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Philly 2.0

A nAtive rediscovers the city

By ABel delgAdo

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’m back home, I think. I mean, I’m in a rowhouse like the one I grew up in, heading down to a typical Philly low-ceilinged basement. But accompanying me is a wave of tiled colors on the right wall, with a dif ferent set of colors winding down each step. Red dominates the color wave, with splashes of blue, but as I go further down it gives way to brown, then blue, then bursts into orange at the bottom of the steps. I have what looks like an altar in front of me, and the blue wall behind it looks like it sprouted black and white growths, though one is actually white with red spots. To the left, a skeleton that looks like a Mexican Day of the Dead figure has too many arms to be grinning at me so happily.

I’mLSD-free,sowhatI’mseeingisactuallyreal.It’swhere

thetourtoPhiladelphia’sMagicGardensstarts.HowdidIend

uphere?AskJonathanVendrick,VIPmanager for theLoews

Philadelphia.Igrewupherebutleftin2002.Friendskepttelling

mehowthecityisrevitalized,packedwithclubs,newattractions

anda surging restaurant scene. Iwentback to visit over the

years,butneverhadtimetoseeitformyself.Evennow,Ionly

have3days,soIwenttoJonathanforguidanceonwhattosee,

like many guests do. “I like to be challenged,” he says. “The

guestthatcomesuptomeandasksabouttheLibertyBell,I’ve

saiditsomanytimesthatyoucanhittherepeatbutton.Butthe

guestthatcomesuptomeandsays,‘ShowmePhilly,’Ithink

thatit’sthecoolestthing,becauseIcanshowyoumyPhilly.”

Indeedhecan.TheMagicGardenswasoneglimpseinto

adifferentcity fromtheone I left.Locatedat10thandSouth

andopenedin2008,itwascreatedbylocalartistIsaiahZagar.

Hecoveredarowhouseincolorfultilesandglass,thencreated

tiledpathways,wallsandgrottoes in the lotnextdoor,where

bottles,bikewheels,statuesandglasscometogetherinmind-

bendingcollages.Ifyoucanappreciatequirk,color,folkartand

seeingunbridledimaginationatwork,you’lllovegettinglostin

thismosaicmaze.

Old Is New AgAIN

ThiswasjustpartofJonathan’sreintroductionplanforme.He

actuallystartedmeoffwithhistoryonthefirstday,sendingme

sevenblocksawaytothehistoricareaforsometimetraveling.I

knewtheLibertyBellandIndependenceMallfromschooltrips,

butnowtherewasanewhistoricalattractionat6thandMarket:

the President’s House, opened last December. This is where

presidentsWashingtonandAdamslivedfrom1790-1800,when

Phillywasstillthenation’scapital.Onlyastoreroomfoundation

isleftfromtheoriginalstructure,andyoucanseeitinaspecial

glassenclosure.

But the site isn’t about seeing where great men lived.

Instead, itdocumentsa terrible irony.Here, justablock fromi

Previous spread, left page: The Liberty Bell CenterPrevious spread, right page: The Avenue of the ArtsOpposite page: One of the city’s many colorful murals This page, from top: The President’s House; the William Penn statue atop City Hall; a Philly cheesesteak

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thatitdidbackinthe1970swhenIsawitonfieldtripsasakid.

Tocontinueheadingback in time, Icrossed thestreet to

Independence Mall. Still beautiful and regal on the outside,

fascinatingonthe inside. Isawthetwofirst-floorroomsinmy

tourbecauseit’sonlyduringsummerthatyoucanseethetop

floor with the banquet hall and meeting room. That’s okay,

becausethedeclaring-and-signingactiontookplaceonthefirst

floor. Wonderfully preserved rooms transport you to that era,

andyoucanalmostimagineyourselfwitharingsideseatwhile

thefoundershashoutthebuildingblocksofournation.

A New VIew

Ablockawayat5thandMarketIdiscoveredthestunningnew

home of the National Museum of American Jewish History

(NMAJH)What struckmeherewas themasterful storytelling.

NMAJHhas4floors,eachopeningwithasuperbintro,followed

by perfect pacing that balances video, audio, panels and

interaction.Videomontagessetupplungesintodifferenterasof

JewishAmericanhistory,withartifactslikeancientTorahscrolls

blendingwith jeanscreatedbyLeviStrauss, thenflowing into

a display of fancy Purim ball gowns, which offers a different

sliceoflifefromthe1870s,completewithmusicoftheera.The

cool interactive touch is that you can even grab a Purim ball

mask and dance, like a little girl in front of me did. I passed

onthat,notbeingtoowell-versedin19th-centuryPurimdance

wherethefoundingfathersproclaimedlibertyasanunalienable

right, George Washington kept nine slaves. The President’s

House doesn’t dance around this powerful contradiction, it

highlightsit.Screensmountedonthewallstellthestoriesoftwo

oftheslavesviashortfilmsonacontinualloop.Inone,anactress

playingOneyJudgepoignantlyoffersfirst-person insights into

her life, including her daring escape and Washington’s failed

attempt to recapture her in New Hampshire. The other tells

visitorsaboutHercules,Washington’scook,whoalsomanaged

toescapeandwasnevercaught.Sound,photosandvisuals

offer thepoliticalcontextof the time,but thepersonalstories

arewhatmakethesiteworkasapowerfulcounterpointtothe

LibertyBell,locatedjuststepsaway.

IknewtheBell,butthepavilionthathousesitwasnewand

offersfreshinsights.Foronething,theBellshowedupcracked

inPhillywhen they firstordered it fromEngland in1750, and

needed to be recast. It also never actually rang for freedom

when the founders signed the Declaration of Independence

in1776.Bythen,itwasinstoragebecausethesteeplewhere

they had hung it was too rotted to support its weight. What

actuallypropelled itsassociationwith libertywas thewritings

of abolitionists in the 1830s and it took off from there, even

inspiringGhanianstoposenexttoitwhentheircountrybecame

independentin1957.Thecontextpreparesyounicelyforseeing

theBell,andemotionallyitstillcarriesthesameweightforme

This page, from left: Independence Hall; Signers’ Hall at The National Constitution Center; the

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine ArtsOpposite page: The National Museum of

American Jewish History

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moves. Interactiveexhibits let you tell yourown family’s story

inavideobooth,listentotheversesofMorrisRosenfeld,“the

SweatshopPoet,”explorethelivesoflegendaryentertainersvia

atouchscreenandatheater—andmore.“Museum”isthewrong

wordforNMAJH—it’sanilluminatingjourneyintoAmericanlife.

FreedOm lIVes

I took a different journey just a block away at 5th and Arch

at theNationalConstitutionCenter.Here, you’re immersed in

whatmakestheConstitutionsokeytoour lives.Funstuff like

tryingon judge’s robesandswearingyourself inaspresident

is balanced by touch screens that cover key players in this

document’shistorywithtextandvideo.Signers’Hallisthehuge

draw:life-sizedstatuesofthefoundingfatherswhosignedthe

Constitutionmakeforgreatphotoopsandhighlightthepeople

behindthehistory.BesuretoseeFreedom Rising,amultimedia

showcoveringthethornyprocessofcreatingtheConstitution

andtheconflictswedealwithtoday.Itposesanintriguingfinal

questionthatstillhasresonanceandprobablyalwayswill:“What

willwedowithfreedom?”

gettINg AN eyeFul

IheadednexttothePennsylvaniaAcademyofFineArts(PAFA),

ournation’sfirstartschoolandartmuseum,establishedinthe

1700s.You’llfinditnearCityHallatBroadandCherrystreets.

Thebuilding’sspectacularVictorianGothicarchitecture is the

firstsignofwhatawaitsinside.Goupthestepstothelanding,

and you’ll see that PAFA wastes no time in dazzling visitors:

Death on the Pale Horseseemstoleapoutofthewallatyou.

Benjamin West’s gigantic 1796 painting uses apocalyptic

imagerytodepictaterrifyingvisionfromtheBook of Revelation

that’s also somehow beautiful. The rich interplay of colors,

rivetingcompositionandprodigioustechniquegivethepainting

acinematicimpactthatyoucanfeeleveninapost-CGIworld—

maybe that’swhy thispainting toured thecountry in the19th

centuryandpeoplelineduptoseeit.Fromthere,magnificent

curation takes you through American art’s history, ranging

fromcolonialportraitists likeCharlesWillsonPealeandhyper-

realisticworksbyDanielRidgewayKnighttoCubistworkslike

LouisLozowick’sPittsburghandthehauntingsocialrealismof

PhilipEvergood’sMine Disaster.

the FAst trAck tO FlAVOr

Ofcourse,allthissightseeingcanworkupanappetite,butskip

the chain restaurants. Philly is a food town, serving up both

homegrown treats and sophisticated fine dining. One way to

blendsightsandsavoringiswithCityFoodTours(cityfoodtours.

com). I went on the Flavors of Philly tour, and was quickly

rewarded by the tomato pie at Joe’s Pizza on 16th between

Chestnut and Walnut streets. It’s a cheese pizza without the

cheese,butyoudon’tmissit,thankstoarichlytextureddouble-

risecrustandanintenselyflavorfulsauce.Thenwewenttothe

Philly Pretzel factory. I’ve eaten more than my weight in soft

pretzelsstartingwithrecesstime ingrades1-8atSt.Hugh’s,

butthiswasthebestpretzelI’veeverhad:warm,chewy,salted

perfectlyanddelectable.

WeeventuallyendedupinReadingTerminalMarket,about

twoblocksfromtheLoewsandafoodieparadise.Notonlycan

yougetaholdofwell-craftedcheesesteaksandhoagies,youcan

buyultra-freshproduce, ItalianandAsiandelicacies,artisanal

chocolates at Mueller’s and the extraordinary chocolate chip

cookiesat4thStreetCookieCompany.Seriously,bringsome

Tupperware and make room in your carry-on: you won’t get

cheesesteaksandhoagieslikePhilly’s,anywhere.Itriedthem

inothercitiesand“lame”wouldbethekindestdescription.The

tour is the fast track to these flavors because of the pacing,

portions,primepicksandinsightsaboutnearbyattractions.

restAurANt reFresh

While familiar flavors were great to get re-acquainted with, I

waslookingforwardtosamplingtherestaurantrevivalI’dheard

about.JonathanfirstsetmeupwithChifaat7thandChestnut.

ItcombinesPeruvianandpan-Asianinfluencesadventurously.

IstartedoffwiththeBAObuns:tender,perfectlycookedpork

livenedby sweet/spicydaikonandhoisin glaze. TheSolterito

Salad was next: a sharp yet subtle garlic dressing enhanced

a wonderfully textured blend of Bibb lettuce, edamame and

tomato, heightened by salty notes from queso fresco and

crunchy plantain chips. After the more piquant tastes of the

openingdishes,theHumitabalancedoutthemeal.Thischarred

corntamaleissmoothandsatisfying,touchedupbyaji amarillo

(yellowpepper)creamandtexturedbymushrooms.

Mynextnightinthecity,IindulgedatmodernMexicanat

Opposite page: Adobo Tuna Tostadas at El Vez

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ElVez,on13thstreetnearSansom,veryclose to thehotel. I

had to try Queso Fundido Con Carne, melted cheese and

bitsofchorizo (Mexicansausage)baked inapan.Youspoon

thecombinationintotortillaandeatit likeataco.Thispiquant

a modern ClassiCIfthere’sanythingInoticedwhilerediscoveringPhiladelphia,

it’showitsrevivalisinextricablytiedtoitsroots.Loews

Philadelphiaexemplifiesthiscounterpoint.It’sabeautiful

Modernistskyscraperontheoutside,knownfortheiconic

PSFSsignatthetop.That’sbecausethehoteloccupiesthe

homeofthePhiladelphiaSavingsFundSociety,abankdating

backto1813.Loewstookoverthehotelinthe1990s,retaining

manyoftheexquisitearchitecturalelementswhilecreatingan

excitingnewhotel.

Asyouwalkin,youseeamarblestairwayleadingtothe

meetingroomsontheupperfloors,sotheimpressionisthat

you’reinahistoricspace.Yetthatshiftswhenyoumakealeft

towardsthelobby.That’swhereyou’llseeSoleFood,sleekly

designedwithadominantredcolorschemethatcontraststhe

lobby’sblackmarble.It’selegantbutinviting,perfecttokick

backandloungeorforenjoyingskillfullypreparedseafood.

You’llfindthesamebalancebetweenmodernandclassic

throughoutthehotel.Woodpaneling,blackmarbleandCartier

clocksinthehallwaysblendbeautifullyintolight,spacious

roomswithwarmlywelcomingdécor:Ifeltmyselfrelaxingas

soonasIwalkedin.AswithallLoewshotels,theroomsare

amenity-loaded,soitwaseasyformetorechargeafteraday

oftouringtothengooutatnight.

ItwasalsoeasytotourthecityfromLoewsPhiladelphia.

ThehistoricattractionsliketheLibertyBellareashortsix

blocksaway,andfromthereyoucanhopatourbusthatgoes

toattractionsthatareabitfurtheraway,likeEasternState

Penitentiary.Thecity’sprimenightlifespotslikeGloungeand

WalnutRoomarealsoshortwalksaway,asisMidtownVillage,

hometoadiverserangeofsuperbrestaurants.

Butwhatmakesforthetravelexperiencehereisthe

staff.Everyoneisnotonlyattentiveandgracious,theyall

seemtobeexpertsinthecity:evenoneofthedoormenwas

teachingmeaboutlocalhistorythatevenasanative,Inever

heardof.However,noneareasmasterfulasVIPManager

JonathanVendrick.WhenitcomestoPhilly,younameit,he

knowsit,andthisDelawarenativeputsthisKensingtonkid

toshamewithhisinsiderknowledgeofthecity.Hisguidance

willnotonlygetyouthebestcheesesteakinthecity,butyou’ll

alsodiscoveragreatlocalimprovgroup,thetopspotsfor

bacheloretteparties,thepremierBYOBsandanynumberof

theexperiencesthatmarkthenewPhiladelphia.“Guestswant

toleaveherewithmemoriesandit’sourjobtoprovidethem,”

hesays.Inmycase,thememorieshavechangedmywhole

ideaofmynativecity,soit’seasytobelieveJonathanwhenhe

says,“Guestscomeuptomeallthetimeandsay,‘Thisisthe

besthotelIeverstayedat.’”

appetizersetupmyentree,CarneAsada,ahangarsteakthat

comeswithsmokychipotlebarbecuesauce.Ilovedthepairing

of the rich steak with the fresh lightness of the tomato and

asparagussalad,furtherenhancedbythesmoothcounterpoint

oftaquitosstuffedwithmanchegocheese.

Sampanoffersyetanotherdiningdirection,andit’safew

steps from El Vez. Start off your meal with a sake flight: the

smooth,fruityfinishprimesthepalatenicelyfortheAsianfusion

menu. Iopenedwith theKobeBeefSatay: fruity, spicynotes

enhancedmasterfullycookedsteak.ThencametheEdamame

Dumpling:bitingintoitreleasedafull,richflavorreminiscentofa

potatoedgedbyherbalnotes.Thesakebrothaddedlightness

andmoisture tobring itall together. I toppedthisoffwith the

KoreanFriedChicken.Thecrispyskincontrastednicelywiththe

tender,juicymeat,tingedwithspicynotesthatharmonizedwith

thefluffyscallionbiscuits.Basically,aftergainingfivepoundsin

threedaysdespitewalkingmorethana19th-centurypioneer,

I’dhavetosaythatthePhillyrestaurantrevivalisreal.

But wAIt, there’s mOre

I’malmostoutofroomtorave,andhaven’tcoveredthePiazza

atSchmidt’s:developersboughtaclosedbuthistoricbrewery

in a rough neighborhood and created luxury apartments,

restaurants,barsandshopsthatarebuiltaroundaplazawith

a giant screen that shows movies and sports events. I also

wantedtocovertheMütterMuseum,whichfocusesonmedical

history.Itcanseemalittlemacabrebecauseitdisplaysskulls,

skeletons and medical oddities, but it actually documents

the trial-and-error process of learning about illness that

characterizedmedicinebeforewehadthetechnologywehave

today. It’saquirkybut informativestopthat’snot far fromthe

ComcastCenter,Philly’stallestbuilding,wheregiganticpanels

inthelobbyfeaturerotatingvideodisplaysofpeoplethatseem

to climb thepanels, moonsgliding and a stunning display at

Christmasthat’sbecominganannualmust-seeformany.

AndIcouldon.PhillyisnolongerwhereIgrewup.It’sthe

samesize,butbigger. It takesup thesameamountof room,

butit’sgrander.It’sreinventeditselfbyusingitsownroots.Even

after32yearsoflivingthereandahighlyfocusedvisitplanned

byanexpertlikeJonathan,Istilldon’ttrulyknowthecity.

AssoonasIcan,Iplanonheadingbacktochangethat.

Opposite page: Part of the impressive meeting space at Loews Philadelphia

This page, from top: Chifa restaurant; the Mütter Museum; the Piazza at Schmidt’s

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A native rediscovers the cityBy ABel delgAdo

Philly 2.0