Center City and South Philly Market

Today i went on the train down to Center City. i had a couple of things i wanted to see so that i could "get the tourist out." i don't want to be lugging my camera downtown every time i go there like i'm some hillbilly come to see the big city. i hit the tourist spots so that next time i can go down there like, 'i'm a metropolitan gal... do this all the time...' you know... even though i don't.

i also wanted to identify some places for future reference, like the Hard Rock, and the South Philly Italian market, and the train stations so that i can get back to them without needing a map.

It's just about a 5 minute walk from my door to the nearest SEPTA station with a direct train to the three downtown stops (Market East, Suburban, and 30th Street Stations). i got off at Market East, and headed west a few blocks to check out City Hall. That's Ben Franklin on the top, and many years ago, it was a city ordinance that nothing could be built higher than Ben....




...so much for that city ordinance. It was tossed so that the financial district could go up. Really, it was unrealistic to expect it to remain, once skyscrapers became more feasable.




From there i walked along Market Street back toward the train station and then on down the line to the Constitution Complex. Here, between 5th and 6th Streets, is the Philly Mint (no photos allowed in the Mint), the Constitution Center, Independence Visitors Center, the Liberty Bell, Constitution Hall and Independence Hall.

First, the Liberty Bell... had to do it. So Philly.



Now here is a building that has been tragically overlooked. my feeling is that it has become so because of its proximity to Independence Hall, which is impressive, and i will address it independently (get it?). But this is Constitution Hall, where the first congress met, where George Washington was inaugurated, and where three states were admitted to the Union. But who remembers this place!?



This is, of course, Independence Hall, where the Declaration and the Constitution were both debated and signed. Here is where the geniuses who engineered our society did so. That's pretty cool, but i still don't think it deserves all the credit!



Then i was off to find the South Philly Italian market. So i headed down 6th and through a little square between 6th and 7th where i stumbled upon this. It is officially the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier, but apparently there's no grave to find. People, men, soldiers, are just... under the ground... all over the square... i loved this marker. "Freedom is a light for which many men have died in darkness." Wow.



When i made it to the Italian Market, i was dumbfounded. This place is SO classic... look at it, that's all i can say. i bought some bread and basalmic vinegar to make my favorite dippin' oil, and then had a slice of pizza that put all other pizza to shame. (i know, if there were any New Yorkers around, they'd pulverize me for saying that, but hey, it was that good.)



i felt like a real dork taking a photo of this and not going in to patronize the place, but i just couldn't NOT.



Then this, i don't know if you can see in the thumbnail, but if you click the pic and enlarge it, get a load of the last line!



Finally, i walked back up 9th street to Walnut and then across to 15th, were i returned to City Hall and found Love Park before boarding Suburban Station and returning home. Seriously, guys, how many times have you see this sculpture reproduced? And how many of you knew it was in Philly?