You find me now, chilling in Philadelphia. This is the longest stop on my journey-it sounded like the kind of place I would like and I felt like I needed some time to chill before the manic next couple of weeks.
I am staying in this great hostel, City House: Philadelphia Liberty Bell. There are not many hostels here (only five on Hostelworld), but this looked like it was pretty good. With a good sized kitchen/living area and events on every night, this place is pretty lively. Sometimes it feels like the staff outnumber the guests but I like this – it means everyone is friendly and chatty.
As an economising method (and as I am here for so long), I am buying in groceries and cooking most days. Supermarkets here are strange – the in-town ones contain very little food. And sell hotdogs. Instead, I have been visiting Reading Terminal Market where you can pick up $1 bags of vegetables and the Italian Market for cheap fresh pasta by the pound (lb, not £).
From my experiences so far I have come up with a little list of tips and money saving ideas:
– There is a lot going on around Independence National Park. Free ‘Twilight Tours’ start around 6pm at the Independence Visitor Centre. You can also pick up tickets for Independence Hall from here – they are free, but needed as you are only allowed an allotted time inside.
– The Liberty Bell was free! Just expect a fifteen/twenty minute wait in line. Also it’s just an average sized bell. Be prepared for that.
– Cheesesteaks. Philadelphia’s famous food is essentially a cheesy meaty sandwich. You can get them almost anywhere and the further away from Market Square you go the cheaper they are. Personally, I went to Campo’s for a vegetarian version – pretty damn tasty. Price ranges from $8-15.
– Check out the Tales & Tours App. It is free on the App Store and has a free guided tour of some of Philly’s stunning mural art. You download the guide, which has a GPS map and contains info about each mural and interviews with the artists and notable figures. The tour takes around 1.5/2 hours.
I have definitely fallen in love with this city. It has to go on Mia’s Favourite Places (copyright).
Catch you later
– M x
Brit Abroad 