Since Paul and I both have been to New York before, we wanted to see some new places while we were on the east coast. So we took a trip to Washington, and spent some time in Philadelphia first.
We took a Boltbus from NY to Philly. I was a little apprehensive after reading some reviews, but my experience overall was good. My only complaint would be that the seats in our first Boltbus were slightly tilted which made you slide of your seat a little. The newer Boltbus on the way back didn't have that though. And hey, we had free (working!) wifi, a toilet and power outlets... and the tickets were cheap! From Philly to Washington we took Megabus. The quality of the bus was much better than our first Boltbus. The downside was that the airconditiniong was pointed directly at my face, and it was freezing and I didn't bring an extra sweater. So I actually got really, really sick later this trip because of that. Anyway, I'm digressing.
Took a subway from the station to the city centre. The vibe in the subway seemed a little.. dodgier than the New York subway, but all was forgotten as soon as we got out. It immediately struck me how pretty everything was!
This is Philadelphia's beautiful city hall. It's huge and very impressive! It's one of the biggest city halls in the world and for a couple of years this was also the tallest building in the world (can you imagine? Haha).
From city hall we walked to the Old City of Philadelphia, a neighbourhood with lots of cafes and bars, pretty buildings and historical sites, like the oldest inhabited street of the US.
This picture above shows the B. Free Franklin Post Office, a very old post office (1700s or something?) in a building that was once owned by Mr Franklin himself.
This picture above shows the B. Free Franklin Post Office, a very old post office (1700s or something?) in a building that was once owned by Mr Franklin himself.
The day before our trip, there was a huge fire that completely destroyed the Suit Corner store in Old City. We were wondering what happened and once I found some wifi I read that fortunately no one was hurt, but that the store was 60 years old and the landmark building at least 100, and I felt so bad for the owners.
If you're in Philly, you obviously have to have a Philly cheesesteak. I mean, let's be honest here - the Philly cheesesteak was a huge reason we wanted to go to Philadelphia :P
When deciding where to get one, Geno's and Pat's (both famous) obviously come to mind. We wanted to go there and have that classic Geno's & Pat's contest - who makes the better cheesesteak, but both are a bit far from the city centre. Since we didn't have a lot of time, we went to Campo's in Old City instead.
We did not regret this decision.
When deciding where to get one, Geno's and Pat's (both famous) obviously come to mind. We wanted to go there and have that classic Geno's & Pat's contest - who makes the better cheesesteak, but both are a bit far from the city centre. Since we didn't have a lot of time, we went to Campo's in Old City instead.
We did not regret this decision.
Yes. These sandwiches don't look terribly appealing, but don't let the bright yellow colour of the processed cheese fool you! These sandwiches were sooooooooooooo good!
We had a cheesesteak "wiz wit" (apparently the "correct" way to order a cheesesteak with cheese whiz and onions) and one with american cheese. I liked the american cheese better (more subtle flavours), but both were really good. The sandwich rolls, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside - a perfect vehicle for that perfectly cooked, tender and juicy beef, mixed with the saltiness of that delicious melted processed cheese and the soft sweetness of the onions.
Oh man.
We had a cheesesteak "wiz wit" (apparently the "correct" way to order a cheesesteak with cheese whiz and onions) and one with american cheese. I liked the american cheese better (more subtle flavours), but both were really good. The sandwich rolls, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside - a perfect vehicle for that perfectly cooked, tender and juicy beef, mixed with the saltiness of that delicious melted processed cheese and the soft sweetness of the onions.
Oh man.
After our awesome lunch we went to see the Liberty Bell (a short walk away from Campo's). The line for the Liberty Bell looked insane, but the line moved quickly and we actually didn't have to wait very long. Plus, it was free, and us Dutchies like anything that's free ;)
I hate that there are people in the background of this picture :P
It was here at Indepence Hall where they wrote and signed the declaration of independence. It's crazy to think you're right there where the United States of America was founded.
I don't think the bell really had anything to do with it, but it became a symbol of independence nonetheless.
I don't think the bell really had anything to do with it, but it became a symbol of independence nonetheless.
Quaker City National Bank by Willis Hale
Spent our remaining time just wandering through the city.
Okay so at first glance this doesn't look like much, but it really is an interesting building with the odd shape and construction and sort of brutalist facade...
It's from the 1940s by Austrian architect Victor Gruen, who is mostly known for his American shopping malls. It used to be a department store (Robinson's), and in the middle where the sale sign is up, there used to be a huge sign that said Robinson. You can see here what the building used to look like, and to be honest, it looked a lot better then. This building needs that sign back. I mean, without the sign I thought it was some sort of parking garage, like the ones you see in Tokyo.
I think the bottom should be restored to its former glory as well. Those stores and their signs cheapen the building. Only restoring is not really on the table right now, they're closer to demolishing it. I think that would be a shame. It's a piece of iconic architecture that stands out because it's such a huge contrast to other Philadelphian buildings. Yes, it's the odd one out, but hey, I like an underdog.
I suggest they turn it into a movie theatre and rename it Robinson's. It looks like it could be a movie theatre. Or a museum of modern art? Museum of modern architecture? Come on Philly, be creative here!
It's from the 1940s by Austrian architect Victor Gruen, who is mostly known for his American shopping malls. It used to be a department store (Robinson's), and in the middle where the sale sign is up, there used to be a huge sign that said Robinson. You can see here what the building used to look like, and to be honest, it looked a lot better then. This building needs that sign back. I mean, without the sign I thought it was some sort of parking garage, like the ones you see in Tokyo.
I think the bottom should be restored to its former glory as well. Those stores and their signs cheapen the building. Only restoring is not really on the table right now, they're closer to demolishing it. I think that would be a shame. It's a piece of iconic architecture that stands out because it's such a huge contrast to other Philadelphian buildings. Yes, it's the odd one out, but hey, I like an underdog.
I suggest they turn it into a movie theatre and rename it Robinson's. It looks like it could be a movie theatre. Or a museum of modern art? Museum of modern architecture? Come on Philly, be creative here!
Anyway, I really liked Philly. Philadelphia has much more to offer than I expected and we were only there for such a short time - I wouldn't mind coming back one day!
And no, I wouldn't mind having another one of those cheesesteaks either.
And no, I wouldn't mind having another one of those cheesesteaks either.