Will have less than 24 hours in Philly, what should I do / see?
Will be going on a short vacation, and the last day of the trip will be spent in Philly (near Market and 2nd Sts.). I’ll be getting there around dinner time and leaving around 11AM the following morning.
What’s the best way to enjoy less than 24 hours in Center City Philadelphia?
(Note: I’m an Easterner semi-familiar with Philly, but it has been a few years since I had some time to trek about the city. My tastes are: historic stuff, natural beauty, coffeehouses, eclectic quirky, water front, blue jeans, spikey dykey / not uptown chic, cheese steaks, the occasional cocktail and cigar, Mike’s hard lemonade / not beer, etc. etc.)
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8 Answers
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is pretty amazing.
The National Constitution Center is surprisingly well done and quite moving.
Rittenhouse Square and the small streets around it are great for architectural sightings and coffee houses (old rowhouses, mews, etc.), small restaurants, coffee houses.
If you want a big splurge dinner, Smith & Wollensky’s is great for steak; Le Bec Fin for fine French, Vetri’s for Italian, Striped Bass for quirky, expensive fish. Hwever, there are many fine cheaper restaurants too.
Graze at Reading Market
The Tiffany mural in the Custer Building is wonderful
Walk along the Schukyll in Fairmont Park
If you want to go a bit further out, Morris Arboretum and the Barnes Foundation on the Main Line are both well worth a visit.
If you’re there after June 2, the Penn Museum and the Franklin Institute have shared tickets and a joint exhibition.
If you have never been, there is Independence Hall and other start of the country places to go and see. That puts you right near the very colorful South Street with lots of bard and restaurants.
@marinelife I thought you had to go to Stratford for “lots of bard”?
@janbb Oops, clumsy typing fingers. I meant “bars”. I clicked on the Edit button and it disappeared. I must have been just too late to edit it. Thanks.
Barnes hard to get into. Need to negotiate in advance.
If this interests you, Philadelphia’s tall ship Gazela is undergoing some restoration and you may be able to watch.
http://www.gazela.org/
anartist answer also reminded me the Philly Navy Yard is there as well. The last time I was there we got a tour of a WWII sub. Those things were tiny. I also saw the replicas of Christopher Columbus’ three sailing ships. Also tiny.
If you’re into classical music at all and get a chance to catch a show, you should go to the Kimmel Center and see the Philidelphia Orchestra. They really are fantastic.
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