Vacationing in Philadelphia – neverstark – a photo blog by james jordan

Mary and I spent about a week in Philadelphia, and we really loved it there. We found a great place to stay in the Old City neighborhood. The location allowed us to walk to anything we needed, including most of what we hoped to see around town. Our building was on a corner by the highway.

A benefit of this apartment was access to the building’s communal roof deck, which offered a wonderful view of the Ben Franklin Bridge. Amazingly, we only ever saw one other person up there taking advantage of it.

Our apartment had a modern feel, and it made for a comfortable home base during our trip.

We flew a red eye into Philly arriving a little after 7am, and we didn’t have access to our apartment until the afternoon. We went to the National Constitution Center where we could check our bags and peruse the museum. Here, Mary is observing the full collection of US state flags:

We spent the next few days walking around Philadelphia, eating great food, and checking out some fantastic museums. One of our favorite experiences was the historic Eastern State Penitentiary. It’s full of insights, textures, and remarkable natural light. We made our way through the museum while listening to an audio tour voiced by Steve Buscemi.

These paintings are representations of some of the victims of criminals who were held here. Some were illuminated by light from these narrow skylights that existed in the cells.

We were really impressed by the selection of restaurants and the quality of food that Philly has to offer. Our first dinner location was Jones Restaurant, a stylish spot on Chestnut Street.

We also found a favorite breakfast/brunch place with outdoor seating at Luna Café. It was hot most of the time we were there, but in the mornings it was nice to sit outside with great food and a good cup of coffee. Our server was awesome, too. We went back 3 mornings in a row.

Right next door there was a dog kennel, where this girl was eager to get out and be with people.

Another great opportunity was to be in the very room where the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were drafted and signed in Independence Hall. Our guide was a wealth of information. That raised chair on the far right is the actual chair that George Washington sat in.

Just a block from our apartment was Elfreth’s Alley, a historic landmark known as the oldest residential street in the nation.

Here are a few other favorite pictures during our visit, starting with Mary’s first experience as a Supreme Court Justice. (She took the responsibility very seriously.)