Philadelphia....lovely ! (Philadelphia)

Member Name: BumpyBump

Product:	Philadelphia
Date:	03/11/09 (18 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Loads to do and see

Disadvantages: A few too many homeless people hanging around

I've visited Philadelphia three times now, because a friend of mine lives there. It's a really lovely city and much more like London than many of the cities in the USA because it combines history with culture, shopping and nightlife.

Some history and facts: Philadelphia is in the State of Pennsylvania and is the largest city in that State. Philadelphia was named by William Penn, and it is Greek for 'brotherly love'. The Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia, at Independence Hall. Main tourist attractions include the Liberty Bell, the United States Mint (no cameras allowed) and the houses of Edgar Allan Poe and Betsy Ross (who, it is believed, made the first American flag).

Philly has one of the oldest histories in the USA (which isn't all that old, really). It has several museums, galleries and parks, all of which are exceptionally well kept. The Rocky movies were all set and filmed in Philly and tourists love nothing more than running up the infamous steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and celebrating at the top, Rocky-style. For those with less energy, you can simply have your photo taken in front of the Rocky statue. There is loads of amazing architecture all around, especially with the houses and museum buildings, and Philly also has a very beautiful and recognisable skyline which you get an amazing view of as you approach the city by car (from the airport). One thing I noticed about Philly is that the sides of buildings are all plastered with murels and mssive paintings. Not sure why, but it certainly does make the place more colourful.

Philadelphia is home to the Philadelphia Phillies (baseball), and the Philadelphia 76ers (basketball) and the Philadelphia Eagles (football) for those of you who are sports fans, so you are bound to be able to get tickets for something when you visit. There are also loads of bars which show the events on large TVs so you can easily soak up the atmosphere even if you don't attend the game in person. Sports aside, there are loads of bars scatttered all around Philly and you will usually get a warm welcome (although take your passport with you everywhere as they ID people as standard).

There are also a good selection of restaurants and eateries. There is the usual chain fare (Hard Rock Café) but there are also plenty of independent places serving a variety of cuisines. All of these I have found to be really good value for money and good quality. Don't forget to try a Philly Cheese Steak while you are there - they are sold all over the place and are basically a meaty sub with cheese. Pure filth, but very tasty.

In the city centre there is a good selection of shops because there are a couple of Malls. You may have to go slightly off the beaten track though for anything that isn't a chain store.

One of my favourite things in Philly is the The Mütter Museum at the College of Physicians. It is a collection of oddities and things which baffled medical science, and is far better than anything you will see at Ripley's Believe It Or Not. There weren't that many people there when I went so maybe it is a bit of a hidden gem? http://www.collphyphil.org/mutter.asp

Overall, Philly has a safe feel about it (especially compared to some places in the USA). It is quite a leafy place and the climate is not so dissimilar to that of ours in Britain, so expect the cold in winter and the sun in summer. The only downside is that I did see an awful lot of homeless people while I was there, but maybe I was just unlucky.

Visit the official visitor website for more info: http://www.gophila.com/

Summary: Nice, cultual city where you can easily spend a few days and not get bored