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Neighborhood and central business district in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Photo: 颐园居, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
City Center East is the most dense section of Philadelphia, home to City Hall, the Convention Center, Chinatown, Washington Square West, and Gayborhood.
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A lively neighborhood, extending from 7th to Broad Street, Chestnut to South Street. It is bordered by the quieter neighborhoods of Rittenhouse Square to the west and Old City/Society Hill to the east. It is home to Antique Row and Mid-Town Village (two great shopping districts), historic cobbled streets, theaters, restaurants and more. Antique Row (Pine Street between about 13th and 9th Streets) is full of interesting shops, not all of them antiques-oriented. This neighborhood is a good place to see Philadelphia's native style of house, the "trinity" -- two, three, or four floors, one room per floor, connected by spiral stairs. The small streets above Pine, such as Quince Street, are lined with trinities. Washington Square itself is worth a visit to see the tomb of the unknown Revolutionary War soldier.
A subsection of Washington Square West, the Gayborhood is Philadelphia's traditional LGBTQ-friendly area. It covers from about Broad and Walnut about 11th and Pine, and is most strongly associated with 12th and 13th streets, especially from Pine to Walnut. The Gayborhood is comprised of bars, restaurants and other LGBTQ-friendly business, including Giovanni's Room, the oldest operating queer bookstore in the U.S. Popular establishments include Woody's, Pure, and 12th Street Gym. Most straight-owned Gayborhood businesses are friendly to the LGBT community and straights alike regardless of orientation.
Extends from approximately 8th Street to 11th Street east-west, and Vine Street to Market Street north-south. Compared to the Chinatown of other cities, Philadelphia's is fairly small. It is home to a variety of Asian ethnicities (not just Chinese) and is a popular neighborhood for young people. The streets are dominated by homes, restaurants, and boutique stores. Chinatown's symbol is its "Friendship Arch", an ornate paifang in the heart of the neighborhood, located at 10th and Arch streets. Though it is commonly found in many North American Chinatowns, the Arch Street incarnation is more elaborately rendered than most. Chinatown is filled with restaurants, bakeries and gift shops. Restaurants include Penang, Sang Kee, Banana Leaf and Tai Lake. Bakeries include Asia Bakery, Hong Kong Bakery, Mong Kok Station Bakery and KC Pastries. Popular foods include milk tea, bubble tea (also known as boba tea) egg tarts, pork buns, steamed buns, chicken buns and pineapple buns.
The unofficial center of Center City at Broad and Market Street. An architectural masterpiece, built out of stone in the Second Empire style. The building is 548 ft (167 m) tall, topped by a 36 ft bronze statue of William Penn. It remained the tallest building in the city from its construction in 1901 until 1987. There is a paid tour you can go on which takes you to an observation deck in the tower.
Built to preserve, interpret, and exhibit achievements of African Americans.
PAFA
A school that has had an impressive roster of artist alumni in the past 200 years, including some of the best-known names in American art. Its museum shows works from past and present PAFA students and faculty, as well as regular special exhibits.
Showcases a variety of performing arts from chamber music, dance, drama, orchestral, jazz & pop.
Founded in 1900, the Philadelphia Orchestra is one of the most famous and widely traveled orchestras in the world. Performs in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.
The Academy is the oldest grand opera house in the United States still being used for its original purpose. The Academy also provides the Philadelphia area with interesting and popular concerts, ballets, Broadway shows, and other events. Tours of the Academy, focusing on its inspiring history and current renovations, are available by contacting the manager's office.
Mask and Wig has presented comedy, music, and dancing to the University of Pennsylvania, to Philadelphia and to audiences across the country since 1889 and is a legend amongst Philadelphia theatre-goers. Each spring, Mask and Wig performs a full-length musical comedy at its historic Clubhouse.
America's oldest theatre celebrated its 200th anniversary season in 2009. Shows regularly sell out, and travelers are advised to buy in advance. The theater is a self-producing, non-profit regional theater.
The best advertisement for this hip burrito shop is the long line that develops inside every weekday at lunchtime.
Trinidadian cuisine in a relaxed but elegant atmosphere. Friendly staff. BYOB. The curry goat and oxtail are both classic and highly recommended; you can also try their Trinidadian Chinese offerings for a different but still excellent experience.
It's hard not to see Kanella coming a mile away, what with its bright blue exterior and white Greek lettering. Yes, the food is Cypriot-Greek, and unlike most Greek places, you can eat three meals a day there if you're so inclined. Which you may very well be after eating dinner once. Semi-casual, spare, elegant decor and friendly service. BYOB.
Bon Appetit magazine has said that this small, very upscale place is "probably the best Italian restaurant in America." 'Nuff said. But in case you need to hear it from the locals, the Philadelphia Inquirer has named it one of the top 5 restaurants in the city, along with Le Bec Fin and a few others. The restaurant is centered around a classic Italian four-course prix-fixe tasting menu (antipasto, primo, segundo, and dessert), with the option to add on a shared starter or additional pasta for $25 each. The tasting menu includes complimentary amuse-bouches and light drinks. Full bar and wine list carefully tailored to the food. A real service experience, and budget extra time for this one: the meal can easily take 3 hours.
Excellent American Chinese food (with an even better non-Americanized menu for the adventurous); even the Americanized dishes are less so than you might expect, and some oddball dishes do appear on the regular menu. Open late, and a very nice staff.
America's oldest farmer's market is a bustling indoor public market hall, with produce markets, bakeries, arts and crafts, a beer garden, and virtually every type of cuisine present. Be sure to make some time to stroll around and sample as much as you can. Despite the market's stated hours, individual vendors operate their own schedules; some restaurants will be open for dinner, and some, particular the Pennsylvania Dutch shops, are closed on Sundays.
A local ice cream brand that has operated the same store at the same location in Reading Terminal Market since it opened in 1893, and has the distinction of being America's oldest ice cream company. While Bassett's is available at many other restaurants and supermarkets, this is the only retail outlet carrying the Bassett's name. The ice cream itself is rich, creamy and delicious.
One of the market's most popular restaurants, specializing in the Philadelphia roast pork sandwich (served with sharp provolone and greens); also serves roast beef sandwiches. Lines tend to be extraordinarily long, but the line moves. The staff will go down the long line to take your order to make things move efficiently, so make sure you know what you want before you get in line.
Traditional diner fare with an emphasis on Pennsylvania Dutch and some Southern-style dishes. You can find scrapple here as well as shrimp-and-grits. The diner has its own entrance outside of the Reading Terminal Market on Filbert Street across from the Field House Bar if you wish to go to the diner when the Reading Terminal Market is closed.
One of the best cheesesteaks at the market. Long lines, especially around lunch.
One of the best places to eat in Chinatown. The Peking duck is, obviously, what Sang Kee is famous for, but other delights abound, like wonton noodle soup and pork spare ribs. Unpretentious, casual surroundings and brisk service. Great for big groups.
A Japanese restaurant, with a karaoke bar and lounge upstairs. You can either rent private rooms, which are pricey but worth it with a large group of friends, or if you're brave enough, get your drink on and then sign up to sing publicly at the bar.
One of the contenders for best dive bar in the city. Everything you could want: an eclectic, scruffy crowd both old and young, gay and straight, pinball, darts, random crap stuck up all over the bar, wisecracking bartender, cheap drinks.
One of the two branches is located inside the Reading Terminal Market serving good coffee.
former Courtyard
Re-opened after a grand $75 million restoration. This 18-story, 498-room Philadelphia hotel opened in 1926 and is listed on the "National Register of Historic Places". The hotel now integrates state-of-the-art systems with unique architectural details like coffered plaster, stunning bronze work and striking marble finishes.
In a bohemian section of Washington Square West.
Adjacent to the Pennsylvania Convention Center and 8 blocks from Independence Hall.
A slew of traditional retailers.
The Reading Terminal Market is home to many of Pennsylvania's Amish merchants who sell their goods. Here, you can find some of the best baked goods and the freshest organic produce in the region. Additionally, the market features cheesesteaks and other non-Amish restaurants and shops.
Antique Row is home to a mix of antique stores and local gift and craft boutiques. Visit the Foodery at 10th and Pine for a selection of hundreds of by-the-bottle beers from around the world, or a few blocks down, ring the bell at Halloween (1329 Pine) for an incredible jewelry store experience that can accommodate any budget.
The oldest operating LGBT bookstore in the U.S. Offers a broad mix of new and used books and music, as well as a small thrifting selection.
A waning business venue with two floors of random Chinese merchandise; the upstairs has a lot of music, books, and DVDs. They also have a man in back that does Chinese massage and acupressure.
By subway
The Market-Frankford Line runs under Market Street with three stations serving Center City East: 8th Street (non-free connection to the Broad-Ridge Spur), 11th Street, and 13th Street (free…
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