Philadelphia Freedom
On Friday morning we rolled our suitcases across the street to Penn Station and took the 1 hour train trip to Philly. A lovely scenic trip of the industrial areas of New Jersey, until we cross the Delaware river and pull into the 34th Street Train Station in Philadelphia. The same train station where the little boy witnessed a murder in the movie 'Witness' with Harrison Ford. Gulp.
It's a short taxi ride to the Marriott hotel which is a far cry from the Pennsylvania Hotel, it's fairly modern, quiet, has internet in the room, and the bedding absorbs you into a cocoon of softness.
PHILADELPHIA CITY HALL
Our hotel is only a block away from the exact center of Philadelphia where the Historic City Hall sits. It is the world's tallest masonry building, and was the tallest habitable building in the world from 1900 to 1908 and the tallest in Pennsylvania until 1932.
Aside from the well below freezing windchill, all the signs are there that it is winter. Christmas decorations are hanging in the trees along the main streets, coloured lights are starting to be strung, and everyone is touting their pre-Thanksgiving sales.
It's easy to tell where you are in Philadelphia, tourist signs are everywhere, pointing you where you want to go. We know we are in the historic center when we pass the Independence Visitor Center, where everything you want to know about the Declaration of Independence is on display.
Liberty Bell
Our first real stop is the Liberty Bell Center. Tradition says the Liberty Bell rang out from the tower of Independence Hall summoning the citizens of Philadelphia to hear the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 8, 1776. The truth is that the steeple was in bad condition and historians today highly doubt that the Bell actually rang in 1776. hmmm
Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants thereof Lev. XXV X
By Order of the ASSEMBLY of the Province of PENSYLVANIA for the State House in PhiladA
Pass and Stow
PhiladA
MDCCLIII
The bell was delivered to Philadelphia in 1752 but to the dismay of onlookers, the bell cracked during testing. It was replaced, and the bell cracked again in 1846. Poor craftsmanship? Who knows. Seems a little odd to me that an old bell with incomplete words and a big crack should become such a symbol of the American people... but I guess they did vote for George Bush too.
All around the historical area is statues of famous historical figures such as George Washington. Carriage rides are available to take tourists around the historical area, but it probably takes longer to get in and out of the carriage than it does to walk the length of the park area.
At every turn, there is another building that had an impact on the formation of the United States. Independence Hall is the birthplace of the United States. It was here that the Declaration of Independence announcing that the thirteen American colonies, then at war with Great Britain, were no longer a part of the British Empire was written primarily by Thomas Jefferson. The Constitution of the United States was debated, drafted and signed here too. "We the People..."
Another very impressive building is the Second Bank of the United States. This Parthenon like structure was a bank chartered in 1816, five years after the expiration of the First Bank.
Just around the corner is one of the most unique looking buildings, yet there is little to no information on this circular building. Turns out it is the Merchant's Exchange that was built in 1834, a center for business and to exchange goods such as corn and flour. The first stock exchange.
Betsy Ross's House
Getting away from the Independence park area we come upon a little house with a big American flag... a unique version of the American flag. This is Betsy Ross's house, where in May of 1776 the Congressional Committee, including George Washington, called upon her at her shop. She finished the flag in June, then in July, the Declaration of Independence was read aloud for the first time at Independence Hall. In 1777, the Continental Congress, wanting to promote national pride and unity, adopted the flag. "that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation."
ELFRETH'S ALLEY
Elfreth's Alley is a little pocket of history in Philadelphia. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited residential streets in the country, dating back to the early 1700s.
Wandering down this narrow alley is a reminder of days gone by, with doorways decorated for Thanksgiving, and several locals are keeping a close eye on us as we stroll by their windows.
Christ Church
From an ancient alley to a creaky church, the Christ Church was built from 1727-1754. George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Betsy Ross all worshipped here. In the Christ Church Burial ground lies the tomb of Benjamin Franklin, covered in coins, not $100 bills that bear his likeness.
As we leave the historical area of Philadelphia the old apartments and buildings are in stark contrast to the modern skyline of Philadelphia including the two unique Liberty Place towers, the pyramid of the Mellon Bank Center and Philadelphia's tallest building, the Comcast Center.
Penn's Landing
Penn's Landing is the waterfront area of the Center City along the Delaware River, the same river that George Washington famously crossed on December 25, 1776 during the American Revolutionary War. Throughout the plaza areas of Penn's landing are plaques depicting all of the Philadelphia Firsts... First Public Grammar School, First Public Library, First Zoo, First Volunteer Fire Department, etc... It started getting a little ridiculous when we saw signs for the first car wash,
I'm sure there must have been a First Toilet Paper Roll sign somewhere in this area.
The massive bridge between Philadelphia and New Jersey is the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, for some reason I assumed a crossing of the Delaware would be called the George Washington Bridge. Unlike New York's outdoor rinks, this one is completely deserted, a perfect fresh sheet of ice lays there waiting... I guess the freezing wind is keeping people away on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
Penn's Landing is also home to a Seaport Museum, several historic ships are on display here. Across the Delaware in New Jersey is a modern battleship, in contrast the Spanish-American War-era cruiser 'USS Olympia' was launched in 1895, I guess they have come a long way. The 4 masted sailship 'Moshulu' was launched in 1904, and is now a floating restaurant.
From Penn's landing we work our way back towards the City Center, passing through classic areas such as Society hill and the strangely congested area known as Jewelers row. Jewelers Row is composed of more than 300 retailers, wholesalers, and craftsmen. It is the oldest diamond district in America dating back to 1800, and second in size only to the one in New York City.
City of Murals
The City of Philadelphia, once known as the City of Brotherly Love, has come to be known for its murals, with some 2500 of them decorating buildings throughout the city.
As we get closer to the center of the city we pass some very important monuments; the ornate Friendship Arch (Paifang) that leads into Chinatown, and the Hard Rock Cafe's massive guitar.
Masonic Temple
Just across the street from the City hall is two other impressive structures, the Arch Street United Methodist Church built in 1865, and the Grand Lodge Temple which was completed in 1873. The temple is the home to the Freemasons, a fraternal organization dating back to the 16th and 17th century. The Philadelphia chapter is one of the oldest Grand Lodges in the United States, being established in 1786. The exterior stone of the Temple building was brought from Egypt.
Love Park is a plaza at the foot of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway that leads to the famous Rocky Stairs. The famous LOVE sculpture is the centerpiece of what has become a skateboarders Mecca. The fountains are all turned off for the cold weather, and skateboarders are drawn by its mix of ledges and stair sets. It has appeared on the X-Games and is part of the Tony Hawk videogames.
From LOVE park it is a straight shot up the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, famous for its scene in Rocky. Halfway there is the largest brownstone structure in Philadelphia, built in 1864, the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul is a Roman-Corinthian style cathedral based on the churches of Rome. Today there is a wedding, so we couldn't go in without crashing the wedding, and without further training from Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, we weren't ready to make that commitment.
This stretch of Philly is famous for it's museums and artwork installations, from the modern 'Please Touch Museum' to the Rodin museum with his infamous statue of 'The Thinker'.
ROCKY
Maybe only the Louvre in France is more famous than the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Not because of the art, not because of its unique 1919 architectural style, but because of the rag to riches story of a Philadelphia loan shark collector who goes on to become a Heavyweight Champion boxer.
The movie is Rocky, and one scene where Rocky Balboa runs up the steps of the Art Museum while training would make this location the center of Philadelphia's tourism. It's hilarious to see one person after another run up the stairs recreating the scene from the movie. Of course I did too.
The museum itself is actually quite impressive with it's Greek columns and detailed sculptures.
The huge Christmas tree provides a festive feel and a nice backdrop to the city, even if it's decorations are sparse. Maybe they haven't finished decorating yet.
Behind the Museum is the Schuylkill River, where Boathouse Row has become a center for rowing. The Fairmount Waterworks was created in the late 1700's as a safe water supply for a city suffering from Yellow fever, it operated until 1909. Today its very unique architecture built in 1822, provides a classic greek feeling with it's columns, but I find the little faces hidden in the buildings add a fun element to the waterway.
As we work our way back to our hotel, we take a detour to St Francis Xavier church, anything to delay heading back to the Parkway where the cold winds blew on the way to the museum.
Of course you can't go to Philadelphia and not have a Philly Cheesesteak. Pat's King of SteaksŪ was founded by Pat Olivieri in 1930. Pat had a modest hot-dog stand at the base of the famous Italian Market in South Philadelphia. One day he decided to have something quite different for lunch, so he sent for some chopped meat from the butcher shop. He cooked the meat on his hot dog grill, placed the meat onto an Italian roll, and dressed it with some onions. Just as he went to take a bite, a cab driver who ate a hot dog everyday asked what he had there. Pat said that it was his lunch. The cabbie insisted that Pat make him one. The cabbie took one bite and said to Pat, "Hey.....forget 'bout those hot dogs, you should sell these." The steak sandwich was born. As the years passed, both employees and customers alike demanded change... cheese was added.
That night for dinner I had a Cheesesteak sandwich. You don't call it Philly Cheesesteak when you are in Philly, it's like asking for Chinese food when you are in China. The chopped steak with the traditional cheese sauce reminds me of a high quality Hamburger Helper... mmmmm!
The real reason this whole trip started in the first place was that I was invited to be a keynote speaker at the Video Game Expo in Philadelphia. On Sunday morning I would get up and head over to the Convention Center to present my speech on "The Changing Roles of a Game Designer".
The VGXPO seemed to be a great success, with over 25,000 people attending an event that was a mix of classic games, and game industry info. Things are a little crazy as five minutes before the presentation is supposed to start there still isn't a projector, luckily just in time we have a projector and then finally the cable to connect it to my laptop. When I start the presentation there is about 20 people in the room, but I am interrupted and asked if we can let the people waiting in the hall into the room. Reset, and start over, now we have over 100 people... that's better.
The presentation went well, with a lot of questions, and many people wanting to talk to me once I am done. After spending part of the afternoon at the show, we take advantage of the Public Market at Reading terminal for lunch, and Norine scores on massive sales at the local stores. The economy has hit Philadelphia hard, it is evident in the sales, and sadly, the number of beggars. All in all, Philadelphia was a very nice surprise, for a city that I had never planned to travel to.
Five days in New York and Two days in Philadelphia, turns out to be an incredible week of adventures, history, and culture. Two cities that never made it onto our travel lists ended up being highlights of our travels, and are highly recommended to our fellow travelers.