I was born and raised here, and really love the area. Since I didn't go away this summer, I decided to take some photos and make a little tour of this great place to live and visit. It's a beautiful city, with a lot of early American history, cultural offerings, activities, and great food and restaurants. You can see my photos here, or click under my signature.

Terry

We haven't been to Philadelphia, but hope to some day in the near future, and your pictures show us what we can look forward to.

We had a neighbor who was from Philadelphia, and one New Year's Eve party, we surprised him by playing an album of The Mummer's Parade. (Our library had it!)

Thanks for sharing your pictures. They are beautiful.

Thanks Teaberry,

Great pictures. So often we share pictures of places we visit and forget to share pictures of the places we live in and know the best.

Christine

Loved it Terry! What a great idea!

I went to grad school at the University of Pennsylvania... was there from Jan 1978 until May 1979... lived at 48th and Baltimore in West Philly. I'm pretty sure that Frank Rizzo (of the statue) was the mayor then.

I haven't been back since the day I drove away, but these pictures brought back many memories of how much I enjoyed living in Philadelphia. I don't remember there being so much art in the city... but I definitely remember the beautiful architecture, the Italian market, and the Philly cheesesteak sandwiches.

This makes me realize I want to visit with my family!

Kathy

P.S. And if you come to the Grove Park Inn again-- call me!!! I don't live that far away!

Gosh, Terry. You've made me homesick! I am a native Philadelphian but haven't been there in many years. My immediate family actually moved from there (33rd & Norris) when I was 8, but my grandmother and most of my mother's family continued to live in Philly and nearby, and we returned constantly. Then, like all the other members of my family (parents, two brothers, two aunts, niece, etc.), I went to Penn as an undergraduate. I claim to have Red & Blue blood as I was nearly born at a Penn-Navy football game! My father also wrote many songs for Mask & Wig productions (several years after he graduated).

I returned a few years later for a job and then got my Master's Degree at Penn also. While there, I got involved in politics in Center City during the Rizzo era; we managed to clean up at least a portion of the area around Rittenhouse Square.

After my husband and I were married in Europe, we settled in the Philadelphia area for about 10 years - first in Swarthmore and then in Chester Co. We used to drive through on our way to visit family in the NY/NJ area, but we haven't done that in several years. I keep wanting to return. What can I expect to be different?

I have remained in touch with a small group of my Penn classmates, and we have tentatively planned to get together for our 50th reunion, which is coming up sooner than I care to think about! But at least I may make it back then.

Ann

Thanks for all of your nice comments. My next venture will be a photo essay on Pennsylvania Dutch country, which is so idyllic and interesting, too.

Kathy - loved Grove Park Inn, and I tell all my friends about it. Who knows - I may take another trip there again. As I look on the map, I realize how close Knoxville actually is! Asheville was a great town, too.

Ann - Philadelphia has changed alot since you grew up in the Strawberry Mansion part of town. As you may or may not know, that area went into decline, although there is some gentrification going on in the area. The old homes are so beautiful, and of course, the whole neighborhood abuts onto Fairmount Park.

The Philadelphia skyline would certainly be a major difference from earlier times - City Hall is no longer the tallest building in the city, as you probably noticed from the photos. The entire city really "upgraded" under the two terms of Mayor Ed Rendell, and continues to enjoy a major restaurant renaissance and has become a "destination," with an abundance of hotels and many B&Bs. The waterfront continues to develop and grow, around Penn's Landing, and more and more neighborhoods extending beyond Center City are becoming desirable places for commercial and residential renewal and development - places like Old City, Bella Vista, Fairmount, Port Richmond. West Philly, around Penn and Drexel, has also undergone radical improvements and beautification.

I hope you'll come back to visit again sometime, and definitely let me know if you do!!!

Terry,

As a child, Fairmount Park was my playground, as my grandparents' house was very close to 33rd St. It was wonderful. It was a great community to grow up in at that long-ago time. The houses along Norris St. had front porches, and in the summer (before air-conditioning), all the families would come outside and gather at one or more of these porches, while the children played in the street (few cars). Do you remember the old Park Trolley at all? We used to take it to the old Woodside Park.

Yes, I am very aware of the decline of "the Mansion." My grandmother lived there for about 70 years! I took to calling her "the matriarch of the Mansion." Occasionally, I'd drive by to see what had become of it, and I was driven to tears. Your comment about "some gentrification" speaks to a question I've recently had about the area. I think I might still want to go by there when I return.

Thanks for reminding people what a great city Philadelphia was and continues to be.

Ann

You know, I really love Philadelphia, too! When I was a kid, my cousins lived in Cherry Hill, NJ - my "big cousin" talked about the fun she had there with her friends (she could walk across the state line) and I was jealous, but my mom wouldn't let me go and told me it was too slummy. I ended up going with my son's school trip many years ago, and I loved the historic area. I mentioned this to my now-husband before our wedding, and he said he loved the place - we ended up going there for four or five days as our honeymoon. Believe me, I could have gone anywhere in the world, but I chose Philly, and we had a great time. Stayed in an odd but nice B&B, had the best Greek dinner of my life (I think the place was called Effie's), looked - really looked - at South Street and appreciated its quirkiness, toured all the historic sites. It was very walkable, the people were friendly, I felt safe, and it wasn't very expensive at all! And yes - I'm going to be needing some information on touring the Penn Dutch area, so anything you have to say on that will interest me in the not-too-distant future!

Terry,

Guess what I just did? Call me crazy, but I just bought a 1897 stock certificate for the Fairmont Park Trolley for about $10.! Your Philadelphia discussion led me to start searching the Web for information about Strawberry Mansion and Fairmont Park, and I came upon that offer. I think I was the only one to bid. Noone else was quite as overcome by nostalgia as I was, I guess.

Ann

Ann -

My parents grew up in the Logan section of Philly, and I can remember taking the trolley to Hunting Park, where people used to go in the summer for concerts and a giant carousal. The Roosevelt Extension now plows through what is left of the park, which I would more aptly rename Needle Park. Sad. Also, over the years, Logan got torn down, to a large extent. Almost half of the neighborhood was built upon sinking ground, and the homes became so unstable that they were torn down. Looks like a war zone now. Very sad.

I am not as familiar with the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood, as none of my relatives or family friends were from that neck of the woods, but I've always been so impressed with the beautiful architecture of the old homes, and it will be interesting to see what happens with the neighborhood as Philly continues to beautify. Your grandmother was definitely one of the "last ones."

quote:

Call me crazy, but I just bought a 1897 stock certificate for the Fairmont Park Trolley for about $10.!

Do tell, Ann! Where did you find that? How neat! I wasn't even aware anything like that was even available - I guess someone was cleaning out ther attic? Great memento, huh?

BTW, where is Boone? My BIL and SIL live in Durham - is it anywhere close?

S tenen - wow, a honeymoon in Philly. You'd make a great poster child for our tourist industry. It's a great city - big and diverse enough to keep you well occupied and dazzled, yet small enough to provide an intimate edge and Philadelphian charm. I think the city has definitely improved its image since the time you were a kid, and more and more people are including Philadelphia as a several day stop or a destination of itself.

I'm probably going out to Lancaster and Amish country in October, equipped with my camera - it's a breathtakingly peaceful area, and only a little over an hour away from Philadelphia, too.

What beautiful photos! Before seeing these my only knowledge of Philadelphis was via a young student from there who came and stayed with us for a couple of months (and left a big picture book about the place as a thank you) and - if I'm not mistaken - all the top dancers on American Bandstand in the 60s were from Philly. Now I want to visit!

I love visiting cities. I particularly like assessing what it would feel like to live there, negotiate the streets, use the public transport, hang out in different neighbourhoods. Your pictures made me think that Philadelphia must be a great place to live.

Hey Terry, have you written any travel notes for Philadelphia? Want to? It would be a great addition to the site.

Being just above the imaginary line that divides NJ - my loyalties were always to the City (i.e., NY ). Plus, as a child, my only experience with Philly was Chops, the zoo and the Franklin Institute.

A few years ago though first Chris and I went then we took the girls to Philly for a long weekend - we had a great time. There's so much to see and do and it's real easy to get around. And for us, w/o traffic, it's only a bit more than an hour to downtown.

quote:

Being just above the imaginary line that divides NJ

Kim,

Funny you say that. Having lived in Philadelphia, Manhattan, and north Jersey, and traveled up and down from one end of Jersey to the other more times than I can count, I've often talked about "north or south of Trenton." Even the accent changes, as well as which TV stations you watch. (For example, aside from the funny Philly "o" sound, New Yorkers tend to drop the end of words and Philadelphians - as well as Bal..morians - the middle, e.g., "Cen..er City.")

Terry,

1. I forgot to mention that I found the Park Trolley memento on eBay.
2. Boone is in the far northwestern corner of NC, very close to the Tenn. line and not that far south of the Virginia border. Durham is about 160 miles to the east.

Re Lancaster Co: I've seen and heard some very disturbing things recently about one of my favorite areas of the country, namely a huge surge in housing developments, which is eating up all that beautiful farmland. I spoke to a woman just this past weekend who lives right over the line in Chester Co. She confirmed that this is what is going on. How sad! Oh, the price of progress! Is this really true?

Ann

I don't know about Lancaster, but I do know once they opened the I78 corridor into the city, the entire area around Bethlehem started to grow dramatically.

I have a question about Philadelphia. I've got a 9 hour layover in the airport and, to fill a few hours, was thinking of trying to get into the city and see Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. I was wondering what the best way to do that would be, and if I should reserve tickets as I'll be there the 12th of next month (just under 3 weeks now). Should I take a taxi, would it be expensive, is there a better way? I get in at about 7 in the morning and figure I should be back by 1 to 2 to be sure I get through security (and likely eat some lunch) before my flight at 4. I'm big on history, I love D.C. and would love to take the chance to see at least a few of the sights in Philadelphia since I've never been before. I figured what better place to ask than this convenient thread by native(s) of the city! Any information would be much appreciated!

Regards

pumpiumpkin -

Good luck! You can take the SEPTA high-speed train line from the airport directly to the city for $5.50 OW. You could get off either at Suburban station in Center City or continue on to Market-East,closer to the historic area. I believe you can also get a transfer for SEPTA buses, etc. Check this Website: http://www.septa.com/service/rr_schedules.html, and look for R1 Airport. They seem to run every half-hour from early in the morning, and it should only take about 30 minutes to get into the city.

Isn't this so, Terry?

Ann

quote:

Hey Terry, have you written any travel notes for Philadelphia? Want to? It would be a great addition to the site.

Kim - it's on my "to do" list. I would love to contribute something like that to SlowTrav.

quote:

Even the accent changes, as well as which TV stations you watch. (For example, aside from the funny Philly "o" sound, New Yorkers tend to drop the end of words and Philadelphians - as well as Bal..morians - the middle, e.g., "Cen..er City.")

Ann - here is a site that I think best describes the typical Philadelphia accent. Not quite New York, and not quite Baltimore. All its own, and unique.

I haven't been out Lancaster way for a couple of years, but it wouldn't surprise me if there was more suburban sprawl reaching in that direction. I will report back after my visit there.

pumpiumpkin - with a 7am arrival to Philly, I think you would have more than enough time to make a visit. As Ann said, you can board the SEPTA rail line at the airport (here is a schedule), and get off at Market East Station. Much more affordable than a taxi, and probably time-equivalent. (You didn't mention whether you'd have luggage to contend with or not; I'm assuming not, but you could let me know if that too is a consideration). To get to the historic district and see Independence Hall and the Constitution Center (think Liberty Bell), consider taking the Philly Phlash, the city's hop-on/hop-off bus. You could board at 12th and Market Streets, after exiting from the train, and then head eastbound, getting off at the 6th & Market St stop. From there, the Contitution Center is a 1 block walk. It's only $1 each time you board, or $4 for an all-day pass.

I don't think you will need reservations to see either site - you should be arriving sufficiently early to beat crowds. If you have time after both tours, you could either relax in the park behind Independence Hall - quite calm and surrounded by restored colonial buildings. Or maybe you might have time for a bite - on 325 Chestnut St (1 1/2 blocks from Independence Hall) is Buddakan, a favorite dining place of mine. They serve lunch beginning at 11:30am - one of Philly's great experiences in Asian fusion/eclectic cuisine.

If you're interested in a quick "overview" of the city, ride on the Phlash as it makes the loop through Center City - you'll see City Hall, the Ben Franklin Parkway, and the Art Museum. Just enough to whet your appetite for another visit.

Hope it all works out for you, and enjoy. If I can be of any more help....

Terry

Ann and Terry, that's great information, I'm already feeling much better about this little side treck. I shouldn't have luggage as far as I know (should be checked through), I'll have a backpack, but was gonna try to park it in a locker or something if there are any at the airport. Thanks so much, and if I have any more questions as the time draws closer I'll know who to ask!!

Regards.

Terry,

Thanks for the wonderful photos and sharing Philadelphia with the SlowTrav folks. I lived in Poweltown Village during my college (Penn) days. When I was a small child in New Jersey my family would ride the ferry (now you know how much that dates me) from Camden to see the Christmas displays in the department stores.

Both Lancaster and Chester county are under tremendous development pressure. My heart sinks every time I see another beautiful farm converted to a McMansion development.

On a happier note, I must recommend CapoGiro at 13th and Sansom in center city for artisanal gelato that rivals anything I've had in Italy.

Jeanne

Yes, Jeanne. CapoGiro is outstanding, and it's directly across the street from El Vez (Stephen Starr's Mexican restaurant), which makes for a very nice evening out.

I vaguely remember the ferry, but I vividly remember the department stores at Christmas. What fun and how magical they were! My grandmother would take us out for lunch first at the Crystal Tea Room at Wanamaker's for tea sandwiches, and then we'd do the department store circuits. What a fond memory - thanks for reminding me!

I can't believe that all the rolling countryside in Amish country is getting eaten up by developers. I'm hoping for a nice day trip out there, plus some good photo ops. I consider the Lancaster area a national treasure. Will report back.

Terry

Hmmm...

Should we start a Slow Travel chapter of the Penn Alumni Association??

Kathy

Impressive, isn't it, Kathy!

Terry