Going on a trip to Philadelphia..recommendations please!

[lilac0485]

If you love french bakeries, Miel Patisserie is so charming and yummy.

For pizza and pasta, Pietro's is great near Rittenhouse square.

If you have time in NYC, Lombardi's (in soho) is a classic but the wait can be long on the weekends.
Otherwise, Joe's in the West Village is a great place to grab a slice. Most of the best pizza places in the city require you to buy a pie.

My friends swore by Pat's over Gino's, but it might be fun to do your own taste test since the two are right next to each other.

ETA: almost forgot about Capogiro Gelato. I have been going ever since they opened and even toy with the idea of getting some shipped to me in NY. This is the best gelato in the US! And it is made with seasonal, local ingredients. It may seem pricey, but the quality and flavor are worth it. Two locations one near Rittenhouse and one near Washington Square. The cafes also serve sandwiches and coffee.
http://www.capogirogelato.com/wheretobuy.php?c=n

Also Franklin Fountain is an old school soda fountain in Old City. So quaint and makes huge sundaes.

la famiglia is good too for white tablecloth Italian.

Have heard very good things about Melograno for an Italian BYOB, but never made it there.

[purexelegance]

Originally Posted by jadore la mode

Ahhh, y'all are so helpful! Thanks! I'm taking a look at Amtrak and Bolt Bus now. Amtrak is roughly $80 (I would like to get there quicker), but then I see Bolt Bus fairs starting at $1?!? That's crazy! I'll be thinking about both.. LushBoutique, thanks! I didn't even think about Chinatown in Philly. That sounds amazing. Mmmm dim sum and bubble tea..

I used to live in Philly so I used to use Boltbus a lot, but I would say that I would go with Boltbus rather than Amtrak. Amtrak probably is like only a good 30 minutes faster than Boltbus. Boltbus takes around 2 hours to Philly and it's great... free internet and you have a place where you can plug in your computer.

King of Prussia: If you don't have a car to drive around in, you can access King of Prussia via the SEPTA bus services. It shouldn't be too expensive and it's definitely worth the drive up there. The shopping is great and the mall is very very big... there is two sections to the mall (more upscale vs. less upscale) and it's quite a workout.

Shopping: I love going to Rittenhouse Square and enjoying the area.. and the shopping. They also have a Barnes and Noble's that I used to frequent that overlooks the park.

[purexelegance]

Also, I second the Sang Kee restaurant's food. Their dishes are so delicious... I used to not like Chinese food as much until I went there and had their duck noodle soup. YUM!

And, I also love Penang restaurant and a cute bubble tea place at one corner that has Peking ducks hanging in the front window. I forgot the restaurant's name though.

[jadore la mode]

French bakeries..yum! Gelato...yum! Duck soup..yum! Sounds wonderful.

I think bolt bus will be the way to go. I can't get over the $1 fair..and the fact it has free wifi sounds fab.

We will be renting a car, so I'm going to try and go to King of Prussia mall.

Thank you!!! All these suggestions really help!

[jillybean307]

Philly is also a really great walking city. The center of the city is compact enough that you can walk around, and see a ton of stuff. When I lived there, I loved just wandering around and finding new places to eat and hang out. There are some absolutely beautiful cobblestone streets that are fun to just wander down.

Reading Terminal Market is an absolute must. It's so much fun to wander through there.

As everyone else said, Franklin Institute is a really good time for a family.

For food-oh my god, Philly is such a foodie city. You have so many choices for good food, honestly, any of the suggestions people have made on here are fantastic.

If you like bakeries, try the Pink Rose Cafe on South 4th Street. Jennifer Weiner (she wrote In Her Shoes) mentions it in her books a lot-and for good reason. I use to work right down the street from them, and they make the most incredible dark chocolate dipped coconut macaroons on the planet. Really awesome brownies as well.

Have a fun time. Philly is a really great city.

[rachieface]

I know I am bumping this thread but I have to say everyone who visits Philly HAS to go to Reading Terminal. You can spend days and days just walking around eating every type of food imaginable. Definitely my favorite place in the city!

[KCinPhilly]

Going to save this thread. There's some great things and places that even I've never been to yet. Not sure if anyone mentioned it but when you are here on the fourth of July the Welcome America celebration should be on. There is also a huge concert that takes places right in front of the art museum and it brings out huge crowds.

[KCinPhilly]

Quote:

For food-oh my god, Philly is such a foodie city. You have so many choices for good food, honestly, any of the suggestions people have made on here are fantastic.

When an organization I belong to had their National Convention here in Philly in 2006, people kept repeatedly telling us how great the food was. And we always joked and said, "We know!" LOL

The cheesesteaks were really popular. One of the vendors in Reading Terminal Market that sold them had flats of boxes of rolls that literally stood more than six feet off of the ground next to their kiosk. That day they had used up all of their rolls by 2:30 one afternoon when the aforementioned convention was in town.

[aklein]

As a Philly native, I echo all of the other recommendations of having at least one meal at the Reading Terminal Market. Do yourself a favor and save room for desert. I swear by Basset's ice cream. The lines may be long, but it is definitely worth the wait.
As for getting to King of Prussia. It can take a while to get there by bus (traffic to get into and out of Philly during the summer sucks because of shore traffic). I know another poster said that the Philadelphia Premium Outlets are about 15 minutes from the KOP mall, but I would say that it takes longer than that. Although, the outlets are named for the city, they are quite a bit outside. I believe there is a bus that runs from Center City Philadelphia out to the outlets.
If you get a cooler day, definitely check out the Philadelphia Zoo. It's the oldest zoo in America.

[i<3bags]

Regarding KOP. You can take the bus from downtown, which is not so bad. Driving from Center City to KOP right now is the pits because it is summer and they are doing construction on the interstate.

As far as Philadelphia Premium Outlets are concerned. They are at least 30 minutes from KOP, plus or minus depending on traffic.

I would check out the zoo too. They just opened a new aviary there- if you are into birds.

You can definitely eat your way around Philly too. I agree with the mention of Reading Terminal Market. Rittenhouse Square is nice for lunch outside or reading. They just opened a Barney's CO-OP on the square there too. Walnut and Chestnut streets are good for shopping. South Street is fun if you are into vintage or interesting night life.

Not sure if the observatory at City Hall is open yet, but that would be some place I would check out on a nice day as well.

[KCinPhilly]

Just found out that the Welcome America celebration will be going on from July 2-5. The big concert that I spoke of above supposedly has Cheryl Crow as the headliner.

[elle1777]

There are some really awesome exhibits @ the Philly Art Museum right now Henri Matiesse & artists at the French Riveria

[p3bbz]

This is a great thread! My Gfs and I are planning a weekend trip to Philly sometime in August. This is a great resource full of ideas - thanks!

[DesigningStyle]

Obviously don't miss the Liberty Bell, Consitution Center and Independance Hall! http://www.constitutioncenter.org/

[ebayBAGS]

South Street is great to walk around -- little shops, restaurants & plenty of places to try philly cheesesteak. It is also very close to Penns Landing where you can catch the fireworks