CONTACT:

Caroline Bean

GPTMC

(215) 599-7433

caroline@gptmc.com

 

REAL FUN, REAL YOUNG, REAL PHILLY: REAL ACTION
 In Philly, The Action Is On The Fields, In The Kitchens And On The Streets

Are You Ready For Some Sports?

In a city where the local teams are top-notch and the fans are famous for their passion, watching sports is more than a way to pass the afternoon—it’s a cultural imperative. With two brand new stadiums in South Philadelphia, the experience is better than ever. The Phillies’ Citizens Bank Park and the Eagles’ Lincoln Financial Field have brought state-of-the-art amenities to the teams and their spectators, including comfortable seats, great site lines, high-tech video screens, fun new restaurants and stunning views of the city skyline. Besides the often sold-out NFL season games, Lincoln Financial Field is also home to the annual Army/Navy football game, when the United States Naval Academy faces off against the United States Military Academy in a century-old rivalry.
 
Nearby at the Wachovia Center Complex, the Sixers and Flyers face off against their respective competitors in the winter and spring. In addition to basketball and hockey, the Wachovia Center Complex hosts men’s soccer (the Kixx), indoor lacrosse (Wings) and arena football (Philadelphia Soul). The city is also a hotspot for cycling fans. Every June, the Wachovia USPro Championship bike race rolls through town, with hundreds of cyclists running a loop from Center City to the notorious Manayunk “wall.”
 
Year round, racing enthusiasts gather every Saturday through Tuesday at Philadelphia Park, the former stomping ground of equine celebrity Smarty Jones. And, there’s often live fighting action at the historic Legendary Blue Horizon in North Philadelphia, which hosts professional and amateur boxing matches.
 
Hot On The Trail

Philadelphia’s natural beauty and numerous scenic trails and parks make it easy to plan your own outdoor action while exploring the region’s landscape. Case in point is Fairmount Park, the largest municipal park system in the world. An eight-mile paved path that runs along Kelly Drive and the Schuylkill River, past charming Boathouse Row, across the Falls River Bridge and back up West River Drive is perfect for bikers, bladers and joggers. Hikers will find miles of rugged terrain with plenty of flora and fauna in the Pennypack and Wissahickon trail systems. Inside the park, the recreational activities abound — everything from disc golf to ultimate frisbee, plus tennis courts and fields for baseball, softball and soccer. No matter how serious the athletic inclinations, a trip to Philadelphia is simply incomplete without a vigorous jog up the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps, Rocky Balboa-style.

The Schuylkill River Park is the urban section of the 22-mile Schuylkill River Trail, connecting Center City to Valley Forge National Historical Park, where there are an additional 18 miles of trails for biking, hiking and horseback riding at the site of the famed Revolutionary War encampment. State parks, too, are wonderful places to take in the regional scenery, and the expansive natural refuges at Delaware Canal State Park and French Creek State Park offer their own trails for outdoor activities, not to mention bird-watching, camping, fishing, hunting, boating and swimming. The beautiful Brandywine River, immortalized by artist Andrew Wyeth, is a picturesque spot for boating. Both the Brandywine Outfitters and the Northbrook Canoe Company organize expeditions along the river by kayak and canoe.

Cold-weather athletes can take in the local winter landscape with skiing and snowboarding at Spring Mountain in Montgomery County. Ridley Creek State Park has miles of snowy land on its slopes and multi-use paths for cross-country skiing and sledding. Philadelphia’s answer to Rockefeller Center is the Blue Cross RiverRink, the city’s premier outdoor ice skating rink, with live music, movies and other entertainment during its season from November to late February.

Not-So-Typical Tours

There’s a never-ending list of must-see tourist attractions in Philadelphia, but there are also a growing number of off-road tours that take visitors beyond the predictable sites and into city’s busting neighborhoods for a look at some lesser known treasures. For instance, the best way to get an in-depth look at local culture and custom is by joining up with the Philadelphia Neighborhood Tours, which are regular themed expeditions into residential areas like North and South Philly, Chinatown and University City. Highlighting art and architecture, Walk Philadelphia arranges weekend strolls from May through December that may focus on topics such as notable skyscrapers or famous film locations. On the naughtier side, the Sex and the (Colonial) City tour explores the more scandalous episodes in local history, from decadent 18th-century parties to the rumored habits of famous figures. If touring by foot is not the favored mode of travel, CruisePhilly offers seafaring expeditions. In recent years, Philadelphia has become a launching pad for domestic and international luxury line cruises, which offer their own on-board activities and excursions for visitors. 

Dinner And A (Kitchen) Show

There is plenty of action in Philadelphia’s exploding, nationally noted restaurant scene, not to mention endless options for edible exploration. Several high-end eateries offer diners the opportunity to watch their food before eating it—or in some cases, to cook it themselves. Dining at a chef’s table at a highly acclaimed restaurant like Lacroix at the Rittenhouse, Le Mas or the Moshulu is a way to taste some of the city’s best food while getting into the heart of the culinary action. A more casual and hands-on option is International Smokeless Barbecue, a pan-Asian restaurant that allows patrons to design their own meal with tabletop stoves and an extensive condiment bar.

ADDRESS BOOK

Are You Ready For Some Sports?

Hot On The Trail

Not-So-Typical Tours

Dinner And A (Kitchen) Show

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC), Philadelphia's regional tourism marketing agency, is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to building the region's economy and positive image through tourism and destination marketing. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, call the new Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676, or visit www.gophila.com. For information about arts and cultural attractions in the region, click on the CultureFiles link.

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Note to Editors: For photos of Greater Philadelphia, visit the photo gallery of gophila.com/pressroom.  

September 2004

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