I absolutely loved the Shofuso. It's not as big as I thought it would be, however it's beautiful…read morenonetheless. We first visited the house no shoes only socks allowed. Outside we were able to feed the koi fish it's $2 for the koi fish. Had a great time.

Such a beautiful place! It changes with the seasons. I missed my group due to work but the woman at…read morethe ticket booth let me in to walk in the garden. The azaleas are starting to bloom! They added color to a dreary day! The pond is surrounded by greenery and flowers. It started to rain. That just brought another dimension of beauty. The house is interesting.I didn't go in this time but You can see some of the rooms from the outside. The space is serene It is perfect to sit and take a minute to breathe. It is a little bit of Japanese culture in the middle of the Park.

Stunning venue - the display garden is truly a one in a million place to get married. We initially…read moreplanned to have our cocktail hour outdoors as we wanted to highlight the reflecting pool but unfortunately the weather didn't permit - we had cocktail hour inside and it was still incredible. The whole team there was impressive and the food was truly delicious. My standards for wedding food are pretty low but it was excellent, and many of our guests commented that it was the best wedding food they've ever had (and they'd eat it again if they could). The whole team was lovely to work with. So, so glad we got married here!!

The Horticulture Center is a beautiful place. Theres no admission fee. The grounds are huge! There…read moreare lots of different trees, large grassy areas, and walking trails. There are also sculptures throughout the grounds. There is a Japanese tea house and pond. There's a fee to enter the tea house. There's also a tree house you can walk to. The horticulture center building has a many different plants inside as well as fountains. In front of the building is a large water fountain. The building has bathrooms and a water fountain. There's a children's garden and vegetable garden beside the building. In mid April the cherry blossoms are beautiful! The center hosts a Sakura Sunday event which has a fee to enter. It's a great place to take a walk or spend an afternoon.

Ever get the impression that folks knew what they were doing back then, more than they do now…read more Stopping by this 18th Century Garden, you sure get the impression that they knew a lot better than us. The garden was beautiful and meticulously kept.

The garden is part of Independence National Historic Park, and it is free to walk through during…read moremost daylight hours. There are gates that lock during off-hours, however. But its a very interesting experience because it shows off plenty of plants that were grown in Philly during the 1700s. Everything was well-kept and clean, done by volunteers from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. You'll even find a spot that was dedicated by then-First Lady Lady Bird Johnson in 1965. It's definitely worth taking a stroll through. Be good to all the plants!

I love it here. It is so peaceful and pretty. I like that it is not crowded. Perfect place for a…read morewalk.

This is opening day and a beautiful one for a visit to the Arboretum at the Barnes Foundation…read more There is beautiful plant life everywhere, you can smell the soil the beautiful flowers, herbs and plants in the fresh breeze. Throughout the gardens you'll find many places to sit either in the sun or in the shade. It is very easy to find this location if you're on City Avenue on St. Joseph University campus there's a large street sign and information leading you directly to the Arboretum. Once you park hopefully you'll be greeted warmly as I was by Officer Blake who went over a little information such as hours and maps. This is a stop well worth making not only is it beautiful and serene it is also free!

Another hidden garden in a part of the city with a bunch of cute gardens. It's enclosed with a…read morewell-maintained patch of grass, some (uncomfortable) metal benches, and a fountain in one corner. It's quiet, cozy, serene, and I love coming here with the dog for a quick time-out when I work from home. The few downsides are that it only has one entrance, and it locks up at night. :(

I love this community and they have a lot of different varieties of flowers and the atmosphere is…read morewonderful to take pictures here.

I don't know what I can say that hasn't already been said. This place is beautiful. Sure…read moresomewhere like Longwood Gardens is massive and very impressive, but Meadowbrook feels so much more natural. Everything feels like it belongs and it doesn't just feel like flowers for the sake of people to look at them. It feels like the flowers and all the plants are supposed to live there. They're worked into the landscape beautifully. The fountains are cute, the buildings are charming, and the gardens are breathtaking. I'm glad they released the Garden Passports. It's really worked well on me I need to go everywhere, even to places I've already been now that I know there's a passport for it! I wish every place had a stamp it's a shame only some of the gardens do, but Meadowbrook does have a stamp so there's another positive!

Peaceful, pretty, lush with benches and trails. Power walkers, strollers (both kinds: baby…read morecarriages and leisurely walkers), kids exploring the creek and only steps from the post office and Merion train station. Lucky me! A 4-minute walk from our condo.

A peaceful, well maintained local park/garden with some spectacular trees. Check out the "umbrella…read moretree" with its oversized leaves. There was a Franklinia tree in bloom when I visited. The extra treat is its position along a creek that is shaded by shrubs and trees. Park benches along the creek for a little break. I look forward to returning with my young grandsons who would love to explore the creek!

Great spring festival featuring over 50 food trucks and vendors!…read more Main Street is closed down with food trucks nicely dispersed to accommodate lines. They had benches and tables clustered every so often. There's also 3 stages with live music and bands performing. For adult beverages there's the Beer Garden on Cotton Street. There's also bars and restaurants along the street that have outdoor seating and offer drink specials. The Bayou and the Cactus are good choices to grab a drink, let yourself digest a little, and you'd also have access to an indoor bathroom. While there are a lot of options for drinking, people don't wander around drunk and the festival is still very family friendly. Would definitely recommend arriving early. The parking lot on Green Lane fills up pretty quickly at $20 for festival parking until 5pm. The Mac Mart Cart and The Cow and The Curd lines fill up quickly so I'd try to make that your first stop. I would definitely recommend: -Cheese Curds with Siracha Mayo from the Cow and the Curd $9 -Mochi Nori Fried Chicken from Poi Dog $7 -Strawberry Nova from Undrgrnd Donuts I would pass on: -Spinach Artichoke Mac & Cheese from the Mac Mart Cart - nothing too exciting, not worth the wait -Bahn Mi Waffle from the Foolish Waffle - tasted good but the toppings were pretty minimal

Hello cool weather, hello festival season! Heralding the gorgeous Fall season and Manayunk's…read moreRestaurant Week (9/14/15-9/25/15), the Manayunk StrEAT Festival takes over Main St and stretches from Shurs to Green. http://manayunk.com/signature-events/fall-streat-food-festival/ With a gorgeous day in the forecast, we took advantage of the seasonal closure of Martin Luther King Jr./West River Drive (April-Oct wknds) to bike to the festival. (Also wanted to burn calories and avoid driving ... because festival parking is as frustrating as the traffic). Vendors: * ~40 Food Trucks in attendance, as well as several arts/crafts, ice cream, wine/beer, and fashion trucks! Food prices vary, but most are in the festival-reasonable range of $4-$12. The wallet buster award goes to Surf and Turf for their $24 Surf and Turf Roll: Steak, lobster, kale, sundried tomato, and parmesan cheese. There was no line for this truck! * I noticed a high proportion of tots, mac+cheeses, and a multitude of pork products ... or maybe the fabulous smells and long lines of those units caught my eye more frequently. The trucks were well-clustered - there were a few strategic empty stretches on the street where folks have space to breathe. Omg I need a break!: * Most of the stores are open, allowing for a bit of quiet respite from the outdoor festivities. Spouse had a bike issue and stopped in Human Zoom for a quick repair. Whereas I underestimated the cooler temperatures and dropped by Philadelphia Runner for a pullover - giving it a road/bike trial run on the way home! I gotta go PP (cause, yea, you know me): * There are porta-loos strategically/discreetly placed around the festival. I did not use them, I did not smell them, I did not see serpentine lines leading to them. I even doubted they were there! Foot Traffic: * With the nice weather, the festival was quite busy but nowhere near the crushing insanity of Rittenhouse Row Festival. Pets are allowed, and strollers in abundance. Watch your step, and watch your pets! Notes: * Don't eat the morning of (and night before?) the festival to max stomach space for yums. * Walk on sidewalks for free smells (kitchen vents out the back of the trucks) * Walk on sidewalks to fast track to desired destination(s) * Bring cash - don't let a faulty card swipey thing stand in the way of noms! * Bike/take mass transit if possible - vehicle parking is scarce! Will definitely be back in Spring 2016 if weather permits!