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The city has two very walkable shopping districts as well as the walkable Benjamin Franklin Parkway, which is home to many museums, including the Franklin Institute and the Philadelphia Museum of Art that was made famous in the Rocky series of movies.
- Center City - home to LOVE Park, the Chestnut and Walnut shopping and dining districts, Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia's city hall, and many museums and cultural attractions. Skyscrapers, designer shops, major restaurants and hotels can all be found in Center City.
- Old City - features the Liberty Bell, Constitution Hall, Independence Hall, as well as a burgeoning young artist and student community. Old City hosts a lot of night life activity.
- Washington Square West - 7th to Broad Street, Chestnut to South Street, squished in between Rittenhouse Square and Old City/Society Hill. Home of Antique Row and Mid-Town Village, two great shopping districts. Historic cobbled streets, theaters, restaurants and more.
- South Philly - a collection of neighborhoods famous for its Italian heritage as well as being featured in Rocky, South Philly is also home to FDR Park and all of Philadelphia's major professional sports teams. You want a cheese steak? South Philly's where it's at: 9th and Passyunk Ave. That's all you need to know. Recently, South Philly has become home to many Asian and Mexican immigrants. It also includes Ninth St Market (aka Italian Market) and East Passyunk St (roughly 11th and Passyunk SE to Broad St and Snyder), also known as Passyunk Square which is lined with shops, bars, and restaurants.
- South Street - arguably the center of night life and urban activity in Philadelphia, South Street encompasses almost every kind of urban attitude you'd expect in a major city. Tattoo parlors, cheese steak joints, local designer clothing stores, restaurants, music venues, and local cafes line South Street from Penn's Landing up to about 10th street. Every night it seems as if there is a street festival going on here.
- West Philly - From the Schuylkill River to Cobb's Creek. Includes University City, Powelton Village and the Philadelphia Zoo. West Philadelphia is also well known for its turn of the century architecture found in its unique, brick "twin" style homes. From UPenn to 47th Street along Spruce or Pine is a great place for a stroll. West Philly is also home to much of Philadelphia's Fairmount Park system. Fairmount Park, the largest municipal park in the country, is home to Mann Music Center, the Philadelphia Zoo, and soon the Please Touch children's museum. On Sundays MLK Drive is closed to traffic so bring your Rollerblades!
- Art Museum Area - The Art Museum area is more than just that. Though it is the seat of one the finest art collections in the world (you must see the Impressionist gallery), it also encompasses the Philadelphia Free Library, the Franklin Institute, the Wine School, the Eastern State Penitentiary (where Al Capone sat idle for many years), and an up and coming residential neighborhood that includes galleries, restaurants, and bars just east of the Parkway off of Spring Garden Street and Fairmount Ave. Kelly Drive, the most popular recreational destination in the city with bike and running paths, as well as historic Boathouse Row, begins just behind the art museum.
Get in
By plane
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is minutes from the city and is served by taxis and the SEPTA R1 Regional Rail Line. Taxis offer a flat rate of $28.50 from the airport to Center City. The R1 railway line serves each terminal throughout the day until approximately midnight and takes about twenty minutes to travel between the airport and center city Philadelphia, making stops at all major commuter tunnel stations: 30th Street Station (Amtrak), Suburban Station (Penn Center, City Hall, Center City) and Market East Station (East Market Street, The Gallery, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Reading Terminal). Tickets for the R1 train can be purchased onboard the train, cash-only, for about $9. Alternately, the #37 SEPTA bus stops at all terminals (Directly outside baggage claim) and goes into South Philadelphia, terminating at the Broad Street Line subway station "Snyder." The trip costs $2 cash, payable to the driver.
The predominant carrier at PHL is US Airways, which offers flights to destinations throughout the US and Europe, as well as a handful to Latin America. Southwest has become US Airways' main domestic competitor at PHL since 2004, and the two airlines constantly attempt to outbid each other's fares on many trunk routes.
Alternatively, you can fly to Newark International Airport (EWR) or Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI), each of which has a more or less direct connection by Amtrak to 30th Street Station (1 hour from EWR; 80 minutes from BWI). Other New York and Washington-area airports are much less convenient.
By train
The city is a major hub along Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and Keystone lines, with frequent trains (at least once an hour during the day) from some of the nation's largest cities. Inbound trains from Washington and New York arrive at least once an hour during the day; 30th Street Station is also part of Amtrak's Acela High Speed Corridor which allows for faster travel times between the major Northeast Corridor cities. The Keystone and Pennsylvanian trains arrive in Philadelphia many times throughout the day, with Keystone service between Harrisburg and Philadelphia arriving between ten and fourteen times each day and Pennsylvanian service between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia arriving once each day. Additionally, Amtrak provides service to Vermont, Virginia, Charlotte, and overnight service to Florida and New Orleans.
It's also possible to get to Philadelphia from New York via commuter rail. Using this method, one would take New Jersey Transit from Penn Station to Trenton and then transfer to SEPTA's R7 regional rail. While this is about a third the price of Amtrak service from New York, it is more than an hour slower.
All SEPTA regional commuter lines stop at the SEPTA Platform at 30th Street Station. Commuter rail is an efficient way to see the scenic Philadelphia suburbs and enjoy the shopping that the city's 'burbs have to offer. New Jersey transit to and from Atlantic City makes stops around the clock at the station. SEPTA's Market-Frankford Elevated Line Subway stops just one block outside the station at a newly-renovated station and is efficient for travel between 30th Street, Old City, and West Philadelphia.
As a last resort, and most costly depending on destination, 30th Street Station has a taxi platform just outside the main entrance that is served by all major Philadelphia taxi companies. Several rental car agencies have cars at 30th St Station.
By car
Philadelphia is located at the crossroads of many of the region's and the nation's most vital Interstates. Interstate 95 runs along the Eastern edge of Philadelphia as it traverses the East coast from Maine to Miami. In addition, Philadelphia is linked to the Pennsylvania Turnpike which traverses the state from East to West. The Northeast Extension of the Turnpike connects Philadelphia to the Poconos and Wilkes-Barre-Scranton. Philadelphia is also served by Interstates 76 and 676, which connect directly to the New Jersey Turnpike and Atlantic City Expressway, and indirectly to the Garden State Parkway.
Parking - it is important to consider that Philadelphia is a city of 1.4 million and the center of a metro area of 6 million, and as such, the roads are congested round-the-clock and the parking is far from cheap. Should you choose to bring a car, check with your hotel about parking in the city. Legal street parking is available but is very difficult to find close to Center City attractions or hotels. Secured parking garages can cost up to $35 per day or higher in some cases. Visitors should also be aware that the Philadelphia Parking Authority is renowned (even notorious) for its efficiency and PPA parking enforcement personnel are as quick to write tickets as they are unlikely to yield to a violator's plea for leniency. Tickets that are not paid promptly quickly accumulate additional penalty fees.
Traffic - In terms of congestion Center City Philadelphia compares favorably to most large US cities. Gridlock does occur, however, particularly during rush hour. Traffic generally moves at the slowest pace in the Chinatown neighborhood, on the numbered streets west of Broad and in the South Street and Olde City areas on weekend evenings. The most heavily-travelled roads in the area are I-95, I-676/I-76 (The Schuylkill Expressway aka "The Surekill"), which connects Center City to the various suburbs west of the city, and I-476, the "Blue Route," which curves from the south to the west of Philadelphia, connecting I-95 with I-76 and, beyond that, the PA Turnpike. Rush-hour delays are common on all these roadways: During the a.m. rush-hour I-95 south-bound typically backs up between the Bridge St. and Girard Ave. exits and eastbound Rt. 76 (The Schuylkill Expressway)typically jams from Gladwynne to 30th Street. During the evening rush-hour, I-95 usually slows from the Bridge St. to Academy Rd. exits. On 676 and the west-bound Schuylkill traffic can be stop-and-go from roughly Broad St. potentially all the way to the so-called "Conshohocken Curve," just east of the town of the same name, effectively doubling the time it normally takes to drive from Center City to the PA Turnpike entrance at King of Prussia. Anyone planning to drive through Philadelphia during either the am or pm rush hours would do well to anticpate the above-described traffic conditions and plan accordingly.
By bus
Philadelphia is served by the Greyhound, Trailways, Bieber, and Peter Pan bus routes to cities across the United States. The city is also served by an exclusive "Chinatown Bus" service, which connects Philadelphia's Chinatown district to the Chinatown section of New York City and Washington D.C. The buses, though amazingly cheap in comparison to their more corporate competitors, are far from luxurious; they also use small terminals in both Chinatown districts, which can be daunting and undesirable for a first trip or any trip. But if it's a bargain you're looking for, the Chinatown buses are by far the best one you'll find between the two cities.
- Apex Bus: The New York City stop is at 88 East Broadway. The stop for Philadelphia is on 121 N 11th Street. The ride is only about 1 hour and 30 minutes. $20 one way, $35 round-trip (from NYC).
- Today's Bus : The New York City stop is at 88 East Broadway. The stop for Philadelphia is on 121 N 11th Street. No advance purchase is required. $12 each way (from NYC).
- Goto Bus : You can search several carriers through this site. Sometimes discounts are given from this site.
- New Century Travel : Offers service from both New York and Washington D.C. The New York City stop is at 88 East Broadway. The stop for Philadelphia is at 55 N 11th Street. $20 round-trip (from NYC).
- Megabus : Provides service from New York City; fares start at $1 when ordered far enough in advance. Buses arrive and depart from the south side of John F Kennedy Boulevard, just west of 30th Street near 30th Street Station.
- BoltBus : Provides service from New York City; fares start at $1 when ordered far enough in advance. Buses arrive and depart from 30th Street and Market Street, near 30th Street Station.
- Bieber Tours : Provides roundtrip service from Philadelphia Bus Terminal to Allentown and other eastern Pennsylvania locations.
Note: If you buy tickets online, be sure to get on the right bus. Some companies trick you into taking the wrong bus and then charge you again.
By boat
The RiverLink and Freedom Ferry services provide travel from Philadelphia to neighboring Camden, NJ between April and September. The service provides direct service to Camden's Tweeter Center on the Waterfront, a popular concert venue for the Philadelphia area. Access to the other waterfront attractions, including an aquarium, is also provided by the ferry service. |
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