Philadelphians can be tough on their hometown, griping about the traffic, the crime, the long-suffering sports teams. But these quibbles are mere blips compared to the attractions that await visitors: the colonial charm of the Old City, a barbacoa breakfast in the historic Italian Market, glittering mosaics on South Street and the fine restaurants in Fishtown. Long known for its food, the city now takes its meals outdoors — a pandemic holdover — in leafy new courtyards and gardens. For those visiting soon, spring is synonymous with street festivals: There’s the food-and-drink smorgasbord along East Passyunk Avenue; a wild homemade-vehicle race at the Kensington Derby and Arts Festival; a fashionable soiree with live music on Rittenhouse Square; and the annual greased pole climbing competition at the Italian Market Festival.
Recommendations
Where to stay:
- In Center City, the Guild House Hotel opened in 2021 with 12 sumptuous guest rooms in a landmark rowhouse that was formerly home to the New Century Guild, a women’s support organization founded in suffrage-era Philadelphia. Doubles from $229.
