Shriner's Kids Hospital - Broad Street Philly (Philadelphia, Erie: city hall, hotels)

[CarltonWhitfield]

Hello everyone.... I'll try to keep it as brief as I can.

I'm going to be camping out in Philly for at 7 days --- DD having a major operation at Shriner's.

I looked for hotels - and I assumed there would be a bunch within minutes - seems I was wrong. Looks like any suitable choices are 19-25 minutes one way. Ok, so be it. Not trying to turn this site into a hotel review - -- moreso I'm asking about distance, and safety.

Question for those who know the area: Are any of these drives 'easi'er? are any of these drivers more complicated? By 'easy' I mean - as much of a straight shot drive as possible - minimal turn here-turn-there- minimal opportunities to get off course. And - if someone wanted to walk outside the hotel to grab a bite - is the neighborhood ok during day?

*Rittenhouse Square Area

*Comcast Center area.

*Logan Square area.

*Center City.


Also---are there any suburbs that have hotels - that might also be under 20 mins from Shriners on Broad Street? Thanks for any feedback, appreciate it.

[Tweb66]

The area around there, though I haven't been there a couple of years, is pretty rough. I think across the street there is maybe a Dunkin and a pizza place, beyond that its just not great of an area unfortunately; the convent's porch is caged in for instance (though maybe someday a Reno showgirl will revive when she goes there as part of witness protection and is forced to join the choir).



20 minute drive...check out hotels in Bala Cynwyd. Thats is probably the only option suburbs wise that are close enough. Its covered in chain restaurants. If you are are a budget, thats probably your best bet actually. Its easy to get there too, like one turn, get on R1, south on Broad and boom you are there. Center City has options too and indescribably better eating options, but you are going to pay for all of that.

[Maddie104]

Originally Posted by CarltonWhitfield

Hello everyone.... I'll try to keep it as brief as I can.

I'm going to be camping out in Philly for at 7 days --- DD having a major operation at Shriner's.

I looked for hotels - and I assumed there would be a bunch within minutes - seems I was wrong. Looks like any suitable choices are 19-25 minutes one way. Ok, so be it. Not trying to turn this site into a hotel review - -- moreso I'm asking about distance, and safety.

Question for those who know the area: Are any of these drives 'easi'er? are any of these drivers more complicated? By 'easy' I mean - as much of a straight shot drive as possible - minimal turn here-turn-there- minimal opportunities to get off course. And - if someone wanted to walk outside the hotel to grab a bite - is the neighborhood ok during day?

*Rittenhouse Square Area

*Comcast Center area.

*Logan Square area.

*Center City.


Also---are there any suburbs that have hotels - that might also be under 20 mins from Shriners on Broad Street? Thanks for any feedback, appreciate it.

There is a Ronald McDonald house at Front & Erie -- not far from Shriner's. I believe there is shuttle service to Shriner's Hospital. Very nice accommodations and meals are provided.

https://www.rmhcphilly.org/about-us/our-programs/
https://www.rmhcphilly.org/eligibility-requirements/

If there is no availability, a list of hotels with discounts is provided.

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by CarltonWhitfield

Hello everyone.... I'll try to keep it as brief as I can.

I'm going to be camping out in Philly for at 7 days --- DD having a major operation at Shriner's.

I looked for hotels - and I assumed there would be a bunch within minutes - seems I was wrong. Looks like any suitable choices are 19-25 minutes one way. Ok, so be it. Not trying to turn this site into a hotel review - -- moreso I'm asking about distance, and safety.

Question for those who know the area: Are any of these drives 'easi'er? are any of these drivers more complicated? By 'easy' I mean - as much of a straight shot drive as possible - minimal turn here-turn-there- minimal opportunities to get off course. And - if someone wanted to walk outside the hotel to grab a bite - is the neighborhood ok during day?

*Rittenhouse Square Area

*Comcast Center area.

*Logan Square area.

*Center City.


Also---are there any suburbs that have hotels - that might also be under 20 mins from Shriners on Broad Street? Thanks for any feedback, appreciate it.

Those areas you mention are all part of what is considered Center City: basically between the rivers and from Vine to the north and Pine to the south. Setting aside regular debates here, you should generally feel safe in Center City although if you can swing a hotel around Rittenhouse that might be even safer. The Comcast Center and Logan Square are essentially the same area: definitely fine during the day, perhaps a little desolate at night but some decent dining choices and a supermarket (Giant) nearby.

Good luck to you and your daughter!

[MarketStEl]

A note on getting from Shriners Children's Hospital to Center City:

Philadelphia is laid out on a grid, with only a few diagonal streets crossing the grid. Broad and Market streets are the axes of the grid. Shriners Children's Hospital is on Broad Street at Venango, one block south of Erie Avenue.

One of the diagonal streets, Germantown Avenue, crosses both Broad and Erie just east (Erie)/north (Broad) of where the two streets cross. This is a major intersection, and the area is pretty rough but (in my experience*) not dangerous during the day because it's pretty heavily trafficked. There's a cheesesteak shop called Max's at that intersection; if you saw "Creed," the reboot of the "Rocky" franchise, it had a cameo in that movie. Lines form outside it on weekend nights.

To get to Center City from the hospital, you just head in the opposite direction (south) on Broad Street and keep driving until you hit Philadelphia City Hall in the middle of the street. Traffic flows fairly smoothly on Broad Street at most hours of the day.

To get to the Ronald McDonald House, head north that one block, then turn right on Erie. It's located next to one of the city's two other children's hospitals, St. Christopher's Hospital for Children.

BTW, if you can't get a room at that Ronald McDonald House, the original one is located at 3925 Chestnut Street in University City, not far from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (the nation's first pediatric hospital). You could also try there. U-City isn't as rough as the parts of North Philly where Shriners and St. Chris' are located. Directions are the same as for getting to Center City, except that when you get to City Hall, you will then head around the building, continue south on 15th Street, then turn right onto Walnut and take it west to 40th Street. Then turn right onto 40th and right onto Chestnut. The house is on the left in the middle of the 3900 block.

Our street name signs are highly informative; they give the house numbering coordinates for the blocks on either side of the intersection. Learn the numbering system (hint: every north-south numbered street is a new hundred; the east-west streets are a little harder to grasp) and you shouldn't get lost.

*I have a driver's license but don't own a car; as my posting handle should suggest, I'm a rail transit fan and also rely on our mass transit system to get me around the region. I live on Germantown's west side, and when coming from or going to Center City, I transfer between the subway and the buses to/from my home at Broad and Erie, which is an express stop on the Broad Street Line subway.

[Redddog]

Originally Posted by Maddie104

There is a Ronald McDonald house at Front & Erie -- not far from Shriner's. I believe there is shuttle service to Shriner's Hospital. Very nice accommodations and meals are provided.

https://www.rmhcphilly.org/about-us/our-programs/
https://www.rmhcphilly.org/eligibility-requirements/

If there is no availability, a list of hotels with discounts is provided.

I can also vouch for the Ronny McDonny House. Those are usually very nice and the staff are there explicitly to ensure you have everything you need.

Good luck with the surgery. I know how it is leading up to that with your kid and it's brutal.

Stay positive and try not to let your mind go places. Easier said than done, I know.