Philadelphia - September 2019

Downtown Philadelphia

Philadelphia is a beautiful city with so much to offer.

If you wake up as early as I did and walk around, or jog, you may find a lot of runners, homeless people, or strollers, but the streets are free from all the usual tourists, locals, and cars. It is the best time to enjoy the city.  Best time for running. The streets are quiet, it was not hot, and the perfect time to go for a jog around the city and check out the city. 

Jogging downtown Philadelphia

The Free Library

The Free Library

The Free Library sits along the culture-heavy Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Brazilian Festival

You don’t need to fly to Brazil to enjoy Brazilian music or eat good Brazilian food; You can hang out with Brazilians from all over the world celebrating their Independence Day in Philadelphia. It was a-high energy and colorful event with Brazilians showing their art, music, and fashion. It was nice to be in Philadelphia during the festival this year (2019).

Center City (also known as Downtown Philadelphia)

Downtown Philadelphia

It did not feel as populated like other US cities like Manhattan (for example), but it is supposedly the second most populous downtown in the United States. You will hardly hear any of the locals refer to it as downtown. They refer to it as the Center City. The center of the city has flags of countries around the world in alphabetical order along the Parkway, including the Vatican.

You can see the flags of different countries

The downtown area blends both historical sites and modern skyscrapers. You could walk to some well-known venues like the Liberty Bell or the Independence Hall (where the Declaration of Independence was signed) and many other historical sites. If history or culture is not your thing, the city also has many jazz clubs, bars, night clubs, restaurants, and museums for all ages.

Benjamin Franklin Parkway is a scenic mile-long Parkway that starts at Philadelphia City Hall, curves around Logan Circle and ends before the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

All Wars Memorial to Colored Soldiers and Sailors

All Wars Memorial to Colored Soldiers and Sailors

All Wars Memorial to Colored Soldiers and Sailors is a war memorial in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that honors the state's African American servicemen who fought in American conflicts from the American Revolutionary War to World War I

The Famous Rocky statue and steps from the movie Rocky

The famous Rocky statue in the background

The famous Rocky Statue and "Rocky Steps" are one of the most popular attractions with tourists visiting Philadelphia. Once you get there, you will see a lineup of people wanting to take a picture with the famous statue of Rocky.

The steps have been made famous by the scene of the movie Rocky, and you will find tourists running up and down the steps mimicking Rocky's famous climb up those same stairs.

The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul

The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, the head church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia, is located at 18th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on the east side of Logan Square in Philadelphia. I liked this building. I stopped during one of my walks and took my time to enjoy the design with its massive stone columns and highly recognizable great dome. The Basilica is Philadelphia's largest brownstone structure and the largest catholic church in Pennsylvania.

Spruce Street Harbor Park

Spruce Street Harbor Park is a seasonal park that is open from May till the end of September. If you are in Philadelphia around this time of the year, you should go check it out. There is plenty of space in the Park for lounging or playing games with friends. There are food and drinks and events happening every day. There is so much to do; so much that you can make this an all-day affair. There is live music on Thursday nights and some weekend nights. You can also go paddle boarding or join one of the outdoor yoga sessions you will find at the Park. I believe they have movies on some Sundays too.

Nightlife in Philadelphia

Philadelphia might be known for their football and football fans, or the culture and history or as the first-ever capital during the Revolutionary War under the Articles of Confederation, but there is so much to do in this city at night and lucky for tourists and locals, this city is a walkable city. You can go to most places by foot if you are in the center. I even went to a football game to watch the Philadelphia Eagle's home game opener and made it downtown in time for the next game which happened to be the Seahawks game that afternoon.

City Tap is a cool sports bar in the center of the city to watch the games, they have good food and reasonably priced drinks. The city has other cool sports bars, many rooftop bars, outdoor beer gardens, and bars everywhere. If a dive bar is your thing, Philadelphia has plenty of those too. You could choose to end the night at a fancy jazz club where you are required to dress nice or find a club that doesn't care what you wear.

Philadelphia Eagles

I am not an Eagles fan, but I have to say the fans there love their team and show support whether they are winning or not. Even the homeless people all had on their Eagles jersey or hats.  They were represented on the streets. I had to go to a game just because it was something to do and it was the first NFL game of the season (2019 regular season).

There is so much more to see in this great city, and Philadelphia is also very welcoming. Waving flags of all the countries in the world in the city center shows this, and when you are in the city, you will notice how diverse it is. I love this city, and I only touched the surface of what the city has to offer. Remember, I was only there for two days, so this post only represents what I saw and not the entirety of what the city has to offer.