Press Release

NEW ITINERARY ON GOPHILA.COM GIVES VISITORS TO PHILLY A CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER'S "NEXT GREAT CITY"
Itinerary Traces The Attractions, Restaurants And Shops Featured In October 2005 Article

PHILADELPHIA, November 7, 2005 - In October 2005, National Geographic Traveler magazine declared to its more than five million readers that Philadelphia is America’s "Next Great City." The nine-page article highlights Philly’s neighborhoods such as Old City, Center City and South Philly, painting the city as "a place for creative solutions and big pictures."

Thanks to a new two-day, two-night itinerary available on www.gophila.com, visitors can experience National Geographic Traveler's Philadelphia for themselves, including the area’s hip eateries, nightspots and boutiques, along with some venerable cultural and historical attractions.

National Geographic Traveler

Image courtesy of National Geographic

LOCATION: Center City and its surrounding neighborhoods

TRANSPORTATION: Feet, cab and public transportation

TIME: Two-day, two-night getaway

SUMMARY: A jam-packed tour of Philadelphia’s oldest attractions and newest neighborhoods, restaurants and shops—as seen in National Geographic Traveler.

HIGHLIGHTS: A glimpse of the trendy new B3 (Blocks Below Broad) neighborhood, a tour of Rittenhouse Square, brunch in the Italian Market, a live concert at The Kimmel Center, shopping and gallery-hopping in Old City

ITINERARY:
Night One:
Spend the night in the century-old Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue hotel, which is both elegant and centrally located, making it a great base for exploration. Once you're settled, take an evening walk across Broad Street to the emerging neighborhood known as B3, largely developed by Tony Goldman, a key player in South Beach and SoHo real estate market. Stop in for a scoop of artisanal gelato at Capogiro or a Jimaca Margarita at Stephen Starr’s Nuevo-Mexican restaurant El Vez.

Day One:
Sightseeing in Philadelphia begins in Old City. Fuel up with a latte and muffin at Old City Coffee, then head over to the Independence Visitor Center to chart a course through the Historic District, which encompasses Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell Center and the multimedia National Constitution Center.

Spend the rest of the morning exploring this stylish neighborhood's galleries and boutiques, which sell everything from doggie accessories (Bonejour) to furniture (Dane Decor) to locally made clothing (Smak Parlour). You may also pass by the Seaman’s Church Institute, site of MTV’s The Real World Philadelphia.

Next up is a walk in Washington Square, originally commissioned by city founder William Penn. For a glamorous lunch, stop at Stephen Starr's parkside Washington Square restaurant or continue westward to Reading Terminal Market, a 19th-century train terminal, for a more casual meal at one of nearly 80 vendors.

From there, you can glimpse the bronze statue of William Penn atop City Hall and the John Wanamaker Building (made famous by the 1987 film Mannequin), now home to a Lord and Taylor department store. Then, visit the nearby Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and its excellent collection of American art.

Night Two:
Dinner is at one of Walnut Street's posh eateries: Choose from European-inspired Chinese cuisine at Susanna Foo, five-star French elegance at Le Bec-Fin, stellar seafood at Striped Bass or creative Latin American fare at ¡Pasion!.

Then, it's concert time at The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, the stunning glass-and-brick theater on Avenue of the Arts, where you’ll find choral, classical and jazz performances. Alternatively, hit Chinatown for a rock show at the Trocadero. Or, if you're feeling really adventurous, you might be able to catch one of the occasional indie acts at the Vox Populi arts collective on nearby Cherry Street.

Day Two:
Check out the Italian Market at its freshest, beginning with brunch at Morning Glory Diner. Market must-sees include Talluto's homemade pastas, DiBruno Brothers' enormous selection of cheese and Fante's cookware. Of course, no visit to the city is complete without a stop at Pat's or Geno's, legendary cheesesteak shops facing off at 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue. Another option is the authentic roast pork sandwich at Chickie’s Italian Deli in South Philly.

A walk down bustling South Street reveals a blend of funky, punk, urban, vintage and designer goods. Spend the remainder of the day in Rittenhouse Square. There's still some shopping to do, so check out the neighborhood's tony shops—many of which are housed in converted mansions—like Adresse and Anthropologie.

If there's time: Take an out-of-city excursion to The Barnes Foundation in Merion, where Impressionist paintings and artifacts from around the world are displayed in Dr. Albert Barnes's family home. (Reservations required).

ADDRESS BOOK
National Geographic Itinerary

Accommodations:
Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue Hotel
Broad & Walnut Streets
(215) 893-1234, www.parkphiladelphia.hyatt.com

Restaurants/Eateries:
Capogiro
119 S. 13th Street
(215) 351-0900, www.capogirogelato.com

Chickie's Italian Deli
1014 Federal Street
(215) 462-8040

DiBruno Bros
930 S. 9th Street
(215) 922-2876, www.dibruno.com

El Vez
121 S. 13th Street
(215) 928-9800, www.elvezrestaurant.com

Geno's Steaks
1219 S. 9th Street
(215) 389-0659, www.genosteaks.com

Italian Market
9th Street between Fitzwater & Wharton Streets
www.phillyitalianmarket.com

Le Bec-Fin
1523 Walnut Street
(215) 567-1000, www.lebecfin.com

Morning Glory
735 S. 10th Street
(215) 413-3999

Old City Coffee
221 Church Street
(215) 629-9292, www.oldcitycoffee.com

¡Pasion!
211 S. 15th Street
(215) 875-9895, www.pasionrestaurant.com

Pat's King of Steaks
1237 E. Passyunk Avenue
(215) 468-1546, www.patskingofsteaks.com

Reading Terminal Market
12th & Arch Streets
(215) 922-2317, www.readingterminalmarket.com

Striped Bass
1500 Walnut Street
(215) 732-4444, www.stripedbassrestaurant.com

Susanna Foo Chinese Cuisine
1512 Walnut Street
(215) 545-2666, www.susannafoo.com

Talluto's
944 S. 9th Street
(215) 627-4967, www.phillyitalianmarket.com/market/tallutos_pasta/

Washington Square
210 W. Washington Square
(215) 592-7787, www.washingtonsquare-restaurant.com

Shops:
Adresse
1706 Locust Street
(215) 985-3161, www.adressephiladelphia.com

Anthropologie
1801 Walnut Street
(215) 568-2114, www.anthropologie.com 

Bonejour
14 N. 3rd Street
(215) 574-1225, www.bonejourpetsupply.com

Dane Decor
315 Arch Street
(215) 922-2104, www.danedecor.com

Fante's Kitchen Wares Shop
1006 S. 9th Street
(215) 922-5557, www.fantes.com

Lord & Taylor's
Between Market & Chestnut and 13th & Juniper Streets

Smak Parlour
219 Market Street
(215) 625-4551, www.smakparlour.com

Town Home
126 S. 19th Street
(215) 972-5100, www.townhomephila.com

Attractions:
The Barnes Foundation
300 N. Latch’s Lane, Merion (610) 667-0290, www.barnesfoundation.org

City Hall Broad & Market Streets
Independence Hall Chestnut Street between 5th & 6th Streets
(215) 597-8974

Independence Visitor Center
6th & Market Streets
(800) 537-7676, www.independencevisitorcenter.com

The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
260 S. Broad Street
(215) 790-5800, www.kimmelcenter.org

Liberty Bell Center
501 Market Street
(215) 597-8974

National Constitution Center
525 Arch Street
(215) 409-6600, www.constitutioncenter.org

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
118-128 N. Broad Street
(215) 972-7600, www.pafa.org

Rittenhouse Square
18th to 19th Streets between Walnut & Locust Streets www.phila.gov/fairpark/squares/

Seaman's Church Institute
3rd & Arch Streets

Trocadero Theatre
1003 Arch Street
(215) 922-LIVE, www.thetroc.com

Vox Populi
1315 Cherry Street (215) 568-5513, www.voxpopuligallery.org

Washington Square
6th to 7th streets between Walnut & S. 7th Street
www.phila.gov/fairpark/squares/

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) builds the region's economy and image through destination marketing to increase the number of visitors, the number of nights they stay and the number of things they do in the five-county region. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com or call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676.

Note to Editors: For photos of Greater Philadelphia, visit our Photo Gallery.

CONTACT:

Cara Schneider, GPTMC
(215) 599-0789, cara@gptmc.com