transportation

Hi! My grown daughter and I will be spending the long Columbus Day weekend in Philly and this will be our 1st visit to the city. We are staying in Rittenhouse Square but want to do a fair amount of sightseeing (Reading Terminal Mkt., Independence Hall, Zoo, etc...) Should we purchase trolly tickets or bus tickets? Are we within reasonable walking distance to Center City? It%26#39;s difficult to tell on a map.......... Neither of us deal with subways on a regular basis but if it%26#39;s really easy.......... Any/all suggestions are appreciated.

transportation

With the exception of the zoo, everything else is easily walkable. Rittenhouse Square is in Center City so a very incovenient location.

As for ways of getting to the zoo via public transit, go to SEPTA%26#39;s website at http://www.septa.org

transportation

I think NeedPivo meant to say it is a very CONVENIENT location. You%26#39;re right in the heart of the west side of town, though at the opposite end from the various historic sites (most sites are on the east side). It%26#39;s not a problem, though. everything is walkable, and the area you are in is very nice. Lots of shopping and restaurants, too. You are close to the Ben Franklin Parkway and the Art Museum, Rodin Museum, Mutter Museum, Franklin Institute, Academy of Natural Sciences, and Eastern State Penitentiary, which seems to be a really big hit with tourists.

You don%26#39;t buy bus or trolley tickets (no such thing). The easiest thing to do is pay cash as you go (exact change needed, so have lots of dollar bills and quarters). You can sabve a little bit by getting tokens, but it%26#39;s not really worth the effort, nor are the new day passes.

You can get to the zoo by taking the 38 bus from 19th or 20th and JFK Boulevard (about 3 blocks or so from Rittenhouse Square). Most 38s go to the zoo, but be sure to ask the bus driver to be sure.

Just keep in mind that in town, 10 blocks = about 1 mile, and that we have no 1st Street or 14th Street. Front Street is 1st, and Broad Street is 14th. Columbus Blvd (nee Delaware Avenue) is one block east of Front Street, and is the easternmost street. Market Street divides north addresses from south addresses. So, 200 S. 18th Street is two blocks south of Market Street. Here is a ';map';...the streets in all lower case are 1/2 blocks as far as address numbers and walking distance go, except for Locust, which really is a full block walk.. The Ben Franklin Parkway runs on a diagonal from City Hall (Broad %26amp; Market) to the northwest ending at the Art Museum at 25th Street and intersects the first 4 streets listed below as well as 16th through 23rd Streets.

Vine

Race

cherry (1/2 block walk)

Arch

jfk blvd

=== Market ===

Chestnut

sansom (1/2 block walk)

Walnut

locust

Spruce

Pine

Lombard

South Street

So, distance math is easy. If you are at 18th %26amp; Locust, and you want to walk to Independence Hall (5th %26amp; Chestnut, then

18 - 5 = 13 blocks plus 3 blocks for Locust up to Chestnut = 16 blocks total, or 1.6 miles. Downtown is completely flat, so no hills to struggle with.

To Owlyn%26#39;s excellent primer on Center City streets and travel to the zoo, let me add that if the weather is bad or if you get tired walking, you also can get around to the other attractions you mentioned via bus. Or, you can take the subway (Market-Frankford line, known in Philly as the El, because though completely underground in Center City, it is elevated in some other areas.)

A bus runs down Chestnut Street and will take you just 2 blocks or so from the Reading Terminal Market (pronounced ';redding';) and right to Independence Hall. There is another bus on Locust Street.

There also is an El stop at 15th and Market that will take you just a short walk away from both places. Check routes and schedules at www.septa.org and select Plan My Trip. Or look at their route maps. It is a good website and easy to use.

For transportation you have the option of the bus/trolley tours where you buy a ticket for a day (there my be a two day option also) and get on and offer at any of twenty sights. See phillytours.com for more info.

Lynn

Agree with Lynn3. The trolley and double-decker bus are convenient options and would simplify navigating unfamiliar transit system.

I like them for a good introduction to the city, but probably would not choose them for two people%26#39;s every day travel if they want to spend longer, follow-up time at historical sites, museums, Reading Terminal Market, etc.

A 24-hour pass with unlimited on-off privileges costs $25 per non-senior adult, if purchased online, (a $2 discount from the regular $27 fare). The tours end at 5:30 p.m. weekdays, 6:00 p.m. week-ends.

I made a mistake with the tours website. It is phillytour.com, not phillytours.com. Sorry!

Lynn

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Great suggestions for getting around. Our 1st full day is a spa morning at Resue Rittenhouse and then it%26#39;s off to see the sights. Hopefully the weather will coorperate and we can do most of our touring on foot but otherwise we will heed many of your wonderful ideas. On another note, which of Stephen Starr%26#39;s restaurants would you suggest we try? I don%26#39;t mind funky and she doesn%26#39;t mind traditional, but we both don%26#39;t want to eat someplace that is just trendy...............

Please give some feedback on the Spa... always looking to try news one.

IMHO, I love all of the Stephen Starr places. I guess it will come down to what you are in the mood for %26amp; what has availablity. You can make ressies in advance on Opentable.com.

As far as the Starr Restaurants, I like Morimotos, order the Omikasa, have yet to be disappointed.

I%26#39;d go to Buddakan, Tangerine or Alma de Cuba. It%26#39;s hard to pick because I like them all, to be honest...but I%26#39;d have to give Buddakan the forerunner%26#39;s edge for its trendiness factor and excellent food.

Yes, please do review the spa when you return...would love to hear about your experience!

Suzanne