Philly offers a whole lot to LOVE ( besides cheesesteaks)
Pizza museum, Graffiti Pier among unsung delights of city
Editor's note: Please keep in mind any coronavirus-related travel restrictions. The recommendations in the following story can always be used to plan a future trip when one is more comfortable with traveling.
While visiting Philly for the first time, you have to take the obligatory selfie with the Robert Indiana LOVE sign or grab a cheesesteak at Pat’s or Geno's. Philly is one of those places where you can have a different kind of trip each time you visit. There are plenty of things to do off the beaten path to give you a new sense of the city.
Checking into the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center (1 N. 19th St.)
The 60-story landmark towers above the other buildings in the city skyline and houses awardwinning culinary experiences, outstanding service, an infinity pool with incredible views, a gym full of high-quality equipment including Peloton bikes and more.
The Four Seasons’ advanced safety procedures include their hands-free tablet scan thermometers. Once cleared, you’re given a tab to alert staff you’ve been cleared for the day. They have extra sanitizer and masks for guests and the wait staff at the Vernick Fish restaurant wore both face masks and face shields. They also gave you sanitizer, a scan menu, and a bag to put your mask in, so it doesn’t touch the table. The rooms are exquisite. I had a gorgeous bathtub with views to the floor to ceiling windows in the bedroom, letting me see the city lights. I spent the evening staying in to enjoy
the view from a steaming hot bath after a dip in the infinity pool. It was perfect.
Trading in cheesesteaks for fine dining
Chef Jean- Georges Vongerichten, the name behind Jean- Georges Philadelphia at the hotel, takes even the simplest dishes like avocado toast and parmesan risotto and makes them special. The in-room dining menu has delicious items like the tender beet salad and crispy sea trout sushi. Everything was elevated. Even their scrambled eggs have smoked trout roe and crème fraîche and their charcoal latte with soy milk was unbelievable.
Vernick Fish, opened by James Beard Award-winning chef Greg Vernick, was on another level in every sense of the culinary experience. My waitress, Kristen, was kind and helpful as she guided me through the menu. I started with the crisp oysters before trying the torched hamachi crudo with spicy jalapeño and blood orange, halibut ceviche in a Thai coconut broth with lime and crispy shallots. My personal favorite was the fluke crudo with brown butter vinaigrette and toasted hazelnut. The taste and texture was like nothing I’ve ever had before. The shaved toasted hazelnuts coated my mouth with a soft, silky texture soon followed by a hit of saltiness with a cool finish from the smooth fish. The cocktails were excellent, using some ingredients you don’t often see like parsnips and walnut to embrace fall flavors. I finished the meal with a pumpkin tart, a buttery crust filled with pumpkin and kabocha squash with a chia cream filled with more pumpkin filling. What an unbelievable experience.
Explore the city off the beaten path
Graffiti Pier, E. Cumberland St.
You really wouldn't know Graffiti Pier was there unless you had a tip about it, because it's pretty hidden. The long pier is completely covered in colorful graffiti. I saw people conducting photo shoots there, having picnics and enjoying the view of the city from the pier.
Love Letter Murals, all over the city
In addition to some of the random murals throughout the city, The Love Letter murals painted throughout Philadelphia are an artist's way to spread love throughout the community. The artist, Stephen Powers, came out with a series of 50 murals scattered throughout the city on various rooftops seen from the elevated train in the Market-frankford line or on building sides throughout Philadelphia.
Magic Garden, 1020 South St.
The Magic Garden is full of mosaic art with tiling, bottles, glass and more that when it picks up the sunlight almost seems like it's sparkling. You could explore the various tunnels and areas of the garden before heading inside to see more art displays.
Giant Ants & Shopping on South Street
You can check out these giant ant sculptures crawling up 407 South St. in the South Street neighborhood. The area is full of murals, colorful buildings, unique shops, and interesting people. One of my favorite spots in the area was Moon + Arrow (742 S 4th St.). They had the cutest scarves, hats, and apparel.
Pizza Brain, 2313 Frankford Ave.
Pizza Brain is the first pizza museum in the nation, winning a Guinness World Record certif
icate for the largest collection of pizza related items including art, toys, hats and decor. The back patio is covered in art and pizza-themed murals, and if looking at all that memorabilia makes you hungry for a cheesy slice, you can order one or a pie to go.