TRUTH TIME: I didn’t really like Philadelphia when I went down there for a day last month. I was all set to write a piece on how weird it is when I, a self-proclaimed City Girl, don’t like particular cities – and I still might. But for now, I want to inject a little bit of positivity into my memories and present four things that I found to be delightful, despite not loving Philly as a whole. Unsurprisingly, half of these things are food.

The history

The first thing I did after getting off the bus was tour Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed. Touristy to be sure, but it was so cool -at least to this history buff – to be standing where George Washington and his peers once stood and hashed out our freedom.

The architecture

The observatory itself left much to be desired, but I can’t deny the beauty of Philadelphia’s architecture, both old and new.

Reading Terminal Market

This food market – the oldest in the United States – is like Chelsea Market times 100. As soon as I walked in the door, my senses were assaulted and I was overwhelmed with choice for my lunch. I obviously settled on a Philly cheese steak (it was better than it looks!), but even then there were multiple booths to choose from! As a foodie, this place was heaven on earth – I even returned in the late afternoon to pick up donuts for the ride home.

Happy hour at Brü

I passed by this bar in the afternoon. It was 95 degrees outside and I still had hours to kill before my bus, so I was drawn in by the happy hour specials and spent two hours at a table by myself, eating a pretzel and drinking local beers. I even pulled out my Kindle and did my community group reading for the week!

I do hope to return to Philly one day and do it “right” (I think some of my dislike stems from my own mistakes in planning). What should I see and do next time around?