What Can You Do In Philadelphia In A Day?

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Philadelphia is a very large American city and there are many things to see in the city. I have picked the 5 that are my favorites. You will notice that these are all in or near the Center City (downtown) neighborhood of Philadelphia. Until 1854, Center City was the “City of Philadelphia”. In 1854 the State of Pennsylvania passed the Act of Consolidation. The boundary of the City of Philadelphia was expanded to the entirety to the “County of Philadelphia”. The boundary of the City of Philadelphia and the County of Philadelphia became one and the same.

Independence Mall

The Independence Mall is an area that is part of the Independence National Historical Park. It is about three blocks long (the historic Independence Hall is part of the Independence Mall). A visit to Philadelphia is not complete without visiting the Independence Mall, in many ways the birthplace of American democracy. You should consider visiting the following:

• Independence Visitor Center: You should start your visit by visiting the Independence Visitor Center first. You can access the Visitor Center directly from the parking lot which is under the Independence Mall. The Visitor Center has a small food court, shopping and other amenities. If you are planning to tour the Independence Hall, you should pick up your tickets at the Visitor Center (entrance to the Independence Hall is free but you do need a ticket to get in).

• Liberty Bell: The Liberty Bell is inside a building that is right across the street from the Independence Visitor Center. The Liberty Bell was moved to this location a few years after 09/11.

• Independence Hall: One of the most historic buildings in the United States of America. The building was completed in 1753 and was the Pennsylvania State House. It is also a World Heritage Site. The United States Declaration of Independence was approved here on July 4th, 1776. There is a small park behind the building known as Independence Square. The Declaration of Independence was read aloud to the public on July 4th, 1776 at this square. Visitors enter the Independence Hall though the entrance facing the Independence Square. You can visit the Independence Square even when the Independence Hall is closed.

• Washington Square is right next to the “Independence Square”. It is one of the original five squares that were part of the plan for the city of Philadelphia drawn by William Penn.

• Two blocks from the Visitor Center on Market Street is the Graff House. The building is also known as the Declaration House. It is in this building that Thomas Jefferson wrote the famous words “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness … “.

Rittenhouse Square

• Rittenhouse Square is about 12 blocks from the Independence Hall. It is my favorite part of the City of Brotherly Love. The square will feel less residential when compared to Washington Square. There are a lot of restaurants, bars and cafes facing the Square and near the square. The square itself offers beautiful views of the city and there is plenty of space for people watching, picnicking or sun bathing.

• The best day to visit Rittenhouse Square is Saturday. Every Saturday, there will be a farmers market on the Walnut Street side of the square. You can buy fresh vegetables, meat, poultry, flowers and wine from places as far as Lancaster, PA.

• Restaurants facing the square like the Parc and Devon offer nice brunch options. But my favorite is Marathon Grill which is at the corner of Spruce and 19th Street. There are several other restaurants and bars nearby. Alma de Cuba, Pietro’s, Tequilas, The Dandelion, Tria Cafe and D’Angelo’s are some of my favorites.

Philadelphia Museum of Art

The Philadelphia Museum of Art was completed in 1928. It is on a small hill. The museum has major art work from the United States, Europe and Asia. Consider the following when you plan a visit to the museum:

• The museum is a large structure and it is not possible to see all the works in a single visit. You should pick what you like and spend time browsing those galleries. I am a member of the museum and visit the museum at least 4 times a year. I like to study paintings by Paul Cezanne, Matisse, Thomas Eakins, Claude Monet, Renoir and Rembrandt among others. There is a Temple Hall with Pillars from Madurai (South India) inside the museum. I have lived in Madurai briefly and and have a real appreciation for this temple hall. This hall looks like a smaller version of the temple hall inside the famous Meenakshi Amman Temple. The best time to visit the museum is Friday evenings. The museum typically has live music and drinks in the main hall area. Enjoy the paintings by Claude Monet, then have a glass of red wine and enjoy the music. Can life get any better?

• The world famous “Rocky Steps” is right in front of the museum. You can enjoy a beautiful view of the City of Philadelphia from the top of the steps.

• The Rocky statue is at the bottom of the steps. My favorite Rocky Balboa quote is “Time takes everybody out. Time is undefeated.” Make sure you enjoy life and do the things you want to do before time knocks you out!!

• Once you come down the rocky steps, if you walk towards the right you will come to the “Spring Garden Street Bridge” slightly above the “Martin Luther King Drive Bridge”. It is a busy street, but you will get a spectacular view of the Schuylkill River and the Center City Philadelphia. Visit the gallery to view a photo that I took from this bridge.

Reading Terminal Market

• The Reading Terminal Market is one of the biggest enclosed markets in the United States and a very popular spot with Philadelphians. It opened in 1893 and was originally a rail shed for the Reading Railroad Company.

• The Reading Terminal Market has plenty of restaurants, deli’s, and bars among others. You can pretty much buy everything that you need to make a meal including cookbooks! The market also offers a 75 minute guided tour. I like the Beck’s Cajun Cafe, Nanee’s Kitchen and Pearl’s Oyster Bar. The John Yi Fish Market inside the Market is my favorite place to buy seafood. Eat Fish, Live Longer is their motto!

• Reading Terminal Market is very close to Chinatown. Philadelphia’s Chinatown is fairly large. There are plenty of restaurants that serve Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese and Malaysian food. Penang, David’s Mai Lai Wah, Banana Leaf and Emei are few of the popular restaurants. One of my personal favorites is Rangoon, one of the few Burmese restaurants in Philadelphia. I have visited this restaurant as a kid, as a grad student and more recently as a blogger!! Chilled beer, thousand layer bread and banana leaf fish … memories that last a lifetime!

• Love Park: Reading Terminal Market is also walking distance to both Philadelphia City Hall and Love Park.

Schuylkill Banks & Schuylkill River Trail

If you are traveling to Philly and want to spend sometime with the locals in the evening walking, running, bicycling, people watching, picnicking or sunbathing, then Schuylkill Banks and the Schuylkill River Trail is the place to go.

I normally start walking from Rittenhouse Square. I take Locust Street and walk past the historic row houses until I hit the Schuylkill River Trail. If you make a left, you can take the recently built Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk and end up in South Street. You will get a spectacular view of the City from the South Street bridge.

If you make a right, the trail will go below the Chestnut, Walnut and Market Street bridges. The trail is about 18 miles long and I normally walk past the Philadelphia Art Museum and turn around once I cross the historic Boathouse Row on Kelly Drive. There are plenty of seating available to rest and enjoy the view of the river and the City of Brotherly Love.

What is your favorite thing to do in Philadelphia?

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