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Visisting Philidelphia one of these weekends

lsobol

and looking for recommendations for places of architectural, artistic, cultural, dining significance. We are two wandering art, food, fashion, contemp. history buffs who would love to hear about some of the gems and points of reference from those who have an insider's intimacy with Phili. We're travelling from Fri-Sun

Thanks nectors!

 
Aug 16, 07 8:07 pm
designbydesign

i am moving to Philly next Wednesday. I am curious about those places as well. Thanks.

Aug 16, 07 8:15 pm  · 
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designbydesign

for a short visit...

Aug 16, 07 8:15 pm  · 
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mfrech

this is not a cultural suggestions: but if you want to get good and loaded and you're close to city hall, try mcgillans: great happy hours and cheap as hell: it's a couple blocks south of city hall in a little alley just west of s. broad...if you can stand eagles fans, you'll be drunk and happy in no time...

man i miss philly...no happy hours in massachusetts!

Aug 16, 07 9:18 pm  · 
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mfrech

i have to say, woefully, that the last night when i lived in philly was probably the best example of the kind of great cheap bars you could find there: it was the now-defunct silk city lounge on fairmount ave, you could get a pbr tallboy with a shot of wild turkey for $2! $2!

sorry, i don't mean to dwell solely on the drinking dens...but for something completely weird, hit up the mutter museum. some of the most bizarre biological curiosities lurk there...it's great!

http://www.collphyphil.org/mutter.asp

Aug 16, 07 9:49 pm  · 
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oldirty

The only things I can recommend-having only been there once but I enjoyed it-are the Eastern State Penitentiary(it it's open for tours)-the first modern prison in the world-a panopticon in action-it was the mental hospital in 12 Monkeys and is very evocative.

The Mutter Museum-a really freaky museum-it has skeletons of siamese twins, the skull of someone who had a horn shaped tumor growing out of his head, a body that turned to soap and on and on...it's this creepy mansion that's full of fanny packed tourists and goths. It sounds sick, but it's really fascinating, I would totally go back.

I also loved Rittenhouse Square-I think it's better than any of the squares in NYC.

I have also heard good things about the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Schuylkill Park and the Rodin Museum was nice for a quick visit.

Hope this is a start.

Aug 16, 07 9:52 pm  · 
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mfrech

the rodin is a great visit, but it's brief...there's a nice garden entrance to it and plenty of sculpture and plaster models by rodin himself...it's a dense place, only being 4 rooms or so. worth checking out on your walk down the parkway to the PMA. enjoy!

Aug 16, 07 9:55 pm  · 
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Philarch

Architectural - in no specific order
1. City Hall - 2nd Tallest Masonry Building in World (1st is Great Pyramids of Egypt - City Hall took longer to construct)
2. PSFS - One of the first International Style "Modern" skyscrapers (first to specify a central HVAC system)
3. Wharton Esherick Museum/House - Just fantastic
4. Merchant's Exchange Building - One of the first Neo-Classical Buildings
5. Pennsylvania Academy of Art - One of the few remaining Frank Furness Buildings
There is much more but I don't have the time...sorry

Artistic/cultural/food
1. Mosaics by Isaiah Zagar all over the city - The best being on South street between 10th and 11th street at his studio (the whole building is covered with it)
2. Ortlieb's Jazzhaus - Great authentic Jazz and great southern food
3. Rodin Museum - My favorite Cret building
4. Christ's Church - The church of many founding fathers (Be aware, there are graves within the church that you step on, but it is disrespectful to step on the graves outside the church)
5. Creperie-beaumonde - Great french crepe brunch
6. Morimoto - Very very expensive but very very good Japanese food.
7. Fairmount Park - Largest "urban" park in the world - 10 times the size of Central park although very underused. There are tons of little gems in there like the Valley Green Inn, Finger Bridge (cor-ten), the Japanese House...

There is so much more, but gotta get back to Thesis!


Aug 16, 07 9:58 pm  · 
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mfrech

second the PSFS...my class hustled enough to rent out milennium hall to have our graduation there...it's a gem.

Aug 16, 07 10:00 pm  · 
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mfrech

by the way, there's a banner ad that says 'phillipines dating' at the top of my archinect page. it's way outta place!?

Aug 16, 07 10:02 pm  · 
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Philarch

Ah and a few things

If you have the time, just walk around the residential areas around Rittenhouse. The park is great but there are some great residential streets around there too. Society Hill and Old City is interesting to just wander around as well. To me what is interesting in these residential areas are the hidden open spaces behind the rowhouses. If you drive through the city, you won't see it, but walking around you'll get peeks into some great spaces.

Aug 16, 07 10:06 pm  · 
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Thom Freeman

Philarch left out a few
you got to go to Pat's for a provy steak wit
check out south street for some people watching. when i was a kid it was very punk,now its a little safer. boat house row is something to see but it will be real quick, go to the Masonic Temple (its amazing inside)

like any city there are a million things to do. have fun. go dragons.

Aug 16, 07 10:09 pm  · 
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mfrech

geno's not pat's!!

and definitely hit up south street: still a punk scene, but punks tempered with rastafari, mixed in with bumbling tourists: it's a perfect cultural melange--and there's lorenzo's pizza--the best place to have someone drive you for a slice when you're half in the bag.

Aug 16, 07 10:12 pm  · 
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b3tadine[sutures]

i'd say go to Manayunk, but it can be a frat-boy hang out at times....

Aug 16, 07 10:13 pm  · 
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mfrech

true beta: it's best to avoid the 'yunk...i only went there when someone offered to drive and i had a little extra cash in hand...which was only once or twice.

Aug 16, 07 10:22 pm  · 
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oates

sorry for the late contribution. if it's not too late, drop by the vinoly concert hall on broad just south of city hall. and the art museum collection is truly world class. there is also often a good exhibit up at the ica on the upenn campus. if you happen to be there on a first friday, it will be open gallery night in old city -- always fun.

regarding the cheesesteak wars: my vote goes to pat's. i don't think geno's EVEN uses cheez whiz.

Aug 27, 07 7:40 pm  · 
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mfrech

oates please! you know Geno's uses whiz!

forgive the hosility, i'm firmly in the Geno's camp, but i've never been to Pat's so I can't say Geno's is any better--but they sure do have whiz wit!

Aug 27, 07 7:47 pm  · 
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mightylittle™

in my book (and it's a good book i tell you...) the cheesesteak battle royale MUST include Steve's.

pat's and geno's can duke it out like the repub's and dem's, but Steve's is the independent's choice.



Aug 27, 07 7:50 pm  · 
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oates

ok you got me, mfrech. i've never been to geno's either. and they do got the boyzIImen props from the motownphilly video going for them. but once i had pat's, i never felt a need to eat cheesesteak anywhere else.

lsobol, visit the reading terminal market as well on 11th and arch for local goods.

Aug 27, 07 8:16 pm  · 
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mfrech

fair enough oates--i think that's an essential philly experience: an irrational passion for one cheesesteak joint over the other, hehe. the good news is that you can't really go wrong either way.

Aug 27, 07 8:19 pm  · 
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