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Old St. Mary Cemetery
I had been to a few of the well-known cemeteries in Philadelphia—Christ Church Burial Ground and Mount Moriah—but it wasn't until my recent trip that I realized I should check out the Find A Grave app to see if there were any other little city churchyards I was missing. I had some time after my City Hall tour and before we had to catch our train, so I searched the app and headed to the closest cemetery, Old St. Mary's.
I've been frustrated in Philly (and other cities) before when I trekked to a cemetery only to encounter a locked gate, but I'm always cautiously optimistic. At first it appeared as if I had struck out at St. Mary's, but I circled the block and found an open gate near the parking lot.
Old St. Mary's Church was established in 1763, and in 1782 a parish school—the first in America to be connected to a Catholic church—opened and remains in operation today. It was the first Roman Catholic cathedral in Philadelphia and worshippers included George Washington, John Adams and several members of the Continental Congress (they officially attended services here four times from 1777 to 1781). The church also hosted the first public religious commemoration of the Declaration of Independence.
The cemetery was established in 1759 and the oldest legible tombstone belongs to Arthur Cample, who died on June 11, 1769. After the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793, the cemetery was enlarged by adding an extra layer of soil to the ground level. As a result of the epidemic, an orphanage was established for children that had been found wandering the streets. The Roman Catholic Society for Educating and Maintaining Poor Orphan Children (phew) was run by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Charity, who assisted the city during another epidemic (cholera) in 1832. At least one of these orphans and several Sisters are buried beneath a worn stone with the words "orphan asylum" still visible.
Other notable burials include Thomas Fitzsimons, a deputy from Pennsylvania to the Continental Congress and signer of the Constitution; Anthony Quervelle, a cabinetmaker chosen by Andrew Jackson to design tables for the East Room of the White House; Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis's great-great-grandfather Michael Bouvier; Commodore John Barry, father of the American Navy; and the Honorable James Campbell, who, in his 81 years of life, managed to be the Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, Attorney General of Pennsylvania and Postmaster General of the United States.
Old St. Mary's Cemetery
252 S. 4th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Philadelphia City Hall Tower Tour
Construction of Philadelphia's ornate, Second Empire-style City Hall began in 1871 and it wasn't finished until 30 years later. It's currently the largest municipal building in the country—the ground floor is made of 22-foot-thick solid granite and the 548-foot tower is the tallest masonry structure without a steel frame in the world.
It wasn't until I was researching for this travel guide of Philadelphia that I discovered that the tower has an observation deck. I'm not afraid of heights and I love surveying cities from above, so I was eager to get back to Philly and take the tour. Tower tours are offered Monday-Friday 9:30am-4:15pm and only on "select Saturdays." We were in Philly for July 4th and our train didn't leave until 2pm the next day so I took a 10:15am tour on Thursday.
The most difficult part of the tour is finding the visitors' center in City Hall—I wandered in and out of the ground floor before I finally found it. Tickets for the tower tour can be purchased in the gift shop, and be aware that they are extremely limited. Although the official closing hour is 4:15pm, the tower was closing at noon on Thursday, probably due to the heat. You have to meet an elevator operator on the 7th floor no later than 15 minutes before your scheduled tour time, and the extremely small elevator only holds four people (including the operator).
The elevator operator asked if any of us were claustrophobic or afraid of heights and I lied when I said no to the former—enclosed spaces are not thrilling to me on a regular day, but in the extreme heat and humidity the tiny, airless elevator ride could not have been over soon enough for me. The inside of the tower itself is mainly just filled with support structures and a few pieces of communications equipment, but you pass behind the four, 26-foot-wide clock faces—bigger than Big Ben—as you ascend to the top.
The observation deck is small and mostly enclosed but the 360 views of the city are spectacular. The deck sits right under the 37-foot-tall, 27-ton statue of Penn, one of 250 sculptures created by Alexander Milne Calder for City Hall. In 1894, the statue was hauled to the top of the tower in fourteen separate sections and it is still the largest statue to sit atop any building in the world. A gentleman's agreement dictated that no building in the surrounding skyline was to rise higher than the top of Penn's hat—an agreement that held for nearly 100 years, until 1986 with the construction of One Liberty Place.
City Hall Tower Tour
1400 John F Kennedy Blvd
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Tours every 15 minutes Mon-Fri, 9:30am-4:15pm and select Saturdays
Travel Guide: Philadelphia
My mom and I recently took a day trip to Philly, and when I started adding it up, I realized that it was my fifth time in the city of brotherly love. Two of those trips were overnights and three were day trips. One of the joys of living in New York is its proximity to other places on the East Coast, and thanks to regional transit it's easy to take a day trip when you're in the mood for a change. Philly is an hour and a half away from New York by Amtrak, but if you're on a budget and don't mind some extra train time (🙋), regional transit will get you there in three hours (it will probably take you longer than that to read this travel guide).
GETTING THERE:
If time is more of a concern than money, Amtrak is your best bet. It will get you from Penn Station to the 30th Street Station in Philadelphia in and hour and a half (an hour and 12 minutes if you take the express). The lowest price for a one-way ticket is about $39 if you book far in advance and tickets can be much more expensive than that—especially if you want reasonable times.
For most of the day trips, I've taken regional transit. It takes twice as long, but it's cheaper and more flexible—$56 roundtrip and trains run every hour. At Penn Station in the NJ Transit area, buy tickets for 30th Street, Philadelphia. You'll get two sets of tickets, and you have to transfer trains once. The first train goes from Penn Station -> Trenton, and then at Trenton you'll board a train that terminates at Philadelphia. In both cases you're getting off at the last stop so you don't have to pay much attention, and there's usually no more than a ten-minute wait at Trenton for your transfer to Philly. After you get out at the 30th Street Station, be sure to check out the four eagles on the Market Street Bridge—they're from the original Penn Station.
There are bus options as well—Greyhound, Megabus and others—but I get car sick and prefer the train so I've never taken one. Once you're in Philly, Uber is much cheaper than it is in New York, and they also have their own Subway and Trolley systems.
My favorite place in Philly, by far, is the Mütter Museum. The museum began as a donation of 1,700 objects and $30,000 from Thomas Dent Mütter, MD. It has grown to include more than 25,000 objects, including sections of Einstein's brain, a large human skull collection, the Soap Lady, the conjoined liver of Siamese twins Chang & Eng, President Grover Cleveland's jaw tumor, the tallest skeleton on display in North America and the world's largest colon (above). Unfortunately photographs are not allowed inside the museum, but that hasn't stopped me from going three times since 2014. They have an exhibition space that hosts rotating art and photographic installations—Woven Strands: The Art of Human Hair Work is on display now until September 16th.
Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell
Tickets to Independence Hall are free, but required if you're visiting in March through December. Tours are given every 15, 20 or 30 minutes, depending on the season and you'll see where both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were debated and adopted. The building was completed in 1753 and hosted the Second Continental Congress from 1775 to 1783 and the Constitutional Convention in 1787.
Is it worth it to wait in a line that often snakes around the block to see the Liberty Bell? Probably not. But we did it on my first visit, so I can say I've seen it—and was frustrated with the inability to get a good, tourist-less photo of this iconic piece of American history. No tickets are required, but if you don't have much time, you can catch a pretty good glimpse of it from a side window without the wait.
Elfreth's Alley holds the distinction of being America's oldest residential street. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966, but keep in mind that it is very much still a residential street, meaning that people actually live here. You can freely walk through the narrow street, but don't be a creep and peek into windows or linger in doorways.
I've never met a historical home tour that I didn't love, and while the Betsy Ross house may be geared toward school-age children, we still had a fun time on the tour. The best part was the historical actor who insisted to us that she was actually Betsy Ross, despite the fact that the real Ross's bones are interred just outside the house.
I love, love, love Eastern State Penitentiary, and I went to Philly for the day last year exclusively to tour the newly-reopened hospital wing. In operation from 1829 until 1971, Eastern State was considered to be the world's first true penitentiary. The tour is self-guided (which I prefer) and admission includes an excellent audio guide narrated by Steve Buscemi. Both times that I've visited I've spent several hours roaming around, and I'd love to go back for their Terror Behind the Walls haunted attractions in the fall.
This new(ish) art museum is completely overwhelming in the best way, and comprises the varied and exhaustive art collection of one fascinating man, Dr. Albert C. Barnes. I recommend watching this documentary or reading this book before you go—the art is impressive enough on its own, but knowing more about the eccentric Barnes and the turmoil involved in bringing his collection to the public will only enhance your experience.
Philadelphia's gorgeous city hall is the largest municipal building in the country. Construction began in 1871 and took more than 30 years to complete. The 548-foot tower is the tallest masonry structure in the world without a steel frame and it's topped with a 27-ton statue of Pennsylvania founder, William Penn. Until 1987, it was the tallest building in Philadelphia and a gentleman's agreement had prevented any building from rising taller then the statue of Penn. I highly recommend the tower tour, but be aware that availability is extremely limited (and the elevator is very, very small). Tours are offered every 15 minutes, weather and capacity permitting, Monday-Friday, 9:30 a.m.-4:15 p.m. and select Saturdays, 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Public Art
There are four large pieces by Swedish-born American sculptor Claes Oldenburg on display in Philly. In 1976, Oldenburg was commissioned to do a sculpture to celebrate the bicentennial, and a 45-foot-tall clothespin was born. His second piece is the 5000-pound, 16-foot aluminum Split Button, installed on the University of Pennsylvania campus in 1981. His third piece is a ten-foot, three-prong electric plug made in 1970 and moved to the Philadelphia Museum of Art's sculpture garden in 2010 (I haven't seen the button or plug yet). The newest Oldenburg is the fifty-one-foot-tall, 11,000-pound Paint Torch, installed in 2011 in between two buildings that house the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
And of course no visit to Philly is complete without a selfie in front of Robert Indiana's surprisingly-diminutive LOVE statue, installed in 1976.
If you spend any time around South Street, you'll notice Isaiah Zagar's more than 200 mosaics scattered around the area on walls and down alleyways. You'll need tickets to get into his masterpiece, Magic Gardens, but it's worth it to see Zagar's extensive trash to treasure vision up close (I posted more from our visit here).
Cemeteries
I just posted about our recent visit to the Christ Church Burial Ground, but if you like historical cemeteries this one is not to be missed. If the $3 admission fee scares you off—or if the cemetery is closed—you can see the grave of their most famous resident, Benjamin Franklin, through a break in the brick wall.
Mount Moriah Cemetery is located in southwestern Philadelphia and you can get there via public transit but I recommend taking an Uber (it's not in a great neighborhood). Long abandoned and badly neglected, this historic cemetery is slowly being brought back to life by a group of volunteers but parts of it are still quite wild and overgrown.
On my first visit to this oddities and vintage shop, I scored an eyeball medical model for $40. I haven't had such good luck in subsequent visits, but I make sure to stop here every time I'm in town to browse their medical oddities and check in on the Odditorium—their about section on their site simply states that, "Professor Ouch's Bizarre Bazaar & Odditorium is the greatest shop in Philadelphia," and I can't argue with that. If you strike out here, head next door to the Philly AIDS Thrift, a huge, multi-level thrift store with excellent prices and a blissfully organized book section.
Update: as of July 2018 Professor Ouch's has closed their 5th Street store (sad!), but they still have an online shop for now.
WHAT TO EAT:
Diners
I had admired this signage for years but I didn't know the Midtown III Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge was actually a diner until recently. My mom and I went here for breakfast before tackling the Mütter Museum and it was an exceptional diner experience—friendly waitress, strong coffee, colorful vinyl booths and delicious breakfast food.
Unfortunately, the other Little Pete's closed last year after 40 years and New York developers (of course) are demolishing the charming diner to build a luxury hotel. But if you are looking for a place to eat before or after visiting the Eastern State Penitentiary, Little Pete's at the Philadelphian offers classic diner food served in a slightly newer setting. I didn't realize it before I went, but the Philadelphian must be a retirement complex—every other person eating breakfast at 3pm was over 80 and accompanied by nursing aids—and I fit in perfectly.
You (and I) cannot go to Philly without having at least one cheesesteak (whiz, witout). I'm so partial to Pat's that I've yet to try another place—notorious competitor Geno's Steaks is right next door, but their signage is just too aggressive for me.
There are so many options at the Reading Terminal Market that it's probably wise to just try all of them eventually. I've yet to have a pie better than the one we got here on our first visit, and if you're in the market for some chocolate kidneys, noses or ears the Mueller Chocolate Co. has you covered. If you're not hungry (how?) it's worth a stop just to check out all of the beautiful neon signage.
McGillian's opened in 1860 and is the oldest continuously operating tavern in Philadelphia. We stopped here for a drink and while the atmosphere was a bit loud and raucous for me (hi, I'm also 158 years old), I will never pass up a chance to visit anything with the distinction of "oldest."
Want to know even more about Philly? You can see all of my individual Philadelphia posts here.
Christ Church Burial Ground
On Saturday, my mom and I went to Philadelphia for the day. Our main destination was the Mütter Museum, but it was her first time in Philly so I wanted to show her some of the historic sites as well. The line for the Liberty Bell was around the block—pro-tip: you can see it through a side window without waiting—so we headed to the nearby Christ Church burial grounds. I'd been once, on my first trip to Philadelphia in 2014, but I never say no to a repeat spin around a historic graveyard.
Christ Church burial ground was established in 1719 and is now the final resting place for more than 4,000 people. Notable burials including five signers of the Declaration of the Independence, medical pioneers, military heroes and victims of a Yellow Fever epidemic. The most famous of those signers is Benjamin Franklin, who is buried alongside his wife and daughter. Visitors throw coins on his grave because of the phrase "a penny saved is a penny earned," which is attributed to Franklin. $5,000 a year is earned from the daily collections (they sweep them into a dustpan) and the money is used for cemetery maintenance and restoration.
Christ Church burial ground is still the only cemetery I've had to pay admission to enter, and the cost increased from $2 to $3 since my first visit. In 1858, an opening was placed in the brick wall at the request of Franklin’s descendants so his grave could be viewed by the public at any time. I think the admission price also keeps the cemetery relatively empty, which is probably good for preservation efforts and is great for me to take photos in peace.
The burial ground currently has 1,400 markers, and another 2,500 have disappeared over time. A lot of the stones are so worn that you can no longer read the inscriptions, but you can purchase a map for a $1 that points out notable graves. Luckily, records were kept and a lot of the stones have new plaques that explain their original inscriptions. My favorite stone was the one that my mom pointed out, above, that looks just as sad as you would expect a lonely, 18th-century tombstone to be.
Christ Church Burial Ground
340 N 5th St,
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Open Monday through Saturday from 10 AM–4 PM,
Sunday from 12 PM–4 PM (weather permitting)
Eastern State Penitentiary: Hospital
After a few months of thinking that I needed to check out the newly-opened hospital wing of Eastern State Penitentiary, I finally headed to Philadelphia for the day to do just that. I had been to Eastern State only once, but it's been high on my list of places to revisit ever since.
When David and I visited Philly last year, we took Amtrak. I've returned on two solo trips since (including my visit to Mount Moriah in the spring), and both times I've taken regional transit which is about twice as long but one-third as expensive as Amtrak. To get from NY to Philly via regional rail I took a NJ transit train from Penn Station (ugh) to Trenton, and then a SEPTA train from Trenton to the 30th Street Philadelphia station (which is basically Philly's version of Grand Central and 10,00000000 x better than the current Penn Station). Once in Philly I just walked to Eastern State, although I've used Uber a few times and it was cheaper than it is here in New York—my 30 minute ride back to the train station was under $4 (tip included).
One of the things I love most about ESP is that you can wander throughout the grounds on your own—I prefer to go at my own (snail's) pace and always feel rushed on guided tours. I had a mini-freak out when I arrived at ESP to find that the hospital wing appeared closed, and when I inquired about it I was told that it was open by tour only. Luckily, the short "Hand on History" tours are included in your admission price and occur frequently throughout the day, so I didn't have to wait long to (finally!) get inside of cellblock 3.
Eastern State Penitentiary opened in 1829, and cellblock 3 was part of the original plan. The hospital wing transformed throughout the years to keep up with disease and changing therapies, and included an "operating room, laboratories, pharmacy, X-ray lab, hydrotherapy rooms, psychiatric department and a solarium for treating tuberculosis patients."
I did feel a bit rushed during the tour—which lasted about 20 minutes—but only because I'm a slow creep who travelled three hours by train just to see a long-abandoned hospital wing and I could've spent much longer just soaking it all in.
Eastern State Penitentiary
2027 Fairmount Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19130
Open daily, 10am-5pm, Tours of the hospital wing every half-hour or so.
Mount Moriah Cemetery
I finally made it to Mount Moriah Cemetery recently, an "abandoned" cemetery located in southwest Philadelphia. I put abandoned in quotes, because like Eastern Cemetery in Kentucky and the Historic Jersey City Cemetery, Mount Moriah was once abandoned but is slowly being cleaned up and maintained by a group of volunteers.
Mount Moriah was established in 1855 and encompasses 380 acres, making it the largest cemetery in Pennsylvania. The cemetery is separated into two sections by Cobbs Creek, and sits in two different counties. It was privately owned until the last known member of the Mount Moriah Cemetery Association died, and there has been confusion about who actually owns the cemetery since—it officially closed its gates in 2011.
At first glance, Mount Moriah doesn't even appear abandoned. A large portion of it has been cleared and mowed, and it looks like any other sprawling cemetery. But bordering the cleared sections are pockets of overgrown brush and weeds, studded with headstones—I'm guessing the whole cemetery looked like this before the volunteers stepped in.
I have been trying to get to Mount Moriah ever since my soul-sister-in-creep, Kaylah of The Dainty Squid, posted about it, but I could never get someone to go with me. I had heard that it was in a not-so-great neighborhood (not uncommon for an abandoned place), and I wasn't thrilled to have to go alone. But I recently had a weekday off for Passover and the weather was beautiful, so I hopped on a train (and then another train) headed for Philadelphia. This is where I apologize to my dad, for assuring him recently that I never go into sketchy, abandoned places by myself—I amend that statement to almost never.
I opted to take regional trains (Penn Staion > Trenton, Trenton > Philly) instead of a more direct (and more expensive) Amtrak train. Mount Moriah is located about four miles from the 30th Street train station, and because I didn't have a car I had to figure out how to actually get to Mount Moriah after I arrived in Philly.
I generally have no problems taking solo adventures—and sometimes I actually prefer to be alone—but my anxieties and indecisive tendencies seem to flourish when left unchecked by another person. My first instinct was to take Uber to the cemetery, but then I began to worry about where to get dropped off and even the judgement of my driver when he/she realized that my destination was an abandoned cemetery (which feels so dumb to admit). Then I decided to take the light rail, but couldn't find the station. Then I thought I'd take the streetcar—which is sort of an underground bus?—but I couldn't figure out how to pay, and I knew I didn't have exact change. So, after way too much time sort of wandering in circles, arguing with myself and wondering why I was so strange, I ended up taking Uber.
I do want to mention that as we were driving, the neighborhood kept getting sketchier and sketchier, to the point where I considered asking my driver to take me back to Philly proper. As we approached the cemetery, I noticed that the front gates were unlocked and open, and asked my driver to drop me out front. I basically ran into the cemetery, and instantly felt better—I'm so glad that I didn't prematurely bail.
There are a few military sections that have been meticulously maintained, and seeing row after row of identical stones (including several just marked "Unknown") like a mini-Arlington is really sobering. Mount Moriah was unlike any other cemetery I've visited, but there were still a few things that stood out: a full-sized tree growing out of the base of a broken monument, the marker that just said "orphanage," and a path that was made entirely out of broken headstones.
Friends of Mount Moriah Cemetery is a "nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Mount Moriah Cemetery by honoring the memory of those interred here through community engagement, education, historic research, and restoration." I'm definitely appreciative of these volunteer groups that have stepped in to care for their neglected neighborhood cemeteries—a largely thankless and monumental task—but I'm also glad that I got see Mount Moriah before it was entirely restored to its former glory.
Mount Moriah Cemetery
The main gate is at Kingsessing Ave and S 62nd Street.
No regular hours posted, but I visited at noon on a Tuesday and the gates were open.
(It's Always Sunny in) Philadelphia
I briefly mentioned how much I loved Philly in this post of reflections photos, and I've since professed my love for Pat's Steaks and Reading Terminal Market. I've only been to Philly twice, but I'm already sold. A lot of the city reminds me of what I love most about New York—historical markers on every block, adorable streets lined with charming row houses, walkable streets and enough people and building density to feel as if you're really in a city. But Philly also seems to lack a few things that are not so desirable in New York—the maddening rents and crushing crowds. I'm sure Philly has its downsides, as all places do, but my two experiences there have been so delightful that I'm eager to discover what else the city has to offer.
One of the first things that greeted us as we walked from the train station was a bridge flanked by four of the large stone eagles from the original Penn Station. I'm a bit obsessed with finding remnants of old New York, and I was delighted to find that at least some parts of Penn Station's former glory have not been lost. Philly also has its share of famous public artwork, including a huge, steel clothespin by Claes Oldenburg, and the iconic LOVE sculpture.
One thing I wanted to make sure we did was to ride Philly's subway. I am so intrigued by public transit in other cities, particularly subway systems, and we only rode a few stops but I was charmed. The Philly subway feels like a mix of New York's and the DC Metro, and it was clean, easy to navigate and you can still pay with a token (!).
While attempting to walk off some of our cheesesteak calories, we stopped at Professor Ouch's Odditorium, which is basically my dream store. In addition to having a legitimate curiosity show in the back room, they have so many wonderful things for sale, including a large selection of sideshow memorabilia and medical oddities (I bought a particularly wonderful '60s eyeball model).
We mostly wandered around somewhat aimlessly, in awe of the adorable historical streets and ivy-covered homes. We had a drink at the oldest bar in Philly—McGillins Old Ale House—breakfast at the very cute diner, Little Pete's, and wondered out loud what our lives would be like if we defected to a place filled with cheesesteaks, tree-lined streets, wonderful art and excellent cemeteries. I'm not done with New York just yet, but it's nice to know that if I'm ever in need of a change—or when I'm priced out entirely—that Philadelphia exists just a short train ride away.
More Philly posts: Reflections | Pat's Steaks | Magic Gardens | Reading Terminal Market
Philly: Reading Terminal Market
On my first visit to Philly, we briefly stopped in Reading Terminal Market to buy a pie (which turned out to be one of the best pies I've ever eaten). We didn't have much time to spend browsing and it was very crowded, but I'd seen enough to know that I should make an effort to come back the next time I was in town.
We managed to squeeze in a visit on our recent trip before we had to catch our train, and this time it was not crowded at all because it was a Sunday. I didn't realize that a lot of the vendors are Amish, and therefore closed on Sundays. This means I didn't get to buy another life-changing pie, but I was just as enamored by the neon signage and various offerings as I was on my first visit.
We weren't hungry at the time, which was a shame because the market is filled with so many delicious-looking (and smelling) things including cheesesteaks, ice cream, donuts, Chinese food, pretzels and a really cute diner counter. Almost every single booth has a neon sign better than the last, with swishing lobster tails, beautiful scripts and illustrations of various foods. I'm a huge fan of judging a book by its cover—or a store or restaurant by its signage—and Reading Terminal Market passes this test with flying (neon) colors.
Philly: Magic Gardens
I'm not sure how I heard about Philly's Magic Gardens, but all I knew was that it was an area of town filled with mosaics—and that's all I needed to know to want to check it out on our recent visit. We subsequently discovered that while Isaiah Zagar's mosaics are scattered around the city on walls and down alley ways, you need tickets to see the actual Magic Gardens site. It was already sold out for the day by the time we made it to South Street on Saturday (weighed down with cheesesteaks), but we came back early Sunday and got in right away.
Isaiah Zagar began doing mosaic work in the area when he moved to Philly in the 60s. In 1994 he started to work on the vacant lot next to his studio, but the lot was almost sold and the installation dismantled in 2002. Unwilling to lose Zagar's work, the community rallied and after a two-year legal battle the newly titled "Magic Gardens" was incorporated as a non-profit organization.
It's always nice to hear stories like this when they have a positive outcome and I'm so glad that the community recognized the value of Zagar's work and continues to support him—in addition to the Magic Gardens, his mosaics can be found on more than 200 public walls.
In his creations, Zagar uses mostly found objects—bicycle wheels, glass bottles, doll pieces and mirrors—which he mixes with handpainted tiles and concrete (I have a feeling he'd LOVE Dead Horse Bay). The effect is so much more than just the sum of its parts. The mosaics are interesting to view up close and become another thing entirely when you step back to take in the whole. Curling lines of paint meet jagged mirror edges, meet a bicycle wheel window next to a bit of china and bottles that create a stained-glass effect when organized in a grid and viewed from the bottom up.
The Magic Gardens is pretty small, but there is so much packed into a relatively small space that you could spend hours investigating every corner. As much as I'm glad that we got to see the Magic Gardens, I think the real magic of Zagar's work is stumbling upon it in the wild. It's such a delight to turn a corner into what you expect to be another standard alleyway (Philly is FULL of alleys, by the way) only to encounter an otherwise-ordinary wall covered in a colorful, glittering mosaic.
Philly: Cheesesteaks
Number one on my list of things to do on our recent trip to Philly was to finally eat a Philly Cheesesteak in Philadelphia. The delicacy alluded me on my first visit, and I've been regretting not making more of an effort to procure one ever since. I've had cheesesteaks, of course, but I get a ridiculous thrill from trying a food in the town in which it was invented or became famous. I've tried chicken wings and beef on weck in Buffalo, deep dish in Chicago, drank a Hurricane in New Orleans and an egg cream in Brooklyn —I even have a dream of one day eating a Charleston Chew in Charleston while doing the Charleston and I have no idea if those were even invented there.
Pretty much as soon as we arrived in Philly we started making our way south to the land of the great cheesesteak wars. I had it on good authority to go to Pat's and to skip Geno's, and as soon as we saw both places it was clear why. Although I can't speak to the quality of Geno's cheesesteaks, their signage alone was way too aggressive for my tastes. It was funny to us how different the two were in ambience—when David so accurately suggested that Guy Fieri would feel right at home at Geno's, I added that Pat's felt more like an Anthony Bourdain pick (if you think in terms of celebrity chef comparisons, or maybe one's a Trump while the other's a Hillary).
Pat's has been serving steaks wit and wit-out since 1930, while Geno's came later in 1966. The ordering process is quite simple a very quick—both of which I love—and before we could even think about it we had our steaks in hand (both wit, one provolone, one American cheese). Cheesesteaks are kind of like pizza or hot dogs in my opinion, in that the best one you'll ever have is not that far away in quality and taste from the worst one you'll ever eat.
However, Pat's was definitely the best cheesesteak I've ever had and I think it comes down to the bread and the cheese. I was initially concerned that I should have ordered whiz, but the American cheese was melty and plentiful and I soon forgot that I ever regretted my choice. I definitely don't think we made a "misteak" choosing Pat's for their chrome siding, woodgrain-printed cups, handpainted signs or beautiful neon—but I do wish that the most delicious cheesesteak I've ever eaten wasn't an hour-and-a-half train ride away.
Philly: Reflections
We spent last weekend in Philadelphia, a city that is clean, quiet but vibrant, cultured and historical, very walkable and all-around delightful. I had some general ideas for things we could do, but a lot of the time we were just walking around, exploring neighborhoods and drooling over the reasonably-priced real estate.
After dinner on Saturday, neither of us was quite ready to head back to the hotel and it was a beautiful night so we walked a bit and ended up outside of City Hall in Dillworth Plaza. The fountains had been turned off for the night, leaving shallow pools of still water on the ground. I immediately became obsessed with the reflections that were being formed of the surrounding buildings, and could have stayed there forever taking pictures if our early wake-up time hadn't eventually caught up with me.
I was equally excited when we crossed the plaza again in the morning and discovered that the fountains were off again, making for a whole new round of necessary photos. The City Hall building itself is so incredibly beautiful (and huge!) that I could sit and stare at it for days, so having what seems like two identical City Halls will never be a bad thing. Don't tell New York, but Philly is quickly becoming one of my favorite cities.
Philadelphia: Christ Church Burial Ground
While Jim and I were walking around Philadelphia, we kept seeing signs for Benjamin Franklin's gravesite. It hadn't initially been on my list, but I'm never one to pass up the opportunity to see a historic cemetery, so we made sure to stop at the Christ Church Burial Ground to pay our respects.
CCBG has the distinction of being the only cemetery that I've ever had to pay admission to enter, although that wasn't going to deter me from visiting. You can actually see Franklin's grave from the sidewalk if you're totally against paying the $2 fee, but the grounds are beautiful and contain some wonderfully old tombstones (the oldest known marker is from 1721).
The first thing you notice about Franklin's grave is how plain and simple it is, and a sign hanging close by states that it was prepared in exact accordance with the instructions contained within his will. I happen to prefer the epitaph that he wrote as a young man, with its literary references and the line "food for worms," which I think is pretty much perfect in every way.
The fall leaves provided an excellent backdrop to the crumbling stones, and I've never met an arching, iron entrance gate that I haven't immediately fallen in love with. In addition to Franklin, the burial ground is the final resting place of four signers of the Declaration of Independence, the publisher of the first daily newspaper, Civil War generals, Pennsylvania governors, artists and several descendants of Franklin as well as his wife.
Philadelphia: Reading Terminal Market
When Jim and I went to Philadelphia in November, we stayed with his grandparents outside of the city. Before we headed back to their place for the night, Jim wanted to pick up a pie to take for dinner, so we stopped in Reading Terminal Market. I get really overwhelmed by indoor markets and Reading Terminal was crazy crowded, but full of amazing signage, delicious smells and beautiful food.
The first thing I noticed was all of the gorgeous neon signs hanging everywhere you looked. There were lobsters and pretzels and Liberty Bells, cheesesteaks, donuts, ice cream and tons of other things I would have gladly devoured if we had the time. Jim eventually interrupted my wide-eyed gawking to ask if I had seen the Chocolate by Mueller booth and when I saw their chocolate lungs, I immediately knew it would be my favorite shop in the market.
They make standard chocolates and candies, but they are known for their "weird" chocolate shapes—lungs, hands, faces, teeth, eyes, noses, ears, kidneys, brains and hearts—all completely edible and guaranteed to be the hit of any party (from their website: "'Oops, I thought you said a dozen noses' explains the chocolate bunch of nostrils"). They also sell a chocolate-covered onion, which is exactly what it sounds like and a popular seller, despite probably being totally disgusting.
I actually never ended up purchasing anything because I was overwhelmed with so many wonderful choices that I couldn't make a decision. Luckily they sell most of the shapes in their online store if I decide I just can't go on any longer without owning (and eating) a pair of chocolate kidneys.
Eastern State Penitentiary: Part 2
Last week I shared some of my photos from the crumbling interior of the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia. ESP was operational from 1829 until 1971, was designed by John Haviland and was the largest and most expensive public structure ever constructed.
It sits in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia, and looks completely out of place nestled in a neighborhood of coffee shops and row houses. Some of the most interesting stories on the audio tour were about ESP's famous inmates, notably Al Capone and "Slick" Willie Sutton. Slick Willie was one of twelve inmates who escaped via a tunnel in April of 1945. Eleven of them were eventually recaptured and one—James Grace—even asked to be let back in.
The tunnel has recently been excavated (after being filled in following the escape) and you can actually walk inside of the cell and see the opening. A line on the pavement outside traces the tunnel's route, under the ground and past the outside walls.
ESP is filled with fascinating stories like this, but my favorite inmate is definitely Pep the dog. In 1924, Pep was sentenced to life in prison for killing the Pennsylvania Governor's cat—or at least that's what a newspaper reporter wrote at the time. The real story is slightly less dramatic, and has Pep being sent to the prison to help rehabilitate prisoners (and because he was chewing on the Governor's couch cushions). Either way, there is a mugshot of Pep, which is pretty fantastic.
ESP's most famous prisoner, however, is probably Al Capone, who spent 8 months at Eastern State in 1929-1930. They've recreated his cell as it looked when he was there, complete with fancy furniture, an oriental rug, soft lighting, artwork and a radio.
Another cell even has a full-sized tree growing through the wall, and it continues into the neighboring cell. There is so much history at Eastern State and there was something fascinating in every single corner I peeked into. The day I went was beautiful and sunny, and you get to wander the grounds as freely as you do the interior. I hesitate to say that I thoroughly enjoyed being inside of a prison, but even if I was sad to leave, I'm glad I at least had the option.
Eastern State Penitentiary: Part 1
A few weeks ago my friend Jim and I went to Philadelphia for the weekend. I had never been before, but I had been planning a trip for many years so we had a very full agenda. Number one destination on my list was the Mütter Museum, followed closely by Eastern State Penitentiary. I had been to the Mansfield State Reformatory back when I lived in Ohio, and absolutely loved it. I always heard ESP described as similar to Mansfield but with even more historical significance. It would be very difficult to pick which one I liked more—since they were both amazing—but I will say that ESP managed to exceed even my high expectations.
Jim was off visiting family, so I spent most of Sunday at ESP, which was very easy to do. I loved that there was no guided tour—I got to wander at my own pace, aka take a million photos while trying not to be overwhelmed by all of the incredible textures, colors and artifacts. About half of the penitentiary is currently off-limits, but there is still so much to see.
The peeling layers of paint, crumbling walls and cells in various stages of decay are all so incredibly photogenic and beautiful. An audio tour is included in the price of admission (only $10 for "students") and it was really interesting, not too long and mostly narrated by Steve Buscemi.
ESP does special tours around Halloween, which are probably really wonderful and completely terrifying. At one point during my visit, I was listening to a portion of the audio guide that discussed the various instances of paranormal activity that have been reported at ESP over the years. As I was leaning through a gate so I could get a closer look at a long, empty corridor, a droplet of water dropped on my head. I'm very grateful that I was alone (maybe I wasn't?) because I jumped backwards in terror like a total baby—a facet of my personality which is sometimes at odds with my love of all things creepy.
I could have spent so many more hours wandering inside and out, but I had to leave eventually to catch a train. The hospital wing (no. 3) is one of the areas not currently open to the public but a sign posted near the gate (the one with the amazing red cross) promised that it would be open in the future. I loved Philadelphia in general and there were a lot of things I didn't get to on my list, but a return visit to Eastern State Penitentiary is definitely a must.
The most fantastic thing about the New York Botanical Garden’s annual Orchid Show is the orchids themselves