Philadelphia: Phun, Phriends, Phood

What's closer to NYC than DC, just as historical as Boston, and full of students, dogs, and babies? Philadelphia, of course. I took my first real visit to the city of brotherly love this past weekend and have to say I was more than impressed. It's easy to lump Philly in to those post-industrial bastions of American economic sludge, like Baltimore, Hartford, and Pittsburgh. Beyond that, maybe you think of the liberty bell or Nicholas Cage stealing the Declaration of Independence. While those elements are present, you must be sure not to discount the plethora of independent small businesses, tidy row houses with basements and backyards (for the same price as Manhattan "2 bedroom"), lively art scene, and attractions that go beyond the hallmarks of the American Revolution.

Boathouse Row on the Schuylkill River

About the Trip: I joined my roommate Anna, my soon to be roommate Nichole, and Dylan to crash in the spacious 3-bedroom house of Anna's boyfriend Aaron and Aaron's roommate Rob. Aaron is a filmer/producer for a local public art TV show, and is also an incredible chef. He and Dylan have taken a liking to each other, which offers multiple options for double dates and excursions, but this was the first time we had traveled to the city Aaron now calls home. Luckily, Aaron was more than willing to host his four guests in various beds, couches, and air mattresses throughout his home. His hospitality was compounded by his knowledge and eagerness to show us fun areas of the city packed with locals on a beautiful summer weekend. As is the habit of my generation, the weekend revolved heavily around food, drink, and debauchery, though we managed a pinch of refined culture and maturity thrown into the mix. 

Getting There:  Philadelphia is extremely easy and inexpensive to get to from NYC, with multiple bus departures from Peter Pan, Megabus, Bolt Bus, and the like, mostly for under $20 a pop. NJ Transit and/or Amtrak are also options if you have an aversion to the New Jersey Turnpike, but those tend to be spendier, and in the case of NJ Transit, much less convenient. A big shout-out to Dylan, though, who made the far less simply journey from Hartford via a combination of car, train, subway, and bus. And he did it all without complaining...

What to Do: Upon a late evening arrival at Aaron's apartment (a house he shares with two other guys in the family-friendly Graduate Hospital neighborhood), we immediately shook off the Greyhound bus smell with a backyard barbecue of meat, topped with meat, served with a side of meat (hot dogs and bacon burgers, of course). We washed it down with a few craft beers, of course, before heading out for a night at Morgan's Pier, a big, open-air beer and dance hall right on the waterfront of the Delaware River, underneath the Ben Franklin bridge. The casual vibe and proximity to watercraft make Morgan's Pier a solid destination whether looking to dance on a Friday night or relaxing on a Sunday afternoon (better yet, I just looked at their website and learned they have weekend brunch).

Saturday was our only full day in the city but that didn't stop the six of us from sleeping through the better part of the morning and then preparing (read: watching Aaron) a fabulously gourmet and decadent homemade backyard brunch. In true #doingitfortheinsta fashion, we carefully arranged a lamb sausage, mushroom, and goat cheese quiche; roasted baby potatoes; rosemary bread and butter from the Amish farmer's market; fresh berries; along with homemade mimosas AND Bloody Mary's on the backyard table. Check it out and see if you aren't impressed:

Fat and Happy, we finally pulled it together to meander through Aaron's neighborhood, stopping at plenty of specialty stores, independent bookstores, thrift shops, and the like on the way to Philadelphia's Magic Gardens. This explorative art installation was created over many years by mosaic and ceramic artist Isaiah Zagar at an old building demolition site. The resulting maze is a swirl of colored glass, empty bottles, cups and plates, and a fantastic plethora of other pieces of "trash" expertly and artfully adorning half-height walls, archways, tunnels and staircases in the middle of an otherwise non-descript Philly block on South Street. Part museum, part community center, the Magic Gardens have a vaguely utopian, "Alice in Wonderland" aura. Everywhere you look is another small broken piece of mirror with a somewhat poetic phrase or verse printed on it in Zagar's imperfect handwriting.  I'll let the photos do it justice:

Continuing our lazy on-foot journey down South Street, we eventually (with many pauses to shop) made it to the Spruce Street Harbor Park, another waterfront attraction just under the Ben Franklin Bridge dotted with hammocks, tables and lawn chairs, old shipping containers repurposed as beer and food trucks, and free public rentals of kayaks, roller skates, paddleboats, and the like. The waterfront attractions seem to go on forever in Philly, which is a wonderful and free use of public space. After catching the back end of a Christian rap concert and ogling the thriving '90s roller rink, Aaron finally pulled us away for a small taste of American History. 

Colonial Cat

Elfreth's Alley is not actually a fictional stop on Harry Potter's journey to destroy the Horcruxes, although it sounds like it. It's actually the "oldest continually inhabited street in America," or, in lay terms, a tiny, cobblestone alley lined with colonial brick houses with brightly-matching shutters and doors. It's in Old Philly, but still just a few steps away from a bustling, modern street, yet it feels preserved like a Living History site. We peeked in the windows of the 32 residences that line the street - some still privately inhabited, some transformed into museums, some nearly boarded up and abandoned. The Alley encompasses much of the rich Revolutionary history that Philly is known for, but without all the hype (and crowds) that surround some of the more famous attractions, a la Liberty Bell. 

After a BYOB Italian dinner, we bar hopped a bit in the main downtown Market Street area, ending up at the birthday party of a friend of a friend, complete with sparkling bottles of belvedere. It was actually a more NYC night than I've actually had in the Big Apple.

Sunday morning, Dylan had to leave relatively early for his cross-country journey back to Hartford, so we took a short walk around the neighborhood, grabbing coffee and bagels at the Good Karma Cafe. We sent him off on his bus then spent the remainder of the day wandering the banks of the Schuylkill River, which hosts a paved river trail filled with bikers, joggers, and walkers that goes for miles. We took the trail up to the Philly Art Museum, otherwise known as the Rocky Steps, and cooled off a bit in the public fountain clearly marked "no swimming." Then, we continued on to boathouse row, a strip of the Schuylkill just above a dam where universities, prep schools, and clubs have their rowing headquarters. Even for those who aren't interested in the sport, the boathouse architecture is intriguing and beautiful, and a classic member of Philly's roster of landmarks. I had also coxed a race once on the river back in my freshman year of college, so it was funny to remember that mess. 

Having exhausted the "walk and see" method of tourism (a very effective one, especially with a guide who knows the area!), we topped off our afternoon with a quick pit stop at a "Pop-up Garden," another great public installment that takes advantage of an empty lot and creates a warm, well-designed outdoor space with, you guessed it, food and beer. I gnawed on some soft pretzel bites with dipping sauces - basically the best snack there could be.

If you're looking for a weekend full of Phun, Phriends, and of course Phood, don't overlook the City of Brotherly Love. With its quiet charm and array of activities, its a perfect urban getaway.

Phun

Phriends

Phood