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Philadelphian writer Eils Lotozo reveals
some of the hottest spots in Philly.
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By Eils Lotozo, Philadelphia Inquirer
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 Why
do I love Philadelphia so darn much? Because it has everything:
history, culture, diversity, world-class restaurants and a hopping
nightlife, one of the greatest urban parks going, not to mention
three centuries worth of splendid architecture and streets so
picturesque, it’ll take your breath away.
But don’t take my word for it. Definitely see it for yourself.
To help you, here’s my Philly native’s Top 10 list.
1 For a bird’s-eye view
of the city, ascend up the tower of Philadelphia’s unusually
ornate and massive City Hall. You’ll be 41 stories up and
just under the toes of the 37-foot bronze statue of the city’s
Quaker founder William Penn.
For a scenic stroll, head west from City Hall up the Benjamin
Franklin Parkway. Grand edifices you’ll pass include the
Academy of Natural Sciences (great dioramas), the Franklin Institute
with my personal fave—a giant human heart you can walk
through, and the Rodin Museum — home to the largest collection
of his work outside Paris.
2 That massive Greek temple-like
structure up on the hill is the Philadelphia Museum of Art,
whose colossal stairs the movie Rocky immortalized. Walk, do
not run, up them for an amazing view of the city.
 3
If you’re not up for art, continue on past the museum to
the Schuylkill River where you’ll find boathouses whose
nighttime image, famously outlined in lights, graces many a
postcard.
4 If you’re feeling really
energetic, you can also rent bikes and in-line skates here and
roll down the paved recreation path along the river. On weekends
from April through October, the road along the west bank is
closed to traffic and you can do a 9-mile loop.
5 To hear some of the nation's
top talents, attend a Philadelphia Orchestra performance at
the newly opened Kimmel Center, a $265 million architectural
masterpiece that is enclosed in a colossal glass barrel vault.
Or enjoy a concert at the opulent Academy of Music, home to
the Opera Company of Philadelphia. The 1855 performance space
had its fabulously gilded interior and 5,000 pound crystal chandelier
featured in The Age of Innocence.
6 For less heady entertainment,
check out some of the city’s funkier music venues. There’s
the TLA on South Street, a former movie house; the Trocadero,
a former burlesque house that features lots of all-ages concerts
and harder-edged fare; and the Tin Angel, a tiny club atop a
restaurant that hosts folky singer-songwriters.
7 On the first Friday of the
month, Old City — Philadelphia’s more low-key version
of SoHo — hosts First Friday. Crowds throng the streets
and the neighborhood’s art galleries (as well as numerous
antique and furniture stores) are open late.
8 So where do the college kids
hang out? That would be South Street. Head on over and you’ll
find something for everyone in the family.
9 Philadelphia Eats: Philadelphia
is nationally known for its great restaurants — we’ve
got Georges Perrier’s top-ranked Le Bec Fin, the Latin
fusion food of ¡Pasion!, and the elegant American cuisine
of Fork. If dad is footing the bill, you might opt for the spectacular
Striped Bass. If not, try any one of the gourmet pizza joints
around Restaurant Row near 17th and Walnut Street. Best picks:
Lombardi’s and Pietro’s. The city’s Chinatown
— marked by an impressive carved gate on 10th Street —
is another place you won’t want to miss.
Of course, we’re also known for our staple food: cheese-steaks.
Nothing can beat the open-all-night dueling sandwich stands,
Pat’s and Geno’s, at 9th and Passyunk (ask for fried
onions on yours.)
 10
No visit to Philadelphia would be complete without a lunchtime
jaunt to the historic Reading Terminal Market. Besides butchers
and green grocers, it’s packed with stands of every variety
— Mexican, barbecue, Middle Eastern, even a vegetarian
joint and Amish diner. There’s possibly no better place
to get a sense of this town.
It’s the soul of Philadelphia, the closest thing to a public
commons we’ve got. Here, all sorts of people — construction
workers, lawyers, Amish farmers, art students — rub shoulders
peaceably. That’s what a great city is all about.
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