Good places to shop in Philadelphia?

The very best places to eat/shop in Downtown Philadelphia?

• I’m going away this weekend, what a concept. It’s a trip for all of a day and a half to see two medicore colleges I got accepted to, but still. I won’t have THAT much time for pleasure, but hopefully my mother and I will go to a nice dinner and see the city for a bit after Accepted Students Day (as a PA resident I’ve STILL never been). I have my doubts in the schools themselves, but the city…I’m sure it’s decent. Plus, there’s a Zara 3 minutes from our hotel (don’t have one where I’m from)! Ironically, the shopping street (I think?) is also called Walnut St, just like home. Just goes to show you’re never far from your roots. Any special best kept secrets, boutiques/thrift stores I should know about? If you’ve been to Philadelphia, go to school, live there, are from there, what is/was your impression?

• Answer:

  First off, I would say that you might be under-rating the colleges you were accepted into. If you are staying around Rittenhouse Square (which is where Zara is), you are probably visiting Temple, Drexel, St. Joe's or maybe LaSalle. These are ALL excellent schools. But never mind that. In the Rittenhouse Square area (and really, all over the city), there are some amazing places to eat and shop. The Philadelphia Magazine "Best of Philly" listings is a good place to start: http://www.phillymag.com/best_of/index.html Chestnut and Walnut Streets are the big shopping areas and you can go from Rittenhouse Square all the way to the Old City (the historic district) and not get bored. Try South Street and (if you sew(Fabric Row (4th Street, south of South Street). Go down 9th Street in the Italian Market, and stop in to Reading Terminal. For restaurants in that part of the city, you could try Village Whiskey at about 20th and Sansom (best burgers in the city), Parc on Rittenhouse Square (French country), Daffodil at 18th and Sansom (English pub), Devon on Rittenhouse Square (seafood), Butcher and Singer at about 15th and Walnut (steaks, and pricey), Nodding Head between 15th and 16th on Sansom (brew pub), El Vez at 13th and Sansom (Mexican fusion - really fun), Tequila at 16th and Locust (more traditional Mexican) and plenty more. Philadelphia is one of the great restaurant cities in the country so you almost can't find a bad meal. And don't forget to get a cheese steak. You really can't get a bad one, even from a lunch truck, but for the real experience, try Pats or Genos at the south end of the Italian Market.