Downtown Philadelphia
October 28th, 2009
I spent some time in downtown Philadelphia yesterday, just walking around. The lady-friend had never been, so we went on an abbreviated tour of the city. Of course, no tour would be complete without a trip to city hall and a ride to the top of the clock tower to catch the view.
The view down Benjamin Franklin Parkway, which ends at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
As you can see, the view was pretty stunning, although I’d say the best time for photos would be in the morning. Not bad for $5.00. If you find yourself with 30 minutes of spare time in downtown Philly, I highly recommend you visit city hall and take the ride.
Our next stop was the Reading Terminal Market, which has been in operation since 1892. We had already eaten lunch, but just wanted to catch a taste of that old-timey marketplace vibe. After a pit stop at the Beer Garden, we spotted a little bookstore and checked it out. It was rad.
Great finds at a bookstore in Reading Terminal Market.
As you can see, this was a top-notch establishment. Literacy and liberalism were plentiful, as evidenced by the unfortunate misspelling of “grammer” – despite it’s clear printing on the front cover of that book on the left, and the Children of Satan Vol. IV, featuring Dick Cheney. Also of note are the shitty photocopies of Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man on sale for only $3.00!
The train rides between Chestnut Hill and downtown are always interesting. It feels as if the train tracks themselves suck the wealth out of their surrounding areas, leaving poverty and dilapidated homes and warehouses in their wake.
I get a mixed vibe from Philadelphia. It has the undeniable history and patriotism of Washington, D.C. mixed with the urban bustle of New York City, but with a dash of poor and sprawling thrown in. I’ve been here a few times in my adult life now, and I still can’t decide how I feel about it.