by Lynda Kohn

Created on: November 21, 2010

A local's guide to the best tourist attractions in the Philadelphia area

There are quite a few attractions for tourists and locals in the city of brotherly love.  I think it should be sisterly love too for the record.  There is a major art museum, Phila, museum of Art, Phila, zoo,  variety of science , ethnic museums and other specialty museums.  But also there are various parks of definite neighborhood urban charm, urbanity.  I will write of some of them here.

Some Philadelphia PA city parks of distinction.

Like many cities too numerous to mention, Philadelphia PA, besides being a municipality of neighborhoods is a place too of parks. The most well developed park in the city of what I like to call the city of brotherly AND sisterly love is Rittenhouse Square. It is one square block of a yearly local art show, dog adoption events from the Phila, PA SPCA and simply a site to sit on the benches, relax.  A documentary was made of it a few years ago by Robert Downey  Sr. 

Philadelphia is a city of neighborhoods, parks and squares. Every square is a park but not all parks are squares. A square is simply a park that is one square city block. One of the most prominent in terms of things to do is Rittenhouse Square in the western half of Center City, aka Downtown section. It's known for its yearly art show during the summer. Its charming statues of various wild and domestic animals and its many dog walkers.

There is a different park in the northwest section of Philadelphia in the Mt. Airy , Chestnut Hill section.   It is called Pastorious park. It isn't exactly a grand park in size but with its succulent green grass, sweeping hills and beautiful flora it is a true delight.  It is best known for its summer outdoor classical music concerts.

However I strongly believe the funkiest park in the city unoffically known as the "Big Pretzel" is Clark Park. It is really a square. Please see definition in previous paragraph. It is the park of the people who live nearby. It is most inhabited by the local community. It's certainly not the biggest in terms of space. However what it lacks in size it more than makes up in spirit.

Clark Park is located in the Spruce Hill neighborhood of University City section of Philadelphia PA. University City got its name from the many Institutes of higher learning there. The main ones are the Ivy League University of PA, the engineering, business, Drexel University, Restaurant School, Phila College

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