Since the homicide rate appears roughly 15.4 times higher than in my hometown of Toronto or 19.8 times higher than my current workplace in Waterloo ( http://torontoist.com/2008/07/metrocide_a_tale_of_sixty_cities.php ), it appears I need to ask for advice from this experienced crowd for safety tips and advice (plus names of especially bad neighborhoods to avoid).
We'll be driving in a rental car and will be staying in the vicinity of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
Also, it will be helpful to know the locations of any particularly good Chinese restaurants since we'll definitely be needing some during the week. Other good restaurants will be nice too. (Does the Philly Cheese Steak sandwich really come from Philadelphia?)
Posts: 7593 | Registered: Sep 2006
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M and I enjoyed our week or so in Philly. We stayed at the Loew's Hotel on Market Street, and walked around quite a bit, even at night.
I can't remember any restaurants we were particularly impressed with.
quote:Does the Philly Cheese Steak sandwich really come from Philadelphia?
It does, but don't believe the hype. You can make them better at home. Definitely do not waste 45 minutes standing in a line for a submarine sandwich bun filled with glorified chopped roast beef and cheez whiz.
Posts: 14554 | Registered: Dec 1999
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Come January '10 I'll be living on the outskirts of Philly (Jersey side), so the little I've picked up from my Philly native of a fiancé is pretty reliable (I just can't remember it all).
First, cheesesteak: I've been here, specifically the South Street location, and cheesesteaks are something Philly in general is very particular about. It's 'wrong' to get anything besides provolone or the sauce, and apparently, they can tell you're not a native if you order without abbrieviating everything. Don't let this deter you, though. (The Maryland equivalent of a Philly cheesesteak, being a MD native, is how you make crabcakes. Out of state, they just don't know how to do them.)
Second, I can tell you this much: Avoid Camden, NJ.
Any more than that and I'll have to ask him specifics. Posts: 691 | Registered: Nov 2008
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quote:Originally posted by Scott R: It does, but don't believe the hype. You can make them better at home. Definitely do not waste 45 minutes standing in a line for a submarine sandwich bun filled with glorified chopped roast beef and cheez whiz.
It's perfectly acceptable to get provolone, too. I don't like the sauce myself.
Posts: 691 | Registered: Nov 2008
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There are plenty of good cheesesteak places in Philly that don't have the long wait. The steak is exactly the same, but the places are just not as famous.
Mucus, if you walk down Market Street towards 2nd you'll be in Old City, which is the 'classy' part of town. A bit expensive, but a lot of good restaurants and some interesting sights.
When are you visiting?
Posts: 3852 | Registered: Feb 2002
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You should have little to no problems in the Convention Center area and most of Center City in general. The bad parts are the primary compass directions, North, West (well, far west, Univeristy City - below Market street/above Baltimore from 30th to 46th (although really below Chestnut after you pass 40th is really quite nice), and far South Philly.
I like Jim's steaks (4th and South), but they were better 4-5 years ago. Still pretty good, but I think they may have cleaned the grill or gotten a new one. Steve's steaks, which is also on South Street (at 8th street I think) has been getting some very good reviews. Tony Luke's makes a good steak as well. South Street itself used to be a very happening spot, but it's gotten a little run down. It's still an interesting bit I'd recommend strolling down, especially if you are planning on eating there. Lorenzo's Pizza on South near 3rd is a great slice of pizza, especially at 3 a.m. Beau Mond, a block below South on 6th street has fantastic crepes. Also, if you're interested in dancing, right above Beau Mond is L'etage, which is not a bad club.
You'll want to get water ice while you're in town. Rita's is a nigh ubiquitous chain, or you could venture into (near) South Philly for Pop's or John's.
For Chinese restaurants, you're basically in Chinatown there and they're spread out all around you, most of which are pretty good. If you want very expensive Chinese/Asian, Buddakan or Susanna Foo's are a good bet. I recommend the Vietnam Palace (on 11th near Arch) for good Vietamese and the Pagoda Noodle Cafe (right near the Ritz East theater off of 2nd street in between Chestnut and Walnut) for their very good noodle soups.
L2 restaurant is very good. Tir Na Nog is a pretty good place to eat and an even better bar tucked away off of Ben Franklin Parkway. You'll be staying right by Reading Terminal Market, which is full of very good things to eat.
If you're up for a stroll down another street, the Italian market on south 9th street from Fitzwater to Ellsworth has great places to eat and is a big philly thing.
If you're up for nightlife, the area around 2nd and Market has both some pretty good restaurants and popular bars and clubs. It's also close/in Olde City, which is where most of the historical stuff is.
Another nice place is the Rittenhouse Square area. Again, ringed with restaurants and clubs. If you like steak, I've never had better than at Smith and Wollensky. Or you could get a sandwich from one of the places near there (I recommend Di Bruno Brothers) and have yourself a picnic in the park.
Depending on when you come, there may be festivals down at Penns Landing and up on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. They can be a lot of fun and (espeically in the case of the Ice Cream Festival) fattening.
Posts: 10177 | Registered: Apr 2001
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Not getting a cheesesteak in philly is like not seeing the golden gate bridge in SF. Or going to San Antonio and not seeing the Alamo.
It's the bread that makes the 'steak. That's why you can't get it anywhere else. It takes the right microbes that only come from the Philadelphia to make the bread taste like it does and the bread has to be fresh.
So many things claim to be Philly Cheesesteaks that aren't. Get a real one so you know what they're imitating. Of course, you don't have to like it better, but it's good to know.
Posts: 7085 | Registered: Apr 2001
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Water ice is sometimes called Italian ice, too.
And gelato, if I've got this right, is basically Italian ice cream, right?
Italian or water ice is akin to snowballs or snow cones. The ice is shaved but so very fine that it seems practically one with the flavor. Rita's tends to put an occasional piece of fruit in their fruity flavors. And you can get a gelati (as opposed to gelato) that is custard layered with Italian/Water ice.
Posts: 691 | Registered: Nov 2008
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Water ice is sort of midway between italian ice and a squishy. It's one of the four foods (cheese steaks, water ice, soft pretzels, tastykakes) that philly is known for.
You can also get it mixed with soft serve ice cream in what used to be known as a radio ball and now, even since Rita's pretty much renamed it, is called a gelati.
Which is not gelato, but if you are looking for that, Cappagiro on 13th and Sampson has some great ones. I like the combo of blackberry and raspberry.
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The rest of Camden may be bad, but the Aquarium is pretty nice. We take the kiddos there every few months or so.
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Philly is a great place for historical sites if you're into them. Independence Hall and the Constitution Center are both very good (and right next to each other).
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Hoagie Haven in Princeton makes better cheesesteaks than any of the places that I have eaten at in Philly imo.
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quote:... The Canadian dollar gained 1.39 cents to close at 89.26 cents U.S. today, its strongest close since Oct. 7, while the 16-country euro rose to US$1.4011 in late New York trading from $1.3889 in New York late Thursday – its first time above $1.40 since Jan. 2.
So, any regional specialties or special products that I should be looking out for and would preferably be available in the downtown area? (Particularly as gifts for friends and family)
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A friend of my fiancee's owns Good Dog and, yeah, their burgers are pretty darn good. Which reminds me, if you like beer and want to pass yourself off as a native, just about every bar will give you a Yuengling lager if you just ask for a "lager". It's a not amazing, but pretty good beer that is brewed locally and is cheap. I'd say close to a majority of Philly drinkers drink lager.
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Turns out we got booked for the Loews' Hotel that Scott R stayed at almost by accident since the hotel that were supposed to be booked at got filled up. That is one swanky (though pricey, from my POV) hotel and we had a sweet corner room/view.
Did a bit less walking around since the convention kept us quite busy (plus the fear, there was the fear) but we did do a number of lunches at the Reading Terminal Market (another Monopoly location down!) and strolled by the Independence Hall/Liberty Bell area after work.
Some other really nice restaurants too, albeit pricey ... not used to this business travel thing yet.
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I've spent a few days in one of the rough neighborhoods in Camden. The vast majority of the people living there are normal, decent human beings who just happen to be very poor. The murder statistics are misleading because the vast majority of murders occur between gangs and rival criminals. The white tourists (even in Camden) have much less to worry about.
Posts: 1314 | Registered: Jan 2006
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I'm not white though. What if they think that I'm a lost Triad guy or something?
But seriously, on that list at the top, the only other dangerous* cities that I've visited in recent memory are Indianapolis and Chicago. Philly seems to trump those. Now I just have to visit Detroit or Baltimore for my tour of danger to be complete.
* as defined arbitrarily as roughly a magnitude more dangerous than my "normal" life
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*laugh* I grew up in Detroit. And as bad as it is, the typical tourist can spend, heck, maybe even a whole half hour without fearing for his life. Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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Some friends and I were in Baltimore the other day and laughing about how so many people's perceptions of Baltimore is formed almost entirely by the Wire or even Homicide (or the lovely crime statistics).
We had fun coming up with new tourist slogans for Baltimore. I don't remember all of them, but I think the best was "Baltimore: Safe Enough".
Seriously though, I love Baltimore. It's a great town and for all the time I've spent there, I haven't yet been killed. Posts: 959 | Registered: Jan 2002
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Of course, if you had been killed you wouldn't be posting on Hatrack, hence introducing a bit of non-response bias Posts: 7593 | Registered: Sep 2006
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You know, I think I've got a "Ghost of Risuena" alt laying around somewhere from back when there were a lot of mafia games here. So I'm not sure that being dead would necessarily make much of a difference for my posting...
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