South Street is super cool! If you visit Philly, this is one place you must definitely check out…read more The street seems to go on forever and there are a multitude of indie stores, bars, clothing stores, and food spots. My boyfriend and I ended up here to visit a specific store in general, then after ended up exploring more. Spend like an hour here wandering, it's worth it.

Let me begin this review with saying I am not a native Philadelphian. I live on the West Coast, but…read moreI have lots of family near Philly, so my mom and I come every couple years. We've been to Philadelphia quite a few times, but we have always seemed to miss this cute little neighborhood. Today, I got the pleasure of exploring this pocket of Philly enjoyed by tourists and natives alike. South Street is coined the most hipster street in Philly, and I completely agree. It's filled with famous restaurants, cute stores, and beautiful art on every corner. The entire area is covered in murals and mosaics in every crevice, making it very unique. There's photo ops to take advantage of everywhere, and I could explore for hours. Also, it's home to the famous Philadelphia Magic Garden. I highly recommend checking South Street out on your next trip to the city, because it's a local gem. I'm disappointed I didn't see this underrated neighborhood on my previous trips to Philly, because I have absolutely fallen in love with its good vibes and one of a kind beauty. See you soon, South Street!

The Comcast Center is beautifully decorated at Christmas! The lobby brings you in with the lighted…read moretrees and giant Christmas balls. The lower level had music and a small vendor area. Photos were also available for free! The Sphere on the second level has a special holiday show-Shrek's Festive Flight! It is a 4D show that takes you to Santa's cookie decorating workshops. You exit the rise into the cookie decoration workshop where you can decorate a paper gingerbread and watch it come to life in the special oven. It is a fun activity for kids and adults. Pick up a special passport at the desk. If you get a stamp at 3 activities, you get a prize! Make your way over the Comcast Christmas Spectacular to see a show on the giant screen. Then head down stairs to make cards for Manna. The whole experience was less the. An hour but lots of fun!

OK, this was cool. I was in Philadelphia just for the day on business and walking in my monkey suit…read morewith a colleague into the Comcast Center for an appointment. It turns out we were a bit early, so he excused himself to make a few calls. I was left to wait in the Winter Garden lobby. Lo and behold, I saw a huge widescreen that just blew me away. Oh the glory of high definition resolution. It turns out to be the largest four-millimeter LED screen in the world. Stretching 83.3 feet wide and 25.4 feet high, the 2,100 square-foot video wall conforms with the tall doorways to the elevators and shows some sensational images - just about anything from a montage of Philadelphia to the expanding universe - all produced specifically for this venue. You really have to see it to believe it. Take a look at the photo gallery to get some idea. Or better yet, how about this video clip... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSRcDrCse7c

This park has amazing views of downtown. You can see the full skyline during the day or night…read more There is wide open space, grassy hills and shaded tree areas. The park also has baseball fields and walking trails. I had an opportunity to see DJ Jazzy Jeff, The Roots, Lila Downs and Joan Jetts with the Blackhearts as part of our Union convention celebration. There were games and food trucks to indulge in between acts. Had a great time at a great park

Iconic Philly spot to go and just chill, enjoy being outside, enjoy the view of the city…read moreskyline...unfortunately though the stench of blunt smoke will be prevalent, (the acrid odor marijuana rolled in cigar wraps, seems to be pervasively smoked EVERYWHERE and stinks terribly) ....but good fortune may prevail to find a spot away from such or the breezes my act in your favor. Despite all that, it is worth the effort... (Bias transparency: I grew up as teen with the "Plat" as a favorite spot...and yes, with Philly's favorite son!)

This hidden gem is the perfect place to pretend you're a model or a photographer. A great, albeit…read moredirty, place to snap some cool pictures. It's also a solid place to set up and fish or to get up to some general mischief. This based on the three types of people I saw in my visit here: photographers, fishermen, and shirtless parkour-ing teens. My best advice is to wear closed toed footwear. This place is littered with broken glass and other assorted garbage. I wore flip flops, and while I managed to avoid injury, my feet were stained with a layer of black dirt. It's kind of a sketchy area of town, but it's worth a visit to up your insta game.

The best view of the city is from here…read more It has come a long way in the past few years as volunteers have installed trashcans and cleaned up a lot of the trash that has been dumped here. Be mindful and whatever you bring, carry it out. I bring my two large dogs back here on walks to the end of the pier for the amazing view that shows the mix of nature taking over old industry against the new industry - the skyline of Philadelphia. Usually, you will see other urban explorers, fishermen, photographers, and artists. But be cautious, last time I was here kids were playing with dynamite and people have been mugged here. Just be smart and pay attention.

This is a super neat concept. It gives everyone in the neighborhood a chance to meet their…read moreneighbors and fellow artist and musicians that live in the area. This event is a true example of what Philadelphia should be when people are acting as if it's the place of brotherly love. With a city full of grit and not so kindness, we definitely need events like this for us.

So the official line is "Porchfest is a one-day, community-created do-it-yourself music festival…read moremade up of dozens of individual shows taking place on porches all around the neighborhood. Porchfest is for everybody!" What does that mean? Residents let bands of all types chill on their porches, playing music and entertaining walkers by all day long. Grab a map and roam what becomes a giant block party or stay in one spot all day and chill. My original plan was probably more of the latter, but I got hooked by the band I started off seeing and ended up relaxing in one spot most of the day. Crowds came and went. Everyone had a good time. The weather rocked helping the bands rock even more. An annual event worth checking out!

I've heard a lot about this festival and finally was able to check it out this year! Very odd but…read moreoverall fun! The website said festivities started at 2 but at 4 there was very little going on besides a rehearsal for the 5:30 show. You can purchase seats with the bourgeoise or stand among the masses with the mob. By 5:30 the crowds were enough to induce claustrophobic panic attacks and bring out the worst in people trying to shove their way to the front. I could have probably licked the neck of the stranger in front of me, that's how close we were. AVOID THIS FESTIVAL IF YOU ARE AT ALL AVERSE TO CROWDS. The Bearded Ladies put on one of the most bizarre tributes to the French Revolutionary War, french monuments, and famous french people and food in general. When else in the history of time has a Joan of Arc impersonator shooting fireworks out of her breastplate (singing like it's the 14th of July) shared the stage with a bearded drag queen Edith Piaf, a person in giant tastycake costume, a human baguette, the "pope", AND "Mayor Nutter" while the onlooking mob unleashes a (historically inaccurate, but punny) "rain of terror" in the form of water guns? Philly is indeed a weird place. The show pokes fun at the French, Philly (and it's sports teams), pop culture/current events, and itself. It is highly entertaining but not for those easily offended or who believe historical reenactments should be at all accurate. It ends as all parties should, with tastycakes raining from the sky (although a ton are thrown, only those closest to the penitentiary will get them) and several faux guillotine executions. Bars nearby offer drink and specials following the show and Eastern State Penitentiary does discounted tours ($10). Go and see it for yourself, expect a good time but not a lot of personal space.

Bastille Day is a beloved annual tradition for those who live in the Art Museum/Fairmount section…read moreof the city! It takes place the second week in July along Fairmount Ave in front of the historic Eastern State Penitentiary and has done so for the past 23 years! When we lived in the area it was one of our favorite days! We still make it a point to head over there that day and think you should too...at least once. There are strolling musician, cabarets, berets, champagne flutes, French flags flying, a six-foot French Baguette, costumed folks such as Joan of Arc, Benjamin Franklin, Sojourner Truth, and of course Marie Antoinette who is played every year by the owner of London Grill and Paris Wine Bar. There is schedule of events for the day which you can find on the ESP website. The family-friendly festivities end with what perhaps is everyone's favorite part and that's the throwing of Philly's own Tastykakes off the top of the Eastern State Penn! 2,000 of them! After all, you must "let them eat cake!" So fun! It's not a super crazy day, but a pretty fun day, one we really enjoy. Drinking and dancing on the streets, taking tours of the ESP, noshing on French inspired food and enjoying drink specials from local participating restaurants such as: Urban Saloon Fare London Grill Bishop's Collar Fairmount and Co St. Stephen's Green The Belgian Cafe This section of the city has such a warm welcoming neighborhood feel and this day we feel showcases it! Give it a try!

Crossing the Ben Franklin bridge into Philadelphia, the roadway turns as it joins the Vine Street…read moreExpressway. At that spot, there's a tall artwork visible just to the side. What is it? It's titled "Bolt of Lightning... A Memory of Ben Franklin." Tall twisted metal stretches into the sky from a key shape. This 58-ton piece refers to the famous experiment in which Franklin flew a kite in an electrical storm. It is by artist Isamu Noguchi (1904 - 1988) and was installed in 1984. If you're not on the highway, it is easy to stop by and check it out! [Review 18277 overall - 575 in Pennsylvania - 1799 of 2022.]

Board Game Art Park is paved space along Broad Street between Arch St and JFK Blvd, ornamented with…read morea permanent public art installation called "Your Move," by artists Daniel Martinez, Renee Petropoulis and Roger White. Fun public art space, not too far from Love Park around the corner, as well as of course, City Hall, PA Convention Center, Jefferson Station, PAFA, and a million other c-city attractions. Art is a smattering of way-oversized scattered board games pieces, from various popular kid games. The space is used as a pass-through or open air hangout area. Some kids there with skateboards. Not sure if it's allowed but saw no signs nor police. Fun and quirky art that may or may not be a comment on local government?

Fun place to skate! Great for pictures and videos. If you're ever in the area definitely stop by…read morefor a visit!