4 posts tagged “philadelphia”
Recently I got to go see my friend Gloria at her home in Philadelphia. She tried to show me as much of her beautiful, exciting city as possible. She knew that I like history so we went to see a lot of the historic sites, but we also took a day and went "down the shore". It was funny to hear her say that, but I learned that in the Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey area, they do not call it going to the beach. They go down the shore.
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority.
We took the bus the Philadelphia Art Museum. It was such a nice day that we decided not to spend the day in the museum. Gloria told me all about the beautiful paintings and sculptures and I want to go back and see it another time. It was fun seeing the outside of the Art Museum because the steps are famous. They are the steps that Rocky ran up in the movie. I also got to take my picture with the Rocky statue.
We walked back into Center City (downtown) on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. It is very pretty with parks and fountains along the length. It is also a very good spot to see the Philadelphia skyline. See how pretty it is.
Our walk down the Parkway took us through Center City and into the historic part of Philadelphia. This area is called Old City because it is where the city originally started. Several of the buildings are over 200 years old and there are even some streets that still have cobblestones. Philadelphia is an interesting city because there will be a little tiny very old building right next to a big skyscraper.
We started our tour of the historic district at Penn's Landing. This is the spot where William Penn landed when he came up the Delaware River and established the city of Philadelphia. From Penn's Landing you can see the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. It was the first bridge that crosses the Delaware River between New Jersey and Philadelphia.
One of the things I learned is that there are some beautiful parks scattered throughout
the city. We visited one next to Christ's Church. Christ Church was founded in 1695.
That's over 300 years ago! Several of the signers of the Declaration of Independence
were members of the church and for a very long time, it's steeple was the tallest thing
in the city of Philadelphia. Our next stop was Elfreth's Alley. It was like stepping
backwards into Colonial times. Gloria told me that it is the oldest continuously
inhabited residential street in the country, There are people who still live there now.
From Elfreth's Alley, we walked around the
corner to Betsy Ross' house. It is the
house where she sewed the
original flag. I never realized how
tiny Colonial houses were, even for
short people like Gloria and I.
Betsy Ross was nice enough to take
a picture with me. I also got to take a picture with a nice
Colonial lady named Mary who showed me how to knit.
Just down the street from Betsy Ross' house is the Christ Church burial yard. It is were Benjamin Franklin is buried. In my picture you can see the pennies that people throw on his grave for good luck. Gloria says it is kind of funny that they do that since Ben Franklin is the one who said a penny saved is a penny earned. Across the street from the cemetary is the Free Quaker Meeting House. A meeting house is the Quaker version of a church. It also served as a community meeting hall. There was a very nice man named William who was telling everyone about the meeting house. He showed me how to play the glass armonica (no, I did not mis-spell it) that you can see in my picture. The glass armonica was one of Ben Franklin's many inventions. It makes really beautiful music.
We saved the most historic places in the city for last, but before we walked over to them, Gloria wanted me to see a SEPTA subway station. We walked down underground to the subway station. It was a little scary, but I it was really cool too. All of those trains running for miles underneath the city.
two stops on my tour of Philadelphia. Independence Hall
and the Liberty Bell. We had to go through some really tight
security but it was really worth it. The Bell is a lot bigger than I thought it would be.
Independence Hall is very impressive. It looks just like it did in Colonial times.
It was very cool to stand in the same room where they signed the Declaration of Independence.
Wow, we had a very full day and got to see a lot of interesting and fun places. I was really tired, but I couldn't wait for the next day. We were going down the shore with Gloria's sons, Drew and Sean.
We went to Ocean City, New Jersey. It is in Southern New Jersey. Gloria explained to me that New Jersey residents are either from North Jersey, Central Jersey or South Jersey. They say this because all three areas of the state are very different. North Jersey is very industrial and suburbs of New York. South Jersey is a lot of suburbs of Philadelphia and is more agricultural. Central Jersey is a combination of the other two. Ocean City is south of Atlantic City and is on an island. The drive down to the shore was fun. I got to meet and talk to Drew and Sean. For teenagers, they are really cool and funny. We did a lot of very fun things. It was a very sunny day and there were a lot of people on the beach and the boardwalk. We went on the beach for a little while, but the water was still too cold to go into the waves. We walked on the boardwalk, had pizza and french fries that were really good. We stopped in the arcade and played skeeball. There is a part of the boardwalk that has rides. We didn't ride any because the ones that were not too scary for me were too little for Drew and Sean. It was fun watching everyone else on the rides. Gloria told me stories about when Drew and Sean were little and the rides they used to ride on this same boardwalk. A lot of the rides were the same and we giggled about how silly it would be to see them trying to ride them now. Drew and Sean's grandmother has a house in Ocean City so they have spent almost every summer at the shore. The last thing we did before heading back home was to play miniature golf. I actually made a hole in one!
I had a great visit to Philadelphia! There was so much more that I wanted to see, but Gloria promised I can come back anytime I want. I can't wait!
I was reminded tonight why I love this city. I was such a suburb girl for so long that I couldn't imagine living in the city. Then a few years ago I started working downtown - 2 blocks from Independence Hall - and I was hooked. The city was so vibrant and energetic. At the time it was great to be in the city and then go back home to the countryside (Chester County) at night. But the longing started then to start to explore more of what this beautiful city had to offer. So, last September, Bart and I took the plunge and moved into an upcoming neighborhood known as Northern Liberties. It was wonderful. So much was within walking or subway distance. We got to do so much, learn so much and meet so many new people.
While our relationship did not last, our love for the city has not changed. Although it was bittersweet because the move meant the end of something very wonderful, my move in June from Northern Liberties to Olde City was amazing. I have a beautiful, huge loft that is within steps of of fantastic restaurants, bars, shops, markets, parks and history. I am walking distance to just about everywhere in the city and am lucky enough to be only a couple of blocks from 2 of my dear friends.
The 3 of us (Denise, Tom and I) are city adventure buddies. We seek out new things in our very exciting city and try to experience all it has to offer. So, here we come to the reason for tonight's post. We attended an event called Night Lights on South Broad. The Academy of Fine Arts and the Center City District put together a street event with bands, stilt walkers, magicians, jugglers, food from the restaurants on South Broad and the best of all, light shows projected onto the sides of some of the beautiful famous buildings. We wandered up and down the street just watching the entertainers and gazing in awe at the light shows.
The beauty of the displays, the fun of the entertainers and bands, great taste of the nibbles and the companionship of great friends, just another reminder of how vital and vibrant this city can be. And why I am enjoying spending time here.
What are your Major League Baseball playoff predictions?
PHILLIES -- ALL THE WAY!!!!!!
I was born in Oklahoma. My mother was from there and my father is from Texas. Almost all of my family lives in Texas and I will always carry a part of Texas in my heart. "Deep in the heart of Texas" :)
But fate, a man and probably a few bad choices led me to the Philadelphia area over 20 years and there are so many reasons I have not left. Some having to do with circumstances, some with pride, some with love and some just because this is such an amazing place to be. My father was a career Army officer so we did our share of traveling. I've visited or lived in a lot of other places in the beautiful USA and each is unique. There are a lot of places in the country where the history is as rich, the culture as dignified and the excitement as intense, but there is a feel to Philly that no where else has. At least for me.
It's definitely not the weather that keeps me here. I hate to be cold, but the beautiful change of seasons can be worth bundling up for. Maybe it is the small town feel of this big city. Everyone says this is a city of neighborhoods and it is completely true. From one block to the next you can move into a different world, yet it is all the same and we are all tied together by proximity and our love for this place. And it's not just the city, this entire area - Southeastern Pennsylvania, South Jersey, Delaware. The diversity, the changing views, it becomes difficult to express how wonderful it all is and why I feel so at home here. I have spent time living in apartment complexes in the ultimate suburbia of South Jersey which has its own charm when you really want a neighborhood feel. And the shore (the beach/ocean for those of you not from here) is less than an hour away! I've also lived out in the rolling hills of Chester County (about 45 minutes west of the city) in beautiful old 100+ year old houses . The openness, the green, the history and never really being that far from anything was comforting and natural. Probably why I spent almost 10 years out there. For the last year+ I have lived right in the middle of this gorgeous city. Right in the middle of the excitement, the history, the beauty and other people, who like me, love the feel and pulse that reverberates down the cobblestone streets, the fantastic restaurants, bars and shops, the little tucked away neighborhood parks, the skyscrapers, bridges and the river.
I am sure that everyone has their reasons and their feelings about where they live. As for me, I will always be an Oklahoman and a Texan, nothing breaks family ties, but I am most definitely now a Philly girl too.
Check out my photos on Flickr as I post pics of the things in my city that catch my eye. So what do you love about you live?
