Get To Know
Nicknames:
Philly
City of Brotherly Love (and Sisterly Affection)
Motto
“Philadelphia maneto” (“Let brotherly love endure”)
Unofficial: “No one likes us and we don’t care.”
Size
Approximately 142 square miles
Population
6th most populous city in the U.S. (1.6 million people)
Major Interstates
I-95 (east of Center City)
I-76 (west of Center City)
Known For
- American History
- Beer (and Beer Gardens)
- Parks
- Art Museums
- Movie Locations
- Sports (also, Gritty and The Fanatic)
- Cheesesteaks
Act Like A Local
- Downtown is called Center City.
- There is no 14th Street. It’s called Broad Street (or just Broad).
- Cheesesteaks are called “steaks”
- “Water” is pronounced “wooder” (“would-er”)
- A popular treat is Italian ice, but it’s called “water ice” (and pronounced “wooder ice”). Rita’s gives out free water ice on the first day of spring every year
- The Broad Street Line is the subway. It runs the length of Broad St.
- The Market Frankford is the el (elevated metro line). Some of it goes underground. It runs the length of Market St.
- The intersection of Broad and Market is Philadelphia City Hall
Popular Locations (Inside The City):
Delaware Waterfront & Spruce Street Harbor
Independence Hall & Constitution Hall
Museum of Art (aka, “The Rocky Steps”)
Popular Locations (Nearby):
- Approx. 25 miles from Center City
- 40min — 1hr average time by car
- 2hrs — 2.5hrs average time by bike
- We personally recommend Penns Woods Winery (not a paid endorsement)
- Home of 2010 Cupcake Wars champs, Dia Doce
Sports & Sports Facilities
All of the Philadelphia sport facilities are located in the Philly Sports Complex at the end of Broad Street. They are the last stop on the Broad Street Line.
Lincoln Financial, American Football Stadium (AKA “The Linc”):
- Home of the Eagles (NFL)
- Home field for Temple University football
- Traditional host of the Army/Navy football game
Citizens Bank Park Baseball Stadium
- Home of the Phillies (MLB)
- Home of The Fanatic, the Phillies mascot
- Home of the 76ers (NBA)
- Home of the Flyers (NHL)
- Home of Gritty, the Flyers mascot
- Sports-watching venue in the sports complex
- Bars and restaurants available
- 21+ only
Safety
Contrary to popular belief, Philadelphia is a generally safe city. As is true with any destination, if you look for trouble, you will find it. That said, trouble rarely looks for travelers here.
- Pickpocketing risk is typically very low.
- While violent crimes do happen, they are rare around Center City and other tourist hotspots.
- There are homeless people around the city, but scams are also rare. If someone asks for money, it’s okay to walk away.
Layout & Geography
1 city block = 0.1 mile; 10 blocks = 1 mile
Most of Philly sits between the Delaware River in the east and the Schuylkill (skoo-kill) River in the west.
The main streets are Market (east/west) and Broad Street (AKA “Broad”) (north/south).
Street Naming: East/West
Numbered Streets
- Street numbers start at 1st Street on the Delaware River and get larger as you move west. (Again, except for Broad, which replaces 14th St.)
Street Naming: North/South
Named Streets. The main streets through Center City are (from north to south):
- Vine
- Race
- Cherry
- Arch
- John F. Kennedy Blvd. (JFK)
- Market
- Chestnut
- Sansom: Not a major street but a good one to know
- Walnut
- Locust
- Spruce
- Pine
- Lombard
- South Street
Diagonal Streets
Ben Franklin Parkway
- Northwest from City Hall to Philadelphia Museum of Art
- Main drag for walking to/from the Museum of Art
- Great location for photos of the city
- Logan Square is in the middle of Parkway at 19th Street
Ridge Avenue
- Northwest from near Vine Street to Laurel Hill Cemetery
Passyunk (pashyunck) Avenue
- Southwest from South & 4th to just past the Schuylkill River
- Great street for local restaurants and shops
Getting Around Town
Biking
- Bikeshare: Indego (open to non-residents)
- Bike paths are available throughout the city
- Biking laws are generally unknown here, so cyclists need to be cautious!
- Cycling is not allowed on sidewalks
Rideshare
- Lyft & Uber are available throughout the city
Taxi
- Taxis are ubiquitous and can be easily hailed from most parts of the city.
- Drivers are generally kind and scams are rare.
Metro
- Septa (open to non-residents)
- Ranked #6 on walkscore.com
- Bus routes & schedules
- Map of Metro & Regional Rail routes
Walkable
- Philly prides itself on its walkability.
- Walking around the city is expected and is generally safe.
Accessible
- Philly also prides itself on its accessibility, especially at major tourist sites.
- Some lesser-visited historical buildings may have difficulty accommodating wheelchairs and scooters.
- Click here for more info and resources
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
Quick Resources
Getting to/from the airport
Distance: 12 miles from Center City (downtown).
Travel Time: 20 minutes to/from Center City
- Check traffic before leaving as there are only two major routes (I-76 and I-95), both of which are prone to backups. Google Maps is generally accurate.
Rideshare: $25 (before tip) to/from Center City
Taxi: $28.50 flat rate (before tip) to/from Center City
Septa Airport Train: $6.75 at kiosk, $6.50 if pre-paid to/from all Center City stops. Transit time is about an hour.
Rideshares, Taxis, and Regional Rail are all located on the opposite side of the baggage claim from passenger pickup.
Airport Accessibility
- PHL’s accessibility page
- Wheelchairs with push service and passenger trams are available upon request at ticket counters and at security.
- PHL is a member of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Lanyard program. Lanyards are available by request at the Information kiosks located just past security in each terminal.
- Pets and service animals, like dogs and cats, are welcome at PHL. Relief areas are available throughout the airport.
Airlines Served
- Air Alaska
- Air Canada
- American Airlines (hub)
- British Airways
- Delta
- Frontier
- JetBlue
- Lufthansa
- Qatar Airways
- Southwest
- Spirit
- Sun Country Airlines
- United
TSA PreCheck
Terminals A, C, and E-F
Getting Between Terminals: Free shuttle bus service is available at Terminal F, Gate F-14, to Gate C-16 (Terminals C,D and B) and Gate A-1 (Terminals A-East and A-West). Buses at C-16 and A-1 provide service to Terminal F only. There are also some moving sidewalks available between terminals and from terminals to baggage claims, but not inside the terminals.
What did we miss?
Email us at info@tripbee.com with the subject “Philadelphia” to let us know and we’ll update it here! (You know, if we agree.)
