as "Center City"). One shopping option is to use SEPTA Regional Rail from one of the two Center City stops: take Chestnut Hill West line to its terminus, then walk down Germantown Avenue. Lots of non-chain shops and restaurants. It continues for about a mile - on your way back, you could zigzag through the streets that parallel Germantown Ave. and check out the beautiful homes (preview this on Google Maps' Street View). If either of you are 65+, bring your MediCare card and present it to the conductor when you buy your ticket. You'll ride for $1. A driver license might suffice, but M'care card is guaranteed to get you the Senior rate.

[1ondoner]

Germantown Avenue is now a tourist destination?

Originally Posted by FrankInPhilly

You don't have to limit yourself to downtown (nor do you need to call it "downtown" - Philly folk refer to it as "Center City"). One shopping option is to use SEPTA Regional Rail from one of the two Center City stops: take Chestnut Hill West line to its terminus, then walk down Germantown Avenue. Lots of non-chain shops and restaurants. It continues for about a mile - on your way back, you could zigzag through the streets that parallel Germantown Ave. and check out the beautiful homes (preview this on Google Maps' Street View). If either of you are 65+, bring your MediCare card and present it to the conductor when you buy your ticket. You'll ride for $1. A driver license might suffice, but M'care card is guaranteed to get you the Senior rate.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by 1ondoner

Germantown Avenue is now a tourist destination?

The part in Chestnut Hill should be if it isn't already. Also the relutionary war "Battle of Germantown" is re-anacted every year near Cliveden.

Lucretia Mott is buried in Fairhill Cemetery which is near Germantown Ave.

[FrankInPhilly]

Originally Posted by 1ondoner

Germantown Avenue is now a tourist destination?

It's not up there with the museums, Independence Hall, etc., but OP's spouse was interested in non-mall shopping, so Chestnut Hill seemed like a good idea. Plus they'd get exposure to a non-Center City 'hood. I remember the first time I was in Chestnut Hill/Mt Airy I couldn't believe I hadn't left the city limits. Like night & day compared to my student digs in West Philly.

[1ondoner]

The reason I asked was because there are a lot of good suggestions which I intend to check out

Originally Posted by FrankInPhilly

It's not up there with the museums, Independence Hall, etc., but OP's spouse was interested in non-mall shopping, so Chestnut Hill seemed like a good idea. Plus they'd get exposure to a non-Center City 'hood. I remember the first time I was in Chestnut Hill/Mt Airy I couldn't believe I hadn't left the city limits. Like night & day compared to my student digs in West Philly.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by kyb01

The part in Chestnut Hill should be if it isn't already. Also the relutionary war "Battle of Germantown" is re-anacted every year near Cliveden.

Lucretia Mott is buried in Fairhill Cemetery which is near Germantown Ave.

Why just Chestnut Hill?

There's interesting stuff all along the length of "The Great Road" as it makes its way through the old German Township - today's neighborhoods of Germantown (a separate borough on two separate occasions pre-1854), Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill.

Cliveden sits on the Mt. Airy side of the Germantown-Mt. Airy border and was the scene of all the action in the battle, but the American troops mustered right in the historic heart of Germantown - Market Square, at Germantown Avenue and Church Lane. The Germantown Historical Society / Historic Germantown is also located on the square, and never mind what you might think about Marc Lamont Hill, his new bookstore/café across Church Lane from both the square and the Historical Society is a way cool hangout, one of three in Germantown's heart.

Down Germantown Avenue from here is the historic Grumblethorpe house, and one block down Germantown from Cliveden is the Johnson House, one of the few stations on the Underground Railroad that you can visit in its original state. Wyck, a historic Colonial house and garden, is one block further south on Germantown from the Johnson House.

And since the OP asked about jazz, I forgot to include a venue in my prior recommendations: the La Rose Jazz Club at 5542 Germantown Avenue, the best jazz club you've never heard of in Philadelphia. It has several weekly performance series that attract not the Big Names but the hard-working players and bands that make up the backbone of the local jazz scene. It serves food in addition to drinks, but if you don't order anything to eat, you're not missing out on anything. It's definitely cheaper than Chris' or the Bynums' spots.

Fairhill Cemetery lies just outside German Township, on the other side of the Regional Rail tracks that cross Germantown Avenue at Wayne Junction. ISTR it's either across the street from or close to Stenton, the Colonial mansion of James Logan, William Penn's secretary, early mayor of Philadelphia, governor of Pennsylvania and one of the first trustees of the College of Philadelphia, today's University of Pennsylvania. Oddly enough (perhaps), Stenton lies on neither of the two streets bearing the name Stenton Avenue.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by FrankInPhilly

If either of you are 65+, bring your MediCare card and present it to the conductor when you buy your ticket. You'll ride for $1. A driver license might suffice, but M'care card is guaranteed to get you the Senior rate.

Not anymore.

Today (Jan. 15, 2018) is the last day SEPTA will accept Medicare cards as ID for senior fares.

Pennsylvania drivers' licenses or non-driver IDs issued before July 2017 remain valid, but the newer licenses lack mag stripes on the back and won't be accepted either.

Going forward, seniors wishing to take advantage of free rides on SEPTA transit and $1 rides on SEPTA Regional Rail off-peak will need a SEPTA Key Senior ID card, available at SEPTA HQ (1234 Market Street) or through your state legislator.

What this means is that non-resident seniors will no longer be able to travel for free or $1 when visting Philadelphia. But since the deep discounts for seniors are paid for by Pennsylvania Lottery proceeds, restricting the benefit to "older Pennsylvanians" (the beneficiaries of the Lottery's winnings aside from the prize winners themselves) is defensible, IMO.

[rowhomecity]

Since you will be here for an entire week, that is plenty of time to explore the absolutely beautiful Pennsylvania Countryside. I highly recommend a trip to New Hope, PA. With stops at Washington Crossing and Bowman's Tower. Make sure you take 95 to the Yardley exit and ride through the stunning scenic drive that is River Rd. You will not be disappointed.