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One day in Philadelphia, what to do/see?
- Thread starter mfacey
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mfacey said:
There's more to see than you'll have time. Philly, my home city, is also one of my favorites.
But if I had one day I'd go to:
Franklin Institute
Independence Hall
South Street
And depending upon the actual date of your visit there might be something interesting going on at:
Penn's Landing
Great stuff! If I recall the liberty bell is also somewhere in Philadelphia right? Whereabouts can that be seen?
Any other must sees according to people here?
I'm only there for one day as it's sort of a "half-way" stop between DC and NYC, which is what the trip is planned around.
Any other must sees according to people here?
I'm only there for one day as it's sort of a "half-way" stop between DC and NYC, which is what the trip is planned around.
The Liberty Bell Center
I left it off the list intentionally. Perhaps because I've seen it SO many times.
The thing is-- you know, it's not as great/terrific an experience as you would think. It's just a bell with a crack. You wait what could be a long time to see it and look around. You've wasted time in my opinion.
If I were spending a weekend/2 or 3 days-- yeah, I would go see it. If you were I would have put it on a longer list. You said you had a day so there was some ranking in my thought process.
I left it off the list intentionally. Perhaps because I've seen it SO many times.
The thing is-- you know, it's not as great/terrific an experience as you would think. It's just a bell with a crack. You wait what could be a long time to see it and look around. You've wasted time in my opinion.
If I were spending a weekend/2 or 3 days-- yeah, I would go see it. If you were I would have put it on a longer list. You said you had a day so there was some ranking in my thought process.
By the way-- South Street. You'll find plenty of places there to get a traditional Philly Cheese Steak. I'm not going to recommend any place in particular- it would only start a debate here. But most places are good.
Get a Philly soft pretzel, too, while you're in town. People will be selling them at traffic lights in brown paper bags. Don't be afraid-- buy them and eat them-- we all do.
Get a Philly soft pretzel, too, while you're in town. People will be selling them at traffic lights in brown paper bags. Don't be afraid-- buy them and eat them-- we all do.
go get a vegetarian cheese steak from gianna's grille on 6th street. i had 3 last weekend when i was passing through. mmmmmm
I've seen the liberty bell too.. it was really nothing special. You could easily walk past it if they didn't make a point of explaining what it was. If you have the time though, couldn't hurt. Snap a picture .
.
Go to Reading Terminal Market, around 12th and Filbert. Just North of that, you'll find Chinatown and south of it, you'll find The Gallery mall. Park in the mall parking garage, if you're driving.
Reading Terminal Market has quite a lot of food and pastries, including some that the Amish have made.
Around 5th and Market, you'll find Independence Mall. The Liberty Bell and Independence Hall are just south of that. There is parking just north of there.
The Betsy Ross house should be easy to find, being just a few blocks north and a bit east.
At the east end of Market street, you'll find Penn's Landing. Many times, there is something free going on there--music or whatever. Concessions, of course, are not free.
If you're into art, head west on Market to City Hall, the building with William Penn on top, and then northwest on Ben Franklin Parkway. The Philadelphia Museum of Art is there. You'll probably recognise it from Rocky running up the front steps. There is also a Rodin sculpture museum and the Franklin Science Center in close proximity to Ben Franklin Parkway.
If you really want a true Cheesesteak, don't go to Jim's or (Gianna's?), go to Geno's. I think it's at 6th and Passyunk (like Pashunk) across from Pat's, which was where the original Cheesesteak was developed. I don't like Pat's because it's big hunks of meat with oily cheese whiz, though.
If you've got time, you should go into the Lord & Taylor store at Broad and Market Streets to see the massive pipe organ. It's been a while but hopefully they haven't removed it. You may have seen it in the terrible movie "Mannequin."
Reading Terminal Market has quite a lot of food and pastries, including some that the Amish have made.
Around 5th and Market, you'll find Independence Mall. The Liberty Bell and Independence Hall are just south of that. There is parking just north of there.
The Betsy Ross house should be easy to find, being just a few blocks north and a bit east.
At the east end of Market street, you'll find Penn's Landing. Many times, there is something free going on there--music or whatever. Concessions, of course, are not free.
If you're into art, head west on Market to City Hall, the building with William Penn on top, and then northwest on Ben Franklin Parkway. The Philadelphia Museum of Art is there. You'll probably recognise it from Rocky running up the front steps. There is also a Rodin sculpture museum and the Franklin Science Center in close proximity to Ben Franklin Parkway.
If you really want a true Cheesesteak, don't go to Jim's or (Gianna's?), go to Geno's. I think it's at 6th and Passyunk (like Pashunk) across from Pat's, which was where the original Cheesesteak was developed. I don't like Pat's because it's big hunks of meat with oily cheese whiz, though.
If you've got time, you should go into the Lord & Taylor store at Broad and Market Streets to see the massive pipe organ. It's been a while but hopefully they haven't removed it. You may have seen it in the terrible movie "Mannequin."
Boathouse Row is cool to drive by at night if you plan on being out during the evening.
You can also catch a few shows if you are into that... Other than that, definitly South Street and Penn's Landing. You can take a nice dinner/lunch cruise if you wish.
Oh, and maybe you want to catch a Phillies Game? The new ballpark is awesome.
Check times and tickets at www.phillies.com
You can also catch a few shows if you are into that... Other than that, definitly South Street and Penn's Landing. You can take a nice dinner/lunch cruise if you wish.
Oh, and maybe you want to catch a Phillies Game? The new ballpark is awesome.
Check times and tickets at www.phillies.com
bousozoku said:
You've got it wrong. Pat's is the best. Geno's is too clean. You need to get the full Philly Cheesesteak experience, and Pat's is where it's at. My recommendation for what to order: a whiz with.
I agree. Geno's is the place to go if you're a prissy little girl. If you're a man, it's "cheez wit" (not whiz withMacaddicttt said:
) from Pats. And, don't make the mistake I made the first time I went - fries and soda are at the next window. I was so embarrassed. May have been the most so in my life...
nbs2 said:I agree. Geno's is the place to go if you're a prissy little girl. If you're a man, it's "cheez wit" (not whiz with
I'll agree it's "wit" not "with" but I was trying to translate for the uninitiated.
But no, it has to be "whiz wit" since there are different types of cheese.
nbs2 said:I agree. Geno's is the place to go if you're a prissy little girl. If you're a man, it's "cheez wit" (not whiz with
You should have been embarrassed going to Pat's.
If you care about the taste of food, you go to Geno's.
nbs2 said:I agree. Geno's is the place to go if you're a prissy little girl. If you're a man, it's "cheez wit" (not whiz with
The people who own Pat's send there daughter to my school, she nice and before last week i had no idea she owned Pat's
Go to pats, only because i know the girl who owns it
(But really i can't stand Philly, hate it, theres not much there and if i recall no Apple Stores
)
Hmmm....whenever I order a cheez wit, they give me whiz. I think if you want any other cheese you have to specify what kind (like provolone or swissMacaddicttt said:
)Geno's tastes like sissy food. It just feels like Diet Pat's. Pat's has a heartier flavor.bousozoku said:
zap2, I am so jealous...
zap2 said:(But really i can't stand Philly, hate it, theres not much there and if i recall no Apple Stores
Not much to do in Philly??!!
bousozoku said:
I recommended a place based on the quoted material. Jim's is on South.
Whiz is part of the charm.
zap2 said:...
(But really i can't stand Philly, hate it, theres not much there and if i recall no Apple Stores
There is at least one Apple store and that's in King of Prussia, which is not physically part of Philly but it's still part of the area.
What else isn't there that you think should be?
