S22 and my husband are heading to Philly and suburbs this weekend for college visits. They would love recs for places to eat near their stops or any places they should visit in any free time. Definitely want good cheese steaks and hoagies. Maybe pizza. This is their very loose schedule. They are staying out in King of Prussia.
Saturday:
Arrive around noon
Walk around Penn on their own
Sunday:
Self-guided tour of Swarthmore
Walk around Bryn Mawr and Haverford on their own
We live near Haverford/Bryn Mawr. There are tons of great restaurants along Lancaster Ave between Bryn Mawr and Ardmore. It’s a pretty upscale area, though you can always get an excellent cheesesteak at Ardmore Pizza… Other less expensive/college student hangouts are Ardmore Station Cafe for breakfast, Japanese at Maido,… Coffee at Green Engine in Haverford. White Dog Cafe in Haverford is lovely for dinner -locally grown and sourced offerings. Could try Tired Hands - a local brew pub that is ranked among the best in the nation…Good Thai in Narberth though you need proof of vax and Saturday is the Halloween parade, so it may be a bit crowded. A good way to kill some time is walking about Suburban Square (Urban Outfitters has a large store there). It is very close to Haverford. Saturday may be rainy but it will be easy to kill time (and spend $$) in King of Prussia Mall. If the weather permits, enjoy the foliage at Valley Forge Park on Sunday (minutes from K of P) or drive into Wayne (just a hair past Villanova) to walk the grounds at Chanticleer - a pleasure garden of international stature.
If you have a specific cuisine or activity you are looking for, just ask!
OH. And Duck Donuts is near the Wegmans in the “Town Center” at King of Prussia. Hot, individually made, yum!
The Penn Museum is well worth a visit if they have a couple of hours to spare. It has one of the finest collections of ancient art and artifacts in the world, rivaling more famous museums like the Louvre.
University City where Penn is located is pretty quiet. If they’re willing to drive three miles east, I recommend visiting the Reading Terminal Market. Carmen’s and Dinic’s both sell cheesesteaks. I prefer Carmen’s cheesesteaks, but Dinic’s has an excellent roast beef sandwich. The market also houses lots of local vendors and is a great place to buy souvenirs and/or just spend an hour or two browsing.
A quick historic stopover near Penn is Elfreth’s Alley, the oldest residential street in the country dating back to 1702. If they have more time, the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and Christ Church Burial Grounds, where Ben Franklin is buried, are all within two blocks of each other and also approximately three miles from Penn.
The Broad Table Tavern is right across the street from the baseball field at Swarthmore. We had a quick lunch there when my ds visited. Food was good.
One of my favorite places to go in Philly and only about 10 min from Penn is Monks Cafe if your husband is into beer. They have burgers and sandwiches but are famous for their mussels if they want to give them a try.
Being originally from North Jersey there is not a pizza place in Philly where I’ve found really good pizza. But that’s just me.
Obviously for cheese steaks there are Geno’s and Pat’s among other places in Philly. Depends on who you ask which will be the better option.
A place of interest that is a unique place to visit is the Mutter Museum in Philly.
In KOP, City Works or Yard House have decent food - there are actually a bunch of restaurants right around there to suit just about anything you’re looking for.
KOP will have every chain restaurant (upscale and fast casual) known to man: Capital Grille, Founding Farmers, Legal Sea Foods, Seasons 52, True Food, Fogo de Chao, Paladar, etc etc). You can get a good meal at many of them.
If you’re driving into University City and are not familiar with Philly, I don’t know that I would recommend driving to center city to eat/visit. Public transportation, sure, but driving a short distance and parking would be a hassle.
The Main Line (Bryn Mawr etc) will have a nice asssortment of indie restaurants and shops.
Definitely try to see Valley Forge. It’s a quick drive to the Chapel where you can park and visit some of the cabins and see some of the beautiful scenery. Plus there is a cute little shop there.
DiNics in Reading Terminal Market has my favorite Philly sandwich - roast pork, with sharp provolone and broccoli rabe on a long seeded roll. While cheesesteaks are great, that’s the sandwich we steer our out of town visitors to! Also going to Pat’s or Geno’s is more about the experience - you can find a better cheesesteak at most pizza places in the city and suburbs.
Agree to the cheesesteaks - better ones can be found outside of Pat’s and Geno’s. Not quite sure what is most convenient for Penn. But look for the local pizza place or deli for best sandwiches.
And Reading Terminal Market is a super suggestion for lots of great eats!!
Enjoy the trip.
Definitely RTM. Good for a tourist stop, good food.
As for pizza…I mean, you can find pizza worth eating in PA but it’s not what I’d get excited about. If you want the junky stuff make sure you get good pretzels and whatever they’re making into a sandwich, but if you have an upscale evening in the burbs in autumn, find you some trout on a menu.
If you are interested in museums, the museum of the American Revolution is really well done. The Barnes collection is quite different as far as art museums go. Both places I recommend to visitors.
I second the recommendation to visit the Barnes Collection! It’s a gem—interesting history too. If you are into gardens/horticulture—the Chanticleer (mentioned above) is great to see as well. Bartram’s Garden in Philadelphia (it’s the oldest surviving botanic garden in the US) is a another interesting spot to see.
My D went to college in Philly and lived there for a number of years after graduation. She moved 4 years ago and I haven’t been back there since, but I’m assuming all these places are still open to the public.
A few years ago I went to the Barnes – first time I’d been in Philly since the collection moved. Big Renoir show, and I like Renoir fine, but as I wandered the rooms I couldn’t help but notice a certain…theme running through the painting collection…a theme propelled by many, many paintings, big and small…
I think it went really well. They had lunch at Reading Terminal Market. S22 even tried a cheesesteak. They also really liked Duck Donuts. I think they had nice visits at all of the schools. I’m pretty sure S22 is applying ED to Haverford.
That’s my neighborhood! D22 attends high school within walking distance to Haverford. Note that Amtrak stops right in Ardmore, so if that works on your end, it’s a nice transportation option. Good luck with the application!!
sorry, editing’s being weird today
A few years ago I went to the Barnes – first time I’d been in Philly since the collection moved. Big Renoir show, and I like Renoir fine, but as I wandered the rooms I couldn’t help but notice a certain…theme running through the painting collection…a theme propelled by many, many paintings, big and small…