Orangepants

Going to Philadelphia for a girl's long weekend end of next week. We've already bought the three day pass for the main sights/museums/boat trips. Any recommends for wine/bistro type restaurants, must see and do places?

Is Penn's Landing/Spruce Street Harbour worth spending some time in the evenings? Staying at the Le Meridien on Arch.

Plan is to walk to most places as read it is a walkable city (just got my Fitbit charge HR today!) Also the Arts festival at Manayunk - looks pretty cool?

Thanks for any ideas.

Nutmegger

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is a wonderful museum.

https://www.pafa.org/

rpjs

Philadelphia Museum of Art (the one in Rocky) is excellent. Better than the Met in NYC in some ways I feel. The UPenn Archaeology Museum is very good. The Liberty Bell and Independence Hall are interesting if you're into history.

Philly cab be walkable, but it is pretty brutal when it's hot and humid, which it's forecast to be this weekend. You may find your good intentions wilt in the heat and you end up hailing a cab anyway!

Pulaski

Lunch at Reading Terminal Market. It is a unique experience and can be quite chaotic, but the choice of menus is huge, and is quite a sight - image about 50 restaurants each built as an island counter in one big warehouse!

I don't know what weekend hours are like, but for the best "experience" I'd go on Friday (?) lunchtime.

Orangepants

Thanks - it is right next to our hotel.

Orangepants

Big history buffs - so yes Liberty Bell and all that. Yes that is true - it will be humid. Last year we went to New Orleans in Aug - wow!

Orangepants

Thanks, we go Thursday through Sunday so we may try that out for Friday.

Nutmegger

And don't forget to leave room for a Philly cheesesteak -- here's a quide; I like no. 4 on the list, Geno's:

Top 10 Spots for Authentic Philly Cheesesteaks — Visit Philadelphia — visitphilly.com

Jerseygirl

Noooooooo....the lines are long...very long and IMO the food is disappointing.

Pulaski

I love a good Philly cheesesteak, but can't imaging going anywhere special just to get one. FWIW I liked one that I found in the food court in the basement level of the building at 200 S Broad St, Philadelphia, near to several of the large down town hotels. I would certainly go back there for one again. ..... I have already done so a couple of times. And there was no queue to speak of.

Jerseygirl

I don't remember the name but it was one of the top names in Philly...sis and I looked around the shops while hubby queued for 1 1/2 hours one Feb...in sub zero temps. I would compare the food to an English fish and chip shop...ok but absolutely not worth the wait!!

BTW the best burger I've ever had was in a Belguim food court...go figure.

Pulaski

Best fish & chips I have ever had are from a chip shop run by a Greek family (now second generation ) in West Wimbledon. They were as good last summer as they were back in the 1980's when I first discovered that chip shop.

Jerseygirl

Nah...Sheffield chippies are to die for. Remember Henderson's Relish?

Pulaski

I was too young to know when I left.

Orangepants

Don't think I could manage one of those - haven't eaten red meat since I was 18. I guess Philadelphia is not well known for anything healthy?