Tourist in Your Hometown: Philadelphia

This week Kendall is sharing about life in the City of Brotherly Love. After reading her recommendations, I now know there is much more to Philadelphia than the liberty bell or a boxing legend. Plus, there is a Rodin museum, which I think is worth a trip in itself since a plane ticket to Paris might be seen as a little extreme.

Hello! I'm Kendall and I write about personal style, travel, and everything in between over at buttons and blossoms. I'm so happy to be here on Stamp in My Passport to share some great places in one of my favorite cities: Philadelphia. I am a born and bred Jersey girl but I've always been in love with the big city. My hometown is smack dab between two major northeast cities: New York City and Philadelphia. I grew up taking the train to New York City to the north but didn't really appreciate Philly to my south until I met my fiance. He grew up in the city before moving to the suburbs but his big family still lives in many of the diverse neighborhoods. We fell in love exploring this city of history and fell in love here. Now there's rarely a weekend that passes by without us heading in to one of our favorite spots. If you know anything about Philadelphia, it's probably either it's status as one of America's most historic cities or home to Rocky. Yes, you can run up "the Rocky steps" at Philly's world famous art museum and pose with the statue at the bottom. You can also see the liberty bell up close or stand in the place where the founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence. But there is so much more to Philadelphia than what you read in history books or see in the movies. 

Philly's neighborhoods: Like most major cities, Philadelphia is made up of many different neighborhoods and each has it's own unique flavor. Most tourists spend their time in Old City, where the historic sites are, and Center City, where there's lots of restaurants and shopping. But Philly is the fifth largest city based on population and those people are spread out all over the city. One of my favorite neighborhoods to take a stroll through is Society Hill. This neighborhood is made up of tree-lined streets, brick rowhomes, and hidden cobblestone alleys; it's the real history of Philadelphia. My engagement photos were even taken there! Another neighborhood worth exploring is South Philly. Philly doesn't need a dedicated "Little Italy" because Italian food is a way of life here. You can find great Italian food all over the city but South Philly is where it's most authentic. The Italian Market on Ninth Street is a great place to wander and find great food products, especially cheese. My favorite South Philly spot is Termini Brothers Bakery on 8th and 15th. There are many great Italian bakeries peddling cannolis and amaretti cookies but if you go at just the right time there will be a small string band of Italian grandpas and uncles playing in the corner and you can get your cannolis filled on the spot.

  Rodin Museum: Philly isn't known for it's museums like New York or L.A. but the city's museums are top-notch. If you have kids, there's the Please Touch Museum where kids use their imagination in a "supermarket" complete with a checkout line. Love science? You need to climb through the giant heart at the Franklin Institute (yes, adults are allowed to). But one of my favorite museums that's pretty hidden is the Rodin Museum. This museum dedicated to the work of the French sculptor Auguste Rodin and features his most amazing work, the Gates of Hell, which took him almost 40 years to complete. The museum itself is a gorgeous piece of architecture with gardens that you can enjoy even now in the dead of winter.

  Eastern State Penitentiary: Ever wanted to go to prison without committing a crime? Then Philly's the place for you. Philadelphia is home to the Eastern State Penitentiary, a former prison in the middle of the city that was home to Al Capone for eight months. Depending on when you go it can be eerily quiet and calm and a great place to take creepy pictures. If you happen to be visiting around Halloween, you can get scared one night at their Terror Behind the Walls program. I prefer to watch the screaming line outside the prison walls while having a drink at the bars across the street.

  Grab a drink: My love of craft beer emerged from the great beer scene here in Philadelphia. Even if you're not really into beer, taking a brewery tour (or two) is a fun way to spend the day in the city. You'll meet people who are passionate about beer and many times there is a great story behind the brewery location. My personal favorites are Philadelphia Brewing Company, Yards, and Victory (which is just outside of the city in Downingtown). Even having lived near and played in Philadelphia for so many years, I'm still finding new things to do every weekend. Have you ever visited Philly?