Growing up in Pennsylvania, a short drive from Philadelphia, means that I’ve spent a lot of time there. It’s one of my favorite cities, and even to this day when I see the Liberty buildings I feel a little excited to be “home”. I’ve only visited a few times over the past few years because of living in Texas now, but I still try to get there once a year to visit friends for some shopping and eating.
Loves
- Neighborhoods: Old City, Rittenhouse Square, Avenue of the Arts (Center City, basically)
- Restaurant: Honey’s Sit ‘n Eat
- Shopping: Lush, H&M, Ann Taylor, Reading Terminal Market, Italian Market (9th Street)
- Museum: Mütter Museum
- Historical Site: Liberty Bell (because you have to), Eastern State Penitentiary
- Architecture/Building: City Hall, Comcast Center
- Park: Love Park, Rittenhouse Square Park
- Food(s): Cheesesteaks (I’ll let you decide—Geno’s vs. Pat’s), Soft Pretzels, anything in Chinatown
What to know
- If you plan to eat a cheesesteak, please study this guide on how to order one properly.
- Philadelphia, like most major cities, can be dangerous. Just make sure you’re aware of your surroundings at all times.
- There are a lot of homeless people, more than I can recall from most major cities I’ve been to, but generally they won’t bother you beyond asking for a coin or two.
- The subway in Philly is pretty decent. It’s not always on time, but there are a ton of stops, so chances are you’ll get close to where you want to go. Also, be forewarned that it smells like a sewer.
Why go?
It served as the nation’s capital for several years, so there’s a ton of history: liberty bell, Betsy Ross House, William Penn everything. Sports for every season. Great shopping. Delicious eateries.
Things to do
Ah, what not to do? My personal favorite off-the-beaten-path Philadelphia things include
- A visit to the Mutter Museum (not for the faint of heart) at The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, to see some shrunken heads, a wall of skulls, mummified body, and jars of body parts and fetuses.
- A tour through the Eastern State Penitentiary to see where prisoners (like Al Capone) lived from 1829 to 1971. It’s very eerie and decrepit, so if you’re a fan of urban decay, this is the place for you—you can even see some old furniture lying around. If you’re in Philly around Halloween and you like a good scare, check out their haunted house. It’s the scariest I’ve ever experienced.
Details
October in the park.
I’m reminded how biting the October air can be after a day of marathon shopping with a friend ends, and I’m sitting on a cold bench in Rittenhouse Square Park. It’s just about dusk, when the sun is fighting for just a few more minutes to play. The leaves are changing and there’s a magnificent display of reds, rusts, and yellows. All around me, people are hurrying through the park to get to their destinations; and all the while, I sit and watch. Sometimes I forget what being in the center of a major city feels like—I’ve spent so many years living in the relaxed, laid-back atmosphere of Austin. It’s warm there; people take their time going from one place to another.
A few people walk by with dogs. Some of the dogs are already wearing winter coats. In front of me, two early 20-somethings have tied some tight ropes between the trees. They both try their best to balance on a three-inch rubber band three feet above the still-green grass. Laughter erupts every time one of them starts to topple over and scrambles to find their footing.
A little girl, no older than four, runs by with her mother and sees the tight ropers. She’s determined to get her own shot up there. The mother politely asks the 20-somethings if it’d be alright and they oblige. She’s quite the marvel—long blonde hair, half of which is pulled into a ponytail with a bow; a dress underneath of a royal purple pea coat; opaque white tights with tiny pink polka dots; and a pair of pink Mary Janes carelessly thrown on the grass below her as she wobbles down the fluorescent orange tight rope with minimal assistance from others.
Snap back to reality: it’s time to rejoin the hustle and bustle. I have dinner plans, and don’t want to keep people waiting.
Great post! As a Philly resident I feel it is my duty to point any Philly visitors to Sam’s Morning Glory at 10th and Fitzwater if you like Honey’s Sit and Eat: Think pecan waffles with whipped peach butter (I burn, I pine, I perish.) There’s usually a line on Saturday mornings, but if you get there before 9 you won’t have long to wait. Check it out!
Thanks, Meg! That’s a great suggestion; I’ll have to check it out sometime. I can’t stop dreaming about the challah bread french toast from Honey’s though.. (There’s a place here in Austin that does carrot cake french toast with a cream cheese “syrup” that’s to die for. I’ll me adding that to my list of “Loves” in Austin.)