West Philadelphia Born And Raised

There's nothing that gives me a thrill more than being in a new city and wandering the streets all alone.

Especially when it's a place that I can sing Will Smith's Fresh Prince of Bel Air Anthem.  If you can't sing all of the words after the phrase 'West Philadelphia born and raised..", you probably aren't from my generation.



A few weekends ago, Blair and I took a little trip to Philadelphia.  Blair had his first round of Step 2 Board Exams there, so I decided to tagalong and offer moral support.  We stayed at a beautiful hotel at Rittenhouse Square in the middle of a bustling district of shops and trendy restaurants.  I quizzed Blair for hours about differential diagnoses in our hotel room and then we ventured out to explore the city when Blair's brains were on the verge of collapse.  He was really nervous for his exam, but he worked his tail feather off and I'm sure he did wonderful.

Philadelphia was very different from what I expected.  For being one of the largest cities in America, it sure felt small.  The New Yorker in me kept looking for some taller buildings and streets full of brisk passengers and honking taxis.  It really was a beautiful city though and quite clean I might add.


























One night we jumped in our rental car and headed to a darling little town north of Philly called Manayunk.  It sits right on the river and was named after the Lenape Indians who used to inhabit that region.  We ate at the Han Dynasty restaurant and bought some new threads at a vintage consignment shop.  Blair had never heard of a consignment shop! I told him stories of how I used to sell some of my clothes at a consignment shop during college so I could have money for books and a little extra spending money.  He was thrilled about this newly discovered venue for commerce!  He may never let me enter a department store again.

While Blair studied and took his exam, I ventured out into the city to shop and see the sights.  Here's a little stroll through Philadelphia in case you never make it to the land of cheese and steaks.

We saw Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell in all of its cracked glory.

We ate the most delicious cheesesteaks our tongues ever encountered.  Gino's and Patt's cheesesteak shops sit opposite each other, like rival brothers in a bitter lifetime feud.   Blair got in the line at Gino's while I stuck with Patt's.  I made friends with a lady in line and she and her boyfriend-ish companion joined us for lunch - Joanne and Fran.  Fran's the man in case you were wondering.  They were hilarious! And strangely excited to be sitting next to us.  Fran thought I worked for CNN.  That may have been the alcohol talking...

We exchanged email addresses and they hugged us as we left.  We usually don't make sober friends that easy, just so you know.

By the way, Patt's was better than Gino's.  By far! I can still taste that runny cheese whiz drenched over that steak! Yum.

















One of my favorite parts about Philadelphia is the murals all throughout the city.  I don't know the official historical timeline, but a couple of decades ago the city started a public art project to beautify the city.  Seeing the buildings covered in graffiti, they recognized that there was an opportunity to channel these graffiti artist's talents and improve the aesthetic of the city.  Today there are over 2,000 beautiful murals in Philadelphia.  They sneak up and surprise you as you're driving down a seemingly ordinary street.  Suddenly you'll see a mural of fantastic colors and depth on the wall of an old apartment building.  I'm not sure if any significant correlative studies have been done, but one man told me that crime rates consistently go down in areas where these colorful murals blossom.

I visited Betsy Ross's house and learned about her bravery in conspiring with George Washington to design and sew the first American flag.  Many people lived in her house during the days leading up to the revolution, including British soldiers.  To avoid being caught and potentially hanged for treason, she sewed the stars and stripes by candlelight in her damp and dark room when everyone else had long gone to sleep.  That Betsy was one tough cookie I tell you.

I took a stroll through St. Peter & Paul's Cathedral, which has some interesting history behind it.  To sum up.  William Penn seeks religious freedom and sets up Pennsylvania.  Irish people arrive during potato famine.  Protestants freak out and think the Irish Catholics are taking over the whole darn universe = start burning Catholic churches = Catholics are smart and build fireproof building with windows so high the torches can't be tossed in them.   

 

Anyone recognize these famous steps??? Rocky anyone? I didn't run up them.  I watched from the tour bus, though, and laughed at a few people who tripped.