Downtown Philadelphia is referred to as Center City. This covers 30 blocks from the Delaware River on the east end to the Schuykill River on the west side, as far north as Spring Garden Street and south to South Street. But within this area there are even more neighborhoods.
Start your visit in the neighborhood around Independence Hall, where the Liberty Bell rang out and where the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights were written and signed. This is Society Hill, where you can tour Independence National Park, do some shopping and have a cocktail at an intimate bar, head up the block to a play, and then round off the day with a jumping night out.
North of Market Street is Old City, Philadelphia's version of New York's Soho. Packed with restaurants, small art galleries and a growing number of design firms, this is where the young hip scene hangs out.
East of Old City, along the Delaware River, Penn's Landing is a backdrop for outdoor festivals and free summer concerts, as well as fireworks on holidays. You can take a ferry across the river to the aquarium or visit the open-air clubs north of the Ben Franklin Bridge to take advantage of the breathtaking view.
West of Old City between 8th and 13th Streets is Chinatown. Half Chinese and half a combination of Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Burmese and Pan-Asian, this thriving section rivals any Chinatown in the country.
On the west end of Center City is the fashionable Rittenhouse Square district, where you can buy great clothing and then wear it to dinner at the place next door.
| Philadelphia Tourist Information | ||
| [Philadelphia Home] [Philadelphia Attractions] [Restaurants & Dining] [Philadelphia Area] [Getting Around Philadelphia] [Luxury Hotels] [Standard Hotels] [Cheap Hotels] [Discount Hotels] |
