The Adventures of the Fresh Prince of Philly
As a kid, my knowledge of Philadelphia was limited. Everything I knew came from television and movies. My dad loved the movie Rocky, so I obviously knew about the infamous stairs. As a family we watched Best In Show about once a month, which takes place in Philly but wasn’t actually filmed in Philly. And when I got older and discovered my own sexuality, the movie Philadelphia became quite poignant. But the one reference that fueled my passion to visit Philly more than anything came from my favorite childhood TV show that started a little something like this: “In west Philadelphia, born and raised …”
Yes, girl. Yes. Blame it on the Fresh Prince, but I knew one day I would make it to Philly. And I did.
The flight from Denver to Philly is certainly NOT quick, but it’s pretty straightforward. Upon arrival, Mayor Michael Nutter welcomes you to the “City of Brotherly Love” with banners and posters all throughout the airport. Hop in a cab and for a flat fee of $28.50 you can go anywhere downtown, which lead me to the Loews Philadelphia Hotel, the first skyscraper ever built in the city. This high-rise hotel is only a few short blocks from City Hall, LOVE Park, and the well- known gayborhood. Perfect for a single gay in the city.
In the spirit of youthful adventure, I decided just to wander my new surroundings on Day One. I knew I needed food, but that was it. Just up 12th Street, I easily zeroed in on Reading Terminal Market, and it might have been one of the best decisions of my entire trip. The enclosed public market has more than a hundred merchants offering everything from fresh groceries to immediate meals. I opted for immediate and satisfied my hunger with Delilah’s Mac and Cheese.
Now with a full stomach, I was ready to really explore. First stop: the famous LOVE Park in Center City. The brainchild of former Philadelphia City LOVE Park is infamous and people from around the country and even the world line up to take a photo with the beloved sculpture. Feeling satisfied with the quick minute in LOVE Park, it was time to find a few more Philadelphia staples, the Rocky Balboa Statue, and the infamous set of stairs. As my cabdriver pulled up to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, there it was. People were patiently waiting in line to take a photo with the statue. And just a little to left sat the stairs.
Refusing to wait in line for my own picture, I hiked the famous stairs and made my way inside the actual museum. As one of the largest in the United States, it certainly didn’t disappoint. With more than 227,000 objects, 800,000+ people visit the museum annually. I was lucky enough to experience the final days of “Represent: 200 Years of African-American Art,” an exhibition devoted to exactly what it says.
Having walked more than 12,000 steps in only the last few hours, my brain quickly turned to food yet again. And when it comes to food, Philly knows exactly what it’s doing. Back at my hotel, I went straight downstairs to Bank & Bourbon, one of the city’s newest and hottest restaurants, conveniently located inside the Loews, where I enjoyed a barrel-aged whiskey on ice, and a more-than-delicious striped bass entrée. With another meal in the gut, it was time to find my roots and venture over to the gayborhood, where Woody’s is the place to start the party, which makes sense — Woody’s is HUGE. From Woody’s, I bar-hopped along the strip from Voyeur to U Bar, and from U Bar to Boxers. The gayborhood was living up to its name, and by the end of the night I was more than happy to crash in my king size corner unit.
My big “splurges” came on the second day. When mentioning my upcoming trip to Philly, Federal Donuts was an immediate conversation starter. The local chain features a unique twist on the donut experience, and not only offers donuts, but in the evening offers fresh fried chicken. Both the donuts and chicken didn’t disappoint. And while donuts are thrilling and filling, they can only satisfy so much hunger, which is why I parked myself on a patio table at Parc Restaurant Bistro & Café, located in Rittenhouse Square. The French bistro serves what might as well be some of the best damn brunch in town, which explains the hour wait for a table.
From brunch, I wandered back to Boxers, a local gay bar where the men wear … boxers and only boxers. There, I enjoyed a few cold brews and killed a few hours before my dinner reservation at Juniper Commons. When you mention the name Juniper Commons, the people of Philly react the same — with envy, and with good reason. Juniper Commons is one of three Sbraga concepts that have swept the Philly food scene. Only met with rave reviews, I found myself overwhelmed with the amount of deliciousness placed in front of me — baked clams, fried chicken, garlic shrimp, fava beans, and a pecan pie that would make you weak in the knees. By the end of the meal, I wasn’t sure I would make it to Walnut Street Theatre for the evening performance of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, but I did and as America’s oldest theatre, the performances made it quite clear why they are still around today.
Waking up on my final day in the city, which also happened to be Easter Sunday, I knew I needed to jam-pack as much as possible into the last hours. And what is Easter without a solid brunch? I jumped in a cab and headed to Ela in Queen Village, where I dined on a three-course brunch menu. A kale salad, a vanilla French toast “cobbler,” and some warm cookie dough later, I was completely full. The smoked rye bloody and “Rudie Can’t Fail” aided in my fullness, but drinks don’t count in Queen Village to the Barnes Foundation, another Philadelphia museum established by Albert C. Barnes in 1922, and the Mütter Museum, a museum dedicated to all things weird. Think American Horror Story: Freak Show, but right in front of your eyes. Conjoined twins, giants, and anomalies. Oh, my!
As the sun began to set, my travel adventure officially over, I boarded the plane thoroughly satisfied. I have a few new friends to visit next time I’m in Philly, and some interesting stories to tell. For that, Philadelphia, I thank you. And until next time, I’ll see you in the movies.
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