Thursday in Philadephia

April 15, 2008 12:19 PM

What to do in Philadelphia on a Thursday?

I will be visiting Philadelphia for a couple days in the middle of the week, next week. I'm gonna have a big block of time to myself on Thursday as well as a couple hours of Friday.

I already checked out gophila and know I am interested in visiting the ICA and Art Star. However, they appear to be not near each other at all. So, I have a bunch of mini questions. How do I deal with public transportation? Are there other interesting places like these I should check out? What about reasonably priced places for lunch and breakfast (veg friendly)? Are there any awesome coffee places I should check out where I can just loiter for hours with a drink and little projects to do?

I'm staying in South Philly, if that matters. Thanks in advance.

posted by piratebowling to travel & transportation (16 comments total)

How do I deal with public transportation?

If you're going from Art Star to ICA, take a 34, 36, 11, or 13 SEPTA green line trolley from 15th and Market, into West Philadelphia, where you get off at 34th and Sansom (if I remember right).

What about reasonably priced places for lunch and breakfast (veg friendly)?

I've been to Horizons for vegan food, but it may not be reasonably priced.

Are there any awesome coffee places I should check out where I can just loiter for hours with a drink and little projects to do?

La Columbe and Last Drop are my recommendations. La Columbe gets a bit busy in the mornings but should be okay during the day.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:30 PM on April 15

Both locations are within walking distance of the Market-Frankford line, locally known as just "the El." Coffee-wise Art Star is in the area of the Rocket Cat Cafe which is kind of grungy but lovely. Tiffin is also nearby Art Star and is veg friendly. As far as ICA goes, it's sort in the center of Penn's campus and I wouldn't really recommend hanging out around there for coffee unless you want to be swamped by undergrads. I'd recommend the Green Line Cafe on the corner of 43rd and Baltimore instead.
posted by The Straightener at 12:31 PM on April 15

Well I like the Mutter Museum, but that's just me.
posted by cocoagirl at 12:31 PM on April 15

Steven Colbert is live in Philly this Thursday, and you could potentially score some tickets. The guest is rumored to be Hillary Clinton. So, that's something to do.
posted by plaidrabbit at 12:34 PM on April 15

Aaaaand....I just realized that's next week. My bad - the show is THIS Thursday.

D'oh.
posted by plaidrabbit at 12:35 PM on April 15

What about reasonably priced places for lunch and breakfast (veg friendly)?

I just remembered. If you're going to ICA, you're a quick walk from 40th and Chestnut, which has a cluster of Indian places, which all have vegetarian dishes available and are all reasonably priced for lunch.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:38 PM on April 15

Philadelphia's a fantastic city to visit, especially now that it's warm outside. Here are my tips.

Where to go.

If you're looking for smaller museums and galleries, you might want to check out the fabric workshop, though I haven't seen the current exhibit. The Philadelphia museum of art is great if you want something bigger.

Mostly though, I just recommend walking around, particularly around Rittenhouse square and society hill. Philadelphia is a wonderful old city with fantastic architecture.

Public transportation.

The buses and subways are fine, but on a nice day like Thursday you may as well walk. Philadelphia is a small city where it seems to always take 20 minutes to get somewhere.


Lunch and breakfast

They're not super-near where you're saying, but if you head toward Rittenhouse Square--and you should--I strongly recommend the 21st Street Gourmet (21st and Walnut) for breakfast and Mama's Vegetarian for lunch (20th and Chestnut). I love the French Toast at the 21st Street Gourmet and I think the flaffel sandwhiches at Mama's Vegetarian are some of the best in the world. You won't have to spend more than $10 at either place and the food is phenomenal.

Coffee houses

There are lots of nice coffee houses. If I can convince you to head near Rittenhouse, there's a cute one on the Southwest corner. If it's nice out, you can then take your drink and work in the park.

Enjoy your trip!
posted by eisenkr at 12:40 PM on April 15

The Franklin Institute Museum is a great place to kill some time. I love it.
posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 12:57 PM on April 15

FWIW, I think Art Star is moving, and will not re-open until the 26th, so that might be out for Thurs/Fri.
posted by rinosaur at 1:20 PM on April 15

University City, where ICA is, has a bunch of food trucks around, as well as Indian lunch buffet places. I always liked the Magic Carpet vegetarian truck around 34th and Walnut.

SEPTA is Philly's lovely public transportation system. The Market-Frankford El runs East-West; the 34th street stop will put you near the ICA. The Broad Street line runs North-South. Depending on where you are staying in South Philly, you can pick that up, go north, and change to the Market Frankford El at City Hall.

If you like Belgian beer at all, please go have a drink at Monk's or Eulogy for me. Man, I miss those places.
posted by medeine at 1:44 PM on April 15

Grab some water ice and a Philly soft pretzel.

I miss those the most :(

/former native
//in Michigan
posted by andryeevna at 2:01 PM on April 15

check out the atwater kent museum, which is, i guess, technically in old city. it's not too far from eulogy, which has awesome fries (and apparently a good selection of beer. i'm in it for the fries.). this area will also bring you close to the historic distric with the bell and independence mall/hall and the visitor's center. neat and fun if you've never done it, meh if you have.

if you're going to be in the university city area (which is where ica is, which is closed until 4/23 per their website) there's lots of college-y stuff to enjoy, but there are so. many. students. so. there's a great used book store on 40th just south of walnut. it has a kitty.

i could go on, but i really need to eat dinner.

have fun!
posted by misanthropicsarah at 3:32 PM on April 15 [1 favorite]

I would go to South Street. I stopped here for 3 hours on the way back from South Jersey (to go to airport in Philly)

It sort of feels like semi alternative neighborhoods like parts of SF, Kensington St Market in Toronto, Adams Morgan in DC (daytime). Its a great area to walk around. Philadelphia is awesome.
posted by sandmanwv at 3:39 PM on April 15

If you're into Mexican food, there's a little place on 9th and Washington that has wicked burritos and guacamole that I still dream about - the Taqueria la Veracruzana. It's hard to miss once you get to the intersection. With homemade chips and imported Coke to boot, it's heavenly.

I took to walking there from my house in S. Philly, but if it's far for you, the Broad Street Line (at the Federal-Ellsworth stop) should get you fairly close.

Also in S. Philly is Victor Cafe - it's good-enough Italian but the fun part is that the servers will randomly burst into song. They are, predominantly, opera students so you're in for a treat.

If you get to West Philly, I second the Magic Carpet for cart food. Otherwise, go further west past University City to the Fu Wah where you should order the most heavenly Vietnamese tofu hoagie the World has ever known. It's a little bit south of the corner of 47th and Baltimore on 47th. The green trolley line #34 will get you to that precise intersection. There's a free transfer at the City Hall stop from the Broad Street line you can use.

Another treat is the Ethiopian food out in West Philly - there's Dalak on Baltimore (around the corner from the Fu Wah, actually) and there's Abyssinia at the corner of 45th and Locust.

And if you like Farmer's Markets, there's one in Clark Park in West Philly too.

Clearly, I miss the food in Philadelphia. I could go on, but this is getting a bit long and I really could Go On.
posted by oreonax at 4:50 PM on April 15

And *I* have to second that Vietnamese veggie hoagie that oreonax is talking about. Damn, so good! Also, there is a sorta hippie/anarchist coffee shop nearby, called the Satellite. I remember that being a fun place to hang out. It's at 50th and Baltimore, in an old firehouse building.
posted by medeine at 5:38 PM on April 15

I would echo the comments above: Philly is all about the food. I don't think that helps your situation much, as one can only eat so much by him/herself.

So my advice is to limit yourself. It will probably be good weather out: you should find a way into the heart of the city (not sure how far south in South Philly you'll be) and then walk and take it all in.

I wouldn't really stray too far away in any direction, just because you'll waste time in transit. Other than that, just some personal recommendations:

-Grab a coffee at La Colombe (19th and Walnut) and spend a few hours in Rittenhouse Square (across the street), if the weather's good.

-The art museum has enough stuff to keep you occupied, if you're one to move around and look at everything.

-I'm a huge fan of holing up in a shop somewhere and burning away the day. There are dozens of places that aren't a Starbucks or a Cosi, where you can observe the more local life. My personal favorite is Bubble House (34th and Sansom streets)--a real slick/modern tea house. You could go searching for more places, but my experience says that if it looks like a great place to lounge, then most people go there and do exactly that. Just have a walk around!

-At nighttime, South Street is usually pretty vibrant, as is the Old City neighborhood (that's along 2nd Street, north of South). Points for cobblestone streets.

-There's the Reading Terminal Market near 12th and Market Streets for good food and that market atmosphere, if you're into that.

-And of course there's dozens of bars/pubs/etc., with places like Eulogy or Monk's with the best (and most expensive) beers. There are LOTS, so take your pick!
posted by BenzeneChile at 12:26 PM on April 16