What to do in Philadelphia when you’re in town to see the Phillies

Visiting Philadelphia to catch a Phillies game? Here’s a few ideas of what else to do while you’re in town.

Philadelphia is a huge city with so much to offer that likely you won’t be able to hit it all even with a week visit. Chances are if you are visiting Philly for a baseball game, you’ve done your research into which activities you’d like to experience on your trip, but we’re here to offer you a bit of an insider look at those must-see places, as well as those you can skip.

Where to Stay

Folks visiting usually stay in one of two areas of Philly: Center City or Old City. Both aren’t all that far from each other and feature tons of boutique (Le Meridian, Guild House) and luxury (Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, Loews, The Rittenhouse) hotels. You can’t go wrong staying anywhere in these two areas as they walking distance to public transportation (mainly the Broad Street Line, which drops you right off at Citizen’s Bank Park).

Don’t want to be around the hustle and bustle, but still be around excellent restaurants and shopping? Check out AirBnb or VRBO for local spots in hipper neighborhoods like Northern Liberties, Fishtown, Society Hill, Spring Garden or Queen Village.

What to Eat

There is no shortage to excellent eateries in Philadelphia. As someone who has done a fair amount of traveling in the United States, Philly is a Top 5 food city hands-down.

Odds are you might have heard of the cheesesteak. The city is obsessed with them and for good reason. They are delicious and shouldn’t be missed when visiting. Don’t know which one to choose? This list may be able to help you out. If you don’t mind taking a cab or ride-share, make sure to visit John’s Roast Pork. There is both indoor and outdoor seating and you won’t find a better cheesesteak in the city that you won’t have to wait over an hour for (talking about you, Angelo’s). Staying in Old City/Chinatown? Check out Uncle Gus’ in Reading Terminal Market (they use the same rolls as Angelo’s) or Sonny’s Steaks and Oh Brother! on Market Street. Northern Liberties? Check out Del Rossi’s. Shopping on South Street? Hit up Woodrow’s Sandwich Shop.

Please, do not go to Pat’s or Geno’s. The iconic duo lay claim to being the king of steaks in the city, but are well-known tourist traps. Save yourself the trouble.

Did you know there is a better sandwich than the cheesesteak that the city should be equally known for? That’s right, its the roast pork sandwich. You can read about it here and my subsequent “best of” list. You won’t find a better roast pork than at John’s Roast Pork or DiNic’s in Reading Terminal Market.

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Speaking of Reading Terminal Market, another must-visit establishment. Its Philadelphia’s iconic indoor market (built inside an old train station) where you’ll find purveyors of all kinds of delectable goods. Don’t worry, I have a guide for that as well. Make sure to check out at least one Pennsylvania Dutch store!

Lastly, I’m sure you’ll want at least one nice sit-down meal. Philly has no shortages of acclaimed restaurants like: Kalaya, Royal Izakaya, Mawn, Friday Saturday Sunday, Zahav, Vetri, Laurel, Little Fish, Le Virtu, Fork, Parc and Middle Child Clubhouse

Philadelphia is also home to some of the oldest Italian restaurants in the country in Dante & Luigi’s (1899) and Ralph’s (1900). Both are your classic “red gravy” restaurants and excellent to boot.

Other iconic Philly foods to try:

Philadelphia Soft Pretzel – a soft pretzel with salt served with various “dips”. Try: Miller’s Twist, Center City Pretzel or Philadelphia Pretzel Company.
Water Ice – think Italian Ice…but called something ridiculous. Try: John’s Water Ice, Pop’s Homemade Italian Ice
Scrapple – it is a processed loaf of meat made from pork scraps combined with cornmeal and flour. Try: literally any diner that serves it.
Pork Roll – it is NOT called Taylor Ham. Think Canadian bacon, but much fattier and processed. Its smoky and salty goodness. Try: literally any diner or bagel shop that serves it.
Stromboli – didn’t know this was unique to Philly? Yes, it was invented “here” (see: Essington). You can now find versions of this all over the country. Try: any pizza shop.
Tastykake – Philly’s local version of your standard Hostess/Little Debbie except much better. Try: the butterscotch krimpets and peanut butter kakes from any local corner store or Wawa.

What to Drink

Philadelphians hadn’t had a lot to celebrate from 1983 through 2008. How did we get by? Well, we have plenty of great bars ranging from your dive bar (Ray’s Happy Birthday Bar, Dirty Frank’s, Oscar’s, Bob and Barbara’s, 12 Steps Down, El Bar, McGlinchey’s) to neighborhood bars (Tattooed Mom, Good Dog Bar, Standard Tap, Monk’s) upscale cocktail bar (Sassafras, Charlie Was A Sinner, Ranstead Room, One Tippling Place, ). There are also a couple really neat speakeasies across the city (my favorite is Hop Sing Laundromat in Chinatown). There are local breweries in the city like Yards, Dock Street, Philadelphia Brewing Company, Iron Hill, Human Robot, etc. Not into beer and prefer spirits? Check out: Stateside Vodka, New Liberty Distillery, Philadelphia Distilling, Manatawny Still Works, Otto Distilling Company, and Rowhouse Distilling Company.

Want to go to the oldest bar in Philly? Hit up McGillin’s Olde Ale House which has been slinging beers since 1860.

What Attractions to Visit

What tickles your fancy? What are you into?

Like history? We’ve got plenty of that. Take a guided tour of Independence Mall where you’ll see where the Declaration of Independence was signed and where Nicholas Cage recollected the place where the Declaration of Independence was signed (touring the grounds is free, but a tour of the hall will cost a measly $1.)

Speaking of cheap, the Liberty Bell is cheap (see: $0 to visit), but to be honest it is very boring and uninspiring. Instead, go talk a walk down to Elfreth’s Alley. It is the oldest continuously occupied street in the entire United States dating all the way back to 1703. It feels like you are walking back in time.

Elfreth’s Alley, nation’s oldest residential street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

History buff but don’t want to be outside? Check out one of our many historical museums such as: National Constitution Center, Museum of the American Revolution, African American Museum, Betsy Ross House, Mutter Museum, Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, Eastern State Penitentiary, and Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site.

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Art more your thing? We got that too with Philadelphia Museum of Art, Barnes Foundation, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Rodin Museum, and Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens.

Philadelphia Museum of Art. Philadelphia. Pennsylvania. United State

Game Day Experience

You’ve conquered Philadelphia somehow and still have energy to make it down for a baseball game. Philadelphia is unique in that all its stadiums are located in one area in South Philly on Pattison Ave, right off Broad Street. You can access Citizen’s Bank Park via the Broad Street Line (see: subway) or a quick 10-15 minute (depending on traffic and where you are) from Center City. While we have a tremendous guide while you are in the park, perhaps you aren’t ready to go in yet? Plenty to do outside the park depending on what you’d like to do. Want to gamble and bet on sports? Sure, head on into Live! Casino right next to the park. Rather have a few drinks without the slot machine noises? Check out Xfinity Live! Philly which houses a bunch of bars and restaurants within walking distance of the ballpark.

If you are like me, you are likely to want to be outside in the fresh air. While it might not compete with Eagles or football tailgating in general, ever since CBP opened in 2004 it has had a strong tailgating culture. The lots adjacent to the Phillies personal lots (they are simply called Jetro Lots), where you will find dozens of fans grilling and tailgating before going into the game. Hit up a deli for some sandwiches and a distributor for beer and you will have a great time before even entering the gates.

Questions?

Did this comprehensive guide not fulfill all your questions? I don’t believe it! In any case, feel free to reach out to me via jay.polinsky@gmail.com and I’d be happy to give you any more suggestions you might need.