Mylène & Paul
Things To Do - and Places to Eat!
SEPTA Merion Station Park and Ride
It's a short drive (or Uber/Lyft ride) into Center City, but the wedding venue is located very near a SEPTA regional rail station. See http://www.septa.org/service/rail/ for additional information and schedules.
Reading Terminal Market
This is one of our favorite spots in the city! From our favorite Amish donuts (Beiler's - closed on Sundays) to Mylène's favorite sandwich in the city (DiNic's roast pork with sharp provolone - add broccoli rabe/long hots depending on your taste), we could honestly spend hours here every week. We also recommend Termini Brothers in the market for delicious cannoli and other Italian treats, Bassett's ice cream, Famous 4th Street Cookies (lots of opportunities for sweets!), and if you're in the mood for a cheesesteak or a hoagie, Carmen's is the spot in the market! If you're coming into the city on the train (SEPTA) - very easy from Merion Station, close to the venue and hotel - just get off at Jefferson Station and follow the signs! Otherwise there are multiple parking garages nearby. Parking info can be found on the website.
La Colombe Coffee Roasters
Delicious coffee in a quaint setting looking right into Dilworth Park, which surrounds City Hall. Center, center, center city, very easy to find if you take the train in and get off at Suburban Station.
Old City
Many of Philadelphia's historic attractions can be found in Old City! If it's a nice day, we love just walking around and looking at the old buildings and cool shops.
Benjamin Franklin Museum
A great stop if you're wandering through Old City and need to warm up. Interactive exhibits, great for kids (and adults who love American history)!
Independence Hall
See where the Declaration of Independence was signed!
Elfreth's Alley
A historic street in Philadelphia, dating to 1702. Mylène can never resist taking dozens of pictures here!
Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul
Philadelphia's Cathedral, and our parish.
Philadelphia Museum of Art
We love being members of the PMA, and not just because it gives us plenty of opportunity to sprint up the Rocky Steps. Don't miss Paul's favorite - the armor (the core of the Museum’s holdings of arms and armor was acquired in 1977 from the private collection of Carl Otto Kretzschmar von Kienbusch, long regarded as the finest in existence)!
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
The Academy of Natural Sciences was definitely Mylène's favorite field trip as a little kid... mostly because of the souvenir offerings which included tumbled stones and pencils with tiny rocks in the top. Come see dinosaur fossils (during certain hours you can see museum staff cleaning new acquisitions) and live turtles, snakes, and spiders!
Suburban Square
A convenient mall, close to the hotel and venue. Note that there's a Drybar* with Sunday hours, as well as food and plenty of shopping options! Paul also said, "be sure to mention there's a Trader Joe's!" *(if you're like Mylène and prefer leaving serious hairstyling to the professionals). More info at https://www.thedrybar.com/ | Telephone: (610) 321-3035 to schedule
Rittenhouse Square
We love walking through this square! There's great shopping surrounding it, including Anthropologie's flagship store which is located in a historic Philadelphia home on the northwest corner of the park.
Cleavers
Newer to the cheesesteak game, this is actually our favorite. The waffle fries are excellent with the white cheddar sauce, and Paul's standard order is the Cheesesteak Hoagie (for full Philly effect).
Pat's King of Steaks
Pat's or Geno's - you have to decide for yourself! Conveniently located right across the street from one another.
Geno’s Steaks
Pat's or Geno's - you have to decide for yourself! Conveniently located right across the street from one another.
Jim's Steaks
Another contender for best Philly cheesesteak.
Tony Luke's
Pat's, Geno's, Jim's, and Tony Luke's. The Four Philly Cheesesteak Standards.
The Dandelion
A traditional British pub, right in the heart of Philadelphia. Great for weekend breakfast (opens at 10 on Saturday and Sunday), lunch, and dinner. We seriously haven't found a menu item we don't love.
Parc
Where we go when we're feeling fancy. Looks right into Rittenhouse Park, and truly feels like a Parisian bistro. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day.
Crazy Sushi
For really good, fairly priced sushi right in Center City, our go-to is Crazy Sushi. (It's also usually crazy fast!)
Starbucks
The closest Starbucks to the hotel.
Wawa
Obviously we had to include a Wawa on this list!! This one is an 8-minute drive from the hotel.
Landmark Americana Tap & Grill
This sports bar "with elevated pub grub" is a 5-minute drive (just down City Line Avenue) from the hotel, and it has an extensive gluten free menu. You'll also find lots of other food options along City Line Avenue. There's a Chili's, an Olive Garden, a Taco Bell, a Chipotle, a TGI Friday's and McDonald's. Google maps also tells me there's a Larry's Steaks, but we're definitely not going on record to endorse that!
Bala Cynwyd Shopping Center
This shopping center is basically right across the street from the hotel where we have our room block. The website lists the many stores, but we'd like to especially recommend Honeygrow for a quick bite. They do salads and noodle bowls that you can customize on a screen when you place you order. Great to eat in, or take out.