Philadelphia on a budget

Description:

For years Antique Row Bed & Breakfast has been lodging travelers seeking comfortable and civilized lodging at a reasonable cost. Within walking distance of all of Center City's major cultural and historial attractions as well as the business and conference areas. An old-fashioned European B&B, we offer inexpensive rooms with shared bathrooms as well as more private apartment suites. All accommodations are comfortable, cheerful, and attractive and have individually-controled air conditioning and cable TV. A full breakfast is offered, whether it's served in the dining room or you prepare it yourself. Lots of books, magazines and good conversation.

As seen on

Our Local Expert Says:

This square is one of the best places in the city for people-watching. Grab an outdoor table at one of the upscale bar/restaurants lining the Square, and you'll be set for hours. Jane Jacobs even cited this Square as one of the most successful urban green areas in her classic book, The Death of Life of Great American Cities.

Description:

Rittenhouse Square was one of five squares (only four of which exist) in William Penn's original plan for the city, and it has always been the busiest and most happening square. Jane Jacobs wrote about it in The Death and Life of Great American Cities as an example of a truly successful urban green space. There is hardly a time of day or night when Rittenhouse Square isn't packed with nine-to-fivers taking a lunch break, loungers reading a book or newspaper, people watchers, children, dogs, squirrels, and sometimes a juggler or acrobat. Fashionable restaurants, coffee shops, bookstores, and high-end hotels surround the Square; a visitor to Philadelphia will have much to look at and explore in and around the Square.

Description:

Start out your lunch or dinner with complimentrary chips & salsa in the Center City location, about a block & a half away form Independence Hall. Enjoy authentic Mexican cuisine which includes their most popular dishes: Carnitas, Fajitas, Chile Relleros, Crab Enchiladas & Fish Tacos. They offer a huge menu, including selections for children & vegetarians. Bring the Tequila & buy thier Margarita mix by the pitcher in Lime, Peach, & or Strawberry. Party time atmosphere on Thursday, Friday, & Saturday nights. Thursdays during lunch, enjoy live music.

Description:

This Standard Tap of Center City offers some great grub -- the Philadelphia Inquirer's restaurant critic calls their burger the best in the city -- and way-above-average taproom atmosphere. Downstairs is a long bar with tall-backed booths. Upstairs are cafe tables, Ms. Pac Man, and darts. Menu served until 1am.

Our Local Expert Says:

Philadelphia is famous for its murals. Take an informative walking or trolley tour for a sampling of the city's nearly 3,000 murals.

Description:

Philadelphia may be the world's mural capital, with over 2500 outdoor and indoor murals, most of them done since 1989, when the city's Mural Arts Program began. Mayor Wilson Goode began the program, then called the Anti-Graffiti Network, as an effort to dissuade graffiti artist from tagging and instead encourage them to create murals that would beautify the city. The program took off in the ensuing years, and its artists have painted Philadelphia's walls into modern history. The Mural Arts Program offers trolley tours of different neighborhoods of the city and the murals that beautify those neighborhoods.

Tours and Prices:
Trolley tour: Saturdays, Sundays, and Wednesdays at 10 am. Prices are as follows: Adults - $25, Seniors - $23, Children (under10) - $15. There is a daily walking tour at 11:30 priced at $17.

Description:

This Famous 4th Street Delicatessen has lived up to its moniker by remaining a staple of Philadelphia local cuisine since 1923. This deli is primarily known for traditional Jewish cold cuts and sandwiches like corned beef, roast beef, roasted turkey and brisket. Fish is also available, from lox to gefilte to whitefish. Finish your meal off with an award-winning chocolate chip cookie. Sometimes they give you a cookie as a treat when you're paying your bill. Delivery available. The cookies are also available in the Reading Terminal Market, 13th and Arch streets.

Our Local Expert Says:

Be prepared to encounter crowds at Philadelphia's most well-known tourist destination. View the Liberty Bell that only rang once, stand where the signers of the Declaration of Independence once stood, and read up on history in the newly built Constitution Center. When you're ready for some peace and quiet, take a horse and buggy ride around the site and through the cobblestone streets of Society Hill.

Description:

Independence Hall, completed in 1753, is known to many as the birthplace of America. This building is where the nation's founders issued the Declaration of Independence; where they drafted and signed the Constitution; and where, oddly enough, the new city's stray dogs were kept (in the basement). Independence Hall is located in the heart of the city's historic district and is an essential stop for anyone visiting the city's historic sites or hoping to learn about the founding of the United States.

Description:

Silk City is actually two places joined together. The diner was built by the Silk City company in the 1930s. On the other side of the entrance is the lounge. It opens around 5pm for happy hour, and after 7pm there are DJ parties and the occasional live performance. Latin, hip-hop, 80s, disco; call for schedule. The diner stays open all night on Fridays and Saturdays. Try the grilled cheese, the catfish fingers, the meatloaf, or the pie. Or stay up for an early breakfast of huevos rancheros or eggs and scrapple.

Our Local Expert Says:

For several years, this was THE spot to be in Northern Liberties. It's still a hot spot, though many of the local hipsters have moved along.

Description:

Known locally as the "700 Club," this converted two-story house offers plenty of drinking and dancing to anyone wanting to mingle with people of the trendy club/underground/art scene. The first floor contains a large wooden bar and standing room only, while the upstairs is strewn with vintage, and not so vintage, couches and chairs. A converted kitchen serves as 700's second-floor bar.

Description:

For years Antique Row Bed & Breakfast has been lodging travelers seeking comfortable and civilized lodging at a reasonable cost. Within walking distance of all of Center City's major cultural and historial attractions as well as the business and conference areas. An old-fashioned European B&B, we offer inexpensive rooms with shared bathrooms as well as more private apartment suites. All accommodations are comfortable, cheerful, and attractive and have individually-controled air conditioning and cable TV. A full breakfast is offered, whether it's served in the dining room or you prepare it yourself. Lots of books, magazines and good conversation.

As seen on

Description:

Regarded as the best farmers' market in America (at least by Philadelphians), the Reading Terminal Market is a terrific place to sample all the culinary grandeur Philadelphia has to offer. Experience the traditional cheesesteak, a custom-made deli sandwich, or an authentic Pennsylvania Dutch hearty home cooked breakfast prepared by Amish farmers. Aside from the prepared foods, over 80 food merchants purvey fresh fish and meats as well as an assortment of exotic and local fruits and vegetables.

Our Local Expert Says:

This is not a museum for the squeamish. Enjoy all sorts of medical oddities here that will leave you wondering and talking for days.

Description:

The Mutter Museum is the prime spot for anyone looking for a unique and possibly disturbing museum experience. The Museum houses a collection of medical oddities that are sure to surprise visitors. It was started in 1858 by professor Thomas Dent Mutter, who hoped to use his collection of specimens to educate future doctors. Among other oddities, the collection includes thousands of objects extracted from people's throats, a plaster cast of Siamese twins joined at the liver, and the cancerous tumor extracted from President Grover Cleveland. Located at the northwestern edge of center city, the Museum offers a perfect – if unusual – start to a day of walking through center city.

Our Local Expert Says:

While the famous lights of Boathouse Row can only be seen from across the river, the east side of the Boathouses provides an ever-popular path for joggers, bikers, strolling families, picnickers, and others. Half a mile past the boathouses lies a mid-century sculpture garden depicting the history of the U.S. For some exercise (and a view of the lights), follow the Kelly Drive path all the way to the Falls Bridge and head back on West River Drive, completing an 8-mile loop that ends in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Description:

The lights that illuminate the boathouses on Boathouse Row are a classic Philadelphia scene. Numerous painters have painted these lights, which even native Philadelphians stop to marvel at. The only difficulty is getting to a place where you can see the lights; they're on the river side of the boathouses, so they can only be seen from West River Drive or the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76), and only at night. If you have access to a car, try driving West River Drive, crossing the Falls Bridge, and coming back to the city on Kelly Drive. Alternately, the boathouses are quite lovely from Kelly Drive, even without the famous lights. Kelly Drive, which begins at the Art Museum and extends four miles northwest, is an ever-popular place for bikers, joggers, and picnickers.