Pennsylvania: Philadelphia Visits

Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time in Philadelphia. My company has an office there, and my team is split between the Baltimore and Philly offices. Prior to spending this time in Philly lately, I have to admit, I’ve given Philly very little thought.

Really, I just thought of it kind of like I thought of the rest of Pennsylvania (which is to say, not very much at all). In my mind, it was more or less a beige blob on the map on the way to and from NYC. I’m sure our Philly friends will bristle at this, and well they should, considering this is coming from a girl from Baltimore, which is really just a smaller version of Philadelphia without a valid form of public transportation and with slightly nicer sports fans.

I’ve spent a night or two in Philly in the past, visiting friends from college and celebrating another friend’s 30th birthday there, but it’s only recently I’ve come to appreciate it. First, and most importantly, Philly is very clearly a food city. It’s way more than cheesesteaks. I’ve had some truly delicious meals here, most recently at The Dandelion, a pub serving “modern British cuisine.” In fact, I’ll go so far as to say The Dandelion serves far better British cuisine than anything Jen and I were able to scrounge up in Britain proper. And all served in an irresistibly charming setting.

Secondly, the hospitality is on point. The hotels I’ve stayed in have been beautiful and welcoming. Even the cashier at the Wawa across the street from the office makes me feel better about Mondays with his cheerful, early-morning shouts of encouragement (“It’s Monday, let’s get it over with! You’ve got this! Have a great day!”).

And yeah, I’m sure you’re not surprised to hear that a nearby Wawa wins Philly some major points in my book.

I love me some Wawa mocha mint iced coffee, but if the weather is colder or I have a little bit of time, I am pretty into Philly’s obsession with hometown brewed La Colombe coffee. And in general, I just love walking through the streets, which are full of history but also give me the big-city feels of New York and Chicago.

So on that note, enjoy some photos of my last few trips to Philadelphia, and remember, it’s Monday! Let’s get it over with! You’ve got this! Have a great day!

-Staci