Shopping in Philadelphia
Philadelphia has some great shopping options, if you know where to look. Here are some of our favorite places:
- Reading Terminal Market (12th and Arch St.) -- a great source of local food in 76,000 square feet of stalls. Look for items sold by the nearby Amish, including their famous shoofly pie.
- Rittenhouse Row -- Urban Outfitters and its younger sister Anthropologie both started out in Philadelphia; look for the latter in a beaux arts building at 1801 Walnut St. We also love Knit Wit (1718 Walnut St.) and the AIA Bookstore & Design Center (117 S. 17th Street). Hungry? Plan a special lunch or dinner at the famed restaurant Le Bec-Fin, which is nearby.
- Benjamin Franklin Parkway -- built on the model of the Champs-Elysees, the Ben Franklin is a wide, spacious boulevard in an area filled with museums. Head up the majestic steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and after you've had your fill of the galleries, stop in the gift shop for a wonderful selection of well-designed, beautiful items. Another good stop for museum gift shop devotees is the Rodin Museum (on the Parkway at 22nd Street).
- South Street -- you'll find a variety of shops and restaurants here, both national chains and local establishments. While we find it perhaps a bit more tame than some people think it is (more Gap than glitz; more pop than punk), it is clearly a different side of Philadelphia than the colonial charm of Old Town.
- Center City -- the charm of this once vibrant and distinct commercial district has mostly been replaced by malls and national chains, but if you escape into Boyds, you'll get a flavor of what shopping in downtown Philadelphia used to be like.
- The Bourse -- a good stop for Philly souvenirs. After you've got your mugs and magnets, take time to explore the magnificent building itself (now on the National Register of Historic Places), which features large columns and pilasters which support two tiers of balconies above the main floor. A large skylight on the third floor, supported by bow-top girders, keeps the central space bright and cheery. Marble, wrought-iron and intricate Victorian gingerbread abound.
posted by Insider Travel Guides at 12:15 PM
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