What to do in Philadelphia: Winter No Car Edition
December 8, 2021 3:16 PM   Subscribe

I've been wanting to visit Philadelphia since about forever and finally have 4 days/3 nights January 29-Feb 1, and editors interested in stories! (I'm a food and travel writer.) No car; I'm happy on public transportation but don't want to stand freezing at too many bus stops. I saw this recent Ask and am looking for further recommendations, particularly things located in the nice warm indoors.

In addition to offering to buy me drinks at the Telford VFW, some guys I met at a dive bar when they were in town for an Eagles game gave me this list:
Ralph's on 9th, Jim's South Street, Tacconelli's, Stock's, Scannicchio's. Another friend says, no to Ralph's, yes instead to Villa di Roma. I'd LOVE to check out Palizzi Social Club, but don't know a member. Walking around Reading and Italian markets, for sure.

Am definitely hitting the Barnes, Art, Mutter and Rodin museums. Not sure where I'm staying yet but it will be central. Might be up for a MeFi meetup if any locals are interested. Thanks for all your help!
posted by cyndigo to Travel & Transportation around Philadelphia, PA (12 answers total) 10 users marked this as a favorite
 
My father has been interested in going to the wholesale produce market; might be an interesting change of pace after checking out Reading Terminal.
posted by backseatpilot at 3:52 PM on December 8, 2021


I’d consider grabbing a meal at Zahav, Serpico, Talula’s Garden, Monks, Vernick, or (for something completely different) Hardena. Philadelphians do not, contrary to popular belief, live on cheesesteak alone.

You’re already planning to hit my two favorite Philly museums.

It’s worth checking what sporting events are happening while you’re around; Philly fans are energetic, and a load of fun
posted by whisk(e)y neat at 4:12 PM on December 8, 2021 [2 favorites]


You didn't give much by way of what you're specifically into, but spots I recommend to others:

Philly AIDS Thrift
The Magic Gardens (warning: outdoors)
Adventure Aquarium (just over the river)
Breakfast/brunch at Green Eggs, Sam's Morning Glory, or Sabrina's
If you're gonna be on the Ben Franklin Parkway anyway, consider stopping in at the Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, and/or the main branch of the Free Library.

I would love to meet up (I never get to show folks around), but I'll be out of town during your trip. I hope you have a good time all the same!
posted by xenization at 4:44 PM on December 8, 2021


If you are looking for a food story, check out The People's Kitchen. It is in the Italian Market and is run by Cristina Martinez, the owner of South Philly Barbacoa. (She's been featured on Netflix's Chef's Table, is a James Beard nominee, and Barbacoa was named one of the top ten new best restaurants in the country.) The People's Kitchen has been feeding my food-insecure neighbors throughout the pandemic, have started a community garden to grow food for their work, and do amazing work changing the way we talk about the solutions of food insecurity.
posted by mcduff at 5:16 PM on December 8, 2021


The guys you met at a dive bar, while offering interesting and valid suggestions, were entirely South Philly Italian or blue collar-centric. In South Philly there is now a LOT of newer immigrant cuisine and culture to explore. Even the Italian Market, a stretch of storefronts on 9th which has been in business for decades has been newly reinvigorated as the older generation of owners leave. It was quite shabby for a while. Now there are many new immigrant businesses on 9th Street, mostly Mexican or Southeast Asian coexisting peacefully, and the market is now more commonly called the 9th Street Market. Villa di Roma is a storefront on 9th in the heart of the Market, reflecting its Italian roots.

Stocks makes the best poundcake in the region, deeply vanilla and with a gorgeous crumb (I don't think anyone would argue about this) but without a car it will be a hike. The neighborhood where the bakery is located is one where ethnic roots are Eastern European - German, Ukranian, Polish - and is North of Center City. A local "guide" would likely be helpful and informative outside the typical tourist areas.

Philly is a foodie city and definitely a city of neighborhoods. That's not even touching on all the Russian restaurants in the Northeast section of the City. I've not been to them myself, and I think you would definitely need a car. Check the writings of Craig La Ban, the Philadelphia Inquirer's food critic, who is himself interested in ethnic cuisine. I remember he did a big feature on the Russian restaurants a few years ago, and he's also written fairly extensively on Southeast Asian restaurants, in addition to the Center City obvious locations.

The Barnes Foundation and the Philadelphia Museum of Art (kick-ass Jasper Johns show till Feb 13) are in the Fairmount neighborhood, home to Vetri Pizza, the pizza I love most, but those are fighting words here, as there are a number of really excellent pizza restaurants in town. Tacconnelli's has detractors as well as devotees, and there is a formidable mythology to it. You can't just show up and get a pizza. On the other hand if you do score Tacconnelli's, Stocks is not too far away. It's an awful lot to coordinate. . . have a great visit!
posted by citygirl at 6:00 PM on December 8, 2021 [2 favorites]


Stock's on its own is way out of the way, but could be combined with Port Richmond's Polish area that's not too far. Their cake freezes well.

In the Italian / 9th St market, Mole Poblano is amazing ; Claudio's for cheese; Isgro for pastries (nearby); Gleaners for coffee. Lots of restaurants along Passyunk Ave, which come up to the end of the market. If you follow Passyunk down to Broad, there's a subway / Broad St line stop.

If you take the El / Market Frankford line out to 69th Street at the end right past the western edge of the city, there's a bunch of restaurants with food from all over (and a famous record store, if you can get in).

lots of African and other food in West and Southwest Philly, too.
posted by sepviva at 6:18 PM on December 8, 2021 [1 favorite]


couldn't get into zahav last time i visited, so went to Suraya which was fantastic.

we did try to go to goldie's (zahav sister restaurant but it was too crowded we would have been golden if we had pre-ordered in their app.

stayed at a Marriott right by reading terminal market and the area was very convenient.

eastern state penitentiary was cool, mutter museum was crowded and kinda too sad/freaky for me. I did not expect that!
posted by wowenthusiast at 7:05 AM on December 9, 2021 [1 favorite]


That's not even touching on all the Russian restaurants in the Northeast section of the City. I've not been to them myself, and I think you would definitely need a car.

Not really. Northeast Philly is definitely accessible by public transit (SEPTA), although the subway and El don't go in the middle/further sections- the buses do, though. There's also always Lyft and Uber.
posted by bearette at 9:57 AM on December 9, 2021 [1 favorite]


Eastern State Penitentiary is one of the most interesting sites I've been to. It's not a traditional historic building museum, I highly recommend it. They have lots of programming keeping it in touch with current conversations about prisons. But it's not overwhelmingly dark or anything either.
posted by sepviva at 10:30 AM on December 9, 2021 [1 favorite]


Rittenhouse Sq is a pretty place to wander and near a lot of shops/restaurants like Oyster House and the Dandelion. One of my favorite bookshops is there too - Joseph Fox Bookstore.
Little Saigon is along Washington Ave and has magnificent Vietnamese food. South Philly Barbacoa is also a huge deal, and you'll find really good Ethiopian food in West Philly (Abyssinia is a mainstay). There's a really good Ethiopian restaurant/dive bar in Brewerytown (walkable from the Art Museum or the Eastern State Penitentiary) called Era.
If you're in Fairmount, Bad Brother has awesome dinner, and there's Bar Hygge for dinner and brunch. Brown Street Coffee and Bahnery has great coffee and Banh Mi. If you're at the PMA, the view from the Rocky steps all the way down to City Hall is pretty, but it's also worth going behind the museum to see the view of the Waterworks and Boathouse Row.

There are TONS of historical things to check out here, obv - really depends where your interests lie. Lots of nature/outdoors stuff too, but probably not what you're looking for given the weather.
posted by Geameade at 11:03 AM on December 9, 2021 [1 favorite]


Seconding Monks and Zahav: 2 of my all-time favorites!
posted by ferret branca at 11:27 AM on December 9, 2021 [1 favorite]


A few miscellaneous food suggestions: In Rittenhouse, I finally got to breakfast at K’Far the other day and it was divine. Showed up early to beat the weekend morning lines. Also highly recommend Vernick. In Fishtown, I love Laser Wolf, and the new Middle Child Clubhouse is getting a lot of attention - both very close to the Girard stop on the MFL. In South Philly, Hardena for Indonesian.
posted by somedaycatlady at 6:19 PM on December 11, 2021 [1 favorite]


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