In Philly, you don't have to eat cheese steaks or snap pictures of statues of fictional boxers. Do a little digging, and you'll find that the City of Brotherly Love has tiny streets and giant tumors to explore.
Old and New in Philadelphia.
They say a trip to Philadelphia isn’t complete without a cheesesteak, but if you’re watching your weight, I recommend you pay a visit to the Mutter Museum, on 19th South 22nd Street. It’s a museum of 19th Century medicine. In fact, it’s more like a museum of the lack of medicine in the 19th Century, because its collection amounts to one disturbing, untreatable specimen after another. You’ll see an entire wall of human skulls, each with its own bizarre injury; the conjoined organs of Siamese twins; samples of gout, smallpox, anthrax, and the like; a tumor that belonged to President Grover Cleveland; the thorax of John Wilkes Boothe; a display of various eye injuries; the cadaver of a woman who was turned to soap by Yellow Fever; and – the crown jewel – a nine-foot-long colon that contained 40 pounds of fecal matter. While it sounds like something out of a macabre P.T. Barnum show, the specimens are actually displayed in a dignified and respectful manner (no photography allowed whatsoever). It’s a great destination for inquisitive adults and children alike – but not for the feint of heart.
Fortunately, Luciana and I had our appetites the night before, and we met up with our friend Richard for dinner and drinks at Continental (138 Market Street), a retro-style “martini bar” that boasts a menu of international tapas. We sampled such scrumptious plates as teriyaki filet mignon, ahi tuna tartare, and lobster mashed potatoes, all washed down with excellent wine and topped off with a decadent cheese cake. Plates range between $8 and $19, a little on the pricey side for tapas but well worth it given the quality and variety.
It was a memorable meal, and we didn’t have to walk far to get there; our hotel, the Radisson Plaza-Warwick Hotel (1701 Locust Street) was just a couple of blocks away. It’s a three star hotel on a charming block, just east of Rittenhouse Square in Center City. We got our room for a song, $95 per night (Friday and Saturday), courtesy of EasyClickTravel.com.
Less memorable was our Saturday night meal, at Pietro’s Coal Oven Pizzeria (1714 Walnut Street). Pietro’s does a serviceable job with their pies, but the atmosphere resembled one of those regional or national chains striving to look like anything but (Pietro’s has three area locations).
After a heavy meal, you might want to take a walk, and Philadelphia offers no shortage of stroll-worthy neighborhoods. Not to be missed are the Littlest Streets, a section near Center City containing mid-19th Century row houses, once servants’ quarters, which face one another from across narrow alleys.
A clam relaxes on Camac Street - one of Philly's Littlest.
Philadelphia has a reputation as a terrible sports town, the place where hometown fans once booed Santa Claus. (I can’t say I was a big fan of Philly sports or its fans, having attended and witnessed this dubious moment in Packers history.) The fans’ reputation is really more bark than bite; give a little attitude back and they’ll respect you and maybe even buy you a beer. Luciana and I found a brand-new sports bar, Coo’s (822 N. Broad Street), in the up-and-coming (read: struggling) Francisville section of town. The neighborhood doesn’t look like much, but walk inside and you’ll find a well-lit, modern sports pub with a creative menu and friendly staff, who were willing to bend over backwards to fix their satellite feed so that we could see the Packers-Bengals game (naturally, the Eagles were playing on most of the 30-odd flat panel screens). If you prefer to take in a game at the stadium, all four major league sports teams (the NFL's Eagles, NHL's Flyers, NBA's 76ers and MLB's Phillies) play within a stone's throw of each other, at the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, which can be reached on the city's subway.
One destination we didn't have time for - but you might - is Eastern State Pentientiary, which housed criminals from 1829 until its closng in 1971. It now functions as a museum and National historic landmark, and is open 10-5 , seven days a week with extended hours during summer. Tours are available.
Cheesesteaks aside, your stay in Philly won’t be complete unless you stroll through Old Town, past the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Chestnut Street has its share of chains and frat-boy bars, but its colonial past still dominates. The eastern end of the neighborhood culminates at Penn’s Landing, an esplanade along the Delaware River, site of various festivals and fairs and a great place to wind down from your weekend.
All in all, you'll be glad you went. Don't worry, they still have that Rocky statue.
