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Condé Nast Traveler picks
 Best of Philadelphia
Philadelphia—once romanticized in the blockbusters Rocky and The Sixth Sense as a defunct city of gloom—is in the midst of a rebirth, earning itself the titles of "The Next Great American City" and "New York's Sixth Borough." Over the past few years, the formerly gritty downtown area, Center City, has become an experimental ground for innovative new restaurants. The banks of the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers—the east and west borders of Center City, respectively—are being refashioned into attractive urban riverfront communities with luxury lofts, cafés, and recreational green spaces. And around town, "starchitects" are transforming the cityscape with high-profile, high-design projects.
Attractions & Activities The nation's first capital and the site of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Philadelphia has a long historical résumé. The most popular colonial sights are in Center City's Independence National Historical Park, including the National Constitution Center and Museum, which has educational interactive exhibits and the Liberty Bell Pavilion, where visitors can view the 2,000-pound bell, as well as some of the city's best examples of eighteenth-century architecture (215-965-2305; nps.gov/inde). Two blocks north is the Betsy Ross House, which has a replica of its namesake seamstress's creation, the original Stars and Stripes, suspended from its second floor (215-686-1252; bestyrosshouse.org). Rittenhouse, Center City's most charming neighborhood for strolling, surrounds picturesque Rittenhouse Square and, with its Beaux Arts features and European-style cafés and upscale shops lining the shady streets, recalls a Parisian quartier. Product junkies get their fix at Blue Mercury, a chic apothecary stocking high-end lines such as Fekkai, Diptyque, and Bliss (1707 Walnut St.; 215-569-3100). Knit Wit and Danielle Scott remains the city's chicest boutique, with the latest from designers Miu Miu and Blumarine. Danielle Scott's attached shoe boutique has Jimmy Choo and Prada (1718 Walnut St.; 215-564-4760). Along the Schuylkill River, west of Center City, Manayunk is a cute neighborhood populated by recent college graduates; along Main Street, you'll find plenty of upscale ateliers, funky boutiques, and cozy restaurants to occupy a lazy afternoon. A wide, scenic boulevard running diagonally through town, the Benjamin Franklin Parkway is often compared to the Champs-Élysées and is lined with many of the city's cultural highlights, including the stately Philadelphia Museum of Art. An imposing neoclassical behemoth immortalized when Sylvester Stallone jogged up its steps in Rocky, the museum has one of the world's top art collections, with seminal works such as Paul Cézanne's Large Bathers (215-763-8100; philamuseum.org). Four blocks east along the parkway, the Rodin Museum, with 124 sculptures, is the largest collection of the artist's work outside Paris (215-568-6026; rodinmuseum.org). For more masterpieces, take the train 20 minutes to the nearby suburb of Merion and the Barnes Foundation, an enviable repository of French fin de siècle paintings, mostly of the modern variety, including Gauguin's Loulou and Matisse's Joy of Life (610-667-0290; barnesfoundation.org; reservations required). Bordering the Delaware River in the easternmost section of Center City, Old City is a thriving arts district, with more than 50 galleries showcasing works by local and national artists. On the first Friday of every month, the district holds First Fridays, a collective champagne- and canapé-heavy open house for the neighborhood galleries that usually segues into a late-night block party. The following day, First Saturdays are a less raucous affair, with afternoon gallery tours and lectures by experts. Old City Arts customizes gallery tours according to group size and interest, with specialty tours for singles, gays and lesbians, and children (215-625-9200; oldcityarts.org; two-hour group tour, $35). One of Philadelphia's latest additions, the Rafael Viñoly-designed Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts is also one of its most striking, with a 150-foot vaulted glass roof and a sprawling pavilion. The two-theater venue in the middle of Center City hosts a wide array of performers and shows, from the Philadelphia Orchestra to traveling Broadway musicals (215-670-2327; kimmelcenter.org). Lodging Three Center City hotels appear on Condé Nast Traveler's Gold List of the best places in the world to stay: the Four Seasons, on Center City's Logan Square; the nearby Ritz-Carlton; and the Rittenhouse Hotel. The French Renaissance-inspired Park Hyatt Hotel at the Bellevue has been one of the city's most civilized since 1904. Foreign dignitaries often stay here, and even in its new incarnation as a Hyatt, the 172-room property retains an old-world glamour. The Art Deco PSFS building, once an emblem of capitalism and technology, is presently home to one of the city's most alluring lodging experiences: the Loews Philadelphia Hotel, whose location right in the heart of town is unbeatable. The Sofitel Philadelphia occupies the site of the former Philadelphia Stock Exchange, just a few blocks from lovely Rittenhouse Square. In Center City, the Latham Hotel is a 139-room property decorated in exaggerated Victorian style. The 14-story 1907 historic building is on the site of the former home of philanthropist William Bucknell and is convenient to all downtown attractions. Right near the University of Pennsylvania campus, the Inn at Penn is the best option for visiting parents. Decked out in dark woods and Ivy League memorabilia, the hotel plays off its scholarly connection to good effect. Dining Many of Philadelphia's best restaurants are in or around Center City, and the dining scene continues to get bigger and more varied, with everything from greasy pub fare to lavish Japanese haute cuisine. Philadelphia's culinary revival has been spearheaded, in large part, by prolific restaurateur Stephen Starr. All 12 of his restaurants differ wildly, yet each has dramatic design and decor flourishes and progressive menus. Starr's newest and much buzzed about Washington Square is a lighthearted New American spot on the park of the same name. Well-heeled urbanites lounge in the outdoor garden, noshing on upscale junk food (such as fondue with soft pretzels and potato skins) and refined entrées like grilled whole branzino with lemon confit and brown butter pine nut vinaigrette (210 W. Washington Sq.; 215-592-7787; entrées, $25-$50). Starr's cash cow and most popular creation is Buddakan, in the quaint Old City neighborhood. With its ten-foot Buddha and floating white curtains, the theatrical spot has been popular with the city's young see-and-be-seen set since it opened in 2002. Designer Asian cuisine includes updates on staples such as crispy whole fish and chicken dumplings; sugar lovers shouldn't miss the edible chocolate bento box (325 Chestnut St.; 215-574-9440; entrées, $21-$33). Morimoto, Starr's other Far East dining establishment, leverages the popularity of the famous Japanese Iron Chef. Hyper-modern decor—including an oscillating bamboo ceiling—sets the tone for astonishingly fresh sushi and imaginative fusion dishes. The chef's tasting menu comprises a procession of dishes that may include everything from Kobe beef to baby abalone to tuna belly (723 Chestnut St.; 215-413-9070; entrées, $24-$36). Rittenhouse is full of cute French bistros, but Rouge is a perennial favorite. The elegant decor channels Napoleon III with wide faux-vintage mirrors and sumptuous gray satin curtains. Regulars come for Sunday brunch and the signature burger with Gruyère and caramelized onions accompanied by perfect frites (205 S. 18th St.; 215-732-6622; entrées, $24-$40). Nearby, the excellent Devon Seafood Grill serves a heavenly lobster bisque—poured over a dollop of creamy butter for extra ecstasy (225 S. 18th St.; 215-546-5940; entrées, $18-$42). A few blocks from Rittenhouse Square, Monk's Café is a Belgian Biergarten famous for its encyclopedic collection of international brews. For novices, the oatmeal stout is a safe and popular choice. Mussels, prepared eight different ways, are the house specialty; the unorthodox Thai curry mussels are in a Rodenbach red ale, curry, and coconut milk broth (264 S. 16th St.; 215-545-7005; entrées, $8-$28). At the Four Seasons' Fountain Restaurant, chef Mark Hamann creates some of Philly's most inventive fare. In an innovative riff on a local staple, Hamann tucks a Philadelphia cheese steak into an Asian-style spring roll (1 Logan Sq.; 215-963-1500; entrées, $41-$80). The city's celebrated five-star French eatery, Le Bec-Fin, is consistently rated among America's top tables and is especially famous for its spectacular tasting menus, which keep the regulars coming back for staples such as a cassoulet of escargots in hazelnut-champagne butter, and braised rabbit and foie gras terrine (1523 Walnut St.; 215-567-1000; tasting menus, $90-$138). Truth in Travel is the guiding principle for all content published in Condé Nast Traveler. Other travel publications often accept free travel and accommodations. Condé Nast Traveler does not. It is independent of the travel industry. The magazine always pays its way, and, as far as possible, its correspondents travel anonymously. By doing so, they experience the world—both the good and the bad—as other travelers do, and their reports and recommendations are fair, impartial, and authoritative.
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