Marlton, NJ/Philadelphia, PA
 

First time posting on new format-hope it's correct.
Trying to combine a medical appt. in Marlton, NJ (30 min. drive from Philadelphia) with a Philadelphia visit. Have hotel booked in Philadelphia for Mon & Tues. May, 14th &15th. I'm trying to figure out the Sunday prior to Monday's appt. in NJ. Hotel rates in Philadelphia on Sun., May 13 are very high.

One possibility is to drive from upstate NY to Philadelphia on Sun, do some sight seeing, then drive to Marlton, NJ and stay overnight, returning to Philadelphia for 2 or 3 nights. Any interesting options between Philly & Marlton, NJ? Any hotel suggestions close to Marlton? I've been through all types of routing in my mind, this seems most workable to me. I realize this is not how to optimize a Philadelphia visit, but this time I have many constraints.

Amy overnight parking garage recommendations downtown near Chestnut and S5th would be appreciated.

Depending on where you live in "upstate NY" you could take a train to Philadelphia 30th St. station. You can get on the NJ Transit Atlantic City line from 30th St. station and get off in Cherry Hill NJ.
This makes the parking in Philadelphia unnecessary.

There is a Residence Inn (Marriot) just off the NJ Turnpike in Cherry Hill off Rt. 70 which goes into Marlton.

I will need a car to get to appointment in NJ and for other stops on this trip.

Cherry Hill, NJ looks like a good option for one night, thank you.

You might also look at hotels near exit 4 of the NJ turnpike. You will be close to Route 73 which should be a straight shot (about three miles) to Marlton.
On Century Parkway, Mount Laurel, there are three Marriott properties--Fairfield, Townplace, and Courtyard. There are many other hotels in the area.

K_marie, That's exactly the type of info/recommendation I need so I can narrow my search area. Much appreciated!

If you do decide to spend some time in Philadelphia on Sunday before hotel check-in, another possibility would be to stay in Cherry Hill, perhaps on Route 70. There is a Crown Plaza, formerly branded as a Hilton. Also, a Residence Inn (a little tricky to get to, but your GPS is your friend). They would be about five miles from Marlton.

(The exit 4 suggestions are most convenient when leaving the turnpike or route 295 when driving from New York. The Cherry Hill locations could be on your drive out of Philadelphia. But we're only talking about a few miles one way or the other.)

May 13 is Mothers' Day. Is dining that evening important to you? It's one of the craziest days of the year for restaurants, you know.

Thanks for the clarification regarding NJ hotel locations. I do know about the Mother's Day dilemma. Ordinarily dining would be important, but I've resigned myself to give up on it in order to have part of another day (Sunday) in Philadelphia. Can't change my dates. Maybe bar food would work...any ideas?

Do you intend to do dinner in Philadelphia? What neighborhood will you be in? Historic district? Art museum? Or do you prefer to be in New Jersey by then?

Yes, dinner in Philadelphia. Have not yet picked neighborhood or what to do that afternoon. Plan is to arrive Philadephia on Sun. by 1:00 PM, find parking (?), pick an area to walk (weather permitting), or see one or two sites, and have dinner before heading to NJ.

Returning to Philadelphia from NJ on Mon will be staying downtown at Hotel Monaco.

You can find parking here.

Parking Locator | The Philadelphia Parking Authority

I stayed at the Monaco a few weeks ago. It's a great area to explore. Try to request a room facing out. The inside rooms face a dreary air shaft. I took Amtrak on this trip but in the past I've used the self park PPA lot on Fifth between Market and Arch.

I had dinner in the bar area at Farmicia which was very good. Washington Sq, Bella Vista, Society Hill restaurants are all within walking distance. Luna Grill on Market is good for breakfast and there are a lot of little coffee cafes around. Check out the tiny bakery on Arch called Tartes. They have the most decadent looking desserts and pastries in the window.

If you can find a hotel, I'd try to stay in the Rittenhouse Square area Sunday night if only to give yourself a different neighborhood to explore.

Sorry. I'm no help when it comes to bar food in Philadelphia.

A few Philadelphia restaurants I would trust not to be overwhelmed on Mothers' Day: Fork, Zahav and Le Cheri. They will be busy, of course, and you would need reservations. Service and food will not be adversely affected by the demands of the day, I believe.

Thanks Birdie & k_marie for the specific suggestions. I'm making notes of all.

I've eaten at many bars in Philly. I'm not sure what that says about me. In fact, I tried to eat at the bar at Zahav but it was a two hour wait...for the bar. Definitely make a reservation now. Fork will also require a reservation, as k_marie noted.