Philadelphia

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H🫶🏽ME is where the heart is 💕. Philadelphia is home and there are many reasons to love this city. Many people think of the Rocky Steps at the art museum, cheesesteaks and soft pretzels. While Philly has all of those things – it is so much more. Philadelphia often gets friend-zoned before you visit. It is the place that people don’t expect to fall in love with, but fall wildly in love. The first reason – the people and culture.

Having lived all over the nation in my journalism career, I can objectively say that Philadelphia is one of the best foodie cities in the United States. I never crave food from anywhere else except for Philly – we take our dining seriously. Of course get a cheesesteak, but don’t think that is all there is. There are Michelin star, James Beard Award-Winning and several mouth-watering restaurants in Philly. It is also home to several cute rooftop bars and outdoor spaces.

Sports is a huge part of the culture. The best part is people who move to Philly or visit who aren’t sports fans, find themselves quickly becoming fans. Sporting events are unforgettable. There is nothing like an Eagles tailgate and ball game at Citizens Bank Park, with it’s gorgeous view of Center City (our version of Downtown) as its backdrop. CBP is one of the best ballparks in the nation, in my opionion. The Eagles, Phillies, Flyers and Sixers all have stadiums/arenas on the same lot in South Philly. If they ever play on the same day – it’s a party!

A Candid Cost Calculation:

Accommodation – If you have the coing to splurg, I love the Four Seasons Hotel and they have an amazing 60th-floor bar/restaurant. Philly is also a great place to AirBnB and check out several of the cool neighborhoods. They each have their own vibe: Rittenhouse Square (posh) , Washington Square (trendy), Northern Liberties (onced called the 6th borough of NYC), Fishtown (Hippie), Chestnut Hill (Old Money) etc.

Food – Here is a quick list of some of my favorite restaurants in no particular order: Friday Saturday Sunday, Wilder, South, Kalaya, Barbuzzo, Suraya, Sampan, Dear Daphni, Wm. Mulherin’s Sons, The Love, Parc, Buddakan, Talula’s Garden, Amina Rooftops:  Assembly, JG SkyHigh (not open air), Attico, Status, Bok Bar, El Techo.

This is a very. short list. There are countless amazing restaurants and this just gets you started. For cheesesteaks, I believe the best is Max’s (North Philly), is the best in the city. Jim’s (South Street) is also great. The touristy place to go and take pics is either Pat’s or Geno’s in South Philly. People also really like Del Rossi’s and Ishkabibbles.

**Funny Story – There is an indoor/outdoor bar/restaurant  in the Northern Liberties neighborhood that the hubby and I past often called, Urban Village. We never went in because it was giving frat-boy vibes. We were picturing dive bar food. We decided to go and watch a game and the food was delicious! Don’t judge a book by it’s cover in Philly. The most unassuming spot may surprise you

Transportation – The best way to get around is walking, driving (parking may be hard in Center City), rideshare or Septa – the city’s public transportation. The “El” or “L” is also called the Market-Frankford Line. It is  the above ground high-speed train Market-Frankford Line. The other trains operate underground – a popular train is the Broad Street Line.

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