Top Ten Things to Do on a Budget

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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.

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Roni Koresh's organization performs a handful of times a year in the city. The company's hallmarks are colorful athleticism and deep-seated passion. Israeli by birth, Koresh juxtaposes themes of the Holocaust and war with country dances and an interpretation titled "Day Old Coffee." Hmmm.

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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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This low-key hangout doesn't attract much attention, and that's probably because of its out-of-the-way location. Once you venture here, however, it is another story altogether. The cantina dishes of raving Mexican fare (enchiladas, tacos et al), draught beers, margaritas, sangria, tequila-name anything Mexican, and most likely they'll have it!

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A fairly new warrior in the Chinatown restaurant wars, Penang has become one of the district's most popular for the Malaysian cuisine that most people just can't get at their neighborhood Asian eatery. Expect a wait on the weekend, day or night. The deep-fried fish dishes with Thai sauce and array of sweet and spicy chicken dishes bring in customers by the droves. Exotic arrangements that wouldn't even occur to most are served, including stingray and octopus entrees.

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Students in the vocal arts program at the renowned Curtis Institute of Music regularly show off their talents around town. These 25 singers, ages 18 to 28, present fully staged performances and concert productions at the Prince Music Theater and Kimmel Center, as well as in the beautiful studio and Field Hall of their Rittenhouse Square school.

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The Ancestry Inn Homestay, is a private home nestled at the end of Historic Germantown with cobble stone street, only20 minutes by train to center city 1 block away.The Ancestry Inn features accommodations of the Victorian era, rooms are charmed with an unique elegance. The main level has a spacious romantic parlor with crystal chandler and fire place that's great for reading, chatting or just for quite thinking. The upper level houses four breath taking suites. The RoseWood, The Ancestry, The Country Willows and The Ravenell Suite. MORE THAN INTRIGUE AND NURTURING IS THE WARM HOSPITALITY PROVIDED BY YOUR HOST KENNETH & CYNTHIA.

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A Philly tradition! Bar and nightclub presenting nightly entertainment. Named award-winning fun spot by Philadelphia magazine, Philadelphia Weekly, and City Paper, with a truly mixed crowd: young, old, black, white, gay, and straight.

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Tattooed Mom, located in the heart of South Street, consistently draws a crowd of locals hipsters, bikers, and punk rockers. It offers cheap beer, a great jukebox, and two floors in which to people-watch. You'll never get bored of the crowd here.

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Since 1939 this dining mainstay has been consistently rated as one of the area's best for having mastered the culinary art of creating authentic Philly cheesesteaks. Cheez Whiz, sautéed onions, mushrooms, and peppers are just a few of the extras that are always on call to top the thinly sliced rib eyes. Put them together on a long Italian torpedo roll and you have a sandwich masterpiece. The menu also offers several cheesesteak variations as well as soups and salads. Its late hours make it a favorite with the bar crowd.

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.

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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.