Philadelphia is the sixth largest city in the USA and a place you must visit! It is only a two-hour commute by car or train from New York City, Atlantic City, and Baltimore, and an additional hour will take you to Washington D.C., the nation’s capital. Known for its Philly cheesesteaks and Philly soft pretzels, the City of Brotherly Love is rich in history and tradition. It is where the Constitution of the United States of America was signed, the American Flag was designed and it’s where the famous steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum were filmed with Rocky Balboa running up. (A must do for you too, while visiting!) Philadelphians are sport fanatics. Try to catch a Phillies baseball game, an Eagles football game or a Flyers hockey game while you’re here and you’ll see some true Philadelphia spirit! Another site to visit is the Philadelphia Zoo – one of the top zoos in the U.S and the Franklin Institute, one of the best science museums in the nation.
There are plenty of great restaurants and shopping areas. The places I would recommend staying are Center City West or Old City. Center City West is where an area called Rittenhouse Square is located with many four-star hotels and restaurants and some wonderful shops. Check out Tria Cafe on Spruce Street while you’re there – a cute wine bar and cafe. Just make sure you go early; it gets quite busy!
Old City is more of a historic district, where you’ll go to see the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. At night, it turns into a big nightlife scene with many bars and restaurants. There are some nice boutique hotels to stay in, as well as some hotels that are based on the waterfront. Make sure to get a cup of joe at Old City coffee while you’re in town.
Another unique place to visit in town is the Reading Terminal Market, which is located across from the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Center City. This market has it all, with different types of food; from Amish specialties and fresh baked goods, Italian hoagies, great pizza, sushi, and gyros – you’re sure to find whatever you’re in the mood for and, trust me, it’ll be good.
Take in a play at the Walnut Street Theatre or the Academy of Music, and your visit will be complete.
Local business etiquette and customs
Philadelphia is a major city in the U.S., so you must take precaution and be aware of your surroundings while visiting. For more information on this, visit: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g60795-s206/Philadelphia:Pennsylvania:Health.And.Safety.html
Travel and transport
Philadelphia is a big walking city. You can get around pretty easily – the city follows a grid street design.
If you don’t feel like walking, the Septa system is the main transportation method. You can choose to ride by bus, subway, trolley or train through Septa. You can ride the Broad Street Line to get to one of the sports complexes and the Market-Frankford Line to the many neighborhoods, such as Rittenhouse Square or Old City. To travel from the Philadelphia Airport, take the SEPTA Airport Line Regional Rail train. Cabs are also very plentiful in the city.
Women’s network and events
Maiden Voyage’s partners, IWant2Network offer membership for the best professional networking groups and meetings, locally, nationally and all over the world. See what’s happening in Philadelphia and join IWant2Network here.
