Philadelphia

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Disappointed

Recycles dryer sheets
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Sep 16, 2007
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My planned vacation to Savannah and Charleston has been cancelled due to hurricane Hanna, unable to take advantage of Sarah's generous offer.

Hoping to head out to Philly this weekend, looking for suggestions on where to stay? Whic area to AVOID. Public transportation or rent a car. Plan to be there for 4 to 5 days.

All suggestions welcomed.

mP
 
Bummer, sorry to hear. It looks like now it'll be north of us so we probably will just get some rain and maybe a bit of wind.
Try again in a month--the weather will be better then, for sure--or the spring.
 
Thanks, also cosidering Chicago. Have never been to Chicago.

So, please feel free to opine.

mP
 
Here is a link to something going on this weekend. Also offers some info on discounted hotels, not bad prices $80-90 a night in the city.

2008 Philadelphia Live Arts Festival & Philly Fringe Check out the visitor info section.

Not sure what your focus of your trip is Arts or Historic, but Independence Hall Area is really nice and alot of good tours. Here is a link to the visitors guide. Visitors Guide - philly.com

Alot of the touristy areas are safe, just as usual use caution and don't look like a tourist if you know what I mean. I used to live in the area, its alot of fun. :)

Good Luck with your planning.
 
You can eat at Ted's in in the center (diagonal from the DoubleTree hotel). They have free range bison burgers. The owners are so green, they use paper straws instead of plastic ones.

You might as well go to Pat's and/or Geno's for a Philly steak (wit). I've always found parking along the street near the field.

Then there's the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Constitution Center, and all the touristy things in that area. You could take a drive to the Art Museum where you can see the statue of "Rocky" located on the right side of the building as you face the steps. You can park in the lot directly across from the steps for $7.

The Masonic Temple (again in the center) is supposed to be nice if you like hieroglyphics. Never been there, but I was told it had the largest collection of hieroglyphic art outside Egypt among other exhibits.
 
Disappointed said:
My planned vacation to Savannah and Charleston has been cancelled due to hurricane Hanna, unable to take advantage of Sarah's generous offer.

Hoping to head out to Philly this weekend, looking for suggestions on where to stay? Whic area to AVOID. Public transportation or rent a car. Plan to be there for 4 to 5 days.

All suggestions welcomed.



mP
Click to expand...

I happen to live in The city of Brotherly love and have since 1963. Killadelphia my eye. As a tourist you are not going to any of the neighborhoods that have the high crime rates. However if you are going to visit the slums in the middle of the night and buy drugs and sex on the streets in these areas then yeah Phila can be a killa. However the reputation is exaggerated and sells a lot of news papers and helps the talentless local TV news keep viewers.

My husband and I party with the best of them and have never had a problem.

I do not know what your price range for lodging is but I would recommend staying in Center City you can see and do a lot from that location. Cabs are easy to get. I have provided a couple of links for things to do during the day. The Constituation Center is a must, would also reccomend a carrage ride. The duck boats are great for kids but really suck in my opinion, not much water time. The historic sites take a lot of time to go through and the security checks are part of the reason.

As for night life.
I would check out the neighborhood of Old City for one of the best bar crawls you can take and eat at the City Tavern for a taste of Colonial American hospitality.

For the quirky and eclectic I would recommend South Street..at night. Lots of shops with rather interesting wears. (Warning!! Lots of college students, DH nearly went blind. Don't girls put clothing on these days?) Johnny Rockets is a burger shop on South street done up in 1950's style with good tasting food. You also get a floor show from the staff. Very diverce crown age and culture wise.

Bars in Philly close at 2AM. Therefor I am usually at home by then because the inebriates are out on the streets preforming all maner of ignorance. Not my scene at all. Need anymore info feel free to PM me.

PhillyFunGuide: Philadelphia Cultural Events and Organizations - phillyfunguide.com

Welcome to gophila.com -- the Official Visitor Site for Greater Philadelphia

Philadelphia | Plan Your Meeting, Group Tour, or Visit at PhiladelphiaUSA.travel

Oh. Forget Pat's and Geno's steaks. These are for tourists. The locals would not be caught dead eating that swill.
 
Check out the Mutter Museum. It's worth a visit. Just make sure that you don't eat lunch first.

Check out Manuyunk. By now it's a yuppy haven with a lot of restaurants and bars.

Old City is worth a walk through as there are some interesting neighborhoods with houses from the 1760s preserved pretty much the way they were.
 
We lived in the suburbs of Phila for about 15 years. I second the recommendations on the historic tours. Also, if you find old prisons interesting, you might like this tour: ESP :: Eastern State Penitentiary Website

South street is indeed fun, but do be careful if you are out late. It gets a little rowdy.

The Moshulu Restaurant (.:: Moshulu Restaurant & Bar ::.) is a cool restaurant that is located on a ship on the Delaware River. It has indoor and outdoor seating. It's located at Penn's Landing which is near South Street.

Also, if you like boat cruises, check out the Spirit of Philadelphia (Philadelphia Lunch and Dinner Cruises | Spirit of Philadelphia).

Now I wanna go back and visit....I miss Philly and all my friends there!
 
Thanks all. Where to stay, up to $350/night? Will be focusing on history. Car rental needed?

mP
 
I agree with Simple girl. If your focus is the historic then you will not need a rental. Parking in those areas is expensive and a hassle. Our Parking Authority is ......
:rant:aggressive :rant:. Save yourself the grief. Philly has an extensive bus and rail system, the subway is not for the faint of heart however and cabs are easy to get downtown.

Hotelwise I like the Grand Old Lady the Bellview-Stratford (pricey) and the Four Seasons (equally Pricey but a great view of the Parkway) the service was top notch at both hotels. It is now after Labor Day so you can get deals.
 
speaking of phili. i need suggestions please of best italian restaurants there. preferably near airport or between airport and cherry hill area new jersey, with preference being closest to airport to accommodate diners flying in late (after 7 on a friday night). thank you.
 
Don't know about Italian but you might like to try Bookbinders. Been there forever with a lot of history and great food. Haven't been there in years but any time I'm in Phili I make it a point to go there.
 
clarification. must be italian restaurant for brother because we hardly have any great ones here in florida & must be wonderful as the dinner celebrates my father's 80th birthday.
 
thank you simple. will check it out. meanwhile seems dad doesn't want us taking him to a restaurant as he just emailed me "parking will be over $20 per car. am not joking. phila is a horror."

i'm already looking forward to this visit.
 
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