Fun Stuff to Do in Philly
Attention Minimerliners! As the resident local, I am in charge of FUN THINGS TO DO IN THE CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE so you all can have the Authentic Philly Experience during the con. Personally, I am going to be having the very Authentic Philly Experience of lazing around the hotel all day, and maybe even going to get a latte in the lobby at some point, but for anyone who wants more out of their trip than that, I've come up with a few suggestions!
First, I want to say that in keeping with the very laid back theme of the con, everything I'm going to mention is totally optional. Second, we're not doing any organized day trips or anything like that, because let's face it, I make a terrible tour guide. I'm just going to outline a few suggestions of things that are nearby, then on Friday night, we'll do a quick poll to see who's interested in what. Everyone who wants to go to location A will then meet in the lobby at some specified time to go off together, or something like that. I'm going to include links so you can read up on the places ahead of time, but I won't be providing directions, because they'd likely be, "well, you walk down that road over there until you get to this old building that's kind of brown-ish. Or maybe grey, IDK. Then you walk for awhile, I don't know how far really..." You see the problem. My suggestion is to ask in the lobby, where the concierge has lots of experience directing sightseers, and probably even has MAPS.
ANYWAY. On with the fun stuff!
South Street. Less than a mile away, South Street is probably what I would suggest as my personal top choice. Check out this site to see a directory of stores. In addition to getting a traditional Philly cheese steak, you can also take care of all of your vintage, fetish wear, and piercing needs. The walk from the hotel is through a very safe area, and South Street itself will be full of shoppers and tourists. In addition to all of the shops, there are also a lot of cheap food options besides cheese steaks.
Historic Philadelphia. For all the history buffs, I suggest taking a self-guided, walking tour of the historic district. You can see the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, the Betsy Ross House, and more. There's a clickable map here, and I can't really offer much more than that, since I shamefully haven't been to any of the sights in that area since class trips in middle school. But it's an easy walk from the hotel through very safe neighborhoods, and since it's one of the biggest tourist attractions in the city, I'm certain the hotel will have lots of info for those interested.
Reading Terminal Market. This is a sightly longer walk than the above options (about 1.5 miles) but it's fun, so I thought I'd throw it out there. Technically this is a farmer's market, but there's plenty to see and do (and eat!) Their website has a full listing of vendors, and they often have free live music on the weekends. In addition to the many booths selling local foods, there are also lots of options to get all kinds of cheap meals. It's a great place to go browse and then have lunch.
I'd be remiss not to mention that you can Ride the Ducks, if that seems like it's your thing. You'll be frowned upon by the locals, but it seems like an efficient way to see a lot of the sights while you quack like a duck, and how often do you get to do that? I have no personal experience with the quack-tacular bus/boat... thing, but hey, it might be fun? I AM NOT JUDGING OKAY.
There are other options in the city that I'm not outlining only because they're not walking distance, but if anyone is interested in anything else like the Museum District (Art Museum, Franklin Institute, etc) or Rittenhouse Row shopping (The Gap to Burberry and everything in between) I'd be happy to give you more info.
Last but not least, the hotel itself is located in a very nice area right along the waterfront. If it's a warm-ish day, it's fun just to walk around and gaze across the river to New Jersey, and perhaps catch a glimpse of Bradley, since rumor has it he has friends over there. HEY, YOU NEVER KNOW. Penn's Landing is a bit quiet in the winter, but depending on how warm it is that weekend, there might be a lot going on. There are a bunch of restaurants right there, but most of them are upscale, expensive places with fancy views of the river. I've never stayed in the hotel, but I've been there to meet people, and it seems pretty nice. There's a coffee shop/breakfast place in the lobby, which I think is a Starbucks. There's also a restaurant, and while I've never eaten there, I can tell you that the bathrooms are lovely.
So, yeah. Those were the ideas I came up with, and like I said, we'll do a quick poll on Friday night so everyone can find other people who might be interested in a given option and make plans to meet up on Saturday. Of course anyone is welcome to join me in being very lazy all day long :D
First, I want to say that in keeping with the very laid back theme of the con, everything I'm going to mention is totally optional. Second, we're not doing any organized day trips or anything like that, because let's face it, I make a terrible tour guide. I'm just going to outline a few suggestions of things that are nearby, then on Friday night, we'll do a quick poll to see who's interested in what. Everyone who wants to go to location A will then meet in the lobby at some specified time to go off together, or something like that. I'm going to include links so you can read up on the places ahead of time, but I won't be providing directions, because they'd likely be, "well, you walk down that road over there until you get to this old building that's kind of brown-ish. Or maybe grey, IDK. Then you walk for awhile, I don't know how far really..." You see the problem. My suggestion is to ask in the lobby, where the concierge has lots of experience directing sightseers, and probably even has MAPS.
ANYWAY. On with the fun stuff!
South Street. Less than a mile away, South Street is probably what I would suggest as my personal top choice. Check out this site to see a directory of stores. In addition to getting a traditional Philly cheese steak, you can also take care of all of your vintage, fetish wear, and piercing needs. The walk from the hotel is through a very safe area, and South Street itself will be full of shoppers and tourists. In addition to all of the shops, there are also a lot of cheap food options besides cheese steaks.
Historic Philadelphia. For all the history buffs, I suggest taking a self-guided, walking tour of the historic district. You can see the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, the Betsy Ross House, and more. There's a clickable map here, and I can't really offer much more than that, since I shamefully haven't been to any of the sights in that area since class trips in middle school. But it's an easy walk from the hotel through very safe neighborhoods, and since it's one of the biggest tourist attractions in the city, I'm certain the hotel will have lots of info for those interested.
Reading Terminal Market. This is a sightly longer walk than the above options (about 1.5 miles) but it's fun, so I thought I'd throw it out there. Technically this is a farmer's market, but there's plenty to see and do (and eat!) Their website has a full listing of vendors, and they often have free live music on the weekends. In addition to the many booths selling local foods, there are also lots of options to get all kinds of cheap meals. It's a great place to go browse and then have lunch.
I'd be remiss not to mention that you can Ride the Ducks, if that seems like it's your thing. You'll be frowned upon by the locals, but it seems like an efficient way to see a lot of the sights while you quack like a duck, and how often do you get to do that? I have no personal experience with the quack-tacular bus/boat... thing, but hey, it might be fun? I AM NOT JUDGING OKAY.
There are other options in the city that I'm not outlining only because they're not walking distance, but if anyone is interested in anything else like the Museum District (Art Museum, Franklin Institute, etc) or Rittenhouse Row shopping (The Gap to Burberry and everything in between) I'd be happy to give you more info.
Last but not least, the hotel itself is located in a very nice area right along the waterfront. If it's a warm-ish day, it's fun just to walk around and gaze across the river to New Jersey, and perhaps catch a glimpse of Bradley, since rumor has it he has friends over there. HEY, YOU NEVER KNOW. Penn's Landing is a bit quiet in the winter, but depending on how warm it is that weekend, there might be a lot going on. There are a bunch of restaurants right there, but most of them are upscale, expensive places with fancy views of the river. I've never stayed in the hotel, but I've been there to meet people, and it seems pretty nice. There's a coffee shop/breakfast place in the lobby, which I think is a Starbucks. There's also a restaurant, and while I've never eaten there, I can tell you that the bathrooms are lovely.
So, yeah. Those were the ideas I came up with, and like I said, we'll do a quick poll on Friday night so everyone can find other people who might be interested in a given option and make plans to meet up on Saturday. Of course anyone is welcome to join me in being very lazy all day long :D