THE recent trip to the United States brought us to Philadelphia, just a one-and-half-hour Amtrak train ride from New York City to the 30th Street Station. The city’s oldest buildings here are so well-preserved and the train station itself, opened in 1933, is a work of art. Its cavernous, ornate Art Deco main passenger concourse is faced with travertine, and its soaring coffered ceiling, painted gold, red and cream, has beautiful chandeliers. Just a short walk away is our hotel, the historic, 18-storey full-service Courtyard Philadelphia Downtown, designed by renowned American architect Philip H. Johnson, built in 1926, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
“Philly”, as the city is affectionately called, has all of the glamor of New York City and Washington, D.C., but still retains its small-town charm. Often called the “Birthplace of America” and referred to as the “new Athens” early in its existence, the city is known for its role in the American Revolutionary War. Philadelphia saw the convening of the Continental Congress, as well as the writing of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. America’s early history and role in building democracy are very accessible in this beautiful place, easy and rewarding to explore, its streets dotted with gracious squares and linked by cobbled alleys.
Philadelphia’s oldest historic quarter, where the roots of the American Independence began, is located between 6th Street and the Delaware River. It features Independence Mall and historical landmarks like the Liberty Bell, Constitution Hall and Independence Hall. The Liberty Bell, a major piece in Philly’s history, is right in the center of Philadelphia inside of a pavilion near Independence Hall.
Last rung in 1846, this 2,080-pound icon of freedom features a biblical inscription and a famed crack. Benjamin Franklin, probably Philadelphia’s most famous resident, as well as the four signers of the Declaration of Independence, are buried in Christ Church Burial Ground.
The Old City, a vibrant and culturally diverse neighborhood of red brick buildings with an “Old World” European aesthetic, is also home to many art, design and fashion businesses and galleries. Philadelphia has the largest collection of public art in the nation, and great restaurants, bars and clubs add excitement during evening hours.
We wanted to explore Philadelphia’s maritime heritage, so we visited the Independence Seaport Museum. Here, we saw exhibits of artifacts and documents detailing the region’s maritime history. The highlight of our visit was actually boarding two National Historic Landmark ships—the Spanish-American War-era cruiser USS Olympia (incidentally Admiral George Dewey’s flagship at the May 1, 1898 Battle of Manila Bay) and the World War II-era submarine USS Becuna.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art, known for its architecture and over 240,000 objects of European, American and Asian origin (sculpture, paintings, prints, drawings, photographs, armor and decorative arts), also became known in recent decades for the role the museum stairs played in five of the six Rocky films. Visitors to the museum are often seen mimicking Rocky Balboa’s (Sylvester Stallone) famous run up the east entrance stairs (informally nicknamed the Rocky Steps), the second-most famous movie location behind only Grand Central Station in New York City. The 2.6 meter-high bronze statue from Rocky III, originally placed on top of the stairs during filming, now stands prominently at a new display area on the north side of the base of the stairs.
Facing the main building of the Philadelphia Museum of Art is the landmark Ruth and Raymond G. Perelman Building. One of the finest Art Deco structures in Philadelphia, it has the most elaborately sculpted façade of any 20th-century building in the city.
Also within walking distance is the Rodin Museum, which houses the largest collection of sculptor Auguste Rodin’s works outside Paris.
For a change of pace, we also explored the Franklin Institute Science Museum, a lively, family-friendly science museum with many interactive exhibits and displays, plus a planetarium.