Jen
The Philadelphia Flower Show is held at Convention Center, Arch and
9th Streets. There is a range of hotels in the area -- don't know what
you want or how much you're willing to spend. As for eating, the most
noteworthy (IMO) are the restaurants in Chinatown, barely 1 block away.
My very favorite is Lee How Fook, 11th and Spring, where the Peking
duck is outta sight. Also try the salt baked squid. As for what to
see, the Flower Show is in walking distance of the Liberty Bell,
Independence Hall, Elfreth's Alley (oldest continually-inhabited
street in the US), the Betsy Ross house, etc. A bit farther way is
the Phila Museum of Art and in the 'burbs is the Barnes Foundation,
with the most extraordinary collection of French Impressionist paintings
in the country. Significantly farther away is Longwood Gardens, a
magnificent estate originally owned by the Dupont family and now
extraordinary gardens and conservatories open to the public. Let me
know if you have any special interests that I have touched on.
Don't forget to try the Reading Terminal Market. It is a farmers
market/restraunt court right across the street from the convention center.
Good hotels in the area are numberous. I've personally tried and enjoyed the
Omni Hotel, Society Hill Marriot and the Penn Charter Inn. The last one is a
bed and breakfast which has some rooms with jacuzzi's and fireplaces!
Have fun! Molly
The show is fabulous. Try to go during the week, since it is unbearably crowded
during the weekends.
Wendy Goldberg
Jen
Ellen! You forgot to mention the cheese steaks! Jennifer
-- grab a cab and head for Jim's Steaks just off the corner
South Street & S 4th Street. Ask for a mushroom-cheese
steak and you'll think you've died and gone to heaven!
(Sorry, any Pat's fans out there, but this ex-Philly chick
craves Jim's!)
I can't remember when the Flower Show is held, but if it's
in spring, a trip through Fairmont Park is worth it and
there are a lot of cherries and dogwood on Boathouse Row in
back of the Art Museum.
If you do take the day trip down to Delaware and it's
springtime, you might want to skip Longwood and visit
Winterthur -- another DuPont estate -- noted for its
woodland spring bulb gardens and incredibly large collection
of azaleas. Longwood is magnificent with formal French
parterres and topiary and an unbelievable conservatory, but
Winterthur is its equally stunning opposite: English estate
landscaping at its best, with long vistas, curving drives
and rolling hills -- pure Capability Brown!
BTW, The Italianate mansion at Winterthur also houses the
world's largest collection of American decorative arts.
Francis DuPont, the collector and experimental farmer, who
was the last resident of Winterthur before he turned it into
a museum, was once asked by the estate's fire chief (yes, it
has its own fire department) what should be saved if there
was a major fire at Winterthur. Francis is said to have
exclaimed, "The trees! Save the trees! I can always build
another house!" Not your typical DuPont.
--
Jessie
New York City
j e s 2 2 at columbia dot edu
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LOL! Well, good thing you mentioned it because this ex-NY
chick does not do cheesesteaks. To each his/her own. ;) But
I'm glad you didn't recommend the pizza -- it's godawful here.
The cheese isn't real mozzarella (I think it's a combination of
Cool-Whip and styrofoam) and they don't know about olive oil --
feh. Ah, the Brooklyn pizzas of my youth... ;)
>I can't remember when the Flower Show is held, but if it's
>in spring, a trip through Fairmont Park is worth it and
>there are a lot of cherries and dogwood on Boathouse Row in
>back of the Art Museum.
It's usually in early-mid March. A little early for the cherries
and dogwood, I'm afraid. (I think they purposely hold the Flower
Show while it's still grey and dismal outside -- the contrast in
sights and smells as you enter is phenomenal.)
Nice description of Winterthur, btw. The Philadelphia Chamber of
Commerce should hire you. ;)
Don't skip either of them! They are both wonderful!
Spend a few days in Delaware. You can see beautiful things, and not have to
fight city traffic.
-- Longwood Gardens and Winterthur, already described.
-- Nemours Mansion (another beautiful DuPont home, call ahead for a tour
reservation)
-- Brandywine Museum, home of the Wyeth artist family
-- Delaware Art Museum, with a lovely collection of pre-Raphaelites
-- Riverfront Arts Center, currently featuring Nicholas and Alexandra, Russia's
last ruling family.
-- Rockwood, a 19th century Quaker merchant's home, filled with nifty Victorian
furniture.
-- Stroudsburg railroad museum and steam locomotive train line.
All this is within a 20-mile radius of Wilmington.
Wendy Goldberg
Wilmington, DE
Nu, I agree with you. Only Brooklyn pizzas reach true perfection. The pizzas of
Milan and Florence are thin and bland, and as for Wilmington and Philadelphia
<dismissive hand gesture>.
Absolutely. The Flower Show is held when you just can't STAND winter anymore.
Ecstasy!!!
Wendy Goldberg
Had to laugh about this - when I lived in San Francisco there where lots of
east coast transplants many from the Philly area. In Noe Valley there was a
place called the Three Js or something like that - anyway they had a sign out
about Philly CheeseStakes, so one of my ex-Philly friends goes and in asks for
a cheesestake - saying "And I'm from Philly so I'll tell you if its a Philly
cheesestake or not!" The owner and cook just looked at her and said "10th and
Camden". This is the only place outside of Philly I'd eat a cheesestake!
Chrissie
This mail is a natural product. The slight variations in spelling and
grammar enhance its individual character and beauty and in no way are to
be considered flaws or defects.
Jennifer -
I agree with you about Chicago pizza, though I don't particularly like
Uno (at least the one here-the crust is way too oily). And I speak as
one born in Brooklyn, now living in the 'burbs of Philly. Ellen, if
you are ever in Bucks County, I can give you a great pizza
recommendation...
On the original question of restaurants near the Flower Show, there is
a very good Vietnamese place a block or two north and east from the
Convention Center - maybe on 10th St (sorry, I don't recall exactly).
Barry
--
Note - Remove the X from my e-mail address for direct replies
You already have thanked me -- you're welcome. ;)
Btw, Pizzeria Uno is about my favorite pizza in Philadelphia --
Brooklyn it's not but it's tastier than most around here.
BTW, if you're ever in Provincetown, MA, check out Mojo's
Steaks on the bayside docks. They fly the makings in. And
enough Philly-folk have retired to the Delmarva peninsula
that all you DE folk can go get a decent steak anywhere
around Rehobeth -- something to do after the pumpkin
chunkin' ;-D
Well, as long as the discussion is in the neighborhood, I'll
describe my vacation last summer:
Ditched the hubby -- left that city boy at home. Got in my
car and drove to Kutztown, PA, for Rodale's Garden Fest.
Spent three days there taking in seminars and touring the
experimental plots. Got in my car, drove down the back way
along the Brandywine River to Chadd's Ford and stayed there
four days while revisiting Longwood, Winterthur, and
Nemours. Repaired a dropped tailpipe. Visited a mushroom
farm in Downingtown. Pigged on mushrooms -- don't care what
they grow in. Got back in the car and drove down to Indian
River inlet. Cleaned up my dad's garden (he's 82) and
canoed the cypress swamp at Trap Pond State Park. Took a
daytrip across the Lewes ferry to catch the hummingbird
migration at Leaming Run Gardens in Cape May Courthouse.
Got back in the car and drove north through as many national
and state forests as I could find till I reached my friend
(the notorius zucchini abandoner) in Calicoon, NY. Helped
her put in a new herbaceous border, then put her in my car
and drove off to take a hike through the Wallkill watershed
restoration area (way too much loosestrife there!). Stopped
on the way back to eat at Pat Lanza's restaurant and tour
her personal _Lasagna Garden_. Took my friend back to her
house, checked the trunk for zucchini, then headed to
Sussex, NJ, where I helped another friend plan a border
around her new deck and hottub. Tried the hottub.
Got back in the car and drove to my favorite nursery &
farmstand to pick up a load of end-of-season sale items and
some dead-red vine-ripened tomatoes. Got back in the car
and drove on into the city. Stowed the bargain plants at a
third friend's house to await transplant in her garden the
following weekend. Parked the car. Went home. Slept like
a log. Woke up in time to prevent City Boy from throwing
out the "rotten" tomatoes.
Now *that* was a garden tour!
Pizza anywhere but Santarpio's in East Boston? Best in the world!
Ann
Gardening in Zone 6a
Just south of Boston, MA
Fix the from: 9 is the spam trap!