Posted By: klewedin
It sounds like you were either in the Northeast or the newer shopping area to the west of South Philly (I don't know the name of that area) but this is an excerpt of summary of the hobby areas in Philly that focuses on Center City and the Independence Square areas.
You have to remember that Philly, like Boston, is city founded a hundred years before the Revolutionary War. That means it is old, and its layout and the character of its buildings reflect that heritage. And it is multi-cultural with many different levels of economic achievement. So you can't judge it by a few blocks.
Philadelphia:
Center City ("CC") is the main business and cultural part of town. This area features many hotels, restaurants of all types, the area's finest museums and cultural points and other amenities. CC is best for businessmen who can break away during the business day. The lack of free parking is an obstacle to some hobbyists, but some of the hotels in the airport area also charge for parking. Another issue is that the better hotels require a key card to activate the elevator, so some maneuvering may be required. As would be expected, hotel prices are generally higher than in the suburbs.
More towards the river are the Independence Hall, Society Hill and Penn Landing areas. There are a few nice hotels, including some new boutique venues, in these areas along with many fine restaurants, historic sites of interest and diverse shopping opportunities. Just a note: the Penn Landing area is a bit isolated if you want to move about.
Philadelphia Area Attractions:
The Benjamin Franklin Parkway has five great museums and is a nice place to walk when the weather is fine. For adults the top three are the Philadelphia Museum of Art (huge, diverse and extraordinary collections in a magnificent building), the Rodin Museum (concise collection of Rodin's major works in a recently renovated venue) and the new Barnes Foundation (impressionism gone wild in a new building). The Benjamin Franklin Institute specializes in science and technology and is great for kids and adults. And then there is the museum of natural history, which now has a great exhibit on the sexy Birds of Paradise.
The Independence Square area has Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Betsy Ross's house and other historical sites. The nearby Society Hill area has 18th Century homes, great shops and restaurants and a little further south is funky South Street, although that area can be dicey for attractive women traveling alone.
I just stayed in the Old City area next to Independence Mall. Always felt safe, good nightlife, and good food as well.