Trying to do Philadelphia like I do New York

Since last summer, I've been wanting to travel into Philadelphia like I travel into Manhattan.....leave my car at the train station and take the train in. Well today I finally did. I parked at the Conshohocken station and took the Manayunk/Norristown line into Jefferson Station. Since I don't know Philadelphia nearly as well as I know New York, I found myself playing with my phone trying to figure out what I would do in what order. I wanted to take at least one subway ride, so for $12, I bought the One-Day Independence Pass. The ride went quick, but I must add that like NJ Transit into Manhattan, the trains run on the hour. 

From Jefferson Station, I walked into Reading Terminal Market. I get excited like a child, when I go into places like this, BUT I didn't have a car and was limited to what I wanted to carry. I bought some marzipan and since it was 12:30 I headed for lunch at Zavino, which I never heard of until finding them on Yelp during my 32 minute train ride. I wanted Neapolitan style pizza and Zavino was closer than Pizzeria Vetri. I ordered the Margherita and then headed to get some French macarons at Miel Patisserie, which I also found on Yelp.

I was determined not to leave before taking a subway ride, so I picked up the Broad Street (orange) Line at Walnut-Locust and took it 2 stops north to Race-Vine. From there I walked West to the main branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia. I walked around there for a half hour, spending most of my time looking at the No Home To Go To: Diaspora of the Baltic Nations Exhibition.

on the way to Free Library of Philadelphia

From there, I walked through Logan Square, admiring all of the different flags along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. For years, I've driven past there and always wished I could stop to take pictures. From there, I entered JFK Plaza and admired the Love Statue. There were people everywhere and the heat was getting to me. I wanted to check out a few museums, but that will have to wait for my next visit, which I also hope to do without my car. It was 3:30 and most museums close at 5, so I picked up the train back to Conshohocken at Suburban station. I know that on my next visit, Reading Terminal Market will be my last stop and not my 1st.

Former Mayor Frank Rizzo