El Patio Motel

I was looking to see if anyone has stayed at this hotel. I think it is right outside Waldameer Park. I am looking to see how experiance was and cost?

El Patio Motel

stayed here about 7 years ago.....what a complete dump...it costed about 70 bucks to sleep in a hell hole

El Patio Motel

Hi there ... I%26#39;m from Pittsburgh and stay at the El Patio atleast 2 times in the summers. Great Pool, location and Choo-Choo Lounge is fun. It is so close to everything near the penninsula.

I like staying there, because my teenagers and their friends walk to Waldameer. Rooms are basic, but clean and staff is very friendly. Price .. weekends higher, but sunday thru thursday, rates are very reasonable. Give it a try You%26#39;ll like it

El Patio is a Pitt. I was ashamed to bring my family here. If you don%26#39;t care about cleanliness and love a party and 50 cent beers, don%26#39;t care if there are people outside your room all night and don%26#39;t mind an occasional domestic disturbance or shooting. .... go ahead and stay here.

Oh my- to some of these postings. I%26#39;m an Erie resident. The El Patio isn%26#39;t fancy but its fine. We%26#39;ve been there many times when my father stayed. Our young children have enjoyed themselves. The area is fine, nothing scarey. Choo-Choo%26#39;s bar is fun. Yes, sometimes people that live in the area come there to have a good time for special events, pool passes, or Choo-Choos, so it may not be the quietest place. Near the Penninsula and Waldameer.

I am from Pittsburgh. I stayed there last year and it was great for the kids. The other guest were fine. The place is fine if you do not want to overpay and your not too stuffy. I have Three kids and they had a blast. Remember that is what vacation is about. Relax and enjoy the cheap beer.

I wrote about this motel awhile back. Look at it only cost $29. The rooms are big. Everything was OK. Not great but OK. Beds were OK, Water pressure was OK. Staff were very OK. I liked this place because it was cheap and I didn%26#39;t feel afraid. Would suggest that you take a room on the top floor, no elevator but do have a baggage lift.

OMG!!! We walked in and immediately out of our rooms at the El Patio. The good thing is, the manager immediately refunded our deposit and was very understanding for which we were relieved. However, the motel is a total dump. The pool had a bunch of 50 year old bear drinking men surrounding it -- I would NEVER have my children swim there EVER. The adjoining rooms my family reserved smelled like mold, perhaps because the ';kitenchette'; and bathrooms were moldy?! There were spiderwebs in the bathroom, the floor was coming up in the ';kitenchette';, the stove was filthy, the refrigerator grotesque, there were moths and various other flying insects roaming about. I went to pull up part of the sofa to see if there was a sofabed and fleas flew out...SPEND AN EXTRA FEW BUCKS AND STAY AT A HOTEL! IT IS NOT WORTH IT!!!

A couple years ago I had nothing bad to say about this place. My sister stayed this summer when visiting from FL. It has become a pit. She had to change rooms 3 times. The kitchenettes were filthy, the stove didn%26#39;t work, the ceiling leaked. And its not all that cheap anymore. The room with the kitchenette was $109. You can get a room at Residence Inn for as low as $129. She finally came and crowded in with us.

Cheap downtown restaurants?

Looking for inexpensive restaurants in the downtown area (breakfast - lunch - dinner). Any suggestions appreciated!

Cheap downtown restaurants?

OK, so there might not be any cheap restaurants downtown... how about mid-range restaurants? No chains, please.

Cheap downtown restaurants?

There are quite a few places between the parks (PNC and Heinz). Jerome Bettis has a place that is good and surprisingly not expensive. McFaddens is more of a club type atmosphere and there is Calico Jacks (although it has a very limited menu). Atria%26#39;s is also around the park.

Max and Erma%26#39;s is off Stanwix Street (sort of a chain, but not really), and there are a couple Primanti locations.

Don%26#39;t know what exactly you%26#39;re looking for though or where downtown. But if you%26#39;ll be by the parks these are all some good places to eat.

Downtown does have a lot of expensive and a lot of cheap, with not much in between. On the lower end, Primanti%26#39;s is an only-in-Pittsburgh thing, and the Oyster House in Market Square has good fish sandwiches. Both are dumps, to be sure. Palomino has what I%26#39;d call fairly-priced good meals, and if you visit their web site you should be able to get coupons (though I admit I haven%26#39;t looked recently. Also the Lemon Grass Cafe, August Henry%26#39;s Saloon and if you walk across the Sixth Street Bridge, Atria%26#39;s. Not many, if any, good inexpensive breakfast places in town. You may be able to hoof it to DeLuca%26#39;s in the Strip (where you%26#39;ll also find a wider variety of cheaper food.) Good luck!

There are lots of good choices downtown that are not overly expensive. On 6th street between Ft. Duquesne Blvd. and Penn Ave. are Lemongrass Cafe (Thai food - good lunch specials), 2 Greek restaurants which are both good, and Palomino, which has reasonably priced lunches. Further down Penn Avenue (900 block I think) is August Henry%26#39;s. This is more of a nice bar/pub, but they have good sandwiches and salads available for lunch and dinner. There is also a relatively new cafe in Market Square - MixStirs Cafe. They have smoothies, wraps, salads, etc. Happy Eating!

Thank you for all the great suggestions! We%26#39;ll be staying at the Renaissance, but are willing to walk (or take the subway) anywhere near downtown.

Try the food court at PPG place, you take an escaltor down at building Two...cheap and choices choices choices...

Go to Lidia%26#39;s up at 1400 Smallman St. - wonderful restaurant for Italian food.

If you%26#39;re staying at the Rennissance try Six Penn close by.

Other recommendations would be Bettis Grille on the North Shore. Large portions with decent food.

Atria%26#39;s just across the Clemente (attached to PNC Park) is excellent.

Lidia%26#39;s in my opinion isn%26#39;t that good other than the Pasta Tasting.

You%26#39;ve probably already taken your trip to Pgh and hopefully you found our less-expensive restaurants downtown: Smithfield Cafe and Tic Toc (in Macy%26#39;s) are favorites.

Thank you for the suggestions, but we ended up spending more than I wanted to on dinners - however, they were all good meals! And for some reason, they all cost around $60 each, so it wasn%26#39;t too expensive and hey, we were on vacation... :)

Anniversary Weekend

With airfare so expensive these days my husband and I have decided to stay closer to home to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. We%26#39;ve done weekends in DC, Baltimore, we think it%26#39;s time to give Philly our respect.

Plus, as a die-hard Eagle fan, it%26#39;s about time to really see this city.

We are visiting in September and catching an eagles game Sunday but Saturday is all about romance, cafes/bars, a nice anniversary dinner and a little nightlife.

Any suggestions for a celebratory dinner Sat?

Many suggest Morimoto while I would like that my husband is not into sushi. I know Philly is known for its Italian..any suggestions? Or seafood places?

Also what part of city you reccomend to be within walking distance of bars, cafes, unique shopping?

Anniversary Weekend

Some suggestions off the top of my head:

XIX - really innovative menu, mostly seafood, on the 19th floor of the Hyatt Park Bellevue)

Davio%26#39;s - Northern Italian steakhouse on 17th Street

The Fountain Restaurant - in the Four Seasons. This is our first choice for special occasions.

Lynn

Anniversary Weekend

All of Lynn%26#39;s suggestions are good. Do you already have a hotel? That may help us guide you to additional locations? If no hotel, budget?

Part of city within walking distance of bars and cafes: Old City. The Sheraton - Society Hill is right there and you can find a good fare on Hotwire or Priceline.com. Old City is all about restaurants and restaurant/bars.

Some shopping can be done there as well as South Street. Historic sight-seeing is also within walking distance.

Congratulations!!!

No, we haven%26#39;t decided on our hotel yet. I was thinking something near Old City but wanted to hear what folks suggested based on comments Old City area sounds like the place. I see the Sheraton Society Hill is one suggestion..that sounds nice and seems to be in our price range. Any other suggestions?

Proximity to bars, restaurants and shops is most important to us.

and then based on location...nice restaurants for anniversary dinner?

Is XIX or Davio%26#39;s close?

A big thanks to all who responded!

The Omni at 4th %26amp; Chestnut is nicer than the Sheraton, and is as close to dining and nightlife. The price is probably higher, but may still be in your range. There are dozens of nice restaurants in the area.

I agree w/Owlyn that Omni is preferable to SSH. for a celebratory dinner and Italian resto how about Vetri on 13th/Spruce (it%26#39;s worth it) or it%26#39;s sibling Osteria on N.Broad ( may need to cab it.) Most of center city is within walking distance, northern lib is walkable but faster via cab. Have a great celebration!

Davio%26#39;s and XIX are each a short cab ride or a good walk, a bit over one mile.

Other accomodations to consider in Old CIty :

Penn%26#39;s View Inn

Best Western Independence Park Inn (more like a B%26amp;B in an historic building)

Awesome restaurant in Old City: Amada on the 200 block of Chestnut. They serve tapas.

Lynn

best restaurant and hotel all in one place with parking on premisis is: Pennsview on Front St. near Market St. and attached restaurant: Panorama which has an il bar for wines on tap. the hotel is european style and has jacuzzi %26amp; fireplaces rooms. Panorama restaurant is excellent italian and classy.

There is much to do around this area of old city and south street is walking distance if you want to get a little crazy.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and quick reponse...all the restaurants suggestions sound delicious now the tough choice will be deciding which one.

All of the hotel options looks great too but just want to confirm...someone locally was suggesting staying in Center city..between center city or old city..would you still reccommend old city

Again we want to be able to walk to bars, restaurants and shops.

thanks again for all the suggestions!

Old City and Center city are so close as to be the same thing. Nothing would be more than a 20 min walk from one end to the other...

Flight gets in at 11am, can't check in till 4pm - What to do

I have been trying to call the Marriot Downtown but they aren%26#39;t answering the phone. I would like to see if the Marriot would take our luggage and just hold it while we tour the city until we check in. I know they do this in Vegas but not sure about other cities.

Would any type of attraction in the city take luggage or is there any kind of large lockers at the airport to store luggage until we can check in?

Any help would greatly be appreciated

Thanks

Flight gets in at 11am, can't check in till 4pm - What to do

The Marriot will hold your luggage. You won%26#39;t get there till Noon at the earliest, more likely 1PM. Head over to Reading Terminal Market for lunch and browsing. Your room may be ready by the time you%26#39;re done.

Flight gets in at 11am, can't check in till 4pm - What to do

Some other things to do in the area after you drop your bags at the Marriott if Reading Terminal market doesn%26#39;t fill the time:

Macy%26#39;s, in the legendary Wannamker%26#39;s building, chosen in an AIA%26#39;s survey as one of the 150 most beautiful buildings in America.

City Hall is also on that list, near the top in fact. Unfortunately, you%26#39;ll be too late for the daily tour at 12:30.

Across the street from City Hall is the Masonic Temple, an overlooked , but amazing space. Restoration work is being done on the exterior, but I believe tours are still available inside. http://www.pagrandlodge.org/

Walk over to the Comcast building at 17th and JFK and look at the video wall, the largest LED screen in the world. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO6ty5RfnrA

When you arrive at the Marriott, ask if they have a room ready for you. Even though they aren%26#39;t obligated to have your room ready before the official check-in time, this is a huge hotel and the staff are trained to be helpful, so there%26#39;s a good chance that your room will be ready early. If not, you can ask them to store your luggage.

Lampe Marina Campground

Has anyone stayed here? What is it like? We have a reservation to camp here but have been hearing that it is in the open, no shade and that it smells and is very windy? Any idea if this is true? Thank you!

Hershey in October

Has anyone ever been to Hershey Park in October? We%26#39;re going the 18- 20th and was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on the Hershey area in the fall. I would guess the park isn%26#39;t as crowded as the summer?

Hershey in October

Hershey should be very nice in October. Just be aware that the weather can be very unpredictable in Central PA at that time of year. The weather also tends to predict the crowds at Hershey in October; however, overall the crowds shouldn%26#39;t be what they can be in the summer. FYI, all of the park rides are not open for Halloween in the Dark. For more info, check out their website:

halloweeninhershey.com/hersheypark_dark.php

Hershey in October

We went to Hershey last year around Halloween and it was great (70 degrees, no lines and we went on a weekend), so you may get lucky far as crowds and weather are concerned. But as the above poster said, weather in central PA is very unpredictable (heck, snow is possible!)

we went during easter in 07 and it snowed...so weather is not easy to know. We also have been for xmas 4 or 5 times...we have had 7 degree frigid temps and 50 degree oh so nice. Go and enjoy..just check weather.com and dress for whatever life brings you.

As far as crowds, don%26#39;t know during that time. But I think you can assume the same as xmas or easter....if the weather is nice more ';locals'; will be there and therefore more crowds. Sometimes, the ';iffier'; the weather, the less the crowds.

Please report on your trip!

Suggestions on good meet up spot between NYC & Pittsubrgh?

We are trying to find a good weekend trip to meet family coming from Manhattan- anyone have any ideas? We%26#39;re open to anything!

Thanks.

Suggestions on good meet up spot between NYC %26amp; Pittsubrgh?

Hi pingle -

If you%26#39;re looking for an escape from city life, one idea is Gettysburg, approximately 3.5 hours from both Manhattan %26amp; Pittsburgh - besides the obvious historical reasons to visit, there%26#39;s outlet %26amp; smaller boutique shopping, some really great historic restaurants, hotels %26amp; charming inns (even whole Civil War-period farmhouses for rent, if you%26#39;re a large party), tours,...something for everyone, all at a relaxed pace. If you%26#39;re looking for a happening night life, you won%26#39;t find it here - but if relaxation is the plan, that%26#39;s what you%26#39;ll get. Also, if time permits for day trips, D.C. %26amp; the Amish areas of PA are a short drive away, as well as several state parks. Hope this helps!

Suggestions on good meet up spot between NYC %26amp; Pittsubrgh?

What about a nice resort in the Poconos mountains?

I agree that Gettysburg is a great place to visit. A new visitors center just opened this spring. I recommend the Courtyard by Marriott and The Avenue Restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Boyd%26#39;s Bear Homestead is just outside Gettysburg, even if bears aren%26#39;t your thing just driving up to the building is an experience you do not want to miss. I also recommend you check out any Ghost Tours, we went on one last October and when we looked at our photo%26#39;s - guess what - we had ghosts!

Also, Lancaster County has a lot to offer. I would recommend shopping in Intercourse, PA if you want Amish items. And there are a number of antique dealers in the area. Hershey is nearby with the amusement park and the Hershey chocolate factory. They do not allow tours in the actual factory (they did when I was in elementary school and my husband works for a company that deals with Hershey so he was just in the factory this past Spring) but they do have a Chocolate World that is worth taking the tour. If you stay in Hershey - do not stay at Spinners Inn hotel!

Have fun in PA!