Things to do in Philadelphia

The Liberty Bell ... the cream cheese.

I was there last month for work. We ate at a very cool place called Butcher and Singer. You should also check out Franklin Institute, Museum of Art. A couple of us also went to U Bar, which was a lot of fun.

The Barnes Collection. It's superb.

It's Center City, OP. Do NOT call it "City Center," you will be laughed at.

Re: places to avoid, you're not going to see the areas that Fox News call a warzone unless you are specifically seeking them out. Kensington and the worst areas of North Philly are pretty far from Center City. Don't believe the hysteria. All of Center City and the ring of neighborhoods surrounding it are as safe as any other American city. It's doubtful you would venture outside that area for any reason so you have nothing to worry about. Have fun.

Irvin’s on top of BOK

Eastern State Penitentiary - amazing and unique

Philadelphia Museum of Arts - as good as the Metropolitan

Hers Supper Club

Philadelphia Orchestra it’s easy to get tickets and it’s one of the top five orchestras in the world ,Yannick the gay conductor is a hoot.

Go see a Phillies game. We have one of the best ballparks in the country and, currently, one of the best teams.

Reading Terminal Market

Spend an evening enjoying the popper-scented air of Philadelphia's finest "gentlemen's club", Club Philly

What R3 said. The Barnes is unlike any other museum in the world. Go see that, then walk to Reading Terminal for food.

The Barnes is on the Parkway along with the Art Museum (what locals call the PMA), and the walk to Reading Terminal will take you right by City Hall, which is an architectural marvel up close. Push the button at the cross walk (it's surrounded on all sides by a constant loop of heavy traffic) and trek through the courtyard to the other side. The Parkway itself is also a beautiful walk.

From RTM you're less than a mile from the Liberty Bell/Indy Hall so you might as well head to 6th and Chestnut Sts to gawk at the real touristy stuff.

Fuhgetabout the Liberty Bell - not worth it.

Hang around Rittenhouse Square, the Curtis Institute and the Equinox Gym. Some fine male specimen to behold. also on Penn Campus. The Penn Museum actually very interesting and under appreciated.

K&A!

The Mutter Museum The Fabric Workshop and Museum Federal Donuts South Street-Adjacent (Cute shops right off South Street) Tallulah's Garden Restaurant

You guys never fail me. Thank you for the great suggestions. Do you know of any great Thai or Japanese restaurants?

r15 Yelp

See the body of Saint John Neumam the first American Saint in his glass coffin under the altar at his shrine. They waxed his bones over so he looks like a wax dummy. Also at the bathhouse you might see a lot of young black hustlers like I did. I didn't know the body language and lingo when I was there so it took me a while to figure out they were prostitutes. The Betsy Ross house is a lot more interesting than you would think. Despite what the non binary park ranger says she was not a lesbian.

The restaurants around rittenhouse square are always good.

r15, Chinatown is in Center City. You can walk from the Barnes Museum to City Hall to Chinatown to Reading Terminal. I don't think there's a lot of Japanese food there - more Chinese and other southeast Asian places.

Morimoto isn't in Chinatown, but it's not terribly far, if you're going to the Liberty Bell and all those places. It's good (not great) Japanese.

I go most often to places near - and south of - Washington Avenue. It's not Thai or Japanese, but Le Viet on 11th has the best Asian dish in all of Philly: a baby clam and ground beef mix served in a rice bowl that you break apart to scoop up the clams and beef. There's also great Asian restaurants in Fishtown.