Philadelphia

Introduction

Philadelphia

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Philadelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania and the 6th most populous city in the United States. While the city itself has well over 1.5 million people the total metropolitan area has over 6 million inhabitants.

Neighbourhoods

Philadelphia is a city of neighborhoods and most attractions, eating establishments, and bars are divided into sections of the city by neighborhood. For historical sites like Independence Hall & the Liberty Bell, stroll the streets of Old City and Society Hill where Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and John Adams once walked. Old City is also a haven for byob's (bring your own bottle dining), restaurants, bars, and galleries well within easy walking distance of one another. On "First Friday", named for obvious reasons, Old City hosts the openings of new displays in its many art galleries.

China Town offers an Asian flair to the city. You will find all styles of Asian dining and shopping in this section of the city. In the Art Museum area, some of the cities largest museums are located. The Franklin Institute, Please Touch Museum, Rodin Museum, and the soon-to-be-built Barnes Museum can all be found along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway within a mile of each other. Many of the cities festivals take place along the parkway, including the start and finish of the Philadelphia Marathon and the Manayunk Bike Race.

Just a little further to the North, the Fairmount area hosts numerous bars and restaurants. Try Northern Liberties for more byobs and bars. Into high society and high ticket shopping? Then the Rittenhouse Square area is for you! You will find what you're looking for on Walnut Street, Philly's Rodeo Drive, whether it be the latest Diesel jeans or jewels from Cartier. Several of Philly's highest rated restaurants can be found here.

On the other end of the dining scale, visit South Philly to partake in Philadelphia's most famous export, the Philly Cheese Steak. Philadelphia's alternative youth hang out on South Street where you can pretty much buy anything! Once a year the professional bike circuit makes its way to Philadelphia for the annual Manayunk Bike Race. Manayunk, once a center of large mills & immigrant workers, now hosts the toughest portion of the race: the dreaded Manayunk "wall". Many people come for the race and stay for the party as Manayunk's Main Street hosts over 15 bars and restaurants along with all sorts of shopping.

Finally, if you are a student at one of the multitude of universities, you will most likely find yourself in University City and West Philadelphia, which butt up against one another. University City extends between Drexel and the University of Pennsylvania. But you don't have to be a student to enjoy the area! It is also home to many of Philadelphia's newer immigrants with African, Indian, and Middle Eastern restaurants popping up all over.

Sights and Activities

Events and Festivals

• The Mummers Day Parade ( 1st of January) - The Mummers Day Parade is held on 1st of January every year and is unique only to Philadelphia. Clubs work all year on their sparkling costumes to dazzle the streets of Philly and welcome the new year in properly.
• Philadelphia Flower Show (usually held the last week February, first week of March) -
• Cherry Blossom Festival (the 1st or 2nd weekend in April) -
• Memorial Day Celebrations (the last Monday in May) -
• Manayunk Bike Race (1st Sunday in June) -
• 4th of July Celebrations (July 4th) -
• Labor Day Celebrations (first Monday in September) -
• Philadelphia Marathon (November) -
• New Year's Eve Fireworks (December 31st) -

Weather

Summers last from June to September and are nice and warm, between 25 °C and 30 °C during the day and between 15 °C and 20 °C at night. Expect a great deal of humidity since Philadelphia is surrounded by two rivers. Winters last from December to March with average daytime temperatures slightly above 0 °C. Nights can get below zero during this time, however typically not for an extended period of time. Precipitation is quite evenly distributed throughout the year, with a couple of snowfalls in winter. Snowfall occasionally exceeds 8 to 10 centimetres, and it is not uncommon to experience no snow at all. During summer, heavy showers can occur, especially after periods of hot weather.

Getting There

By Plane

Philadelphia International Airport (IATA: PHL, ICAO: KPHL) receives many domestic as well as international flights and is one of the busiest airports in the world regarding aircraft movements.

To/from the airport

• Rail: Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has regional rail services between the airport and Center City Philadelphia via the R1 Commuter Rail line with convenient stops at University City, Amtrak’s 30th Street, Suburban, and Market East Stations. The fare is US$6.
• Bus: SEPTA also operates various bus routes to the Airport: Route 37 (South Philadelphia to Eastwick and Chester Transportation Ctr via Philadelphia International Airport), Route 108 (69th Street Terminal to Philadelphia International Airport or UPS), and Route 115 (Ardmore/Darby Transportation Center to Philadelphia International Airport).
• Car: rental cars, shuttles and taxis are all widely available at the airport.

By Train

Philadelphia can be reached by both National and Regional Rail. Amtrak stops in Philly along the east coast, north/south and west while Regional rail extends throughout the metro area. Amtraks rail lines all run through the historic 30th Street Station while Regional Rail can be reached at all three of Philadelphia's train stations: Suburban Station/Market East in Center City and at 30th St. Station. The following Amtrak trains operate to and from Philadelphia:

• Acela Express (Boston – New York – Philadelphia – Washington, D.C.)
• Cardinal / Hoosier State (New York – Philadelphia – Washington, DC – Cincinnati – Indianapolis – Chicago)
• Carolinian / Piedmont (New York – Philadelphia – Washington, DC – Rocky Mount – Raleigh – Charlotte)
• Crescent (New York – Philadelphia – Washington, DC – Greensboro – Atlanta – New Orleans)
• Keystone (New York – Philadelphia – Harrisburg)
• Northeast Regional (Boston – Springfield/Providence – New York – Philadelphia – Washington, DC – Newport News)
• Silver Service / Palmetto (New York – Philadelphia – Washington, DC – Charleston – Savannah – Jacksonville – Orlando – Tampa/Miami)
• Vermonter (St. Albans – Burlington – Springfield – New York – Philadelphia – Washington, DC)

For information on Regional Rail, see SEPTA (South Eastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority).

By Car

The main highways into and out of Philadelphia are Interstate 76 from the west and Internstate 95 from the north/south. Rt 30 is the old highway into and out of the city heading Southeast towards Lancaster whereas Rt 1 extends down into Maryland. Route 309 enters the city from the northwest.

By Bus

Most national bus companies head in and out of Philadelphia at the Greyhound Bus Terminal at 1001 Filbert Street in Center City. The terminal is centrally located between the neighborhoods of Old City and China Town. You can reach both regional rail and the city subway system, located at the Suburban Station, a block away. Check Greyhound for more information about schedules and prices to a number of cities throughout the northeast of the USA.

By Boat

There is a ferry that connects Philadelphia to the Camden Waterfront.

Getting Around

By Car

Many international rental companies have a wide selection of rental cars and these include Hertz, Avis, Dollar, Thrifty, Enterprise, Budget and Alamo/National. Most companies will require you are at least 25 years of age, although younger people might be able to rent cars at slightly higher rates and with some insurance differences as well. A national driver's license is usually enough, but an additional international one is recommended. Also note that it usually costs more to include lots of other extra things. For example extra drivers, GPS, the first full tank, SLI (Supplemental Liability Insurance), PAI (Personal Accident Insurance, usually covered already at home), road assistance/service plan, and drop-off costs for one-way rentals.
If you want to book a car, it is recommended that you book your car before arriving in the USA. This is almost always (much) cheaper compared to just showing up. Also, try and book with a so-called 'broker', which usually works together with a few or many car rental companies and can offer the best deal. Some examples include Holidayautos, Holidaycars and Sunny Cars. Some of the cheapest deals to book from Europe, includes Drive-USA, which also has a German version.

For more information and tips about renting cars and campers, additional costs, insurance, traffic rules, scenic routes and getting maps and fuel it is advised to check the USA Getting Around section.

By Public Transport

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) operates buses, trains, rapid transit, trolleys, and trackless trolleys throughout Philadelphia, the four Pennsylvania suburban counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery, in addition to service to Mercer County, New Jersey and New Castle County, Delaware.
PATCO provides rapid transit service to Camden, Collingswood, Westmont, Haddonfield, Woodcrest (Cherry Hill), Ashland (Voorhees), and Lindenwold, New Jersey, from stations on Locust Street between 16th and 15th, 13th and 12th, and 10th and 9th Streets, and on Market Street at 8th Street.

By Foot

By Bike

Eat

• Jem Restaurant - Fun 1950's style diner decorated with all kinds of interesting things to look at. The food is typical diner fare and reasonably priced. Address: 2931 Swede Rd, Norristown, PA 19401, Phone: (610) 275-1598
• Little Pete's - Located near Rittenhouse Square, this greasy spoon is open 24 hours a day. They also do bike delivery 24 hours a day to nearby areas, which is rumored to be quite quick. Address: 219 S 17th St, Philadelphia, PA 19102, Phone: (215) 545-5508, Hours: 24/7
• Pat's - Pat's or Geno's Steaks - These two cheesesteak shops are located directly across from one another on 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia. There is a longstanding rivalry between the two shops, and whether you're a Philadelphian or just visiting, you will be forced to choose a side. But if you don't order your steak correctly ("Can I have whiz, without please?" meaning with your cheesesteak with cheese whiz, and without onions) you will be sent back to the end of the line. Address: 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia

Drink

Sleep

Budget

Mid-Range

Upscale

Work

Learn

• For more information about the public schools, check the School District website
• Philadelphia University
• Drexel University
• Temple University

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

The US Postal Service is very good and well priced mail system. There are hundreds of big and small post offices in Philadelphia. If wanting to send a letter or postcard it is best just to leave it in a blue mail box with the proper postage. There are also private postal services like FedEx, UPS and DHL.

External Links

• Official Governmental Website
• Conventions and Visitor Bureau