visiting philly this weekend

My partner and I have made a last-minute decision to spend this weekend in and around Philadelphia. Actually, we are staying at a motel in New Jersey to save money. We want to see the fireworks Friday night, then come back to the city for most of the day Saturday to see Independence Hall and the historic district and probably also the Art Museum.

I know the usual advice to avoid driving and take transit. This is the advice I give when people ask on the TripAdvisor forum for Boston, my home. But the truth is, as a local Bostonian, I know where to find on-street parking spots. Typically these spots are a 15 to 20-minute walk from any attraction.

Is the same true in Philadelphia? For example, if I were to cruise around the Fairmount neighborhood, maybe up toward Girard, on Friday evening, would I be likely to find a parking spot from which we could walk to the fireworks? I ask because we will not be staying so close to any PATCO station in New Jersey, so we%26#39;d have to drive there. And then the PATCO stations in Center City are around a mile on foot from the fireworks. (I%26#39;ve looked on the SEPTA site and found that bus service toward the Art Museum from, say, Market and 5th is infrequent.) So if we have to do all this driving and walking anyway, why not skip PATCO, especially if we might find a parking spot less than a mile from the fireworks?

If this sounds like a viable plan, can anyone recommend a nice restaurant (but not TOO expensive) in the Fairmount neighborhood, serving any kind of Mediterranean cuisine?

If Fairmount won%26#39;t work, what about University City, from which we could approach the fireworks over the Spring Garden Bridge? Again, restaurant tips would also be welcome.

Thanks in advance for your tips!

visiting philly this weekend

Yes, Philadelphia is like Boston in that if you know where to look, and how to read the parking signs, you can generally find a spot.

Forget parking anywhere near the fireworks (Girard, etc.). Your University City idea is not a bad idea at all, and may work. But- there are a couple of buts... be aware that unlike most cities, the neighborhoods in Philadelphia can change in the blink of an eye, which is one reason to stay away away from the Girard Avenue area, except east of 5th Street, which is too far to walk safely. The same is true in the University City area. Some streets are fine, others are not.

Next, the Philadelphia Parking Authority is the most efficient governmental department anywhere, at least when it comes to issuing parking tickets. READ THE SIGNS CAREFULLY. Time limits are enforced, even if there are no meters. If a sign says 2 Hr Parking Mon-Sun 8 AM - 8 PM you will get a ticket if you pull up at 5:59PM and stay till 8, as you parked for 2 hours and 1 minute. If you pull up at 6:01, you can stay till 10:00 AM the next morning, as you parked for 1 hr 59 min during regulated time, then again during regulated time after 8AM the next day. As for holidays... They aren%26#39;t posted, so assume that Friday 7/4/08 is a Friday and not a Sunday.

My advice is to look for parking on or south of Market Street between 32nd and 38th, and to walk up 32nd street to the Spring Garden Street Bridge. The area north of Market has less parking and some streets are not too safe at night. You have to know where to go and where not to go- other routes may not be as safe. You can also consider walking down Market to 22nd Street and walking up 22nd to the Parkway. It is further, but safer (but crowded). Don%26#39;t try to park on the west side of the river (in town, like around 22nd %26amp; Market, Chestnut, Walnut, Spruce, etc.), as everyone does that.

Restaurants- try The White Dog Cafe on the Penn Campus (3420 Sansom Street -near where you will be parking). Good food and drinks in a hip atmosphere.

visiting philly this weekend

Fairmount is definitely not a possibility, not only for the reasons owlyn cited, but also because the streets in neighborhoods surrounding the art museum will be closed except for residents with valid parking permits. I don%26#39;t know if that%26#39;s true of University City, but I personally wouldn%26#39;t chance it. I would stick with PATCO or perhaps park in a garage in Old City and take the subway to 15th St.

Hotwire.com has some great hotel rates for this weekend. You may want to change your hotel plan.

Also, I believe the Delaware River fireworks will be Saturday night. Take a look at americasbirthday.com for the schedule of events.

Lynn

There are MANY changes to normal parking areas for the weekend, there will be strict enforcement as well. Personally, I would try to find something in the city, because mass transit across the river gets skimpy later at night.

Heres all the info on transportation and street closings; www.americasbirthday.com/planyourvisit.asp

BTW the walk from the PATCO station is not bad, a 20 minute walk will likely be much quicker and enjoyable that cruising the streets of an unfamiliar city in search of a parking space, and then, the walk from University City will be just as long if not longer than the walk from PATCO

Two restaurants that fit your bill for Mediterranean food in Fairmount are Figs (Mediterranean) and L%26#39;Oca (Italian)

http://www.figsrestaurant.com/

http://www.locafairmount.com/

I have heard good things about both of these places from people who live in the vicinity, although not actually dined there myself. I believe they are both BYOB. If you prefer a restaurant that has a liquor license I would recommend Illuminare, and Italian place, I have had several excellent meals there

http://www.illuminare2321.com/

I%26#39;ll add my voice to those encouraging you to look into staying in the city. It%26#39;s hard to imagine the impact on 300,000 people coming in and out of a fairly small area at the same time, but it%26#39;s not pretty if you%26#39;re in a car.

As an example of the kinds of deals available, I notice that AAA is advertising a package with a good downtown hotel at $125 a night plus the third night free, not bargain basement, but a very good deal. If you%26#39;re driving all the way from Boston, your trip will be so much better. And we%26#39;d love to have you here.

Also, depending on your plans, if you are coming in from Boston, staying in the city puts Amtrak in play..

With gas prices as they are, Amtrak can be a very reasonable alternative to driving, and saves the cost and hassle of parking.

Thanks to everyone for your tips. Based on your tips and more research, I%26#39;ve decided that maybe it would be better to use PATCO than to try hunting for parking. I know how to do it in Boston, but in an unfamiliar city, it might be too stressful. PATCO is actually running on an expanded schedule this weekend, so it would be convenient. It would be nice to stay in Center City, but would be almost twice the price, even for the best bargains. Also, I kind of like getting a sense of more of the metro area than just the center.

Please don%26#39;t judge the metro area by New Jersey. :)

Patco is not bad, depending on the station. Which one were you considering using?