When You Arrive: Restaurants & Entertainment

Getting Around

Since Philadelphia is so walkable, and the wedding so centrally located, there's a wealth of things to see and do while you're in town for the weekend.

You'll want to be armed with a map of downtown Philadelphia. Here's a great one.

Neighborhoods

Center City is made up of several distinct neighborhoods.

Among them:

• Old City. The oldest part of the city. You'll find narrow alleys and doorways and lots of red brick. Frequented by tourists during the day and club-goers at night.
• Rittenhouse Square. The city's most affluent neighborhood. You'll find condominiums, small dogs and high-end stores and restaurants.
• Washington Square West. A hip neighborhood and home to the "Gayborhood." You'll find an eclectic mix of shops, restaurants and cafes.
• Midtown Village. Effectively "Washington Square East," it's an extension of that neighborhood with more restaurants and fewer residences.
• Business District. This is where Philadelphia's glassy skyline lives, as does its economic engine. It's rather empty on nights and weekends.
• Parkway Museum District/Fairmount. Where many of Philadelphia's cultural institutions are located, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Rodin Museum, Academy of Natural Sciences, Franklin Institute and the main branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia.
• Chinatown. Fairly self-explanatory; it's located next to the Convention Center. Check out the Friendship gate on 10th and Arch streets.
• Society Hill. A historic and rather affluent residential neighborhood. You'll find the city's oldest homes, dating to before the American Revolution.
• Avenue of the Arts District. The southern section of Broad Street below City Hall and the Union League. It's where most of Philadelphia's performing arts centers are located, including the Kimmel Center, Academy of Music, Merriam Theatre, Wilma Theatre and the University of the Arts.
• South Street. A seedy, bohemian and punk strip on the edge of Center City. Home to clubs, bars, tattoo parlors and various nightlife establishments.

If you're interested, there are also a few more neighborhoods beyond Center City's limits worth exploring.

Those are:

• Northern Liberties. Located immediately northeast of Center City. An artsy neighborhood that's slowly gentrifying. Home to the Standard Tap, a gastropub that only serves local beer.
• Italian Market. Located due south of Center City, below the Washington Square West neighborhood. Philly's Little Italy, with an open-air market along 9th St. and home to the cheesesteak.
• University City. Located across the Schuylkill River, to the west of Center City. It's where the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University and other colleges are located. It's also where we live!

Food & Restaurant Recommendations

• Jones. A spin on American comfort food. (Washington Square West.)
• Continental Midtown. Martini bar and global tapas. (Business District/Rittenhouse Square.)
• Parc. French brasserie. (Rittenhouse Square.)
• Rouge. French brasserie. (Rittenhouse Square.)
• Butcher and Singer. Steaks and chops. (Business District.)
• Morimoto. Sushi. (Washington Square West.)
• Amis. Italian. (Midtown Village.)
• Osteria. Italian. (Fairmount/Museum District.)
• White Dog Cafe. Local American. (University City.)
• El Vez. Mexican. (Washington Square West.)
• El Rey. Mexican. (Rittenhouse Square.)
• Vietnam Restaurant. Vietnamese. (Chinatown.)
• Farmicia. Local American. (Old City.)
• Max Brenner. American and chocolate. (Rittenhouse Square.)
• Noble American Cookery. Local American. (Rittenhouse Square.)
• Pub and Kitchen. Gastropub. (South St.)
• Jim's Steaks. Cheesesteaks. (South St.)
• La Colombe Torrefaction. Coffee. (Rittenhouse Square.)

Points of Interest

• The Franklin Institute. Hands-on science museum.
• Philadelphia Museum of Art. The city's preeminent art museum. "Rocky" steps out front.
• Independence Hall. Where the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were adopted.
• Liberty Bell Center. Yes, it's here, crack and all.
• Betsy Ross House. Home to the woman who sewed the first American flag.
• National Constitution Center. A deep dive into the founding of America.
• Reading Terminal Market. Philly's famous indoor market, with local produce and delicacies.
• Mutter Museum. A museum of medical oddities.
• Rodin Museum. Houses the most examples of the French sculptor's work outside of Paris.
• Christ Church. Founded in 1695. Church to George Washington, Ben Franklin and others.

Entertainment

• World Cafe Live. Live music, eclectic.
• TLA. Live music, rock.
• The Trocadero. Live music, rock.
• North Star Bar. Restaurant and live music, rock.
• Chris' Jazz Cafe. Live jazz.
• Clef Club of Jazz. Live jazz.
• Landmark Ritz at the Bourse. Indie movies.
• North Bowl. Bowling.
• Franklin Mortgage and Investment Company. Speakeasy.
• TIME. Whiskey bar.
• Vintage. Wine bar and bistro.
• Rittenhouse Row. Shopping on Walnut St. between Rittenhouse Square and Broad St.