Going on a trip to Philadelphia..recommendations please!

[jadore la mode]

Hi all!

I'm heading to Philly with my fam during the week of 4th of July. I've been once, but when I was very young..I remember doing a lot of the historic things like Independence Hall, Betsy Ross house, Atwater Kent Museum...etc.

Any tips for places to stay, eat, SHOP , or sites to see would be WONDERFUL!

Also, since we're going during 4th of July..I would imagine some big things would be going on in Philly, so any tips with that would be great too. We also might go up to the Pocono's...

TIA!

[Jill]

King Of Prussia Mall is the best shopping in PA..its a short drive from Philly.There is a FANTASTIC little restaurant i ADORE called SWANKY BUBBLES(they have a YUMMY chocolate fondue for dessert!)..best drinks and food!

A must for the fourth of July is FIREWORKS at Penns Landing..on the water..its very pretty~!

[2manybags]

Stay: I love the Rittenhouse Hotel, but you can't go wrong with the Ritz Carlton or Four Seasons....they're all beautiful hotels.

Eat: Some of my fave Philly restaurants: Audrey Claire, Parc, Rouge (can't stand the scene here at night), but the Rouge burger is delicious -good lunch spot, Buddakan, Amada, Noble, Osteria for yummy pizza, Raddicchio is a great Italian BYO, and Vetri is amazing if you can get a reservation, Snack Bar is a nice spot for a drink at night, La Colombe has the best coffee in the city.

Shop: King of Prussia mall as previously mentioned, but if you're in Rittenhouse Square there is a gorgeous boutique called Adresse...the best of the best in a small store and the owners Stephanie and Michael are absolutely wonderful. Joan Shepp, Knit Wit, and Petulia's Folly are some other good boutiques, there's also a newly opened Barneys Co-op, and for designer wears on the cheap, check out Daffy's. There's also an outlet mall called Franklin Mills which has a Saks and Neiman's outlet, but it's pretty hit or miss.

Sites: The Art Museum, Rosenbach Museum, and the Kimmel Center for a concert.

Have a great time! :)

[jadore la mode]

Jill: I've heard about King of Prussia mall, so I think I'll definitely make the trip over there to shop! Swanky Bubbles sounds delish! I LOVE chocolate fondue..mmm! & Penns Landing sounds exactly like the area I'd like to be in during the 4th's fireworks.

2manybags: Thanks so much for all the suggestions! I'll definitely "yelp" those restaurants, I bet they are great! And Rittenhouse Square sounds fab, it'll be a definite to-do. I just love cute boutiques.


Also--how accessible is NYC from Philly? I thought about maybe going to the city for a day if it's close enough..would I be able to take a train?

[2manybags]

NYC is about an hour and a half by train. Amtrak has direct trains from 30th St. Station, and it's much more convenient than the NJ Transit train which requires you to switch trains in Trenton. If you book tickets in advance and have AAA you can save some money. Also, check Amtrak's website to see if they have any specials during the time you'll be traveling.

Originally Posted by jadore la mode

Jill: I've heard about King of Prussia mall, so I think I'll definitely make the trip over there to shop! Swanky Bubbles sounds delish! I LOVE chocolate fondue..mmm! & Penns Landing sounds exactly like the area I'd like to be in during the 4th's fireworks. 2manybags: Thanks so much for all the suggestions! I'll definitely "yelp" those restaurants, I bet they are great! And Rittenhouse Square sounds fab, it'll be a definite to-do. I just love cute boutiques. Also--how accessible is NYC from Philly? I thought about maybe going to the city for a day if it's close enough..would I be able to take a train?

[lilac0485]

If money is a concern, the bolt bus is fairly reliable and the trip takes 2 or 2.5 hours. The tickets are cheap! The departure spots are next to the amtrak stations.

[LushBoutique]

As mentioned before, definitely King of Prussia mall. If you like little eccentric boutique type stores...South Street has all of these different boutiques. And recently, the past year Philadelphia Premium Outlets has opened up, probally 15 mins. from King of Prussia Mall. Oh, and NYC would be really fun for the day as well. Not too bad of a commute as everyone has mentioned.

As far as eating goes I just love food, but if you like asian food I would suggest Chinatown for the authentic Chinese food. Suggestions for lunch/dimsum: Imperial Inn my favorite! For seafood: Ocean City. Others like noodle dishes, rice dishes: Sang Kee which is next to Ocean City . If you are a major dessert/pastry person like I am there are lots of little bakeries in Chinatown and EXTREMELY CHEAP! I suggest going to K.C. Pastery (the one near the Chinatown gate) (they have 2 other locations). The pineapple custard bun is good and if your thirsty they make a great Strawberry bubble tea. they use real fruits not the powder stuff!!

HAVE A GREAT and SAFE TRIP! I hope you enjoy your time here!

[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..

[claireZk]

Swanky Bubbles is great for cocktails or girls night out, but not "family friendly" IMO. I love Chinatown b/c the food is good & not too expensive (my favorite is Penang). I know you said you did it before, but I always recommend Independence Mall when people are looking for stuff to do in Philly. All the historical monuments are within a walkable radius & there's the Constitution Center which is relatively new.

Rittenhouse Square & Reading Terminal Market are always fun. King of Prussia is good if you really want to shop. It's like 30 mins outside the city, but a pretty easy drive. It's basically just a HUGE mall w/ a mix of regular mall stores & high end boutiques.

Another suggestion is to go get cheesesteaks. Pats or Gino's in South Philly are the most famous, but Jim's on South Street (which is down by Penn's Landing) is equally good IMO.

Also, the museums & Franklin Institute are awesome.

Have fun!!

[claireZk]

Oh, and I say skip the Pononos lol. My fam has a house there so I go up several times a year, but it's not like vacation-worthy if that makes sense. It would be just as far as going to NYC & not nearly as impressive

[Izzy's Mom]

Franklin Institute is a must see if you are traveling with children. They have a Gallileo exhibit up this summer with treasures from Italy -- including G's telescope (1st time it's ever left the country). They have lots of hands-on exhibits that appeal to young and old alike.

Philadelphia Museum of Art is worth devoting hours to as well. Skip the Poconos and take the train/bus to NYC for a day trip instead.

[lilac0485]

If you like dim sum, Chinatown Brasserie in NYC is amazing higher end very well made dim sum. Stuff you usually only find in hotels in HK, but not the typical ambiance and no carts. Can't vouch for non dim sum food here though because I haven't had it. (ps. I love dim sum, been eating in since I was a kid since my parents are Cantonese)

[lilac0485]

What kind of food do you like? I haven't been for a year, but these were favorites when I was there for school.
My favorite sushi ever is Uzu in old city. Eulogy is fun for a beer pub with good food. Monks (belgium beer pub) has some of the best fries ever with a great mustard, mayo, spicy dipping sauce. Marigold Kitchen is a BYOB in old city, that I love, amazing shrimp grits. Also Matyson is a fave BYOB. I think the Continentals are a lot of fun. Banana Leaf is good Malasyian food in Chinatown. If you want a quick snack in Chinatown Heung Fa Chun Sweet House has sticky rice, ZHONG, noodles, fried rice, and chinese desserts (not baked goods) like tofu and tapioca. Very authentic and homestyle. Amada is amazing tapas. Mama's vegetarian (20th near Market) or Maoz on south street both make good falafel, stuffed with lots of veggies. If you end up in University City the food trucks are great and cheap, can give you recs, but it is a bit out of the way from most things to see.

Also Le Bus and Metropolitan are both local bakery chains, usually reliable food, if you see one around.

Reading terminal is so much fun to walk around in, the Amish make some good pastries, DiNics roast pork sandwich is supposed to be a city favorite, and Flying Monkey Patisserie is pretty good too. If you are feeling a bit bloated from too much eating out, there is a fruit/vegetable stand instead that always has fresh produce and super low prices. Good place to stock up for the week.

[lilac0485]

Shopping faves
in Old City: Foster's Urban Homeware so much fun to look around, Lost + Found, Third Street Habit (great contemporary selection)
Rittenhouse: Anthropologie flagship, Boyds (mostly mens, but a small women's selection, very fancy department store), Echochic (more indie, contemporary), Petulia's Folly (homegoods and contemporary clothes)
Washington Square: Duross & Langel (amazing soaps etc), Matthew Izzo (home goods with a modern sensibility and clothing), Open House (gifts, candles, accessories for the home)

[jadore la mode]

Hmm..so I think we will be skipping the Poconos...definitely going to try and do a day in NYC.

I'm travelling with my little sister who's never been to Philly, so I'm sure we'll do Independence Hall again...definitely adding Museum of Art & Franklin Institute to the list too.

And ahhh..the shopping sounds fab! Sounds like I'll love all the suggestions. & Anthropologie flagship is calling my name!!

As for food...I really like everything! All the suggestions sound delightful..as for my family, we are all suckers for a good bakery..and good pizza.

Of course, I have to get a cheesesteak there! I feel like I'd be breaking some kind of Philly tourist code if I didn't My fam would probably agree.

Thank you, thank you for all the wonderful suggestions y'all! I'm getting excited!