Philly Ladies

drid · February 2017

So we're planning an NYC trip and we're including a couple day road-trip to Philly and Atlantic City. FI has done lots of work around Philly so he wanted to show me the area. What are some touristy things we could do? ... I'm hoping for some playoff hockey since it'll be mid May

OliveOilsMom · February 2017

The obvious things are the historical points of interest. They are located in the Old City portion of Philly. You can easily hit up the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Carpenters Hall, Ben Franklin's Grave, Ben Franklin's Post Office/House, and the Constitution Center - they are all within 6 city blocks of each other. I'm not sure of hours, how to get tours, etc.

I have not been yet, but there is also a Holocaust museum in Old City right near the Liberty Bell. I have heard its a very moving experience.

If in the Old City area, walk down to between 2nd & Front (aka 1st) Sts on Market. Franklin Fountain is a must go! It's an old fashioned ice cream parlor. It's cash only and can have long lines, but so worth the wait! Go a few shops down and visit Shane's Confectionary too. All handmade candies, the shop is very famous in Philly and was purchased by the people behind Franklin Fountain, so they have kept all of the nostalgia up! If the line for Franklin Fountain is absolutely crazy, in the very back of Shane's you can get small servings of the ice cream from Franklin Fountain and also amazing chocolate milk shakes.

I don't follow the Flyers, but they seem playoff bound at the moment according to my BIL. If they do make the playoffs, tickets will be astronomically expensive. Its very hard to get Flyers or Eagles tickets in Philly, especially playoff tixs. But I don't know your budget, so it may be worth it to you - you would probably have to get them off Stub Hub. At the least, the Phillies will be around and while they are currently rebuilding, their stadium is awesome. Lots of great food options and different things to do.

For food, you can't go wrong with a Stephen Starr restaurant. Look him up, he's got a lot of places to choose from! Jones is a favorite. Another great food option is Reading Terminal Market, located around Arch St and 10th. Tons of options, but its more for lunch than dinners! The Amish have a few stands and their stuff is always amazing, but they are typically off Sundays and Mondays, I think. For H's birthday I took him there once and we ate from one end of the market to the other! He loved it!

thefanciestbeckler · February 2017

OliveOilsMom said:

The obvious things are the historical points of interest. They are located in the Old City portion of Philly. You can easily hit up the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Carpenters Hall, Ben Franklin's Grave, Ben Franklin's Post Office/House, and the Constitution Center - they are all within 6 city blocks of each other. I'm not sure of hours, how to get tours, etc.
I have not been yet, but there is also a Holocaust museum in Old City right near the Liberty Bell. I have heard its a very moving experience.
If in the Old City area, walk down to between 2nd & Front (aka 1st) Sts on Market. Franklin Fountain is a must go! It's an old fashioned ice cream parlor. It's cash only and can have long lines, but so worth the wait! Go a few shops down and visit Shane's Confectionary too. All handmade candies, the shop is very famous in Philly and was purchased by the people behind Franklin Fountain, so they have kept all of the nostalgia up! If the line for Franklin Fountain is absolutely crazy, in the very back of Shane's you can get small servings of the ice cream from Franklin Fountain and also amazing chocolate milk shakes.
I don't follow the Flyers, but they seem playoff bound at the moment according to my BIL. If they do make the playoffs, tickets will be astronomically expensive. Its very hard to get Flyers or Eagles tickets in Philly, especially playoff tixs. But I don't know your budget, so it may be worth it to you - you would probably have to get them off Stub Hub. At the least, the Phillies will be around and while they are currently rebuilding, their stadium is awesome. Lots of great food options and different things to do.
For food, you can't go wrong with a Stephen Starr restaurant. Look him up, he's got a lot of places to choose from! Jones is a favorite. Another great food option is Reading Terminal Market, located around Arch St and 10th. Tons of options, but its more for lunch than dinners! The Amish have a few stands and their stuff is always amazing, but they are typically off Sundays and Mondays, I think. For H's birthday I took him there once and we ate from one end of the market to the other! He loved it!

I am not from Philly, but DH and I visited there one day last Spring when he was stationed in Pennsylvania. We did all of the bolded. Independence Hall is ticketed. The tickets are free, but you need to go to the visitor's center pretty early in the day to get them as they run out quickly. If I remember right, the Liberty Bell isn't ticketed, you just have to wait in a long line. The rest of those historical sites are free as well and you can come and go as you please. They are all within walking distance as Olive Oil's Mom said. Make sure you wear comfy shoes

6 city blocks in Philly is a lot further distance than it is where I'm from, so I underestimated the amount of walking we'd be doing. My shoe choice wasn't the best.

We also did a lot of walking around the riverfront and drove over to the Jersey side to get a good picture of Philly. It's an awesome city. Have fun!

Eta words

Lulawife · February 2017

I haven't lived in Philly in almost 10 years but I will add another vote for any Stephen Starr restaurant. I've been to multiple, El Vez, Continental Mid-Town, POD and Morimoto and always had great experiences.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is a good choice also. Besides the exhibits, you can climb the "Rocky Steps" and see his bronze statue.

I'm a baseball fan and so I recommend a Phillies game if you want to see a sporting event. Make sure to visit the Chickie's and Pete's Crab Fries booth. So good!!

About 20 minutes outside the city is the King of Prussia mall. It's definitely something to experience once if you love to shop. They have good restaurants too, I was there visiting friends recently and we had a delicious meal at Cantina Laredo.

lyndausvi · February 2017

I love Morimoto's Philly restaurant the best of all the one's I've been to in other cities.

Jim's steaks on South Street is a must. Way better than Pat's or Geno's. Can't go wrong with vendors at the Reading Market either.

Ditto Olive on going to the old city part of the city. I don't find Philly blocks to be all that far compared to other cities. Seems about average compared to other cities to me.

Expect to pay a shit ton for Flyer's playoff tickets.

cowgirl8238 · February 2017

Depending on what you are into there a ton of interesting museums in Philly. I really like the interactive Franklin Institute because I am also a Giant Child and the interactive exhibits are fun. There is also the Mutter Museum if you are into the darker and creeper things...this one is full of medical and anatomical oddities, a very different experience then the Franklin Institute.

I also agree with Olive that you should go to the historic area and check out Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell if you can.

*Barbie* · February 2017

I'll preface this with _ my husband is from Philly, and we lived there for ~5 years. I AM NOT a "Philly lady" AT ALL.

Flyers won't make it to mid-May with the way they've been playing. They'll probably be lucky to make it into the playoffs at all. Citizens Bank Park (home of the Phillies) is a nice stadium, and there are good food choices - get the Chickie & Pete's crab fries, and go to Tony Luke's (http://www.tonylukes.com/) for a roasted pork sandwich.
You can probably get cheap Phillies tickets on Stubhub, unless they somehow start playing very well. If you don't go to a game, Chickie and Pete's still has some good food - (http://chickiesandpetes.com/).

Jim's on South Street is good for cheesesteaks, as is Sonny's (http://www.sonnyscheesesteaks.com/) which is in Old City. Sonny's is an easy walk ( ~4 or so blocks, <10 minutes) from the Liberty Bell/Independence Hall area.

more restaurants:
Amada - Spanish/tapas (dinner) http://philadelphia.amadarestaurant.com/
Buddakan - Asian fusion (dinner) http://www.buddakan.com/
LaScala's - Italian (good for lunch or dinner) http://www.lascalasphilly.com/
Morimoto - Japanese (dinner) http://www.morimotorestaurant.com/

Eric Ripert used to have a restaurant in Philly, ut from a web search, looks like it may have closed or changed ownership.

Also, make sure you get a soft pretzel from one of the philly pretzel shops.
For gas station fare, Wawa is awesome.

I'll second Independence Hall (get there early for entrance tickets) and the Liberty Bell. I used to work right across the street from the bell, and the area can get busy. (I am in so many Japanese tour group photos...) You can take a carriage ride around the city (how we got engaged), or do a Ducky tour. The Art Museum (for the Rocky steps), the Franklin Institute (science center with a walk-through heart). If you're into zoos or aquariums, Philly's zoo is ok, the Camden aquarium (right across the river in Jersey) is nice.

If you go to Atlantic City, I'm partial to Caesar's. The buffet is good, and so are the other on-property restaurants. Drinks are free if you're playing at the machines or tables. Give the cocktail waitress a nice tip, and they'll just keep bringing them. They also have an awesome mall on the pier across from the casino. You could also drive to Margate and see Lucy the elephant.

lyndausvi · February 2017

Wawa is the best. I wish we had one around here. Every time I go back to the area need to hit one up. Even DH (from Long Island) loves Wawa.

sparklepants41 · February 2017

lyndausvi said:

I love Morimoto's Philly restaurant the best of all the one's I've been to in other cities.

Jim's steaks on South Street is a must. Way better than Pat's or Geno's. Can't go wrong with vendors at the Reading Market either.

Ditto Olive on going to the old city part of the city. I don't find Philly blocks to be all that far compared to other cities. Seems about average compared to other cities to me.

Expect to pay a shit ton for Flyer's playoff tickets.

Delassandro's on Wendover has them all beat, but I agree - Jim's is awesome.

I love the Franklin Institute. If you love wine, go to Vintage wine bar on S. 13th - super delicious food too!

Lulawife · February 2017

lyndausvi said:

Wawa is the best. I wish we had one around here. Every time I go back to the area need to hit one up. Even DH (from Long Island) loves Wawa.

The saddest thing about living in CT is no Wawa and no Sheetz. My H never understood why I HAD to stop at one every time I visited friends back in PA or MD until he went to one with me. Now when I travel alone, he asks me to bring him back chicken sandwiches.

OliveOilsMom · February 2017

@*Barbie* The Duck tours are no more!

cowgirl8238 · February 2017

OliveOilsMom said:

@*Barbie* The Duck tours are no more!

WHAAAA? How could that happen?

Lulawife said:

The saddest thing about living in CT is no Wawa and no Sheetz. My H never understood why I HAD to stop at one every time I visited friends back in PA or MD until he went to one with me. Now when I travel alone, he asks me to bring him back chicken sandwiches.

I do enjoy my Sheetz run on occasions but I am starting to be a Rutters Convert...of course those are more limited to the county I live in so I try not to be too picky

OliveOilsMom · February 2017

@cowgirl8238 There was that accident on the Delaware River a few years back where the boat got stranded and then run over by a freight ship

I think a few people died. They suspended them for a bit after that. They started up again, but I think they just never got back a good following, so they closed up shop.

cowgirl8238 · February 2017

OliveOilsMom said:

@cowgirl8238 There was that accident on the Delaware River a few years back where the boat got stranded and then run over by a freight ship I think a few people died. They suspended them for a bit after that. They started up again, but I think they just never got back a good following, so they closed up shop.

Oh that is terrible! I think I heard about that, but I didn't remember/put two and two together.

*Barbie* · February 2017

I didn't know about the Duck boats - that's too bad. I did one with a bunch of coworkers when our international team was in town, and everyone had fun.

I haven't lived in Philly since 2010, so my info may be out of date. :-P That's one reason why I added restaurant websites - figured if they were active, the place still existed. We visit the ILs fairly often, but spend most of our time in the southern suburbs or doing kid-friendly stuff when we're in town. (Not that our 6yo daughter wouldn't LOVE Morimoto, but I'm not willing to pay to take her.)

If you're looking to experience the 2nd largest mall in the US, you can visit King of Prussia. (~30 minutes west of Center City Philly).

If you shoot past the city and hit Delaware on a Saturday afternoon, get off at the first exit on 95 (Naamans Rd - right before the state line) and go West to stop at Total Wine. (They're in NJ too, but this location is my favorite in the area.) You can get buzzed just on the tastings. http://www.totalwine.com/store-info/delaware-claymont/101
(I'm not a wino, we used to live ~10-15 minutes away on the PA side and always went there to stock the bar.)

Delaware also doesn't have sales tax - so yay for shopping.

lyndausvi · February 2017

*Barbie* said:

I didn't know about the Duck boats - that's too bad. I did one with a bunch of coworkers when our international team was in town, and everyone had fun.

I haven't lived in Philly since 2010, so my info may be out of date. :-P That's one reason why I added restaurant websites - figured if they were active, the place still existed. We visit the ILs fairly often, but spend most of our time in the southern suburbs or doing kid-friendly stuff when we're in town. (Not that our 6yo daughter wouldn't LOVE Morimoto, but I'm not willing to pay to take her.)

If you're looking to experience the 2nd largest mall in the US, you can visit King of Prussia. (~30 minutes west of Center City Philly).

If you shoot past the city and hit Delaware on a Saturday afternoon, get off at the first exit on 95 (Naamans Rd - right before the state line) and go West to stop at Total Wine. (They're in NJ too, but this location is my favorite in the area.) You can get buzzed just on the tastings. http://www.totalwine.com/store-info/delaware-claymont/101
(I'm not a wino, we used to live ~10-15 minutes away on the PA side and always went there to stock the bar.)

Delaware also doesn't have sales tax - so yay for shopping.

yep. The Apple store at Christiana is one of the most profitable ones in the company. They actually have tour buses come in for people to buy high ticket items because there is no sales tax.

*Barbie* · February 2017

lyndausvi said:

yep. The Apple store at Christiana is one of the most profitable ones in the company. They actually have tour buses come in for people to buy high ticket items because there is no sales tax.

DK bought my engagement ring in Christiana. We got our wedding bands there, too.
If only it worked for cars...

lyndausvi · February 2017

*Barbie* said:

lyndausvi said:

yep. The Apple store at Christiana is one of the most profitable ones in the company. They actually have tour buses come in for people to buy high ticket items because there is no sales tax.

DK bought my engagement ring in Christiana. We got our wedding bands there, too.
If only it worked for cars...

liquor is a big one. We use to live on the PA/DE boarder. PA alcohol laws suck. So we would head to DE. Had to be careful during the holidays. PA cops would stop some people on Rt 202 for transporting alcohol across state boarders as there was a liquor store literally feet away from the boarder. They just sat there watching people load up and drive across in their PA plates.

drid · February 2017

Ahhhhh!!!!

So many great tips, and things I love!
Food, wine and shopping!
We're pretty lucky, we've racked up a crap-ton of IHG points, so we're staying at Intercontinentals along the way with our rewards nights, yay. So we're not too worried about shelling out for playoff hockey. Although I'm sad Flyers aren't doing too great, hopefully they pull it through or one of the NY teams make it! We're already hitting up two Yankees games in NY so a hockey game would be awesome!

I'm so excited to sift through all of this info with FI and make a game plan!!!!

Thank ya, thank ya, thank ya!!

*Barbie* · February 2017

drid said:

Ahhhhh!!!!

So many great tips, and things I love!
Food, wine and shopping!
We're pretty lucky, we've racked up a crap-ton of IHG points, so we're staying at Intercontinentals along the way with our rewards nights, yay. So we're not too worried about shelling out for playoff hockey. Although I'm sad Flyers aren't doing too great, hopefully they pull it through or one of the NY teams make it! We're already hitting up two Yankees games in NY so a hockey game would be awesome!

I'm so excited to sift through all of this info with FI and make a game plan!!!!

Thank ya, thank ya, thank ya!!

Of the 4 teams in the NYC/Philly metro area, you're most likely to see the Rangers by May. They Flyers, Isles, and Devils are all close points-wise for the 2nd wild card, but I doubt that any of them will make it out of the first round of the playoffs. MSG has been renovated since the last time we were there, so it's not as much of a dank pit.

I heard rumblings about the booze transportation, but never really looked into it. It's too bad the police don't have anything better to do. We never got stopped, but I guess based on the legislation, I can claim to be a bootlegger.

short+sassy · February 2017

lyndausvi said:

*Barbie* said:

lyndausvi said:

yep. The Apple store at Christiana is one of the most profitable ones in the company. They actually have tour buses come in for people to buy high ticket items because there is no sales tax.

DK bought my engagement ring in Christiana. We got our wedding bands there, too.
If only it worked for cars...

liquor is a big one. We use to live on the PA/DE boarder. PA alcohol laws suck. So we would head to DE. Had to be careful during the holidays. PA cops would stop some people on Rt 202 for transporting alcohol across state boarders as there was a liquor store literally feet away from the boarder. They just sat there watching people load up and drive across in their PA plates.

Wait...what? Is this a thing that most states just don't enforce? Or is it just a PA thing?

OliveOilsMom · February 2017

@short+sassy - I believe that generally you can't transport alcohol across state lines. I could be wrong about that though. I also think that its generally not enforced.

In PA, alcohol is a state run business, though they are beginning to change some of those laws recently. Only very recently you had to buy a full case, but now you can buy 6 packs. I also think liquor is sold in separate stores - I've only ever bought beer in Philly. But because it is state run, that is why they enforce crossing the boarder with alcohol, it costs them money.

But in NJ, you can go to a one stop shop (but its not available at convenience stores or grocery stores, you must go to the liquor store), so if traveling from NJ into PA, you can stop at a liquor store and get just about anything imaginable. I also think there are extra taxes on alcohol in PA because its state run.

And even better is that DE is a sales tax free state, so that's a 6-8% sales tax savings if you live close to the boarder.

sparklepants41 · February 2017

OliveOilsMom said:

@short+sassy - I believe that generally you can't transport alcohol across state lines. I could be wrong about that though. I also think that its generally not enforced.
In PA, alcohol is a state run business, though they are beginning to change some of those laws recently. Only very recently you had to buy a full case, but now you can buy 6 packs. I also think liquor is sold in separate stores - I've only ever bought beer in Philly. But because it is state run, that is why they enforce crossing the boarder with alcohol, it costs them money.
But in NJ, you can go to a one stop shop (but its not available at convenience stores or grocery stores, you must go to the liquor store), so if traveling from NJ into PA, you can stop at a liquor store and get just about anything imaginable. I also think there are extra taxes on alcohol in PA because its state run.
And even better is that DE is a sales tax free state, so that's a 6-8% sales tax savings if you live close to the boarder.

It's technically illegal in MA, but completely unenforceable. And where NH has state-run liquor stores literally right on the highway - many of which are just over the border, it's practically encouraged.

short+sassy · February 2017

sparklepants41 said:

OliveOilsMom said:

@short+sassy - I believe that generally you can't transport alcohol across state lines. I could be wrong about that though. I also think that its generally not enforced.
In PA, alcohol is a state run business, though they are beginning to change some of those laws recently. Only very recently you had to buy a full case, but now you can buy 6 packs. I also think liquor is sold in separate stores - I've only ever bought beer in Philly. But because it is state run, that is why they enforce crossing the boarder with alcohol, it costs them money.
But in NJ, you can go to a one stop shop (but its not available at convenience stores or grocery stores, you must go to the liquor store), so if traveling from NJ into PA, you can stop at a liquor store and get just about anything imaginable. I also think there are extra taxes on alcohol in PA because its state run.
And even better is that DE is a sales tax free state, so that's a 6-8% sales tax savings if you live close to the boarder.

It's technically illegal in MA, but completely unenforceable. And where NH has state-run liquor stores literally right on the highway - many of which are just over the border, it's practically encouraged.

I just find it extra crazy because I know I can legally bring up to so much alcohol into the U.S. from another country.

It would be really hard to enforce the vast majority of the time. Though I didn't realize I was such a fugitive from justice.

(Short+sassy on her next beach trip back from FL. Gets pulled over. "Aaah, hurry, eat the receipt, eat the receipt!" Now they can't prove I bought this rum in FL, muu haha.)

lyndausvi · February 2017

short+sassy said:

lyndausvi said:

*Barbie* said:

lyndausvi said:

yep. The Apple store at Christiana is one of the most profitable ones in the company. They actually have tour buses come in for people to buy high ticket items because there is no sales tax.

DK bought my engagement ring in Christiana. We got our wedding bands there, too.
If only it worked for cars...

liquor is a big one. We use to live on the PA/DE boarder. PA alcohol laws suck. So we would head to DE. Had to be careful during the holidays. PA cops would stop some people on Rt 202 for transporting alcohol across state boarders as there was a liquor store literally feet away from the boarder. They just sat there watching people load up and drive across in their PA plates.

Wait...what? Is this a thing that most states just don't enforce? Or is it just a PA thing?

It is a thing. It's one reason why moving companies will not move alcohol.

It wasn't enforced often. Mostly during peak holiday times. Kind-of like when they set up a check point to check registrations or seal belts. It was just to make a point. There were a ton of back roads to avoid them. Ha.

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