King of Prussia?
Plymouth Meeting?
Airport area?
Center City?

Any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Natalie
Xo

Old City.  Easy and available 2 or 3 hr. parking right out front, easy to get to via Vine/Race St. Nice coffee shops restaurants in area for immediate post prandial recall and savoring, especially if its nice out.  

Arrive early and its a nice walk around the area, Penn's Landing.  

Airport/PM/KOP vast no man's land.  The very definition of anomie.  Aesthetically deadening, traffic can be worse than the city.

IMO anyone who can make it to the Western or Eastern 'burbs can make it to CC - it is easily accessible, there is much more to do and see, great restaurants, etc.  

Yes, some guys will bitch about paying for parking. They'll be your big tippers and multi-hour appointments.

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I beg to differ.  Anyone who is NOT in CC has no interest in fighting that traffic, especially those approaching from the west.  Personally, I think Philly may have the worst highway infrastructure of any major city around, especially for those coming from the west.  KOP is my preference but Plymouth Meeting can work too.  If you come to KOP, COUNT ME IN!!!!!

If 76 is the only way you know how to get around, no wonder you're frustrated. I slide under the Sweetbriar cutoff and cruise on an empty West River Drive right onto the Parkway.  Allow myself extra time, but I'm always early.

Whenever this question is asked, I pull out this summary of the major hobby areas.  Apparently others will disagree, but the summary tries to be balanced.  In any event, good luck and happy hobbying.

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 some of 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.  

King of Prussia:

Another big Hobby area is King of Prussia ("KOP"). This a western suburb marked by two large shopping malls, many hotels and restaurants.  This area is very convenient for the many mongers who lie in the western suburbs.  The downside is that it is a trek for those who live in CC, the eastern suburbs or New Jersey. Also, LE is supposedly most active in KOP, but you see lots of ads for ladies still setting up shop in KOP. Just be careful.  

Transportation can be a problem in the suburbs, so it would be wise to see what hotels have shuttles to either the airport or the 30th Street Amtrak station.  Some ladies take the local train service (SEPTA) from the central 30th Street to reach nearby Norristown, then taking a cab or shuttle to get to the hotel.

Plymouth Meeting and Willow Grove:

Two other active suburban areas are Plymouth Meeting and Willow Grove. These areas are east of KOP near the PA Turnpike and also have malls, restaurants and hotels, but less LE activity. Transportation can be a problem in the suburbs, so it would be wise to see what hotels have shuttles to either the airport or the 30th Street Amtrak train station.  Some ladies take the local train service (SEPTA) from the central 30th Street to reach nearby Norristown, then taking a cab, Uber or shuttle to get to the hotel.

Airport Area:

This is a favorite nesting area for ladies and hobbyists because of its many moderately priced hotels, the availability of free or cheap parking and the relative anonymity of the place. There are few amenities in the area. Travelers can get to CC by hotel shuttle, a train or by cab. There are paid shuttle services that go to the hotels in South Jersey and the PA suburbs.  

New Jersey Suburbs:  

The South Jersey towns of Cherry Hill and Mt. Laurel are busy hobby destinations since they are near the New Jersey Turnpike, I-295 and are not far from Philadelphia. Traffic seems to be less of an issue and hotel prices are lower. LE in Mt. Laurel is more active than in Cherry Hill. A car is a help because cab service is spotty but Uber is improving the situation?

Another South Jersey area is Deptford which has many hotels near a major shopping district just few minutes away from the Philadelphia using the Walt Whitman bridge.

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.  

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 or in small groups.

Public transportation is generally by bus, subway and there are lots of cabs and Uber. Regional rail can get you to the suburbs.

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So many guys base their recommendations on what is convenient for them without any thought to the overall benefits and detriments of each hobby locale.  Guys who live and work in the western suburbs always say KOP is best (despite its real LE issues) and guys from SNJ and CC think KOP is the end of civilization.  

In ten years I have been to KOP twice, but I will go to Plymouth Meeting to see a favorite or especially enticing lady, but I rarely go on 76 and wind my way through the City north to Plymouth Meeting.

I don't like the "vibe" of the airport, even though it is convenient to me, but that doesn't mean providers shouldn't use that locale.  I guess my point is to each his own, but strident views don't help a visitor.  

How about coming out of the city mess, like the western suburbs - Concordville, Chadds Ford, West Chester.  Even Wilmington has plenty of opportunities - hotels near a mall, etc.  Come on down!

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A 'oldie' but still golden...

Ditto, profr. Looks like you're favoring my part of the local geography. Send me a pm if your interested in a drink sometime - Joe

Hey consider coming to the Exton Pa area

I think you are best in center city or airport area-   center city probably best for you b/c more to do and you can walk to restaurants-  airport fairly convenient , king of Prussia as mentioned can be LE problems but if you screen ok should be alright-  center city probably most expensive so that also might be a consideration

If you're coming to Philly and advertising that you're staying in Philly, some places mentioned are too far out (West Chester, Exton, etc are at least 45 minutes west of the city).

I would avoid the KOP/Valley Forge area, and place my vote for the airport. I'd rather pass along the Center City rip-off parking fees to you along with what I regularly tip