One More Last Bit of Info about the Trail Run

For those of you planning on coming to the trail run, but unfamiliar with Valley Green, one quick piece of advice: we know several people who've driven there and had their cars broken into. So, treat it like driving into the city. Don't leave valuables in the car, and don't leave bags in sight.

We're right by the park, if people want to drop stuff off at our house, just get in touch this afternoon.
Yay! Trail Run!

More info on the trail run

What: Trail Run followed by Happy Hour

When: Thursday, 5/6, 6:30 pm

Where: Wissahickon Trails, Philly. Meet in front of Valley Green Inn  (map and directions) before 6:30 pm

Why: Because you like nature, running, drinking, watching Helen fall, or just hanging out with us as single people



Details:

• The distance will be 3-5 miles.
• Terrain will be rolling. We're running in the woods (Wissahickon Valley) a quarter mile from our house.  Expect a single-track dirt surface with some roots and rocks. There might be a creek crossing or other natural adventures.  The steepest climb will be ~150 feet/half mile and is runnable. 
• The run is part of the May trail running series that the Wissahickon Wanderers running club organizes. The course will be marked and someone will record the times, but it is informal and there's no pressure to run it as a race.  There will probably be 20-30 people there if the weather is good.
• The trails are on both sides of the Wissahickon Creek. There's also a flat, wide dirt path called Forbidden Drive that goes along next to the creek. So, if you're ever tired of the hills or the terrain, you can just drop down to the dirt path and run to the start/finish at Valley Green Inn. The scenery on Forbidden Drive is almost as beautiful as it is on the trails.
• The club has runners of all abilities. The vibe is low-key and fun.
• Noah and I will wear Bride and Groom caps to celebrate our wedding.
• After the run, we socialize outside for a bit, and then change into cleaner clothes and hang out with friends, drinks and food in the Valley Green Inn.

We hope some of you reading this will make it to the trail run! Let us know in the comments if you have questions.

What To Do In Philly, part II: The Blue Skies Version

There are more things to do in Philly when it's nice out, if only because all of the rainy-day options are still available. But Philly is what's known as a walkable city, and there are few things as nice as just spending some time walking around.

Starting at Amada, there are a ton of options within 3-4 blocks. You can walk around some of the older blocks of Old City, including Elfreth's Alley and the old church at 3rd and Market. The area around Independence Hall includes a whole series of parks that are worth sitting down in, including one of our favorites, Washington Square, at 6th and Walnut. There is even a way to take a sort of guide-less guided tour, via a cell phone automated system that you can call (there are signs explaining this spread throughout the parks).

Society Hill, the neighborhood just south of Old City, is also well worth a leisurely stroll. It's more residential, but some of the smaller streets are among the nicest in the city.

Just to the south of that is South Street, which has its own set of fans. It's more commercial, and at times has a lot of energy (although the same could be said for much of Old City).

For all of this, my suggestion is just to spend some time walking around, enjoying the area, rather than focusing on any destination. Check out the little alleys and side streets. Linger in the parks, both the big ones and the small ones. Sit in a cafe for a bit. Yes, there are some neighborhoods to avoid in Philly, but as long as you don't walk too far south of South, too far north of Vine, or cross the Delaware, you'll be fine. And walking too far south of South would mean walking very far; walking north of Vine would mean walking under the bridge, very avoidable; and crossing the Delaware isn't the sort of thing you wind up doing inadvertently.

For more focused activities, and for some good clean kid-style fun, the city recently turned Franklin Square into something of an urban amusement park. For years, this was the 'forgotten park' of Philly, mostly filled with winos, but thanks to a complete face-lift, it's now got a mini-golf, a carousel, and a burger shack run by frequent Top Chef guest judge Stephen Starr.

Center City is also a quick subway ride away from a Phillies game! They Atlanta Braves will be in town, playing the Phils on Friday night at 7, and Sunday at 1. Going down to the new park is a great experience. Even when the Phils weren't as good, it was a great experience – a super fun park, with enthusiastic fans. Last year, out of 81 home games, the Phils sold out 73, so you should get your tickets in advance.

If you're heading up to the Art Museum anyway and would like to take a long walk along the Schuylkill River, the Dad Vail Regatta, the largest collegiate regatta (rowing races) in the US, will be going on that day.  If it's a nice day, you can rent a bike from Trophy Bikes and bike along the river and in Fairmount Park.

Out by our neck of the woods, there's a whole 'nuther set of options.
For one thing, our neck of the woods includes actual woods.

The Wissahickon is one of our favorite parts of the city. It's also as un-city a part of a city as you'll find anywere, a 5-mile stretch of woods that follows the Wissahickon Creek. For those of you coming to the Thursday night trail run, this is where it takes place. Some of the highlights include Valley Green, an Inn at the half-way point of the park; Forbidden Drive, a 5-mile car-free gravel road that runs along the creek; and the 30-40 miles of trails that wander through the woods.

For those staying at the Chestnut Hill Hotel, wandering up Germantown Avenue gets you to the heart of Chestnut Hill, a quaint (excessively quaint, perhaps) neighborhood with a nice commercial strip full of small shops.

And, as always, this is just a small sampling; if you have other suggestions, or questions, put them in the comments.

Things to do in Philly: Rainy Day Edition

I'm starting this blog post as a way of giving folks coming from out of town some advice on what to do while here. My hope is that other people will chime in in the comments section, with their own ideas.



The reception is at Amada, which is in Philadelphia's Old City neighborhood.
Not surprisingly, Old City includes two of Philadelphia's most famous tourist destinations: Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.
We'll be honest. We don't ever go to either. But that's what happens when you live someplace, just like Parisians don't go to the Eiffel Tower and Hong Kong residents don't spend a lot of time at The Peak. It doesn't mean those things aren't worth doing. The other nice thing is that Philadelphia is really pumping up those two as part of a bigger historical-tourism destination area, including the Constitutional Center, which often has interesting exhibits.

Feel like a movie? Right near Amada are the "Ritz" theaters (Ritz 5, Ritz East, Ritz at the Bourse). These are the kind of places you go to see Shakespeare in Love or the latest Michael Moore movie, rather than Avatar or Hot Tub Time Machine.

The Art Museum – the one that Rocky runs up – is more driving distance than walking distance, but it is between center city and our house. The Picasso show will be gone by May 8, but they have strong holdings in a variety of areas, and the building itself is worth the trip.

If you're coming with kids, or just want to feel like a kid, there's the Franklin Institute, which is either a long walk from Amada, or a drive on the way to our house (but still downtown, and not particularly easy to park at). It can get kind of crazy with kids, and I would advise *against* trying the flight simulator, but it has a ton of fun science-y exhibits, including a walk-through model of the human heart. For the decidedly un-squemish, there's the Mutter Museum, originally dedicated to the study of "human medical anomalies", on the western edge of center city; and a short drive from center city is the old Eastern State Penitentiary, a former prison in a surprisingly urban location.

For shopping, there are a few options. In center city, there are a variety of small stores in Old City, around Amada. Walnut Street, from Broad to 18th, has some higher-end stores, and there is a mini-mall at 17th and Chestnut. The Gallery is a more traditional mall in center city, and is around 7 blocks from Amada. One nice thing: clothing and shoes are tax-free in Pennsylvania.

But those are just our thoughts - if you have others, add them in the comments section, there's plenty of stuff in Philly that we don't know about!

If you're driving to the reception

Having a downtown reception means that most people can get there easily by train, subway, bus, bike, or on foot.  However, we realize that for some of us, driving and carpooling to Amada makes more sense. Below is information on parking and directions. 

PARKING

Option 1:  Street parking, which is limited and require urban parallel parking skills. Some meters take credit cards and others take coins only, so bring both.

Option 2:  Garages and parking lots, several of which are located on 2nd Street. There is a garage just south of Chestnut Street next to the Ritz East movie theater.

DRIVING DIRECTIONS

Google map

Traveling East on 76 (Schuylkill Expressway):

Bear left at I-676 E/US-30 E and head toward Central Philadelphia. Take the exit to (I-676 E)/Ben Franklin Bridge (US-30 E). Bear right at N 6th Street. Continue on S 6th Street . Turn left at Chestnut Street. Amada is located on Chestnut Street between 2nd and 3rd.

Traveling North on I-95 from Walt Whitman Bridge and Points South:

Take the Columbus Blvd exit 20 to Washington Avenue Bear right onto the ramp to Washington Ave/Penns Landing. Turn left at S Columbus Blvd. Turn left at Dock Street. Turn right at S 3rd Street. Turn right at Chestnut Street. Amada is located on Chestnut Street between 2nd and 3rd.

Traveling South on I-95 from Betsy Ross Bridge and Points North:

Take the I-676 exit 22 to Central Phila/Independence Hall. Make a right at the first light – Callowhill Street. Make a left on 4th Street. Make a left on Chestnut Street. Amada is located on Chestnut Street between 2nd and 3rd.

Traveling South on the New Jersey Turnpike:

Take Exit 4 and follow 73 north to Route 38. Take routes 38 West to US 30. Take US 30 Westover the Ben Franklin Bridge to I-676. Take the 8th Street/Chinatown Exit to south 8th Street to Chestnut Street. Turn left on Chestnut Street. Amada is located at 217-219 (between 3rd and 2nd) Chestnut Street on the left/north side of the street.