Philadelphia is experiencing an influx of residents who are attracted to the City of Brotherly Love’s unexpected hip vibe. Here’s why:
The New York Times loves us
In fact they selected Philly as No. 3 among its must see destinations in the world for 2015. That’s not surprising considering that so many people commute to New York from Philly. It’s considered the Big Apple’s sixth borough.
And Fast Company showed the love too
In December, Fast Company included Philadelphia among its top 20 most livable cities in the world for work and play balance. Okay, so it slid in at No. 20 but this included the likes of Paris, Singapore and Sydney. That’s some pretty good company.
Even rubber duckies love Philly
A six-foot tall rubber duck, billed as the world’s largest, will be floating on the waterfront for the Philadelphia Camden Tall Ships Festival in June.
Leave the gun, take the Cannolis
Forget trendy cupcakes and cake pops. Head to Isgro Pasticceria at 1009 Christian Street in South Philly where they’ve been serving up Italian sweets for over 100 years. And definitely don’t leave the cannolis in the car.
Stroll the Philadelphia Liberty Trail
Its newest attraction, the Philadelphia Liberty Trail, is the City of Brotherly Love’s answer to Boston’s Freedom Trail. Since Philadelphia has way more historic sights than Beantown, this 4-mile walking path through the historic district immerses visitors in the founding of America right where it happened. You’ll even learn about the original hipster, Benjamin Franklin, and his Electric Turkey Experiment. The corresponding book was called by the Philadelphia Inquirer “a must read for Philadelphia visitors and natives alike.”
More than half-baked
High Street on Market was chosen by Travel + Leisure as America’s best new restaurant for 2015. In our opinion, the baked goods are worth a visit all by themselves.
Over the boardwalk
The Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk on Center City’s western edge extends out over the river and provides a 15-foot-wide path for strollers, joggers and bikers. Solar-powered lights illuminate it at night.
Even the Pope loves Philly
You don’t normally associate Popes with hipness but the current Pope Francis and his “Popestar” status may change all that. More than a million people are expected to turn out to see him in late September in Philadelphia.
Pop-up parks are, well, popping up all over
Spruce Street Harbor Park has arrived on the Delaware River waterfront this summer. The pop-up park includes floating barges converted to restaurants, rent a kayak or sail a remote controlled sailboat, or just laze in a hammock and gaze at the stars.
Where Rocky still lives
The Rocky steps are the most visited movie sight on the planet. Practically 24/7 you’ll find visitors from around the world emulating their hero, Rocky Balboa, running up the steps and then posing by the famous Rocky statue. Who knows, you might even meet Rocky there.
Alley cats
You can live on a street that is six-feet wide. Used as cartways in colonial times, these breezy little streets provide a quiet respite in the heart of the bustling city.
Going to prison on vacation
With the Gothic pile of stone also known as Eastern State Penitentiary beckoning, who can resist going to prison? Better yet, come in October to take part in the nation’s scariest haunted house. The circa 1829 structure was once the most famous prison in the world and even housed the original Scarface, Al Capone.
Philadelphia is definitely the place to be this year, as it has been for over 300 years.
