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Cities / Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia

Sleep in Rittenhouse Square.

It puts the best concentration of restaurants within a few blocks, the Parkway museums 25 minutes away on foot, and Independence Hall a short ride on the L. If the colonial sites are the whole point of the trip, pick Old City instead.

Rooms in Rittenhouse Square tonightCompare all 5 neighborhoods
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Photo: Trev W. Adams / Pexels

Where to stay in Philadelphia

Center City is a grid about 25 blocks wide between the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers, and it is flat, so most visitors walk almost everywhere. Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell are on the east side, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Barnes Foundation are at the northwest end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, and City Hall sits in the middle at Broad and Market.

  1. Hotels cluster around the park at 18th and Walnut and along Walnut and Chestnut streets, with the densest run of restaurants and shops in the city. The Schuylkill River Trail is a few blocks west, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Barnes are about 25 minutes north on foot.

    The catch: The priciest part of Center City, and hotel valet parking runs $55 to $60 a night.

    Rooms in Rittenhouse Square tonight

  2. Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the Museum of the American Revolution at 3rd and Chestnut and Elfreth's Alley are all within a few blocks. The L stops at 2nd Street and 5th Street, and the Delaware River waterfront is just past Front Street.

    The catch: Bars along 2nd and 3rd streets get loud on weekend nights, and the best restaurant streets are a 25 minute walk west.

    Rooms in Old City tonight

  3. The big convention hotels sit along Market and Arch streets next to the Pennsylvania Convention Center, a block from Reading Terminal Market at 12th and Arch. 13th Street south of Chestnut is lined with restaurants and bars, Chinatown is just north, and Jefferson Station has direct Airport Line trains.

    The catch: Rates jump during big conventions and the Flower Show, when the attached hotels sell out first.

    Rooms in Midtown Village tonight

  4. Home to Penn and Drexel, just across the Schuylkill from Center City, with 30th Street Station for Amtrak and the Airport Line. Hotels include the Sheraton University City, The Inn at Penn and The Study at University City, and the L and the T trolleys run under the neighborhood into Center City.

    The catch: Rooms sell out and prices spike on Penn and Drexel graduation weekends in May and June, and most sights need a train ride.

    Rooms in University City tonight

  5. The blocks around Frankford and Girard avenues hold some of the city's most talked-about restaurants, including Suraya, Kalaya and Pizzeria Beddia, plus music at The Fillmore and Johnny Brenda's. Penn Treaty Park is on the Delaware, and the L stops at Girard.

    The catch: Only a handful of small boutique hotels such as Lokal and Wm. Mulherin's Sons, so rooms go fast and rates run as high as Center City.

    Rooms in Fishtown tonight

Prices are typical mid-range hotel rates per night before tax, rounded to $10. Times are to City Hall. Booking links open tonight's real prices.

When to go

Come in late May, September or October, when highs run 66 to 77°F and the Schuylkill River Trail and sidewalk tables are at their best. Check the calendar before booking: the first Sunday in May (Broad Street Run), mid-May graduation weekends and the weekend before Thanksgiving (marathon) all push prices up. January and February are cheapest if you can handle highs near 41°F.

Spring Mar–May

Highs 53-74°F, lows 36-55°F

March is still cold and the Flower Show fills Center City hotels. Late April and May bring the Penn Relays, the Broad Street Run and college graduations, which push rates up.

Summer Jun–Aug

Highs 82-86°F, lows 64-69°F

Hot and humid from June through mid-September. Wawa Welcome America runs free events through July 4, when rooms near Independence Hall are hardest to get.

Fall Sep–Nov

Highs 55-77°F, lows 40-60°F

September and October are the most comfortable months for walking. Halloween Nights at Eastern State runs through October, and the marathon weekend before Thanksgiving fills rooms.

Winter Dec–Feb

Highs 41-45°F, lows 27-32°F

Cold, with occasional snow. Room rates are usually at their lowest in January and February, outside of convention weeks; the Mummers Parade fills Broad Street on New Year's Day.

On the calendar

Getting around

From the airport

SEPTA's Airport Line train stops at every PHL terminal about every 30 minutes and takes 20 to 25 minutes to 30th Street, then continues to Suburban and Jefferson stations; it costs $8.75 with a tap of a contactless card or SEPTA Key, or $11 paid to the conductor. Taxis charge a flat $32 to Center City and University City, plus $1 for each extra passenger over age 12.

Trains and buses

SEPTA runs the L (Market-Frankford Line) east to west under Market Street, the B (Broad Street Line) north to south, the T trolleys into West Philadelphia, and buses; signs are mid-changeover, so you will see both old and new names. A ride is $2.90, and tapping a contactless card or phone at the gate gets you up to two free transfers within two hours (cash gets none); a One Day Convenience Pass is $7.50 and a Three Day is $19. On Regional Rail, tap out at your destination or you are charged the maximum fare.

Driving

Skip the car if you are staying in Center City, Old City or University City, since the core is walkable and the L covers the rest. Center City hotels charge about $55 to $60 a night for valet parking.

Worth your time

What to eat

  • Cheesesteak

    Dalessandro's in Roxborough uses fresh-cut ribeye and earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand, while Pat's and Geno's face off at 9th and Passyunk; order it "wit" or "witout" fried onions.

  • DiNic's roast pork sandwich

    Thin-sliced roast pork with sharp provolone and broccoli rabe at Reading Terminal Market, where the line is longest around lunch.

  • Soft pretzels

    Philly pretzels are chewy figure eights; Miller's Twist at Reading Terminal Market twists and bakes them on site.

  • Water ice

    John's Water Ice at 7th and Christian has served it since 1945, usually opening in early April and closing in October.

  • Tomato pie

    Thick, square-cut bread dough with sweet tomato sauce and little or no cheese, sold by the tray at South Philly Italian bakeries and eaten at room temperature.

Before you go

Tip 18 to 20 percent at sit-down restaurants and $1 or $2 a drink at bars. Many smaller restaurants are BYOB, and wine and liquor are sold at state-run Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores, so check before you arrive empty-handed. The grid is easy once you know Market Street divides north from south addresses and Broad Street sits where 14th Street would be. On SEPTA, tap the same card for every leg to keep free transfers. Wawa, the convenience store chain, is where locals grab coffee and hoagies.

How Philadelphia got this way

William Penn founded Philadelphia in 1682 for his Quaker colony and laid it out as a grid between the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers, with a central square (now City Hall) and four park squares: Rittenhouse, Washington, Franklin and Logan. The Declaration of Independence was adopted and the Constitution signed in the Pennsylvania State House, now Independence Hall, and the city was the national capital from 1790 to 1800. Textile mills and Baldwin Locomotive Works made it an industrial center, and the 1854 Act of Consolidation merged the city with all of Philadelphia County. Population peaked at 2,071,605 in 1950, fell for decades, then rose to 1,603,797 by 2020.

Questions people ask

Where should I stay in Philadelphia for a first visit?

Rittenhouse Square is the easiest base, with restaurants all around and most sights walkable or a short L ride away. Old City is better if you mainly want Independence Hall and the colonial sites.

How do I get from Philadelphia airport to downtown?

Take SEPTA's Airport Line train, which runs about every 30 minutes, reaches 30th Street in 20 to 25 minutes and costs $8.75 with a contactless card. A taxi to Center City is a flat $32.

Do I need a car in Philadelphia?

No, if you stay in Center City, Old City or University City. The core is flat and walkable, and hotel parking costs about $55 to $60 a night.

Do you need tickets to see Independence Hall?

Guided tours need a free timed ticket from Recreation.gov with a $1 fee, but the 9 to 10:30 a.m. open house does not. The Liberty Bell needs no ticket.

How long is the train from Philadelphia to New York?

Amtrak from 30th Street Station to New York Penn Station takes about 1 hour 15 minutes on the Acela and roughly 1 hour 20 to 30 minutes on the Northeast Regional, with trains running throughout the day.

Checked against 40 sources. Updated October 16, 2026.

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