Any
suggestions for a good Philly cheesesteak joint?
The best are said to come from
Pat’s at 1237 East Passyunk Ave (pronounced Pass E
Yunk) or
Gino’s, (conveniently across the street) but they’ve been hyped so much
that
it’s hard to tell anymore how good they are. Most locals
would probably vote for
Steve’s at 7200 Bustleton Ave in the
Northeast section or Jim’s at 4th and South
Street. I vote for
Jim’s because I like that part of town the best. You can find good
cheesesteaks almost anyplace in Philly, but be sure to get the
classic: a rib eye steak
sliced thin, with Cheese Wiz and fried
onions on an Italian roll. Peppers are optional.
Some places will
use provolone cheese, which is OK, but NEVER NEVER accept
any
other deviations. Other native foods you might want to try are: Scrapple,
a
breakfast sausage with pork and corn meal; Hoagies, called a
hero or a sub elsewhere
but they’re made uniquely better in
Philly; Italian Water Ice, a frozen flavored ice
desert; and soft
pretzels with mustard
What is the best shopping area
in Philadelphia and can you recommend a nice
hotel in that
area?
The best shopping, for tourists
and visitors, is in Center City because there’s lot s of
options
in a small area.
1) The Gallery at Market East (9th and Market) is
very convenient for suburban
shoppers because you just take a
local train into town and you’re there.
2) Reading Terminal (51
North 12th St and Arch St) is a farmer’s market
extraordinaire.
In addition to food stalls, you’ll find shops of
books, cookware, and other cool stuff.
3) Rittenhouse Row, in
Philly’s swank area, is square of upscale shops bounded by
Broad
and 21st St, and Market and Spruce St. If you’re pressed for time, stay on
Walnut St and you’ll be pleased with the options.
4) The
Bourse (111 S Independence Mall East, which is on 5th St between Market
and Chestnut), was the first stock exchange to combine a stock
exchange, a maritime
exchange, and grain-trading center in one
place in 1895. It is now a shopping and
office complex. I like
that we recycle our old buildings instead of tearing them down.
5)
South Street, where the hippies meet, according to the Orlons in 1963, is
still Philly’
s cool boutique area. The busiest blocks are between
front and 9th St, with a special
mention to 4th St just off South
St.
6) The Shops at Liberty Place are beneath Philly’s largest
buildings at 1650 Market St,
which is the junction of Market and
17th St. I think the sops are over-priced, but it’s
all about
location.
7) Pine St from 10th to 18th St features antique
shops.
As for Philadelphia hotels in that area, you can take your
pick. Center City is the most
convenient part of town for
businesspeople, so there’s lots of hotels in all price ranges
to
choose from. You’ll find everything from the Ritz-Carlton, the Rittenhouse
Hotel,
and the Sofitel at the ritzy end, to the Sheraton, Holiday
Inn, Best Western, Embassy
Suites. Wyndam, Hilton, and Residents
Inn. There’s a B&B called the Ten Eleven
Clinton Bed and
Breakfast at 1011 Clinton St (good name, huh?). My sister-in-law
prefers to stay at a Doubletree hotel wherever she travels, and we
have one on Broad
and Locust.
For other
Destinations, go to www.askaresident.com