Things to do in Philly, PA?

The stairs from Rocky.

 

Pat's or Gino's for cheesesteaks. The art museum. The boat house row, nice place for a walk and to see people out and about. Restaurants: Alma de Cuba, Continental, Buddakan, and Pod. If you have time to catch a baseball game(and the Phils are in town), you should. Don't go to North Philly, for anything. 4th street is their version of the East Village in NYC. Philly is a nice town, downtown is a cool place to hang out, eat, and walk around.

Have fun.

 

If bars are your thing, check out Monk's Belgian Cafe, Royal Tavern, Mahogany On Walnut, and Rouge (Rittenhouse park area).

 

The Italian Market is pretty cool.

http://frozentropics.blogspot.com/2007/03/italian-market-philadelphia.html

Just north of Pat's/Gino's I think. Go to Pat's unless you like a side of right wing racist with your sandwich.



http://www.phillyfuture.org/node/3607

 

Museum of Art is where the Rocky statue is. Liberty Bell and Independence Hall were both must-dos for me. Pat's or Gino's are touristy places to get cheesesteaks. Phillies are out of town or a ballgame would be a must.

 

Paddy's Pub

 

This. Get one from a street vendor, they're usually way better.

Old City's a lot of fun.

 

Cheesesteaks and Tastykakes.

 

Holy crap, how did I forget! Definitely do Tastykakes.

 

The last time I went to Philly it had the strangest odor. But I only went for the cheesesteak, the liberty bell, and the old historical buildings. Going to Delaware was the highlight of that trip.

 

Celebrate with B-hop....

 

Went to college in Philly for 4 years. Miss the city quite a bit; not my kind of place to live/work, but so many fun things to do there.

I know everyone is going to mention Pat's and Geno's, and it's definitely a good experience to go, if a bit touristy. Always get Wiz Wit, no condiments except hot peppers allowed. NO Exceptions. My steak place was always Jim's on South Street; better area, and you can take part in the "South Street Challenge"; get a huge slice of pizza from Lorenzo and Sons, a Cheesesteak from Jim's, and wrap the slice around the steak. The slice is perfectly fit to encompass the steak, and the melted cheese holds everything together.

If you only have time for one sandwich however, it MUST MUST MUST be a Roast Pork with Broccoli Rabe from DiNic's in Reading Terminal Market. It's totally unique to Philly, and I can't find it anywhere else. You can get a reasonable facsimile of a cheesesteak; you can't get this hidden gem anywhere else. You're doing yourself a massive disservice if you don't find time to try a roast pork and broccoli rabe. The rest of Reading Teminal Market is awesome as well; lots of fresh seafood and definitely try the Dutch vendors.

I second the Monk's suggestion earlier in the thread; very cool place, and Rouge has an amazing view of Rittenhouse square as well.

Philly's upscale dining is pretty affordable and very, very good. If you're on a business expense account, or are willing to drop some dough, Buddakan is amazing, and Le Bec Fin was one of my favorite dining experiences ever. Jose Garces, one of the newest Iron Chefs, also has a really nice Tapas place called Amada, and Morimoto's is nice, though a little too space-agey for the prices he charges. I wouldn't recommend Pod, personally, I don't think it's one of Stephen Starr's best efforts, or worth the trip out to West Philly.

Philly's BYOB scene is really where you can find some bargains, though. Tre Scalini has some unforgettable squid ink pasta and Italian family hospitality; Lolita makes some mean margaritas if you bring the Tequila, and if you're doing a date night, Little Fish drops panties so fast it leaves holes in the floor.

If you have a sweet tooth, you should definitely stop in at Franklin Fountain at 2nd and market near Penn's Landing. Great Sundaes and homemade ice cream. Rita's Water Ice and Tastykakes are also good regional snacks.

When you're not dining, I'd recommend taking the blue line to 15th and Market and looking at the LOVE statue and giant game pieces around City Hall. There is an amazing view that has the LOVE statue, 2 fountains and the Museum of Art all in a single row that is breathtaking. You can then do a 30 minute walk up Ben Franklin Parkway to the Art Museum, tracing the "Rocky Run". Phillies aren't in town next weekend, so unfortunately you can't go see Citizen's Bank Ballpark, which is a really nice stadium. If you're a history/architecture buff, walk through Old City, and stop by Penn's Landing and Independence Hall. In my opinion, the Independence Hall tour is worth it; but skip the lines for the Liberty Bell and sneak a peek through the window at the back of the museum. I think the Kimmel Center is worth a visit if you're into the arts, and Rittenhouse Square and the Schukyll Dog run are nice places to relax and rest up.

Now that I've read all that, I'm pretty jealous!

 

= crack.

There's a cheese steak shop in Round Rock (the owner is from Delaware so it's sort of authentic....ok it's not but it's as good as it's getting here) that sells Tastykakes. I am so grateful to him for carrying Kandy Kakes.

 

http://covetliving.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Rocky-Stairs-1.jpg

 

stay out of Jersey

 

Cannoli at Termini Brothers on S. 8th St. They have a lot of retail locations but the 8th St. location is the original (since 1921!)