Old City - Philadelphia

A few weeks ago I decided to hop on the train at Thorndale and head to downtown Philadelphia with my camera. My main goal was to walk around the Old City section and capture a few shots of the beautifully restored colonial townhomes in the area. Old City (sometimes spelled “Olde City”) is the area of Philadelphia along the Delaware River where William Penn and the Quakers first settled. The Old City district is loosely defined as the area between Front and Sixth Streets, Vine Street to the north and Walnut Street to the south.

I also wanted to see some of the usual historic sites, other than Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. The tower at Independence Hall is undergoing renovations; the scaffolding around the tower is covered with a picture of the tower, so, needless to say, I took no shots of Independence Hall this time. What I did see was the Betsy Ross House, Elfreths Alley, Christ Church, and Franklin Court. All of the sites were teeming with school classes, so I wasn’t able to get any inside shots, just outside.

Franklin Court

Betsy Ross House

Christ Church

Elfreths Alley

The rest of the day I spent strolling around Washington Square and the streets to the west. Washington Square is one of the five original planned squares laid out on the city grid by William Penn's surveyor, Thomas Holme. It contains the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier and, as you can imagine, is a popular place to take the kids to play, walk the dog, or just sit and relax.

Many of the streets in the Washington Square West section are throwbacks to the colonial days of the city - Manning, Delancey, Clinton, Panama, Pine, Quince, and Camac, to name a few. Some of the streets are so narrow that I saw a workman in a pickup truck driving down the street with wheels on both curbs.

On my way back to Suburban Station to catch the train home, I also managed the capture a few shots of City Hall and Love Park. The two pictures included here were obviously altered in Photoshop to gain the desired effect.

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2011 Philadelphia Flower Show

Every few years we pay a visit to the Philadelphia Flower show.  This past March we made another visit.  The show is the "largest indoor flower show in the world" attracting more than 250,000 people annually. The show features large-scale gardens, which range from elaborate landscaped displays to individual and club entries of a prize horticultural specimen.

Each year there is an official theme, which serves as the inspiration for most exhibits.  This year the theme was “Springtime in Paris”.  Displays included a "Phantom of the Opera" tableau, a wedding at Notre Dame, floral carousel animals, a mini-Arc de Triomphe and Centre Pompidou, and a scene from the Paris cemetery where rocker Jim Morrison and composer Frederic Chopin are buried.  The centerpiece of the exhibit area was a partial replica of the Eiffel Tower that was featured in a music and light show every fifteen minutes.

We always enjoy the spectacular displays from the local landscaping companies and my personal favorite - the display area featuring the extensive array of bonsai trees.  Another popular part of the show floor is the very large Garden Marketplace where you can buy plants and seeds, cut flowers, craft items, and other flower, landscaping and horticulture-related items.  However, there’s one thing that we don’t look forward to, which keeps us from attending every year, and that is fighting the big crowds.  In past years we’ve always tried to get there in the morning, but it has always been very crowded.  This year we thought we would try getting there late afternoon, but the result was the same. 


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Reading Terminal Market - Philadelphia, PA

The Reading Terminal Market, established in 1892 at 12th and Arch Streets in downtown Philadelphia (or center city, if you’re from the area), is the nation’s oldest continuously operating farmers’ market. Through its long and interesting history, it has seen times both good and bad, but has emerged in the 21st century as one of the greatest public markets in the country.  The Reading Terminal Market occupies the ground floor and basement levels of the Reading Terminal's former train shed, now part of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.  Long after the demise of the Reading Railroad and the transformation of the old train shed into a majestic hall as part of the Convention Center, the Reading Terminal Market is more popular and prosperous than ever. 

 The Reading Terminal Market is a must-see attraction for both tourists and locals.  Over 80 merchants offer fresh produce, meats, fish, groceries, ice cream, flowers, baked goods, crafts, books, clothing, and specialty and ethnic foods. Every space in the market is rented out; three of the vendors are descendants of original market merchants.  When I worked in center city for two years, the market was my favorite place for lunch.  The market currently houses 32 restaurants of every type imaginable – for example, various Deli’s, Thai cuisine, Pennsylvania Dutch, BBQ, Middle East, Vegetarian, Greek, Chinese, Seafood, and of course Philly cheesesteaks and hoagies.   The only problems were deciding what to eat and finding a place to sit since it was a very popular place at lunch time.  My favorite stands for sandwiches now are DiNic's Roast Pork and Beef, and The Original Turkey for delicious roast turkey sandwiches.

Along with the many eating establishments, there are also five produce markets, six butchers, five seafood stands, six bakeries, and 13 Pennsylvania Dutch vendors.  If you live in the area, you can also pick up delicious meats, vegetables, and desserts for dinner.  The Market East commuter rail terminal is adjacent to the market so, if the timing is right, you can pick up your groceries and be home in the suburbs in less than an hour.  We can’t visit the market without picking up cannolis at Termini Brothers Bakery to take home on the train.

If you have a chance, please check out my ImageKind Galleries and Flickr Collections.  I also have two new shops - Zazzle Gifts and Zazzle Prints & Posters.