Phil grinning

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May 24th, 2005

This comes from an email I sent to a friend who was planning on visiting Philly.

The first ten suggestions are the usual tourist recommendations, but I also added a few others from personal experience.

Philadelphia Skyline

  • Take the tour bus that leaves from 12th & Filbert. Good tour of city for familiarization. $10, good orientation
  • Go on the city hall tour of the clock (takes you to top of William Penn statue). Free, good views
  • Have a cheesesteak. $6, high cholesterol
  • Go to constitution center. $6, good reading
  • Go to the Art Museum. $10, can get your picture taken on the "Rocky Steps", nice walk to get there
  • Take an architecture tour. $6, nice walk
  • Hang out in Rittenhouse Square on a nice day. Free, piazza feel
  • Go out at night in old city. Variable, good way to meet people
  • Visit a Steven Starr restaurant (Pod, Morimoto, Continental, Buddakhan, Tangerine, Angelinas, Jones, ...). $40-200, not a chain (just owned by the same person)
  • Go to a baseball game at the new ball park. $15-$50, real U.S. sports culture


    • This is all the standard stuff, plus my extra suggestions.

  • Don't ride the duck bus.

    Actually from all reports it's a great way to see the city, but as a local I hate those fricken tourists quacking their little duck whistles and I personally hope they go out of business.

  • Don't go to the Italian market.


    • Sure Rocky ran through there, but other than the fact it's a Philly icon, I don't really rate it.

  • Do go to the Reading Terminal Market.


    • The food is great (you can get an authentic cheesesteak there too if you're keen), plus you can see the Pennsylvania Amish folks with their awesome baked goods and funny hats.

  • Do go to South Street.


    • This is to Philly what Newtown is to Sydney. Perfect place to get a tattoo, piercing, vintage vinyl record or political t-shirt. Jim's cheesesteaks is also one of my favorite cheesesteak places.

  • Do go to University city.


    • Great cinemas, cheap eats and take a walk through U Penn for some cool old buildings. Just don't go too far west of 40th street. Soon goes from trendy, to funky, to studenty, to gritty, to shitty, to scary.

  • Do go to Fairmont Park.


    • Just north of the Art Gallery and you can hire a bike from Lloyd Hall - plus you can watch the people gathered at Lloyd Hall who don oldschool rollerskates and dance to music from boomboxes.

  • Do scam some cheap tickets for shows, exhibitions and events at PhillyFunGuide.com or CenterCityPhila.org

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