Philadelphia in May

[christy082]

We are thinking of going to Philadelphia over Memorial Day weekend for our anniversary this year. I'm looking at 3 nights at Hotel Palomar (S. 17th Street and Sansom). 

Any suggestions for things to see/do? My H and I generally like museums, history, culture, tours and good food (but not super expensive).

I'm interested in seeing the Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and Eastern State Penitentiary. What else would you suggest?   Any places you think aren't worth it?

Any restaurant recommendations? We don't eat beef or pork, so no cheesesteaks for us 

Also, any areas of the city to avoid as tourists? When I've planned city vacations before I've been able to know which areas to avoid (ex: South Side of Chicago; Tenderloin area of San Francisco), but google hasn't been exactly helpful this time.  Any places to avoid?

Also, we'll be driving from Cleveland, so we'll have our car.

[librarygirl]

Sights:
National Constitution Center 
Powel House (Olde City area, beautiful 18th century Georgian mansion. Tickets are free, "I think," but you need to get them in advance as tours do sell out)
Mutter Museum (creepy but awesome!)
Philly Museum of Art (worthwhile on its own, but they actually have an exhibit starting next month and ending right around Memorial Day on Korean art from a particular dynasty. I'm dying to go but don't know if I'll make it home before it leaves. I might be geeking out too much over this though)
I also love the ESP, such a cool experience!

Eats:
There are scores of great restaurants in University city (where Penn Museum is), every ethnicity you can imagine. I really like Distrito and Pod (although it's been a bit since I've eaten at the latter). There are also lots of good food trucks too, not sure how plentiful they are since the semester would be over. 
(Some of my favs)
Xochitl (Mexican)
Amada (upscaleish Spanish tapas)
Zahav (Israeli, I've not been but all my family raves about it)
City Tavern (somewhat touristy, but still worthy colonial era cuisine, been in operation since 18th century)
Kabul (Afghan)
Los Catrines Tequilas (Mexican)
Sazon (Venezuelan, little further away as it's in Northern Liberties section)
Monk's Cafe (Belgian)

Reading Terminal Market I'd consider both a place to eat AND sight see! (like Westside Market but even better ha)

As for areas to avoid, some parts of University City can be sketchy off the beaten path/later at night, but the main drags there are fine near the schools/restaurants etc. The other not so great areas of the city, I don't think you'd be visiting anyway as a traveler. It's a bit city but just you use the same caution as anywhere else. 

Have fun!

[Deleted]

The Hotel Palomar is great and is in a great area.  I love Rittenhouse Square. The residential streets around and south of the square are really pretty -- I like wandering aimlessly around them.  And there's a ton of good shopping on Walnut Street.

DEFINITELY go to Reading Terminal Market. It is my happy place.

The Art Museum and Franklin Institute are both fantastic.

This is a good list of the historic places to see in the Old City/Society Hill area: www.theconstitutional.com/tours/self-guided-tours

Elfreth's Alley is particularly lovely.

I wouldn't worry about ending up in sketchy areas. As a tourist, you'd be unlikely to be wandering in those directions.

My restaurant recommendations are outdated so I'll defer to others on those.

[mbcdefg]

Ditto the suggestion for Zahav. If they still offer the $50pp tasting menu with the pomegranate lamb, definitely get that. If you'd rather pick from the small plates, get the hummus and laffah, fried cauliflower, smoked sable on challah bread with egg, and whatever else looks good. The mint lemonade was really good. And the service is excellent.

If you like craft beer, check out Monk's Cafe and/or Eulogy. Both of them also serve excellent mussels. And there's also the Tired Hands brewpub in Ardmore, not far from Philly proper. Our friend really liked Khyber Pass but we weren't impressed.

Franklin Fountain has good ice cream (cash only). There's also a stall near the door of Reading Terminal Market that has great ice cream. The rest of the market is fun as well.

The hot, fresh donuts at Federal Donuts were really good. We weren't impressed with the cold, ready-made "fancy" donuts - get the hot ones. We didn't get to try the fried chicken but I want to next time.

Continental Restaurant wasn't bad when we went for our anniversary a few years ago. I think it's mainly a tasting plates sort of place.

I went to their Fette Sau barbecue location recently because I adore the one in Brooklyn, but I wasn't impressed with the Philly location so I would skip that. We also tried to get drinks at Barcade but the bartender ignored us so we left.

My friends have raved about Eastern State and the Mutter Museum but I've never been. And I would bet that Memorial Day Weekend crowds in the Independence Hall/Liberty Bell area will be heavy.

[Deleted]

I loved Eastern State Penitentiary. My husband and I had an hour long guided tour last March, and we were genuinely surprised at how much we both enjoyed it. They only allow so many people to tour at a time so I would suggest buying your tickets in advance. There are several bars & restaurants right next to the place.

The Mutter Museum is neat, and is often featured on the creepiest places programs around Halloween. It's on the smaller side, but if medical oddities are your thing, it is definitely worth checking out. It was a one & done for me.

The Barnes Foundation, located on the Parkway along with the other museums, is a must see if you guys are into art. It is the largest collection of impressionist art in the states. If you plan on going, then I'd highly suggest watching The Art of the Steal (it's on Netflix, fyi). It's a documentary about how the collection was moved from the Philly burbs into Philly, and it's full of scandal and other interesting tid bits.

I would probably avoid South Street. These days, there's not many stores worth checking out, and the area is very seedy. As for other areas to avoid, they are mostly residential so I doubt you would find yourself there.

Definitely check out this site: www.uwishunu.com/ It's Philly's tourism blog, and they post local happenings, events, etc. It's awesome, and I use it often. You can search particular dates, and on Fridays, there is a long post detailing everything going on that Fri / Sat / Sun. And check out visitphilly.com for hotel deals. If you stay 2 nights over the weekend, they'll throw in free parking.

[anna7602]

If you're going to the Penn Museum, try to have a meal at the White Dog Café on Sansom Street. It's one of my favorite restaurants anywhere.

May in Philly is usually beautiful. Have fun!

ETA: Did anyone already mention having one of the Amish soft pretzels at the Reading Terminal Market? Mmmmm!

[phillyrunner]

Definitely Eastern State and the Mutter Museum. If you are into art check out the Barnes Foundation and the Art Museum.

I often go for runs along Kelly Drive/Boathouse row, and it is a beautiful area to go for a walk, especially in the spring and fall.

I still have yet to eat at Zahav, as many others recommended.

Some of my favorite restaurants in the city (my husband and I eat out a LOT here): Barbuzzo, Osteria, Pizzeria Vetri, Sampan, Vedge, El Vez, Han Dynasty, and there are definitely lots of options at Reading Terminal (it is touristy, but us locals go there a lot too). The Italian Market area is great to visit.

We also have a lot of great BYOBs, such as Matyson, Pumpkin, Audrey Claire, Lolita and Mercato.

I walk everywhere, and feel pretty safe walking around all of the center city area. Just make sure you are mindful/aware of your surroundings, like any other city.

[phillyrunner]

Oh and I just noticed that you will have your car. Maybe consider taking a trip to Longwood Gardens. It is beautiful there!

[boiler717]

Chiming in to rave about the lamb at Zahav!

[christy082]

I guess I should have been clearer. We don't eat any red meat, not just beef or pork. Are there any chicken or veg dishes at Zahav that you would recommend?

[christy082]

And thank you all for your suggestions!