Philly: City Center

We’ve moved from DC to TX then back to DC and then back to TX before this most recent move, back east again, to Philadelphia. The last two moves were so easy since we were already familiar with the area having lived there once before. Ok, lies. Moving is just plain hard but moving to a place you’ve already been before feels like a breeze compared to somewhere brand spanking new. Philadelphia is brand spanking new to us. A few years ago, my husband laughed and laughed at me when I was confused driving through Pennsylvania mountains to get to my grandparents’ house in New York when I said, “I thought Pennsylvania was flat…?” Clearly, this state was never on my radar.

I used to tease all of my girlfriends in Texas who avoided driving to Houston proper. And I was right at home driving the streets of Washington DC. I’m the kind of girl that you just can’t keep away from good food and museums and all the different kinds of people you can only find in the heart of a city. Our family summer bucket lists thrive off the adventures we can do in the cities near us. But Philadelphia intimidated me. It looks weeks before I left the suburbs and my toes touched city sidewalks, and only then for a hair appointment. Taking the kids into Philly for a summer adventure by myself took me nearly half a year.

Philly proper has a few different areas I’m keen to explore. From Rittenhouse Square with the shopping, and to Old City with the Liberty Bell, to City Center with the skyscrapers, to Fairmount with the cherry blossoms, to South Philly with the cheesesteaks and to the Stadium District with the sports, I am slowly learning where these places are and what we would enjoy doing there. I was able to plan a day trip to explore a few things concentrated in the City Center. It’s so much less intimidating to go to ONE section at a time.

We started our day with a trip to the observation deck on the top of One Liberty. From there, we walked a few blocks to City Hall and grabbed lunch at an airstream food truck. Arbor and Henry played in the splash fountains before we walked over to take pictures with the LOVE statue.

I officially feel ready to get to know Philadelphia and to love her like I so very dearly love DC and TX.

NOTE: It is AFTER writing this entire blog that I have become aware that it’s actually referred to as Center City. Not City Center.