<p>The area around the Windsor is pretty vibrant late into the night. The Windsor is on the south side Benjamin Franklin Parkway, that has the Philadelphia Museum of Art at one end and City Hall and Love Park (of skateboard fame) at the other. It’s a block from the very spiffy new Comcast building, and a couple of blocks from the Franklin Institute, the Free Library, and the Academy of Natural Sciences. Anyway, from there south there are tons of people around all summer. Lots of sidewalk cafes, kids hotdogging in Love Park, a nice feeling. On the other side of the Parkway, though, it gets lonely and quiet (and a little sketchy) fast. (That’s where the hospital is.)</p>
<p>My wife and I walk around there all the time late at night. (During the day you won’t feel apprehensive at all.) We have never had a problem. I park a few blocks north of there, and we’re always walking back to the car at midnight.</p>
<p>Well, if OP is flying back back home with her son, wouldn’t it make more sense for her to fly to Philly and drive to DC and back? It makes a long drive but she may be glad when it’s time to fly back home. She doesn’t have to drag her son back to DC to catch the flight.</p>
<p>THIS IS OP with a happy update!
S and I arrived home - he already walking and feeling pretty good from his surgery. We were able to meet up in Philly with the help of all of your advice on flights, etc. We were even able to come home a day early on SW airlines when he was released from the hospital sooner than anticipated Happy Dance!
Thanks to help from posters here, we were able to stay at the Windsor - within walking distance to the hospital and with a kitchen - saved lots of money on food and did not rent a car. We are in debt, but happy to be home and on the way to health. Thank you, thank you to all on this board who helped me figure out this trip / logistics!! Now S is looking forward to heading back to college in a few weeks.</p>
Happy Dance!
Best wishes for continued healing.</p>