Got great service here from a young man in the Prothonotary Office. Clearly this young man enjoys…read moredoing his job and was informative and helpful. Happy to be able to go here as opposed to the office in Norristown.

This isn't the best Chinatown in the US, or the first - that's San Francisco - but it's MY…read moreChinatown. Chinatown is full of delicious eats, with many locally-owned businesses. It's close to notable neighborhoods like the Gayborhood and Old City. It's easy to get to - get a trolley, bus, subway, or take the regional rail. Or drive! Did you know this neighborhood is on Wikipedia? I didn't: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinatown,_Philadelphia Spent money here? THANK YOU for supporting a neighborhood that has survived over the years, despite being hemmed in by the Convention Center, a crappy mall, and the Vine Street Expressway... and thankfully NOT by a basketball arena. I'm looking forward to the day that the Chinatown Stitch is finished, it'll connect more streets for *people* and to that nifty nearby Rail Park: https://www.phila.gov/programs/complete-streets/projects/the-chinatown-stitch-reconnecting-philadelphia-to-vine-street/

Philly's Chinatown is around 10th and Arch Streets, and the area offers various Chinese and other…read moreEast Asian restaurants, bakeries, markets, and the historic Friendship Gate. I tried a hand drawn noodle eatery and a bakery, and stopped by a cute makeup/collectible store. The area is usually packed, mostly people picking up meals to-go during lunch and dinner. Steps away from the Reading Terminal and the convention center, there are paid lots and limited & restricted street parking in the area. +East Asian eats +metered street and lot parking

My favorite place around the Philadelphia city. Very scenic trail to run, walk, jog, do some…read morecycling or just sit and watch water, birds and or people. It's beautiful any time of the day. In the afternoon. It's a bit hustle and bustle on the Kelly drive. You can walk to the Rocky Steps - Philadelphia Museum of arts. Huge area to picnic, play fetch with your dogs or soak the sun. The view is spectacular I. The evening with all the boat house lit with beautiful lights! It's also a great place to hang out with your friends, there is a cafe where you can get some snacks or beer garden overlooking the Schuylkill river. My favorite thing to do is, pack a little picnic and sit by the water, much and soak sun. This place is a must to visit if you like cherry blossoms in spring, the place is just covered with cherry trees and it's spectacular in the spring.

I am reviewing Boathouse Row from the perspective of one who walks past the houses on the trail…read more Great to see the boathouses close up from the side not facing the river! In that area is a great mix of walkers, runners, dog walkers, bikers and more. From here you can walk to the Art Museum to the East and miles of trail to the west. Parking can be tight close to Boathouse Row so use the small lot just East of Girard bridge.

Benjamin Franklin, Craftsman (or Young Ben Franklin) Sculpture - The statue of young Benjamin…read moreFranklin feels very approachable and educational. I like its detailed design and the idea of portraying him as a craftsman. It adds a human touch to the area and makes it more relatable. I stopped here during my walk and found it very engaging.

One of my favorite buildings and institutions! My friend and I did the free tour of the rare book…read moredepartment. It is located on the third floor tours are given on Mondays at 11 a.m. There may be other dates as well. You do not need to register you can just show up. Our Tour Guide was very knowledgeable about the collection. The display and exhibits change every couple months so there's always something new to see. The free library has one of the largest Beatrix Potter collections outside of the UK. It also has an Edgar Allen Poe and Charles Dickens items, illustrations and paintings. Grip, Dickens, pet crow, is on display. After the bird died, Dickens had it preserved. You can get a grip sticker for free! The end of the tour takes you into a library that was moved from the Elkins mansion and reassemble at the library. It has the original furniture which you can actually sit in. As well as books, maps and decorative pieces. It was amazing to see. This is definitely a hidden gem.

This is a cute little place to stop by if you like history and antiques. I love old history but if…read morethis isn't your jam, you would think this was dry and boring. It was free, worth a short visit, and the volunteers are super sweet although the subject matter can be dry.

Thanks to The Sequester and last year's budget impasse, this national park service location has…read morebeen closed for the better part of the last two years straight. But about a month ago I noticed that The Germantown Whitehouse will be open in 2014 on Saturdays only from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 28 - September 1 so it was time to see what was up on Germantown Avenue. Twice this house sheltered George Washington. In 1793, he took refuge here from the deadly yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia that killed over 4,000 of the 40,000 that lived in the city at the time. During November of 1793 Washington also had four cabinet meetings at the house with Jefferson, Knox, Hamilton and Randolph having attended. The following summer Washington, family and slaves made it a welcome retreat from the heat of the capital city. Also known as the Deshler-Morris House, the home gets its name from its first and last owners. David Deshler built the home beginning in 1752. Elliston P. Morris donated it to the National Park Service in 1948. Today, the home has been restored to its 18th century appearance. You actually enter the house next door which is the Bringhurst House which has some displays that document the history of Germantown in general, a timeline of The Revolution and how the Deshler-Morris house was not only occupied by Washington twice but also by General Howe. After that you are led next door to The House itself where one of the volunteers will take you through the first and second floor to see the various displays, period furniture pieces and some pre-1800 items as well. A few things worth noting if you go: As mentioned prior, the house(s) are only supposed to be open on Saturday's until September 1st. After that it's anybody's guess as to what the powers that be will allow seeing as I would assume that keeping rangers at this location takes money/manpower away from the other locations that also fall under the Independence Hall NPS jurisdiction. (The Hall itself/The Liberty Bell/Portrait Gallery in the Second Bank of the US/Edgar Allen Poe NHS/Thaddeus Kosciuszko NM/etc.) Parking on Germantown Avenue is via two hour meters only so your best bet is to drive around the block and park for free on a side street like West Coulter. Some genius at the NPS is doing their best to make this place a well hidden secret. It formerly had its own listing on the NPS site at nps.gov/demo but that listing was removed around two years ago. Any information can now be found at nps.gov/inde/historycult... but that doesn't have crazy things on it like the house's physical address. Overall maybe this would take an hour to see tops. The rangers on duty really didn't seem to know their heads from a hole in the ground but the two older women who were volunteering knew the history of not just the house but of the area inside-out.

The bridge celebrated 100 years by closing down to traffic so people could walk across. My…read moregrandmother walked across when it opened so I wanted to do it! The Philly side was crowded. No food vendors, water, or activities. The entrance was tight. No water, no tents for shade and no activities on the bridge. The Camden side had activities crammed into a small area. The food vendor lines were really long No water refills. The bridge closed early because they couldn't keep up with the medical emergencies. We were stuck on the Camden side. PATCO extremely crowded to get back I'm glad I did the walk. It really could've been organized much better

Want to walk the Ben Franklin Bridge? Here is what you need to know…read more CAMDEN: The Ben Franklin Bridge just turned 100 years old and the celebration was massive. Live music, vendors, performances, food trucks, and the wildest part of all: the entire bridge was shut down to cars so people could walk across the span. It was incredible to be part of the energy, but the crowd was so huge that crossing wasn't really possible. The good news? You can walk the bridge anytime using one of the two pedestrian walkways on the north and south sides. They are open to walkers, runners, and cyclists who want to take on the 1.5‑mile stretch over the Delaware River. We heard from an attendee that it can get pretty loud with traffic rushing by, so use your best judgment if you are bringing your leashed pup. But if you time it right, the views and the experience are absolutely worth it. Also, the Camden waterfront is seriously underrated -- a gorgeous stretch of walking paths and parks with views of the Delaware River, the Ben Franklin Bridge, and the Philadelphia skyline all in one place. We also discovered that the Hilton Garden Inn Camden Waterfront is dog friendly (any size dog welcome!), which makes the area even better for exploring with your pup. The Rutgers University Camden campus sits right in the middle of it all, adding beautiful architecture and green spaces to the waterfront vibe. Brie had the best time sniffing around, exploring new paths, and taking in the views, making this a peaceful and surprisingly scenic spot to wander.

Opened in 1973, this toll-free steel double decker bridge has 3 lanes in each direction and links…read morePHL airport with the city of Philadelphia. It's also the last crossing over the Schuykill River. Views of the city skyline are good heading northbound out of the airport.

Nice to be back home. A glorious view of Philly on this…read moremight bridge . Thanks to all that built and maintain it. Very grateful!