When Schyler and I started dating, he was in a band that toured the country so he’s gotten to see almost every. major city in America! I was always fascinated by this and asked him multiple times what cities he thought I would like and which ones were must sees. Philadelphia was always one of the cities on that list! When we moved to Pennsylvania, his dad told us that Philly is actually where Schyler’s ancestors settled! So we knew we had to book a trip to check out the city together. Philly is a very important city in American history. It’s where the Declaration of Independence was signed, it’s where Betsy Ross sewed the American flag, and home to the Liberty Bell. In this blog post, I’m sharing everything we did, where we ate, and where we stayed while visiting the city of brotherly love!

What To Do

Chinatown

One of my favorite things to check out when I visit a new city is Chinatown! Most major cities have one near downtown. My love for them started when I was a little girl visiting San Francisco with my parents. I loved all the colors, shops, and restaurants! The Chinatown in Philadelphia is small and very easy to walk through so we popped over to check it out after having lunch at the Reading Terminal Market. I loved the beautiful Friendship Gate!

Old Town Hall

One of the major streets in downtown Philadelphia goes all the way around the beautiful old town hall! This makes for some super cool views of the building from each street. There is a median in between the main road that you can access from the pedestrian walkways so we snuck over for a quick photo! We were amazed by the beautiful, old architecture of this building.

Tip: If you walk further down the median, you can get a really cool shot with more buildings in it! Schyler didn’t want to walk that far down the median because he get’s scared lol, so I settled for this shot! ;P

LOVE Park

LOVE Park, with it’s mini reproduction of Robert Indiana’s 1970 Love sculpture, is definitely one of the main sights that pops into my head when I think of Philadelphia! The sculpture is super cute and the perfect photo opp. LOVE park is located right next to Old Town Hall.

Rocky Steps

The “Rocky Steps” are another very popular tourist attraction in Philadelphia! The steps are located outside of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Rocky fans + tourists visit this spot to run up the steps and take an obligatory “arms raised in victory” photo just like in the movie! There is also a Rocky Statue right off the entrance at the bottom of the steps.

Elfreth’s Alley

I was really excited to visit Elfreth’s Alley because it’s actually the oldest residential street in the United States! The street is very quaint and charming an has been kept in great condition. We visited early in the morning (around 8 am on a Wednesday) to avoid other tourists and capture some photos. There are residents that live here so if you visit, be sure to be as quiet as possible!

Betsy Ross House

I’m a huge history nerd so I loved getting to see so many important places in American History. We stopped by to see the Betsy Ross house (about a 5 min walk from Elfreth’s Alley). She actually sewed the American Flag! The house is now a museum which I would have loved to experience but it was closed when we were visiting Philly.

Tip: The museum is open Friday – Monday from 10-4pm and tickets are only $5!

Independence Hall

Philadelphia is loaded with American history! It’s home to Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence was signed. There are tours of the building available every 15 mins from 9 am to 5 pm. We visited on a Wednesday and didn’t have a long wait at all! Across the street from Independence Hall is the famous Liberty Bell. The bell is located inside of a glass room and you have to go through security to visit both sites. We didn’t get the chance to go in and see the bell but I saw it from outside!

Benjamin Franklin Bridge

I love bridges because you get to see amazing city views from them! The Benjamin Franklin Bridge connects Pennsylvania to New Jersey. It’s a huge, expansive bridge! There is an amazing city view from about halfway across the bridge. Schyler is scared of heights as well so we didn’t walk all the way there but I was super proud of him for walking to the point that we did lol (about a 1/4 of the way down)!

Tip: We had the hardest time finding the pedestrian entrance to the bridge, partly because we had to find somewhere to park our car first, but we finally figured it out. We parked our car near Race St. and Front St. then walked to the entrance.

Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens

Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, just off of the popular South Street, is a super cool non-profit art gallery. It’s actually the largest work created by mosaic artist Isaiah Zager. It spans three city lots with indoor galleries and an outdoor labyrinth! Tickets to the gallery are $15. We were on a time crunch so we only checked it out from outside but it is super cool!!

Where To Eat

Geno’s Steaks

Whenever I visit a new city, I love to try the local food! A must do in Philadelphia is to eat a Philly Cheesesteak. They are well loved by the locals and for good reason because they are super tasty! Two popular spots for cheesesteaks are Geno’s Steaks and Pat’s King of Steaks which are across the street from each other! We chose to eat at Geno’s Steaks because I loved their signs lol.

Tip: Both of these spots only take cash so be sure to bring some! Although there is an ATM right next door with a $3 (about) service fee if you don’t have any on you.

Reading Terminal Market

The Reading Terminal Market is definitely something every foodie should experience! I’m from Washington and this market reminds me a lot of Pike Place in Seattle, except that it’s not on the waterfront lol. There are a ton of different stalls for shopping, groceries, and food. You can find everything from desserts to seafood in one spot! I was recommended to try the Philly cheesesteaks at Spataro’s by a local and they were delish.

Where To Stay

Club Quarters Hotel

While visiting Philly we stayed at the Club Quarters hotel, located in the popular Rittenhouse Square. It’s very centrally located to all of Philadelphia’s attractions so it’s a great place to stay for tourists. We had an amazing view of the city and our room was super spacious and comfortable, especially the bed lol! It’s also super affordable and well worth the price for the location. They offer a discounted rate for overnight parking (around $30) in a nearby parking garage and have recently transitioned into becoming pet friendly so you can bring your pup with you!

XOXO