Need hotel suggestion-Philadelphia
 

Hi, planning a visit to Philadelphia on May 13 thru 15 and need a hotel suggestion, nothing too expensive, but clean and in a fairly nice area. Would like to be within walking distance of the historical sights (independence park etc.). Will be driving so will need to park the car for 2 or 3 days, either at hotel or somewhere safe.

I like the Omni and the Best Western at 4th and 2nd sts. respectively, when we're in town doing historical stuff.
BW usually has better rates.

I was going to suggest the Omni. Also, consider the Marriott Courtyard/Center City. Location is central and Pricline has had some good deals on it.

Just a bit of general advice on Philadelphia right now... do not sacrifice the cost of the room for the area it is in. Last weekend alone there 7 people murdered in the city, and these killings are moving closer and closer to the "safe" areas as the weeks go on. There is a major crisis where the city now averages almost 1.5 murders per day. There are still a few very safe and wonderful spots, but when choosing a hotel I urge you to pick one that offers a good area and some security... even if it costs a little more. Philly is not a city where you want to take any chance right now.

Enjoy your trip!

Shandy,

Now that you've ruined a lot of trips, would you mind sharing your opinion as to what and what not is a "safe" area?

Shandy,

We were in Philadelphia this past weekend to see King Tut.

The weather was warm...the city crowded and we NEVER felt unsafe at anytime.

Dick,

I thought King Tut had died?

We saw it last year in Ft Lauderdale and I'm glad we had free tickets.

Interesting for 5 minutes and then I started to lose interest.

If you plotted the murders on a map, you'd see that almost all of them have taken place in one drug infested area of the city -- far from the central district or typical tourist areas.
I think Shandy's been victimized by media hype.
Enjoy your trip. Almost anywhere you book a hotel is going to be fine.

I live in the suburbs and I am aware of the current murder count in Philadelphia, and it is shameful. However, I never for a minute consider Center City unsafe. I might not wander around at 3 in the morning in some areas, but in general, you will be safe in Philadelphia. If you are planning to visit North Philadelphia or west of Penn's campus, and I doubt that any of you are, you might want to be more careful.

Myer,

Yes King Tut was a disappointment. I had seen a previous exhibition in DC and was really impressed...a fantastic display of artifacts.

The current exhibit seemed medocree in comparaison.

oops...that's mediocre and comparison