by mary gallagher
For fun, food and a huge dose of American history, we took the pleasant two hour ride on Amtrak to enjoy a fall weekend in Philadelphia. It couldn’t have been more perfect with trees just at their golden stage, warm afternoons and cool nights. The main historic sites were busy but not crushingly so. Although in looking over my notes and disappearing waistline I think we just ate and ate in this colossus of a restaurant town!
The Independence National Historical Park covers nearly 45 acres in the center of Philadelphia’s Old City. Here you’ll find the Liberty Bell Center, new home to the Liberty Bell, the National Constitution Center -150,000 square feet devoted to honoring the ideas embodied in the U.S. Constitution, historic Independence Hall and the new Independence Visitor Center. This is the largest visitors center in the nation with a hefty gift shop, various information displays, theaters showing orientation films, a coffee (espresso!) bar and connection to a public parking facility. The US Park Service and rangers do a terrific job of answering questions, explaining every detail of history while guarding these historical artifacts. This was some of the best work by outstanding security people, in addition to the rangers, I’ve ever experienced and they should all be hired away for anyplace we might consider seriously protecting – like an airport. Courteous, English speaking, competent and thorough without treating anyone in a demeaning manner made this tiresome worthless exercise at long last a reasonable experience. Plus one finished with the feeling, for a change, that these folks actually stood a chance of identifying a real perpetrator.
If you’re a real history buff with good eyes and don’t mind reading a lot of informative displays, placards, maps and other “stuff” or looking at computer screens you can spend hours in the National Constitution Center. They even have a theater in the round performance that combines a live visible narrator with a media display and lots of patriot music.
After I had been there and came back to read more information about the design team, it wasn’t too surprising that this was the same team that did the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC where I’ve never been able to read more than a few words out of the thousands and thousand on display. Perhaps someday these fellows will pass 40, start to squint and need to carry a flash light to survive in their own designs.
Philadelphia has themed walking tours for all types of interests throughout the historic district and other neighborhoods of interest. You’re already well aware of all the school classes I slept through so how much better to let costumed and entertaining experts present the stories in a highly absorbable way to adults and children alike. We spent a few hours with Ed Manger of Philadelphia on Foot and I thought he was great - interesting, humorous and really knew his subject. We take guided tours on almost every visit to any thing or place – trust me this quality in a guide is way too often the exception. Contact Ed at (215) 627-8680 (800) 340-9869.
There is no shortage of historic churches to visit and we saw the Christ Church from 1744, the Quaker meeting hall and ran out of time for a whole slew of others.
Elfreth’s Alley is the oldest continuously operating street in America and they have a house museum at #126. The Betsy Ross house is at 239 Arch Street but no one is positive she ever lived there although the house is from 1760. In fact she may not have even sewn the flag!
We did the Lights of Liberty night laser, sound and light show following a costumed "Liberty Leader" around Independence Square.
It is a lot of walking, listening to 3D sound on headphones and watching historical stories enacted through lighting displays projected onto the sides of buildings and other surfaces at various sites. The sound was amazing and when we heard horses galloping up from behind most everyone spun around to determine which way to jump. This is a slightly treacherous tour if you have any night vision issues or walking and balance problems. It was very dark and you walk on a variety of pavements, up and down curbs, in dark alleys and on grass. The guides protect everyone as we crossed the street but they did not have flash lights every few feet to help one otherwise. The wonderful realistic 3D sound headphones were very affective at blocking out other noise and muffled your brains acknowledgement of the actual space around you. I felt very vulnerable – not to crime but just generally towards twisting an ankle or walking into a tree. Call 215 LIBERTY,
www.lightsofliberty.org
Finally I screamed stop stop no more history give me tacky shopping and off to South Street, between Front and 10th Street; Lombard and Bainbridge we went. This was literally still within walking distance of our hotel. There are dozens of shops, restaurants and galleries located at this popular tourist attraction. Some interesting thrift stores and antique emporiums, Condom Kingdom has a large store with a rather singular focus on certain body parts and everyone had watches for sale – knockoffs for cheap but wild fun designs.
I’d rather spend my afternoon here than any mall. In the old city areas near the historic district many boutique and fine design shops and galleries have sprung up during the revitalization. They tended to be a little more on the upscale than most of South St. I found out later that we gave in too soon and should have ventured just a few more blocks for some other interesting fare.
All this sight seeing and walking means intensive eating to maintain ones strength! And eat we did at almost every turn.
Amusing and funky at Johnny Rocket’s on South Street for fries and cokes, Saturday lunch at a packed City Tavern for food with a historical theme, dinner at one of the “concept King” Stephen Starr’s stars Tangerine, beyond bountiful brunch at the Omni Hotel and a surprisingly gourmet extravaganza of fine fare on board the Moshulu, the largest four masted sailing ship in the world still a float. Renovated and reopened in ’03, this is not your typical theme restaurant with steam table food or poor excuses for seafood even if we are on the water. You’ll love it and it is packed with happy clients.
We stayed, almost on top of the historical area, at the Omni Hotel at Independence Park, 401 Chestnut Street and it was perfectly located to walk everywhere. The hotel was quiet, clean with large rooms and a very pleasant young staff. Sunday brunch was like a Las Vegas extravaganza and again the staff were particularly accommodating. Philadelphia offers hundreds of packages and hotel accommodations at every rate imaginable. If you stay right in the downtown area there is no need for a car or even in most circumstances a cab except to and from the train station.
Like the security people, the visitors and convention assistance for visiting this city and all of Pennsylvania is phenomenal. They will do everything and bury you in information. Greater Philadelphia Tourism 215-599-0776
www.gophila.com
