Rent a car or Walk/Subway?

I will be in Philadelphia on Sep 10-13 and was wondering if it was worth it to rent a car or just walk and take public transit. I am not sure where to stay yet.

Is there enought to do in Philadelphia for 4 days or should I rent a car and do some day trips like new york, atlantic city

Appreciate in Advance

Rent a car or Walk/Subway?

You will not need nor want a car unless you are planning on visiting sites outside the city. Philadlephia is VERY walkable. You may not even need to take the subway or bus!

Rent a car or Walk/Subway?

Depending on your pace 3-4 days is a good amount of time for Philly (for example, for some people the Art Museum is a day, for some 2 hours, for some 2 days)...

Thank You Both

One quick question, Would it still be ok to do the walk/subway thing if we stayed out by the airport or suburbs

That could be doable but much less convenient. From the airport, there is a train (the R1) that takes you into the city. However, you must first get a shuttle from your hotel to the train. If you stay in the suburbs, it depends how close you are to a convenient train line. All in all it will be much easier and you will waste less time by staying in the city

I agree with rocknroll. You will be much happier staying in the city. From a monetary point of view, by the time you factor in commuting costs, it usually costs about the same to stay in town. Not to mention the convenience...

Parking in Center City Philadelphia is expensive, street parking can be hard to find, and the Parking Authority is one of the most efficient departments in Philly so tickets are a real possibility. As the previous posters have noted -- you don%26#39;t want a car in Philly. I also suspect the average city street is the width of a Kansas City driveway, so you might not enjoy driving here anyway. There are B%26amp;Bs in the city that might be cheaper than a hotel, but the extra expense of staying in Center City may may be offset by the convenience factor.

Thank You for your responses, i have been doing a lot of research so far. We got a room at the Marriott Downtown for 70 a night on priceline. We are looking forward to this trip.

That%26#39;s quite a deal and a good location, very central. You should be able to walk nearly everywhere or will be very close via public transit or taxi.

$70 a night at the Marriott Downtown? That%26#39;s an amazing deal! Their usual rate is in the $300s!

BTW, the hop on hop off bus stops right outside the Marriott.

how did you get that deal on Priceline? I could use some tips.

day cream

Seafood ????

#1 Thanks to all have responded to my past questions. #2 I finally took the plunge on Hotwire and the 3.5 in Society Hill as you predicted was the Sheraton. YAY! Hopefully we can deal with noise and pool. :) Our top priority was walking distance. I plan to search other post about parking. I am looking for a great Italian Restuarant. All of my husband%26#39;s grandparents came through Ellis Island from Italy. I%26#39;ve also heard there are some great seafood restuarants? or a local favorite. We will be ';celebrating'; our 35th anniversary while in your Historic City. We are looking for local/good. We don%26#39;t want to pack ';dress clothes';. I promise to write a trip report between Gettysburg and Philadelphia. We started our ';journey'; in Gettysburg but date is now in Phildelphia. We live in Williamsburg, VA so we don%26#39;t need period dress in Gettysburg.

Again, Many Thanks.........

Seafood ????

Philadelphia has many great Italian restaurants. The one I would recommend close to your hotel is Bistro Romano, excellent food and nice atmsophere in an historic building. http://www.bistroromano.com/

Also very close by is Positano Coast. I haven%26#39;t eaten there, but it seems to be very popular, with a nice outdoor dining space. Others will doubtless have good suggestions.

I think the best seafood restaurant within walking distance is Philadelphia Fish %26amp; Co. http://philadelphiafish.com/

Bookbinders is also close, a legendary institution, but $$$. http://www.bookbinders.biz/

Seafood ????

I%26#39;d certainly agree with Tom1234%26#39;s great choices!

Another to add to the list for consideration is Sfizzio%26#39;s, which is practically across the street from the hotel. I ate there about 2 years ago; casually nice atmosphere that offers Italian dishes and pizza with a innovative style. …aol.com/philadelphia/…v-108067171

For seafood, I%26#39;d opt for Philadelphia Fish %26amp; Co. over Bookbinders. They%26#39;re both very good restaurants, however, I have found Bookbinders over-rated and certainly over-priced, although the atmosphere is more casually upscale. PF%26amp;C is simply casual, moderately-priced, with a great menu and service.

Usually agree with Tom%26#39;s suggestions, but I did not like Positano Coast when I dined there last - nice atmosphere but overpriced for what it wasand mediocre food with extremely small portions. Service for us was dismal - waited 40 minutes to be seated beyond our reservations and our drink order was taken an additional 20 minutes later. I%26#39;ve only been there once, though and others have loved it, so just relating my experience.

However, I agree with Bistro Romano - excellent, do not miss the tableside Caesar salad. I also love their linguine and baby clams and hubby has had a long-time love affair with their lobster ravioli.

You could venture into South Philly for excellent homemade gnocchi at Mezza Luna or more traditional red-gravy Italian at Villa di Roma.

Glad the hotel worked in your favor on Hotwire. Hope you have a great time in Philly!

Suzanne

philadelphia also has a great selection of Italina BYOBs. Here%26#39;s a couple I have been yearning to go to but have not yet been

Modo Mio - a new Italian BYOB in Northern Liberties that is getting a lot of buzz click here for review

philly.com/inquirer/…20070902_Modo_Mio.html

Tre Scalini in South Philly philly.com/philly/…20070610_Tre_Scalini.html

Neither of these is as close as the other recommendations, just thought I would give you a few other options

I have been to Bistro Romano and didn%26#39;t like it as much as Suzanne and will have to respectfully disagree about both the caesar salad and clams which had so much garlic the time we went as to be practically inedible. We also had issues with the service. You may want to look through reviews on Tripadvisor. Some people really love this place and it is convenient.

I would trust Suzanne%26#39;s opinion regarding Positano Coast. As I said, I have not eaten there and only mentioned it because of its proximity.

Unfortunately, bakariman1%26#39;s suggestion,Sfizzio, has closed. Fortunately, it has been replaced by a terrific Israeli restaurant Zahav, which I highly recommend if that strikes your fancy.

tom1234---

Thanks for the update about Sfizzio%26#39;s-- I didn%26#39;t know it closed.

Since my last visit, several times I%26#39;ve suggested it when hanging out with friends, but was always out-voted. Now I%26#39;m glad the vote saved me the embarrassment! --LOL

rocknroll -

Haven%26#39;t been to Bistro Romano in about a year - wonder if something has changed?! I%26#39;ll have to go when I get back from the summer. I hope not...been dining there since the early 90%26#39;s and have always really liked this place...the atmosphere is great as well.

Suzanne

I was at Bistro Romano again Monday evening and was pleased as usual. I have to believe that rocknroll hit a very off night. Never had a problem there, but ';too much garlic'; isn%26#39;t in my vocabulary, so maybe my taste isn%26#39;t discriminating.

It%26#39;s hard to explain the varying opinions about Bistro Romano (and if you look on TA and Zagat you%26#39;ll find a similar mix of opinions). I did like the atmosphere but the service was terrible. It started with our table not being ready for a 6:30 dinner reservation, and having to wait in the bar for 15 minutes, where there are NO CHAIRS by the way. As we waiting more and more people came in and similarly were waiting. We were finally offered a table but it was right in the entryway. We did ask to move downstairs and the hostess agreed but was not very pleasant about it. Our waiter was very young and inexperienced and overall the whole dinner service seemed rushed.

I was not impressed with the food, for the price (over $200 for the four of us), and the aforementioned caesar salad was a total disappointment. Frankly I have had more enjoyable meals at a Bertucci%26#39;s. Since I live in the suburbs, I would not make the trip to Center City again to go to Bistro Romano, I would rather go to South Philly or one of the center city Italian BYOBs.

Since opinion is divided on Bistro Romano, I%26#39;ll suggest some other places within walking distance of your hotel. On South Street, I like Core de Roma, casual, inexpensive and very much a family affair, run by the owner and his two sons.

Just off South St on 3rd is a small BYOB that I like a lot, not much on atmosphere,(though if the weather is nice, there%26#39;s a pleasant little garden in back) but the food is excellent, Hosteria da Elio. The sweet potato gnocchi is incomparable.

In Old City, on Front St, Spasso is a dependable choice, also reasonably priced and casual.

sat evening dinner with kids 8 & 11

staying overnight at sheraton society hill - need recommendations for dinner with kids 8 %26amp; 11 - something other than italian %26amp; on the fun side!

sat evening dinner with kids 8 %26amp; 11

Depends on your taste and price range. Here are two things that come to mind:

Jones, 7th %26amp; Chestnut. Really good versions of classic diner and comfort food in a modern, fancy but casual setting. Not expensive, but defintely not cheap.

Jim%26#39;s Steaks, 4th %26amp; South. Not a restaurant exactly, but great cheesesteaks and could be fun for all. Not fancy at all, but good, and inexpensive.

Others will probably have better ideas...

sat evening dinner with kids 8 %26amp; 11

How about Dave and Busters on the waterfront

Mexican Post in Old City might fit the bill...I am not a fan of D%26amp;B, although I can see the appeal for the kids, obviously...

Suzanne

Dave %26amp; Busters is a great idea! The kids will definitely love it and any ';big kids'; will too. :)

I%26#39;m with Suzanne. With all the great places to eat in Philly, even with kids, D%26amp;B is out.

Other possibilities:

Konak -Turkish, 200 block of Vine

Ariana - Afghan, 100 block Chestnut

Plough and the Stars - modern Irish Pub, great food (my kids and I just had lunch there today) 2nd St. just north of Chestnut

Chinatown - any number of places, just ask us for recs.

Lynn

The suggestion of Dave and Busters was responding to the word ';fun'; in the original post...while it may not be a gourmet establishment, I%26#39;ll bet your kids will have a blast there.

www.daveandbusters.com/Locations/default.aspx

On the other hand, if quality of the food is uppermost then I would go with one of the other excellent recommendations that have been posted.

My dislike of D%26amp;B is due in part to an ugly incident which occurred there a number of years ago. It caused a bias that I can%26#39;t get past.

That being said, if you%26#39;d be happy with average food and the kids really like arcade games, then D%26amp;B might be an option.

Lynn

Ceviche?

Does anyone know of anywhere in the area that makes ceviche?

Thanks in advance:)

Micki

Hershey vs. Dorney Park

Will be visiting Philadelphia in mid-August with 3 boys (11,11,12)

Would like to extend the trip for 3 days and had thought of the Lehigh Valley area (Iron Pigs game, biking, rafting, Dorney Park). Being told we should consider the Hershey area.

Any ideas on similar activities in the area. Reasons to pick Hershey over Dorney Park.

Thanks

Hershey vs. Dorney Park

Another park to chose from would be Knoebels Grove Amusement Resort in Elysburg, PA (off I-80 near Bloomsburg). It%26#39;e been rated the top Family Amusement Park in the USA. Good food, great rides and family friendly prices. Top rated bumper cars, haunted house and pizza. Free parking, free admission (pay one price or use incrementally priced ride tickets) and free entertainment. Your boys will love it. They have three rollar coasters, but many more rides that are anchored to the ground. We%26#39;ve been twice, so far this year.

Hershey vs. Dorney Park

I admit to a bit of bias since I live within 15 minutes of Dorney but I think it%26#39;s an easier drive and a prettier area then Hershey.

I just went to my first Iron Pigs game a couple of weeks ago and was very impressed with the brand new park.

Lots of biking opportunites plus the Velodrome if you just want to watch the pro%26#39;s. http://www.lvvelo.org/

I like both the layout for the waterpark and the regular amusement park at Dorney better then the hilly set up at Hershey. I think the shows are better at Hershey, but that would not be a high priority for most kids. I think there are more coasters at Dorney, which is a real fun factor.

For rafting, I assume you are going white water rafting north of Allentown but you could also consider tubing down the Delaware in Bucks county or canoeing on the Lehigh.

Thanks to you both for the information. I think we%26#39;re leaning towards Dorney so we can build a couple of extra days in. I believe that area has more of the types of activities the boys would enjoy.

I hadn%26#39;t seen anything on tubing...any reccomendations on where to go?

Thanks

You can google Rafting on the Delaware River for more suggestions, but I think this is the one we used: http://www.delawarerivertubing.com/ but it might have been this one: http://www.rivercountry.net/ Sorry for the bad memory. :(

The road parallel to the river is very pretty and windy. The river does have a good current though so make sure the kids wear their life vests and bring some rope so you can tie the tubes together for fun.

I used to live 5 minutes from Dorney. But I%26#39;ve also been to Hershey plenty of times. Dorney has a better Water Park area. Hershey has better roller coasters. Depends what you %26amp; your boys are into. About an hour north of Hershey in Williamsport is the Little League Hall of Fame %26amp; Museum. It%26#39;s about 2 hours from the LV area.

If your kids like wild roller coasters knobles is not the place.I was born up by knobles and thats all thats there.Hershey though has extreme and mild roller coasters also hershey just bulit a new roller coaster ';farenhite';which is an extereme roller coaster.Hershey park is always crowded though.Dorney park also has extreme and mild coasters.Dorney park also buuilt a new coaster and it is usally not crowed.ALso dorney park is minutes away form lehigh valley.I like hershey but dorney pafrk is my favorite.

about interracial couples

first visit-this weekend family 4- kids 8 & 12

We are staying in Mt Laurel and will have Saturday and Sunday to tour Philadelphia and would like to know what are the best and must see sites. Also what is the best way to get there. Thank you.

first visit-this weekend family 4- kids 8 %26amp; 12

Any particular interests? Historical, Museums, Sports, etc?

Also, will you have a car?

first visit-this weekend family 4- kids 8 %26amp; 12

Yes we have an car. We are interested in being able to see as many sites as we can in 2 days. Since we have never been here would like to see the Liberty Bell, Independance Hall, and I was thinking of The Eastern State Pennetentary. We live near DC and go there often, we went to the National Zoo today. So museums that are different from the Smithsonian%26#39;s in DC would be preffered. Thank you.

That helps.

Okay, other than maybe the art museums, there is not much that is going to stack up to the Smithsonian. So lets take Museums off the table for now.

Day 1 at least (could be 2 days EASILY) I would probably recommend the historic district. Start at the Philadelphia Visitors center and get timed tickets for independence hall. Then you can head to the Liberty bell, constitution center, maybe Franklin court. Rather than re-invent the wheel, I will point you to:

http://www.nps.gov/inde/

and

http://www.ushistory.org/tour/index.html

to research what elements may be of interest to you.

For lunch that Saturday, you could walk a few blocks to the Reading Terminal Market or there is Campo%26#39;s for steak sandwiches near the historic district.

On day 2, Sunday, if interested, I will recommend the Art Museum.

The reason is that Sunday is %26#39;Pay what you wish%26#39; admission.

http://www.philamuseum.org/visit/

Transport - Depending on where in Mt Laurel you are staying, your directions may vary, so I will leave you to the tender mercies of your hotel staff if you wish to drive in. There are many parking lots in the historic area from between $12-$20 per day. Once there, you can take the Phlash shuttle to the art museum on Sunday, after catching up on historical items of interest.

gophila.com/C/…1303.html

Another option would be to drive to the nearest Patco station (again may depend on which hotel) and take the Patco high speed line in. With 4 people the economics will be a wash pretty much.

Hope this gets you started.

Thank you very much. Is the Franklin Science Center worth the $$

I like it, and its kid friendly, but with the air and space and natural sciences museums in your backyard I don%26#39;t think it would offer enough bang for the buck.

I think your kids would very much enjoy the Franklin Institute...which is currently running a special exhibit about Pirates. The museum is an interactive science museum where your kids can learn hands on about gravity, electricity, weather, mechanics, etc. Don%26#39;t miss the walk-through exhibit on the human heart. There is also an IMAX theater and planetarium.

http://www2.fi.edu/

Also don%26#39;t miss the Constitution Center. http://constitutioncenter.org/

Thank you for the input.

We have an SUV.

For safety, cost, and walking distance,

Are there any places that are better to park than others? Is it better to park in a lot or on the street?

Personally, I prefer a garage.. Keeps the car cooler and dry entry in case of rain. The garage I prefer is a little far away however.

None of the lots or garages in the historic district are bad, there are many, the usual caveats about don%26#39;t leave valuables in plain view apply, of course.

Also, if your SUV is large, check heights, some garages might be tight!

Forget parking on the street. Almost all spots are either metered or timed (2 hour spots mostly), and you WILL get a ticket if you break any rule at all. The best place to park for price, safety, and convenience in the historic district is in the Philadelphia Parking Authority garage on 2nd Street between Chestnut and Walnut. The entrance is on the left hand side of the street. You can pay with a credit card. Use the same card when you enter and exit.

I%26#39;d skip the Franklin Institute if you%26#39;re accustomed to the Baltimore Science Center (I may have the name wrong. It%26#39;s right on the Inner Harbor and we loved it.).

I second the recommendation to visit the National Constitution Center. Also, Franklin Court is a must see.

Lynn

Breakfast near Bethlehem

Hi...anyone got a good suggestion for a hearty breakfast near Bethlehem. The hotel offerings are not worth the price and we would like to get a good start before heading home north.

Breakfast near Bethlehem

My husband and I just ate at Johnny%26#39;s Bagel and Deli located 1/2 block down the street from the Hotel Bethlehem. Our order consisted of bottled OJ, a huge bagel, a 3 egg Western omelet, eggs sunnyside with toast for less than 15 bucks. There are a few sidewalk tables for outside eating, too. Delicious, filling meal!

If you%26#39;re looking for an easy on/off highway place, there%26#39;s a Perkins located 1/2 mile off the 191 exit on Route 22 heading east.

Breakfast near Bethlehem

Thanks for the tips - I%26#39;m sorry I read them too late. BUT, for all tripadvisors...thank you ...

based on reviews we ventured into Bethlehem and found Billy%26#39;s Downtown Diner at 10 East Broad Street www.billysdiner.com.

Fantastic meal! The good news, despite a rather large crowd waiting outside, we (party of 7) were seated in 10 minutes. The owner Billy is also the doorman and personally greets all guests at each table. There is no ambiance whatsoever in the decor, but the music is great - diverse and cool. The food is a little slow in delivery, but well worth the wait. We had french toast, stuffed french toast (adorned with fresh fruits), quesadilla (thre%26#39;s also a lunch menu), salmon Benedict, salmon omlette, snazzy pancakes (filled with strawberries, choc chips and peanut butter), and a great specialty drink call Iced Cocoa...there was not one complaint and we really enjoyed the meal. Billy%26#39;s is a very busy place and could use a little help with bussing - I asked the waitress to do a second wipe on our table, and the floor could use sweeping more frequently, but the bathrooms were spotlessly clean.

If you are in this area, it%26#39;s well worth the trip. Under $70 for 7 including several rounds of drinks (tea, coffee, juices, soda, and...iced cocoa). Charming staff too!

Try the Blue Sky Cafe on 4th st. on the south side. It%26#39;s a quaint little cafe, with a fantastic menu. Warning: the pancakes take 1/2 hour to order, because they make the batter from scratch for each order. They are very eggy and heavy, and a normal adult can only eat one. Great atmosphere, nice decor including gallaries of local artists, clean, huge mugs of coffee, good prices. they have their menu posted at http://www.theblueskycafe.com/. I%26#39;d recommend it for a ';hearty'; meal... just make sure you have time!

yumm, you are making me want to drive down again just for breakfast! Thanks - we%26#39;ll definietly check this out on the next visit (which may be in two weeks.)

I live 20 minutes from these places and I%26#39;ve never heard of them! I%26#39;ll have to visit them soon. Yum!

day cream