mlm59

We will be spending the night in Philadelphia on Tuesday, September 2. We won't arrive until around noon that day. The places we are most interested in visiting, the historic district and the Art Museum all close at 5:00. Does anyone have suggestions what we can do for the rest of the evening? We are most interested in visiting historic attractions or historic neighborhoods. Thanks!

Williamson

After 5:00 PM the Rittenhouse Square area as well as Old City have plenty of restaurants/bars that will be alive with activity. If you can provide some ideas about types of restaurants that you prefer, I could offer some specifics.

I would suggest an after dinnner stroll through either Rittenhouse Sqaure or Society Hill which have a lot of historical homes.

If you like jazz, I recommend Zanibar Blue at Broad and Walnut.

http://www.zanzibarblue.com/

Daniel_Williams

I would recommend going to a restaurant after 5; Philly's got some great ones all within the historic Center City area, that cater to all sorts of different budgets and taste buds, from Chinatown to Italian Market/South Philly charm to more upscale, all in historic, vibrant areas. Stroll through Rittenhouse Square and some of the side streets and admire the architecture.

Have a great trip! DAN

mlm59

My adult daughter and I will be traveling together. We are staying at the Hampton Inn on Race Street. How safe is Philly after dark for two women? I will have a car, but plan to park it at the hotel and use public transportation. I was advised to take the subway from the area of our hotel to the historic district. Is that the best way to travel through the city? How safe is the subway at night? Is Rittenhouse Square and Old City within walking distance of the historic district? If not, what is the best way to get there and then back to our hotel? I am interested in moderately priced restaurants, nothing Oriental. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Scarlett

I thought The Old City and the Historic District were all the same. We stayed in the Old City, and walked everywhere, all the way to Rittenhouse Square. It is easy to walk all over the city.
At night, we ate at a couple of great restaurants ( Fork, Friday Saturday Sunday) and then walked around after dinner.
We never felt that we were in an unsafe area.

Dawsen

The areas I would avoid are around the Greyhound bus station (10th and Filbert), Chinatown, and the neighborhoods north of your hotel. The subways are safe at night. As in any big city, be aware of your surroundings. You can walk to the Market-Franford Line subway station at 13th and Market and take it to the Historic Area going eastbound and get off at 5th Street. To get to Rittenhouse Square form your hotel I would recommend just walking. It's about a 10 or 15 minute walk. Rittenhouse Square is quite a hike from Old City (roughly 15 blocks or so) about a half hour walking) From Old City it's easier to take the subway westbound to 15th Street and walk south on 15th 3 blocks to Walnut. The heart of Rittenhouse Sqaure is on Walnut Street from Broad to 19th Street.

I agree with Scarlett's restaurant recommendations. To that list i would add:


Seafood:
McCormick and Schmicks
Philadelphia Fish and Company

Italian:
Upstares at Varalli
Spasso


Upscale Mexican:
Tequilas

Steak:
Mortons
Davios

American:
Continental
Twenty Manning

The folowing websites have more information:

www.philadelphia.citysearch.com

www.gophila.com



French:
Brasserie Perrier

BTilke

If you do a museum during the day, take a late afternoon/early evening stroll (slow pace, take time to enjoy the atmosphere) up Delancey Street--from about 2nd to 22nd streets, you will walk by many beautiful historic homes and a few tucked away little parks. When you get to 6th or 7th street, cut over to Pine Street and walk up Pine until 17th, window shopping in the antiques stores or having a drink at Dirty Franks bar, (it's a dive, but also a Philadelphia classic, we got engaged there and the crowd is usually very friendly) then go back to Delancey up to 22nd. From there either walk back to Rittenhouse Square (go down Spruce Street to 19th and turn left) and have drinks and/or dinner on or near the Square. (You'll have walked off enough calories to enjoy dessert!) Or have gourmet pizza at Mama Palma's on 23rd and Spruce. OR go back to your hotel area and have a great dinner in Chinatown.
Philadelphia is a wonderful walking city. I have lived all over town--from 5th and South to Chestnut Hill and most recently near Rittenhouse Square on the 2100 block of Spruce Street. The blocks are fairly short and Center City is flat, so walking is easy, even distances that look long on the map.

JeanneB

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