A Fall Walk In Philly

I took vacation the week of Thanksgiving to spend with family and friends back in my hometown in the Philly suburbs, and I vowed to also take some time to myself.  When I lived back in PA, one of my favorite ways to spend a day was to go into Philadelphia, park, and just walk around; whether I went alone, or with local friends, or out-of-town friends, Center City Philadelphia (in my opinion) is a great city to walk around in.  (The same could be same for the other major cities in the Northeast - Boston, New York, Washington DC, etc.)

So...that's what I did...here are some photos I took along the way...these are just a few examples of what can be found wandering...


(clicking on a picture will open the pic in a slide-show window)

walking route - Google Maps

I parked my car at the parking garage on 4th Street between Market Street and Chestnut Street.  

view from parking garage, S 4th Street

From the parking garage, I walked north on 4th Street to Market, and turned right.  In the middle of that block is a row of restored historic buildings.

restored historic buildings, Market Street

From there I continued east on Market Street, and turned left to head north on 2nd Street.  A few blocks up is Elfreths' Alley, which is the oldest continually-lived street in America.

Elfreths' Alley

I walked down the alley to Front Street, turned left and headed up to Race Street, which runs under the I-95 Expressway down to the Delaware River.  The city just recently created a new park called the Race Street Pier.

Race Street Pier

Race Street Pier

From there, I headed south along Delaware Avenue, which was officially renamed to Christopher Columbus Boulevard.  My next stop is one of my favorite places to visit and take in the city - Penn's Landing.  I've always found Penn's Landing to be a combination of many things - separate from the hustle and bustle of the city, but still part of it; a place of concerts and festivals and excitement; tranquil water but industrial as well.

Great Plaza, Penn's Landing

Penn's Landing and Ben Franklin Bridge

Penn's Landing

After walking along the water, I headed back to the city for my next stop; the Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial.  This is somewhat hidden on a small park that sits over a tunnel of I-95, but to me is one of the better memorials I've seen.

Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Just a few south blocks from there is the infamous South Street; an eclectic mix of shops, stores, restaurants, which is known for it's weekend crowds...on Thanksgiving Monday, however, it was pretty quiet.

South Street Pedestrian Bridge over I-95 (connects South Street to Penn's Landing)

Jon's,.3rd and South, and the site of the home of Larry from the Three Stooges

TLA - Theater of the Living Arts

Jim's Steaks, 4th and South

From there, the South Street scene continues for another 3 blocks, but I turned north on 4th Street to complete my loop and head to lunch.  This area of Philly has some historic churches and brownstone row homes before reaching the Independence Hall Historic District.

Pine Street homes

St, Peter's Church, in existence for 250 years

cobblestone street off 4th Street

The next few pictures are from the Independence Hall Park area...

FINALLY...back where I started at 4th and Chestnut...but before ending my day in the city, I had to stop in the Bourse Building, which is a historic hotel turned into shops and offices.  There, of course, I had to become a complete tourist and get my obligatory cheese steak and fries special...