Myer

Just starting to look into a couple of days in Philly in mid-September.

By looking at a map it appears that the prime tourist area is between Front & 8th St and within a couple of blocks on either side of Market.

Is this correct?

Also, starting to look at hotels.

One that caught my eye is Penn's View.

Any opinions?

Thanks.

TKT

Of course there are many other parts of Philly you don't want to miss, but what you have is about right, I would say from Front to 6th. Plan to take some time for outdoor dining on Market between Front and 3rd. Use the internet to reserve tickets for historic sights as well, since 9/11 the process has become more cumbersome.
The area also provides a lot of diverse night life and cafe life.

yk

The historic part of Philadelphia is around the area you mentioned - it's called Old City.

Another nice area to stay is around Rittenhouse Sq. It's a nice 20 min walk to Old City, but plenty of shops and restaurants around Rittenhouse.

Myer

Thanks.

TKT,
now that you've teased, which other areas should we try to include?

We've got most of 3 days (leaving late in the afternoon of the 3rd day) and I might be able to add 1 more if necessary.

Myer

Oh, forgot.

And what about current opinions of Penn's View Hotel and the location?

Thanks.

Mr_Senor

Don't forget South Street, eclectic collection of shops, restaurants, nightlife, and cheesesteak joints that is approx. 5-6 blocks south of Market Street and runs from Front to maybe 6th or 7th.
Fav restaurants in the city - cheap but GREAT burrito joint called "El Fuego" on Walnut between 7th and 8th, and Buddakhan (asian fusion, very popular, a bit pricey, good for lunch or dinner) on Chestnut between 3rd and 4th.

yk

I've never stayed at Penn's View, only ate at the restaurant once.

In regards to its location, it's right in Old City. Quite convenient to the historic sites.

That area can be very busy/noisy at night, esp Thurs/Fri/Sat. Hope you don't plan on having a car?

If you do stay there, you should consider asking for a quiet room, one that faces the back instead of the main streets (either Front or Market) as it'll be noisy!

Mixter603

I was in Philly two weeks ago. We stayed at the Loew's Hotel on Market directly across the street from the Redding Terminal Market. The hotel was very nice. We were able to walk to the Old City as well as to Rittenhouse Square for dinner one evening. It was a lovely weekend. Enjoy.

Pugsly

The other areas primarily are the Art Museum area which of course has the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Rodin Museum, The Franklin Institute and the Academy of Natural Sciences. There's also the Italian Market in South Philly around the area of 9th & Washington and, the Rittenhouse Square area is great for high end dining and shopping.

Amy

And then there's the University area with the lovely University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, there's Broad Street with its Frank Furness building and Academy of Music and Kimmel Center and Masonic Temple and City Hall (and Naked Chocolate Cafe just a block off) there's Chestnut Hill/Germantown for fabulous historic homes and the Morris Arboretum, there's Manayunk...
How long can you stay?

Myer

We thought of staying most of 3 days (2 full and leave in the evening) but could make it 4 if compelling reasons.

Amy

Well, depending on your interests, we might be able to come up with those compelling reasons! Of course, part of it depends on where you're coming from, but Philadelphia does have a lot to offer the enthusiastic traveler.

(There are some pix here: www.webshots/user/missalg in the "One Day in Philadelphia" album...but that's just one little section of the city, of course.)

Amy

Sorry, I always miss a bit of that address: it's http://community.webshots.com/user/missalg

TKT

It depends, for a city lover like me 4 days would be great.

South Street and Rittenhouse SQ (previously mentioned are fun to walk around) although I do find South Street more appropriate for the under 25 crowd.

I like Pine Street from about 4th to Broad Street, little shops and cafes and my favorite Philly breakfast place, Mixto.

Myer

Ok, we're in our early mid-60s. Many trips to Europe involved walking most of the day.

We're former Montrealers who've lived in South Florida for almost 15 years.

We've walked cities and small mountain towns. Last year we spent several hours biking thru and around Brugges. We're active.

Amy

Walkers! That's a great thing; Philadelphia is a very walkable city (except for the newer parts, incorporated into the city after WWII, but you probably won't be going there.)

Off the top of my head, my "dream itinerary" would be something like this:

Day 1: (Colonial Immersion)
Historic "Old City": Visitors' Center (where you can get the maps and help) at 6th and Market, then on to Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Carpenters' Hall, Franklin Court, Elfreths' Alley, Christ Church (and its graveyard), Free Quaker Meeting House, perhaps some of the colonian homes like Dolley Todd (Madison's) or Bishop White House, perhaps ending up at Penn's Landing. If you really want to stay in the spirit of things, eat at City Tavern for one of your meals. There are numerous restaurants in this area.

Day 2: (Nature Day) Take the train out from Market East to Chestnut Hill; take a hike through the Wissahickon (Forbidden Drive area) and eat and shop along Germantown Avenue. You could go into Manayunk for dinner from here. www.septa.org has a "Plan my Trip" feature that works well for using the transportation system.

Day 3. (Museum Day) Back in Center City, start out from City Hall and explore the Parkway; on a nice day, the walk up to the Art Museum is quite doable. Along the way you may want to stop at the Kennedy Plaza (Love Statue), Rodin Museum, Franklin Institute,or Academy of Natural Sciences. Before going up the Parkway, there's an interesting stretch of Broad Street with the Academy of Fine Arts, Masonic Temple, etc. If you want to splurge on a fine meal, the Fountain at the Four Seasons on the Parkway is quite nice, albeit pricey. Behind the Art Museum is Kelley Drive with the Waterworks, Boathouse Row, and some lovely views of the Schuylkill.

Day 4: (Eclectic!) The Italian Market in South Philadelphia and/or Reading Terminal Market (they're quite different perhaps the Constitution Center, or a ride out to University City to the U of PA museum, maybe a meal in Chinatown, perhaps some strolling in Rittenhouse Square, make sure to get to Naked Chocolate Cafe or to Capogiro Gelato (or both...)

www.gophila.com is a wonderful resource; they have pre-made itineraries with detailed instructions, plus lots of other helpful things.

Have a wonderful trip!

virginiatraveler

We were just in the Old City area this past week, and stayed at the Best Western Independence Park Hotel. Great hotel, and perfect location! You can walk to all the historic areas very easily. And Campos Cheesesteaks and Franklin Fountain ice cream were just around the corner. Highly recommend them both!

Suki

Amy, that is a great itinerary. You mentioned Kelly Drive behind the Art Museum, and I think that one can rent bikes there (maybe only on weekends?)and that is a nice way to spend a half-day as well. Across the drive from the river is another section of Fairmount Park, and I recommend Laurel Hill Cemetery. This is a really cool place to visit. It sits high up on a hill overlooking the river, and is full of fancy masoleums. So many, in fact, that yo get the feeling that you are strolling through a small village.
http://www.thelaurelhillcemetery.org

Myer

Amy, this is great!!!

Great starting Itinerary.

Well, I've now got it to 3 full and most of the fourth day.

Thanks.

Any thoughts on Penn's View Hotel or Best Western Independence Park? Both look fine and location looks good.

Amy

Sorry I can't help with the hotels, but I'd say that more in the middle of the numbered streets from Front (First) to Broad (Fourteenth) rather than one around 2nd or 3rd would be a little more convenient for just walking out of your hotel to the various sites. (City Hall, for instance, is at the intersection of Broad and Market Streets.)

On the other hand, it's really not hard to get around, so probably any Center City location would be okay.

Here's hoping someone can help a little more on the hotels...I just get on a train and ride for a few minutes to get into town from my house, so no need for hotels.