Trip Report: My too short, but very sweet, trip to Philadelphia
Oct 24th, 2006, 03:25 PM
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Trip Report: My too short, but very sweet, trip to Philadelphia
City of Brotherly Love:
Philadelphia will always hold a special place in my heart. As a kid growing up in Delaware and Maryland, I never lived more than an hour away so, for me, a return to the city is a welcome home coming. Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time in this city--on school trips to the museums, family outings to the zoo, and, in high school, marching in what was once known as the Gimbles Thanksgiving Day Parade. Later, my step-father would take us through the Italian Market to shop and to the beautiful, old Fox Movie Theatre, once located at 16th and Market but since demolished, to see The Sound of Music for the very first time. I love it here and feel welcomed by the many sights, sounds and smells this city, so rich in culture and history, has to offer.
Purpose:
DH is here on business and I happily tag along with the hope of re-visiting as much as I can in 48 hours.
Air:
We flew to the Philadelphia International Airport on American Airlines from San Antonio via Dallas. The cost of my ticket was $10.00 plus 25,000 miles.
Ground Transportation:
Getting from the airport into the city is easy. For a flat rate of $25.00, we took a taxi which takes about 20 minutes to get to Center City. Regional rail service is another option and conveniently located directly across the street from the taxi rank outside baggage claim.
For more information, see http://www.phl.org/ground_transportation.html or http://www.septa.org/service/rr_schedules.html
Hotel:
The Westin, Philadelphia
99 South 17th Street at Liberty Place
This is a gorgeous hotel that I really didn’t want to leave! Excellent location, attentive service, cheerful staff, beautifully decorated room with the Heavenly bed, robes and towels! Our room had everything we could possibly need, we could have moved in. Because the organization that brought DH to the city paid for our hotel I don’t know the cost of the room.
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/westin...ropertyID=1231
Activities:
If you admire art and architecture, you can easily spend your time walking around the city with your head craned toward the sky admiring the many beautiful buildings and statues throughout the city. Inside and out, Philadelphia has some of the most beautiful buildings we have ever seen. City Hall, one of the most impressive buildings, imo, looks as though it were built with Paris in mind.
Is anyone familiar with the architecture of Philadelphia who can recommend a good book on the buildings and their history?
Liberty Bell:
Since 1997, the Liberty Bell has been housed in its own building, Liberty Bell Center, across the street from Independence Hall. The new building is nice enough, and there’s plenty of room to tell the story of the Bell, but I missed the ambiance of its previous home, in Independence Hall, where it was when I was a youngin’.
http://www.nps.gov/archive/inde/liberty-bell.html
Independence Hall (Independence National Historic Park):
Unlike the Bell, you’ll need a timed ticket (free) to tour the inside of the buildings here. Without one, you can stroll the grounds but have very limited access to anything else.
http://www.nps.gov/inde/independence-hall-1.htm
Washington Square:
Walnut Street, between 6th and 7th
Washington Square is one of five original squares laid out in 1682 by William Penn’s surveyor, Thomas Holme. In addition to local residents reading, relaxing and walking their dogs in the beautiful park setting is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Moon Trees. In 1975, hundreds of seedlings of the sycamore tree were taken into orbit around the moon, then, planted throughout the United States, including Washington Square.
http://www.phila.gov/fairpark/squares/washington.html
http://www.space.com/news/spacehisto...es_010509.html
Franklin Institute:
On display until December 31, 2006, and just one of the things I went to see at the Institute, is a fascinating, in-depth exhibit on Charles Darwin as well as the IMAX film entitled, Galapagos. The price of admission to see a special exhibit (Darwin), one IMAX film and general admission to the museum cost $24.75.
Reading Terminal Market: (see dining, below)
9th Street Italian Market
9th street, between Wharton and Fitzwater
http://www.phillyitalianmarket.com/
Book rec: The Philadelphia Italian Market Cookbook by Celeste A. Morello (1999)
Film Promo for the City: …say what?!?
As I walk down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, toward JFK Plaza, I notice a film crew in the middle of the Parkway and a City of Philadelphia truck nearby, across the street from a church. As I continue on my way, toward the fountain at the Plaza, a man approaches me and explains he is with Hothaus Creative in Dallas filming a news promo for the city, then, asks if I would be interested in shooting a scene—tee hee, twist my arm. The entire segment took less than 10 minutes and involved me walking away from the fountain towards the Parkway where the film crew was set up. When all was said and done the film crew and I exchanged air kisses. It’s amazing how attached one can become to a film crew in such a short period of time. Terry Hart, Director of Hothaus Creative gave me his card and a promise to send me stills taken from the video. Cool!
Dining:
Thanks to Suki, I arrived armed with a long list of restaurants that, unfortunately, we didn’t get to. For those with more time, in no particular order, here is a list of the restaurant recs.:
Lolita’s (Chestnut & 13th Street)
El Vez
Matyson
Capogiro’s
Naked Chocolate Cake (13th & Walnut)
Rouge (18th & Walnut)
Melagrano (20th & Spruce)
Le Castagne
Brasserie Perrier
Susanna Foo
Il Portico
Barclay Prime.
Of course, we did manage to eat…
Tony Juniors (a.k.a., Jr’s) 118 South 18th Street (215) 568-4630
Known for their Philadelphia Cheesesteaks, we left rubbing our bellies, fat and happy.
http://www.tonylukes.com/tlj.htm
For information on the joy and glory of the Philadelpia Cheesesteak, check out
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheesesteak
Davios, 111 South 17th Street (215) 563-4810
Northern Italian. The service here is outstanding but my blue crab risotto with squash and spinach a tad too salty for my taste and the jumbo shrimp that adorned the dish were overcooked. Based on the tomato bisque, bread and DH’s entrée I would definitely return and try something else. I loved the atmosphere of this place!
www.davios.com
Ben’s Bistro, located inside the Franklin Institute
Short on time, I enjoyed a quick and tasty bowl of chicken and rice soup here.
Reading Terminal Market, 51 N 12th Street #2 (215) 922-2317
Hungry? Looking for something to read or cook with? Visit the Reading Terminal Market. Established in 1892, here you will find a large and varied selection of chocolates, cheeses, produce, fish, meat, deli, Pennsylvania Dutch fare, coffee, bookstores, kitchen store, …and the list goes on. This was my first visit to the Market and I was so impressed by what I found here including some of the best cannoli I’ve had outside of Manhattan at Termini Brothers. www.termini.com
http://www.readingterminalmarket.org/
Book Rec: Reading Terminal Market: An Illustrated History by David K. O’Neil
Sadly, it came time to leave. Easily, I could have spent a few more days here and wasn’t ready to go but we made plans to visit my family in Maryland so off to the Philadelphia Airport we returned to pick up a rental car for our relatively short drive to Maryland.
I grew up reading the Philadelphia Inquirer and watching the news out of Philly. Specifically, Channel 6 Action News. Although “they” say everything changes I found one thing…make that two things… that have not. It tickled me to no end that the Channel 6 Action News theme music hasn’t changed in 40 years and that Jim Garner is still there as anchor. Now, I have to wonder what happened to Lisa Thomas-Laury…and how is it that I remember her name?!? Anyone from Philly reading this? You know what I’m talking about!
Pictures may be viewed at,
http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slidesho...Uy=mprg9x&Ux=0
Next Stop: Combined trip to New York City and Rehoboth Beach, DE
Philadelphia will always hold a special place in my heart. As a kid growing up in Delaware and Maryland, I never lived more than an hour away so, for me, a return to the city is a welcome home coming. Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time in this city--on school trips to the museums, family outings to the zoo, and, in high school, marching in what was once known as the Gimbles Thanksgiving Day Parade. Later, my step-father would take us through the Italian Market to shop and to the beautiful, old Fox Movie Theatre, once located at 16th and Market but since demolished, to see The Sound of Music for the very first time. I love it here and feel welcomed by the many sights, sounds and smells this city, so rich in culture and history, has to offer.
Purpose:
DH is here on business and I happily tag along with the hope of re-visiting as much as I can in 48 hours.
Air:
We flew to the Philadelphia International Airport on American Airlines from San Antonio via Dallas. The cost of my ticket was $10.00 plus 25,000 miles.
Ground Transportation:
Getting from the airport into the city is easy. For a flat rate of $25.00, we took a taxi which takes about 20 minutes to get to Center City. Regional rail service is another option and conveniently located directly across the street from the taxi rank outside baggage claim.
For more information, see http://www.phl.org/ground_transportation.html or http://www.septa.org/service/rr_schedules.html
Hotel:
The Westin, Philadelphia
99 South 17th Street at Liberty Place
This is a gorgeous hotel that I really didn’t want to leave! Excellent location, attentive service, cheerful staff, beautifully decorated room with the Heavenly bed, robes and towels! Our room had everything we could possibly need, we could have moved in. Because the organization that brought DH to the city paid for our hotel I don’t know the cost of the room.
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/westin...ropertyID=1231
Activities:
If you admire art and architecture, you can easily spend your time walking around the city with your head craned toward the sky admiring the many beautiful buildings and statues throughout the city. Inside and out, Philadelphia has some of the most beautiful buildings we have ever seen. City Hall, one of the most impressive buildings, imo, looks as though it were built with Paris in mind.
Is anyone familiar with the architecture of Philadelphia who can recommend a good book on the buildings and their history?
Liberty Bell:
Since 1997, the Liberty Bell has been housed in its own building, Liberty Bell Center, across the street from Independence Hall. The new building is nice enough, and there’s plenty of room to tell the story of the Bell, but I missed the ambiance of its previous home, in Independence Hall, where it was when I was a youngin’.
http://www.nps.gov/archive/inde/liberty-bell.html
Independence Hall (Independence National Historic Park):
Unlike the Bell, you’ll need a timed ticket (free) to tour the inside of the buildings here. Without one, you can stroll the grounds but have very limited access to anything else.
http://www.nps.gov/inde/independence-hall-1.htm
Washington Square:
Walnut Street, between 6th and 7th
Washington Square is one of five original squares laid out in 1682 by William Penn’s surveyor, Thomas Holme. In addition to local residents reading, relaxing and walking their dogs in the beautiful park setting is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Moon Trees. In 1975, hundreds of seedlings of the sycamore tree were taken into orbit around the moon, then, planted throughout the United States, including Washington Square.
http://www.phila.gov/fairpark/squares/washington.html
http://www.space.com/news/spacehisto...es_010509.html
Franklin Institute:
On display until December 31, 2006, and just one of the things I went to see at the Institute, is a fascinating, in-depth exhibit on Charles Darwin as well as the IMAX film entitled, Galapagos. The price of admission to see a special exhibit (Darwin), one IMAX film and general admission to the museum cost $24.75.
Reading Terminal Market: (see dining, below)
9th Street Italian Market
9th street, between Wharton and Fitzwater
http://www.phillyitalianmarket.com/
Book rec: The Philadelphia Italian Market Cookbook by Celeste A. Morello (1999)
Film Promo for the City: …say what?!?
As I walk down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, toward JFK Plaza, I notice a film crew in the middle of the Parkway and a City of Philadelphia truck nearby, across the street from a church. As I continue on my way, toward the fountain at the Plaza, a man approaches me and explains he is with Hothaus Creative in Dallas filming a news promo for the city, then, asks if I would be interested in shooting a scene—tee hee, twist my arm. The entire segment took less than 10 minutes and involved me walking away from the fountain towards the Parkway where the film crew was set up. When all was said and done the film crew and I exchanged air kisses. It’s amazing how attached one can become to a film crew in such a short period of time. Terry Hart, Director of Hothaus Creative gave me his card and a promise to send me stills taken from the video. Cool!
Dining:
Thanks to Suki, I arrived armed with a long list of restaurants that, unfortunately, we didn’t get to. For those with more time, in no particular order, here is a list of the restaurant recs.:
Lolita’s (Chestnut & 13th Street)
El Vez
Matyson
Capogiro’s
Naked Chocolate Cake (13th & Walnut)
Rouge (18th & Walnut)
Melagrano (20th & Spruce)
Le Castagne
Brasserie Perrier
Susanna Foo
Il Portico
Barclay Prime.
Of course, we did manage to eat…
Tony Juniors (a.k.a., Jr’s) 118 South 18th Street (215) 568-4630
Known for their Philadelphia Cheesesteaks, we left rubbing our bellies, fat and happy.
http://www.tonylukes.com/tlj.htm
For information on the joy and glory of the Philadelpia Cheesesteak, check out
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheesesteak
Davios, 111 South 17th Street (215) 563-4810
Northern Italian. The service here is outstanding but my blue crab risotto with squash and spinach a tad too salty for my taste and the jumbo shrimp that adorned the dish were overcooked. Based on the tomato bisque, bread and DH’s entrée I would definitely return and try something else. I loved the atmosphere of this place!
www.davios.com
Ben’s Bistro, located inside the Franklin Institute
Short on time, I enjoyed a quick and tasty bowl of chicken and rice soup here.
Reading Terminal Market, 51 N 12th Street #2 (215) 922-2317
Hungry? Looking for something to read or cook with? Visit the Reading Terminal Market. Established in 1892, here you will find a large and varied selection of chocolates, cheeses, produce, fish, meat, deli, Pennsylvania Dutch fare, coffee, bookstores, kitchen store, …and the list goes on. This was my first visit to the Market and I was so impressed by what I found here including some of the best cannoli I’ve had outside of Manhattan at Termini Brothers. www.termini.com
http://www.readingterminalmarket.org/
Book Rec: Reading Terminal Market: An Illustrated History by David K. O’Neil
Sadly, it came time to leave. Easily, I could have spent a few more days here and wasn’t ready to go but we made plans to visit my family in Maryland so off to the Philadelphia Airport we returned to pick up a rental car for our relatively short drive to Maryland.
I grew up reading the Philadelphia Inquirer and watching the news out of Philly. Specifically, Channel 6 Action News. Although “they” say everything changes I found one thing…make that two things… that have not. It tickled me to no end that the Channel 6 Action News theme music hasn’t changed in 40 years and that Jim Garner is still there as anchor. Now, I have to wonder what happened to Lisa Thomas-Laury…and how is it that I remember her name?!? Anyone from Philly reading this? You know what I’m talking about!
Pictures may be viewed at,
http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slidesho...Uy=mprg9x&Ux=0
Next Stop: Combined trip to New York City and Rehoboth Beach, DE
Oct 24th, 2006, 03:42 PM
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AnnMarie-
Thanks for a lovely trip report and the trip pics.
A few things to add:
The National Constitution Center near the Independence Historic District is well worth a visit.
www.constitutioncenter.org
One tidbit about the City Hall - Swann Fountain - and Philadelphia Museum of Art. The 3 line up in a straight line, with City Hall and PMA on either ends of the Ben Franklin Parkway while the Swann Fountain sits halfway.
All the statues along the facades of the City Hall, as well as William Penn on the top, were designed by Alexander Milne Calder.
The Swann Fountain statues were designed by Alexander Sterling Calder.
Get where I'm going?
Inside the great hall of the PMA - hangs a huge mobile by Alexander Calder. His father was Alexander Sterling Calder, and his grandfather was Alexander Milne Calder.
Thanks for a lovely trip report and the trip pics.
A few things to add:
The National Constitution Center near the Independence Historic District is well worth a visit.
www.constitutioncenter.org
One tidbit about the City Hall - Swann Fountain - and Philadelphia Museum of Art. The 3 line up in a straight line, with City Hall and PMA on either ends of the Ben Franklin Parkway while the Swann Fountain sits halfway.
All the statues along the facades of the City Hall, as well as William Penn on the top, were designed by Alexander Milne Calder.
The Swann Fountain statues were designed by Alexander Sterling Calder.
Get where I'm going?
Inside the great hall of the PMA - hangs a huge mobile by Alexander Calder. His father was Alexander Sterling Calder, and his grandfather was Alexander Milne Calder.
Oct 24th, 2006, 04:39 PM
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I'm sorry we didn't have time to visit Constitution Center--we saw the building from Liberty Bell Center but it was close to 4P, on the day of our arrival, by the time we reached the Liberty Bell. As I said, our time in Philly was too short! BTW, are you trying to tell me something about Calder?!? ;-) Thank you for the added info, yk!
Oct 24th, 2006, 04:46 PM
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I love Philly! I thought that they had changed the name to "the city that loves you back"? Have they gone back to city of brotherly love? I like that better so I hope they switched back.
We did most of the same things you did on the one and only long weekend I spent there back in '98.
We went to Rodin Museum, Betsy Ross's house, the Mint and Ben Franklin's shop too.
We had a really good soul food meal at Warm Daddy's. They used to be by the harbor but I know they were relocating. They had the best ribs and sweet potatoes! And the jazz was hot, not just warm!
Thanks for the memories and a great trip report!
Debi
We did most of the same things you did on the one and only long weekend I spent there back in '98.
We went to Rodin Museum, Betsy Ross's house, the Mint and Ben Franklin's shop too.
We had a really good soul food meal at Warm Daddy's. They used to be by the harbor but I know they were relocating. They had the best ribs and sweet potatoes! And the jazz was hot, not just warm!
Thanks for the memories and a great trip report!
Debi
Oct 24th, 2006, 04:51 PM
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AnnMarie,
If you want to know what happened to Lisa Thomas Laury click on this link:
http://www.bradyresidence.com/ltlover.html
If you want to know what happened to Lisa Thomas Laury click on this link:
http://www.bradyresidence.com/ltlover.html
Oct 24th, 2006, 06:04 PM
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AnnMarie, thanks for a lovely report on my beloved city! It makes me want to go stroll the streets tomorrow instead of going to work. 
Debi, "City of Brotherly Love" is a translation of sorts for the word "philadelphia"; we've gone through a lot of more or less lame slogans, but that one stays...it's our name! Of course, I like to think that we sisters are full of love, too.
There's so much to see and do, and the food: well, folks, we believe in food. Not for nothing were we at one point the "fattest city in America." (Not anymore, though.) But if you're just visiting, do indulge!
Debi, "City of Brotherly Love" is a translation of sorts for the word "philadelphia"; we've gone through a lot of more or less lame slogans, but that one stays...it's our name! Of course, I like to think that we sisters are full of love, too.
There's so much to see and do, and the food: well, folks, we believe in food. Not for nothing were we at one point the "fattest city in America." (Not anymore, though.) But if you're just visiting, do indulge!
Oct 25th, 2006, 03:39 AM
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Amy,
At the IMAX theatre, before the Galapogos film aired, a short film on the city of Philadelphia was shown. By the end of the film, I literally had tears in my eyes and the theatre, filled mostly with school aged children, clapped and cheered. It was a wonderful experience--something I've not experienced anywhere else. Also, the people I met, asked for directions, etc., could not have been more friendly and helpful. I was so not ready to leave!
At the IMAX theatre, before the Galapogos film aired, a short film on the city of Philadelphia was shown. By the end of the film, I literally had tears in my eyes and the theatre, filled mostly with school aged children, clapped and cheered. It was a wonderful experience--something I've not experienced anywhere else. Also, the people I met, asked for directions, etc., could not have been more friendly and helpful. I was so not ready to leave!
Oct 25th, 2006, 04:07 AM
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Thank you for your great report on Philadelphia. Even though we live closer to NYC, it is Philly that we choose to visit most often. It is such a smaller, more manageable city. (Love NYC too, though.)
Oct 25th, 2006, 12:57 PM
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Oct 25th, 2006, 04:46 PM
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I loved visiting Philadelphia, too. Two off-the-beaten track places we visited and were fascinated by were the Masonic Temple and The Mutter Museum (of medical oddities...not for the faint of heart!)
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