Philadelphia Travel Diary

We talked about going back to Philadelphia last year but ended up going to Baltimore instead so when it came time to plan a Spring getaway to celebrate our anniversary, Philly was back on the table. My husband and I had both previously visited there both separately and together and it's been a number of years since our last trip. 

Nicknamed "the city of brotherly love" Philadelphia might also known be for its place in American history as well as being America's UNESCO World Heritage City.  As the second largest city on the East Coast and fifth largest in the US and the hub of the nation's sixth-largest metropolitan area it offers a wide range of entertainment options, restaurants, educational institutions, and cultural offerings. We went at the end of April and the early summer-like weather couldn't be more perfect. 

GETTING THERE
One of the reasons we chose Philadelphia is because it's accessible by Amtrak and the trip only takes a little over an hour by Acela. We generally prefer mass transportation over a car when the travel time is shorter so wet don't have to deal with the hassle of traffic and parking. The Philadelphia train station is centrally located and there were plenty of train times available for our route. The train leaves out of Moynihan Station in midtown which is very easy for us to get to from lower Manhattan.

STAY
AKA Rittenhouse Square
On previous visits to Philadelphia, we had always stayed around Rittenhouse Square because it is convenient and safe. For this trip we chose AKA Rittenhouse Square a luxury hotel with stylish and modern apartment style guest rooms within a historic twelve story facade. It is centrally located on the eastern side of Rittenhouse Square Park in a neighborhood with plenty of shopping and dining options. We were impressed by how clean and secure the hotel was as well as it's proximity to 30th Street Station and a number of local attractions. 

We reserved directly with AKA and were able to work out all the details of our reservation via email prior to our arrival. Because of our concerns about noise it was recommended that we upgrade to a Platinum One Bedroom Suite which we did and our suite was lovely but we we had noise issue on our first night which totally disrupted our sleep. When we called the next morning about the issue, it was immediately addressed and we were moved to a penthouse suite. The new suite wast even nicer and bigger than our  NYC apartment. The sleek and minimal decor fit our aesthetic and having a full kitchen was convenient even though we didn't cook there. Noise issue aside, we had a pleasant and comfortable stay and would definitely stay there again because the accommodations and location were a plus. We appreciated the kind and amenable staff and the high quality service we received. 

GETTING AROUND
As mentioned above, we stayed in Rittenhouse Square and most everything we wanted to visit was walking distance. Philadelphia is a pretty walkable city and the directional signs they have posted around are very helpful. I will say that their sidewalks are absolute garbage though with potholes and broken pieces which we had to be very mindful of. And these were just everywhere. We didn't end up taking it this time but the SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority), operates a regional public transportation system that includes bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, and light rail.

SEE/DO
Philadelphia has much to offer in the way of history, culture and a thriving arts scene. We  have absolutely zero interest in American history but we do really enjoy visiting museums and parks. We bought one day Go City passes which allowed us to visit all of these venues for $55 a person. Totally worth it since single admission to most of these institutions starts at $25. And our pass also included the Big Bus Tour which we rode back to our hotel.

Philadelphia Museum of Art
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is one of the nation’s largest and most recognizable art institutions, housing vast collections, including Renaissance, American and impressionist galleries featuring works from van Gogh, Manet, Cassatt, Duchamp, Dalí and Picasso, plus rotating exhibitions and special programming. The landmark building's stunning Greek Revival architecture is also a highlight along with the staircase also known as  "The Rocky Steps" because they were made famous by the Rocky movies. This museum features an extensive collection of classical & contemporary art which made it worthwhile to explore. We especially enjoyed the Mythical Creatures: China and the World exhibition.

Barnes Foundation
Dating back to 1961, the galleries at the Barnes Foundation are home to one of the world’s most important collections of impressionist, post-impressionist and early modernist paintings by renowned artists like Renoir, Cézanne, Picasso, van Gogh, Matisse, Rousseau, Degas, Rubens, Gauguin, Goya, Manet and Monet. The museum also showcases American paintings and decorative arts, metalwork, African sculpture and Indigenous textiles, jewelry and ceramics. The late founder Albert C. Barnes grouped the museum's artwork into distinctive and specific arrangements he called "ensembles" which were designed to help viewers spot similarities they might not notice otherwise. French impressionism is one of my favorite art periods so this museum was a highlight. And the building was gorgeous too.

Rodin Museum
The Rodin Museum in Philadelphia is home to the largest public collection of Auguste Rodin’s works outside of Paris housed in a historic building with a lovely outdoor garden. The collection includes 20 of the French master’s sculptures, plus exhibits highlighting drawings, paintings and academic studies. The gallery’s outdoor gardens sculpture collection includes more masterpieces, like a bronze cast of The Thinker, the only original cast of The Gates of Hell in North America and The Age of Bronze. This is a relatively small museum with an intimate feel that allows you to get up close and really appreciate the artwork.

The Franklin Institute
One of the leading science museums in the nation, The Franklin Institute explores how science affects every aspect of daily life from the mysteries of the universe to the intricacies of the human body with interactive exhibits and live science demonstrations. The Franklin Institute is fun for visitors of all ages, not just kids especially if you happen to enjoy science. In particular we liked the exhibits illustrating various aspects of how the human body and the brain in work. The planetarium shows were also really interesting.

Academy of Natural Sciences
Founded in 1812, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University has the distinction of being the oldest natural history museum in the Americas. The institution’s centerpiece is Dinosaur Hall, complete with a fully reconstructed 42-foot Tyrannosaurus Rex, 30 dinosaur and prehistoric reptile fossils, a fossil preparation lab and dig site. This museum was a little small and underwhelming and felt dated. The best thing there was the T-rex skeleton.

Chinatown
Established in 1871, Philadelphia's Chinatown is centered around 10th and Arch streets. It is both a residential neighborhood and a key cultural attraction with restaurants, shops, landmarks and festivals representing Cantonese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and many other East Asian cultures. We always make a point to visit if the place we're going has a Chinatown because it just helps us feel at home. Plus we were here many years ago and wanted to see how it has changed.

Elfreth's Alley
Located in  Old City, Elfreth's Alley is one of the oldest continuously inhabited residential streets in America. The  charming 400-foot cobblestone walk lined with 32 quaint private households  built between 1720 and 1836 and once inhabited by figures like Dolly Madison, Betsy Ross and Stephen Girard. While closely surrounded by a modern city, the alleyway preserves three centuries of evolution through old-fashioned flower boxes, shutters, Flemish bond brickwork and other architectural details. 

City Hall
The statue of city founder William Penn presides atop City Hall tower in Penn Sqaure. Standing at 548 ft (167 m) it was once the the tallest in Pennsylvania until it was surpassed in 1932 by the Gulf Tower in Pittsburgh. It is now the 16th tallest in the state. The stately building occupies an entire street block. We did walk around here to see how it compares to NYC's City Hall which is in our neighborhood and it's quite different. Thankfully our City Hall is more quiet.

Swann Memorial Fountain
Also know as the “Fountain of Three Rivers,” Swann Memorial Fountain is an art deco fountain sculpture located in the center of Logan Circle. Sculpted by Alexander Stirling Calder, who designed with architect Wilson Eyre this fountain was built as a memorial to Dr. Wilson Cary Swann, founder of the Philadelphia Fountain Society which held the belief that believed everyone in the city should be able to access good drinking water. 

Rittenhouse Square Park
Located on Walnut Street between North 18th and North 19th streets, Rittenhouse Square Park is the centerpiece of Rittenhouse Square, the buzzy neighborhood that offers some of the city's top rated restaurants, high end shopping and trendy entertainment venues. This is a nice city park in a vibrant part of Philadelphia. It 's little winding trails, statues, fountains, trees and flowers make it a pleasant place to enjoy good weather and people watch. We liked to stroll around here in the mornings and evenings after dinner.

Cira Green
Built atop a 12 story parking garage, Cira Green is an elevated park in West Philadelphia’s University City District with walkways, benches, and even several sections of grass that are perfect for relaxing. We stopped here to chill a bit before our train home since it's located a few blocks away from the Amtrak Station. It was nice and I can imagine it would be cool to come here in the evenings to catch the sunset.

EAT/DRINK
Philadelphia has a pretty lively and diverse dining scene which we tried to take advantage of. I must mention that since COVID, we stopped dining indoors so we chose places where we would able to dine outdoors or get takeout to eat back at our hotel. For the most part, we ate near our hotel because there were many good options. As usual we stuck with our intermittent fasting schedule and only ate twice a day. 

K'Far Cafe
K'Far is a popular all-day café and bakery close led by James Beard Award Winners Chef Camille Cogswell and restaurateur duo Chef Mike Solomonov & Steve Cook. We grabbed brunch along with drinks from Elixir Coffee to have in the comfort of our hotel which was really close by. I really like salad as my first meal and my Tenhia Chicken Casesar Salad was so vibrant and flavorful (no wilted greens and they actually gave enough dressing. My husband also enjoyed his Egg & Cheese Jerusalem Bagel. He loved Elixir Coffee's Strawberry Oat Milk so we were there quite often. Their matcha latte was on point.

Blue Corn
Blue Corn is a lively Mexican restaurant in the Italian market. Everything here is made in a small, open kitchen and they offer outdoor dining. We had the Blue Corn Caesar Salad, Chilean Sea Bass Ceviche and the Taco special with 2 skirt steak, 2 chicken chicharrón with tomatillo sauce, 2 chorizo: side of cactus and guacamole. Everything was so fresh and delicious but the ceviche was a particular standout. We love Mexican food and this was some great Mexican food.

Buena Onda Baja Taqueria
Inspired by the surf towns along Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, Buena Onda is a fast-casual taco eatery founded by James Beard Award-winning Iron Chef Jose Garces. We heard that this place and good fish tacos and they really do. The grilled fish and the fried fish tacos were both so tasty. Located on Benjamin Franklin Parkway, this was a nice place to stop in between museum visits and they have seating outside.

Parc Brasserie
This Stephen Starr Rittenhouse Square stalwart pays tribute to French cafe culture and is always bustling as it is a go-to for locals and visitors alike. We had lunch here on our last day and were able to snag a table across from the park. The French bistro vibes are strong and the food was solid. We had a refreshing tuna tartare starter and classic French staples for our entrees. My husband got the Steak Frites. The steak was juicy, tender and well cooked and the frites were hot and crispy. My Niçoise Salad was generous and really good though for the price it should've had fresh tuna. Their bread was TTDF. I don't normally eat bread but I snuck in a few bites after my salad. Service was excellent. Our waiter somehow figured out we were celebrating our anniversary and presented us with some festive madeleines to close out our meal.

Special shoutout to Goldie, a fast-casual falafel shop by our hotel form which we got takeout dinner one night. The crisp-on-the-outside, herby-on-the-inside falafel is one of the best we've ever had. You can get it served in a warm housemade pita or on top of a salad. 

We also checked out Reading Terminal Market, the famous public market and found it to be unimpressive with mostly unhealthy food options. We did try the  Roast Pork Sandwich from Tommy DiNic's and honestly did not get the hype at all.  The portion was paltry for the price and the pork was kind of bland. Would not recommend the market or the sandwich.

3 days and 3 nights was the perfect length for our getaway. We were originally planning to go in the beginning of May but had to move it up a week because of a scheduling conflict. It actually worked for us because the weather was sunny and warm. Maybe we won't wait 15 years to go back next time.

Have you been to Philadelphia?

Check out my other travel diaries.