My Philadelphia will surprise you – a big, small city full of neighborhoods, fantastic restaurants, history and the arts. I like to say we are the best kept secret but then the New York Times wrote a story- about Philly being a sixth borough of New York  due to the influx of artists to the city. They then featured Philadelphia in 36 hours. All good for the city but no longer a secret.  The Pope was here in 2015 and the DNC is coming in 2016!  The city continues to surprise visitors as well as locals.
When I travel internationally, I tend to explain that Philly is between New York City and Washington, DC – everyone seems to understand my explanation. Other times, I’m surprised by what outsiders know us for – mostly movies – Rocky and surprisingly Witness. While Oprah and her fans ran up the “Rocky steps“, people are surprised to know that they are actually the Philadelphia Art Museum steps – the museum entrance is only a few yards from the top of the steps and yet many never even visit – they are definitely missing out on a great collection of art.
Philadelphia is a city full of passion for our sports teams, our food and neighborhoods. My friends marvel at how Philadelphians meet each other around the world – we break it down to the neighborhood you grew up in, the high school and even grade school to get a better idea of where you are from and who you are – it’s that simple. While the rest of the world (or US) has high school reunions -we get more excited by the grade school reunions and friendships we have had since childhood that have stood the test of time.
What’s nice for visitors is that you will probably stay in Center City and be able to walk to most attractions. With a cab or public transit you can visit one or two other neighborhoods around the city that have a blend of restaurants/music/art. It’s easy to do and you will find yourself wanting to stay longer because you’ve only scratched the surface.
I’m working on my list of favorites (a few below) and must do’s, in the meantime, if you have any specific queries about Philly, please contact me
My Top 5 Burgers in Philadelphia (for now)
My Favorite Restaurants in Rittenhouse SquareÂ
My Philly Favorites – Cheesesteaks and Cheesesteak Springrolls
Second Bank of Philadelphia – Portrait Gallery
Walking through Time in Philadelphia
Baking the Bread – The Philly Soft Pretzel
Sending Sweet Love from Philly – the Dessert Edition
Reading Terminal Market – A Food Gem