Philadelphia Ideal for Short or Long Vacations

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Parent Category: Travel Info

Category: Travel Feature

Published on Thursday, 30 May 2013 14:46

Written by Derrel “Jazz” Johnson

For New Yorkers looking for vacation ideas that won’t break the bank during a tough economy, Philadelphia is ideal for one-day visits, weekend getaways and longer stays. I visited Philadelphia twice last month, both for a one-day trip and extended stay, and perhaps the toughest part of both was leaving a city that has so much to offer.

Philadelphia, known as ‘The City of Brotherly Love’, derived from the Greek meaning of brotherly love, is a short two-hour bus ride from New York City, and, depending on what bus company you use, tickets are usually under $20 for a one-way trip.

On my extended trip to Philadelphia, I was greeted by Joe Becton with a walking tour of the city. The history of Philadelphia for African Americans in the city is immense, especially during slavery. A population of free African Americans founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church in the 18th century, which was the first independent black denomination in the country and the first black Episcopal Church. I also visited the world famous Liberty Bell, which sees more than two million visitors per year. A trip to Philadelphia isn’t complete without seeing it for a first time. Belmont Mansion, which houses The Underground Railroad Museum, is also a great destination for many attractions.

When it comes to museums, not many are more iconic than the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Walking up the stairs made famous in the film Rocky gave me a rush, and inspired me to run up all of them. Don’t be surprised if you see yourself doing the same.

Once inside the museum (and I caught my breath from the spontaneous run), I was treated to Outsider Art, an exhibit inspired by artists who did not study them in a traditional way. As a writer who majored in accounting, I was personally drawn to it. The exhibit, which runs through Sunday, May 9, 2013, features 27 artists from a wide range of backgrounds, most of who are still living.

My accommodations were at Hotel Palomar, a luxury, boutique hotel located at 117 South 17th Street at Sansom. A Kimpton Hotel, it is very service oriented, and I felt at home immediately as the host at the front asked “Do you need anything Mr. Johnson?” as soon as I returned from running an errand. The daily Happy Hour in the lobby of the hotel, featuring a complimentary variety of top wine, was not only quite enjoyable for the choices, but also provided an opportunity to network with other hotel patrons. A selection of fine tea, coffee and pastries are also available daily in the morning in the hotel’s lobby as well.

On my day trip to Philadelphia, I did a lot of window shopping in the downtown district. The city has a Macy’s department store so immense, it seems to rival the one in Herald Square. When it comes to fine dining, Philadelphia has many of the top restaurants that are also in New York, but at a bit of a cost savings, like Capital Grill, Serafina, Morimoto, or Del Frisco’s.

I settled upon a restaurant called Sampan, a modern Asian eatery created by Chef Michael Schulson, located at 124 South 13th Street. I sampled numerous plates, the most intriguing of which was the Calamari Salad, something I never would have ordered myself, but thoroughly enjoyed. The Seared Scallop, with bacon and cilantro, was very tasty, and the Korean BBQ Beef was delightful. The scene at the restaurant was also very appealing, with a young, good-looking crowd filling the seats in the restaurant and at the bar, none more good looking than a woman sitting near me named Patrice.

After dinner, I ventured across the street to El Vez, at 121 South 13th Street, for drinks. The fusion venue, which has a disco feel with its gold bicycle as a centerpiece, has an assortment of draft and bottled beer, but the big hit of the night was the Pink Cadillac Margarita, with a mix of Jose Cuervo Classic, triple sec, and orange, lime, cranberry and juice.

There are many great arts and entertainment events coming soon in Philadelphia, and two of the more popular are The Roots Picnic and Jay-Z’s Made in America Festival. The bill for the event by The Legendary Roots Crew, who can be seen nightly on The Late Show with Jimmy Fallon as the house band, includes Beyonce’s younger sister Solange, hip hop pioneers Naughty by Nature, Gary Clark, Jr, and the Roots themselves. It will take place on Saturday, June 1, 2013. Celebration of Black Writing Festival, in its 29th year, will feature the works of Ntozake Shange and Annettte John-Hall. The featured event will take place on Friday, May 31, 2013, and will feature a performance by six-time Grammy nominated jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon.

The Black Star Film Festival, which has been called the “Black Sundance”, features works about and by people of the African diaspora. It will take place from Thursday, August 1, 2013, to Sunday, August 4, 2013.

A new campaign to hit the city is Philadelphia Neighborhoods, which focuses on 14 of the surrounding areas of Center City. From artistic attractions in Fairmount, restaurants in areas like University City, or cool bars in Graduate Hospital, Philadelphia Neighborhoods is a great resource. You can obtain more information about the campaign at the Visit Philly web site.

I committed one Cardinal Sin on both trips to Philly: I did not eat one cheese steak. Having been to the city numerous times previously, I think I get a pass, but if it is your first time visiting you must have one, and there are people that swear by Geno’s. I don’t think there are many places you can go wrong with getting an authentic Philadelphia cheese steak on South Street.

Philadelphia is also a huge sports town. I happened to be there while the first round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament was being played, and witnessed the madness of March, as University of Florida Gulf Coast advanced to the Sweet 16, and LaSalle, an Atlantic 10 Conference school in Philadelphia, also made it to the round of 16. Philadelphia also has its fair share of major teams that battle New York teams, like the Phillies, Eagles, 76ers, and Flyers. Catching a Mets/Phillies game over the summer is certainly something on my growing list of things to do in the city.

So be it for the arts, sports, entertainment, fine dining, and many, many more attractions, Philadelphia is a great destination that is close to New York, and relatively inexpensive, so be sure to make it a selection later this spring or during the summer

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