Starting off in Chinatown (near the Bus Depot, never knew Philly had a Chinatown until now)


















The Pennsylvania Convention Center





The Reading Terminal Market





Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in a nice building






The Philadelphia City Hall, located in the middle of Penn Square and a fine example of second empire architecture, was constructed from 1871 to 1901, and was the tallest building in the world from 1901 until 1908.

















Philadelphia's name actually means "Brotherly Love" in Greek.






First glimpses of Philadelphia's Center City... the tallest buildings are part of Liberty Place...









Buildings surrounding Kennedy Square Park...





To the left in this picture, you will see the Comcast Center, completed last year and is officially the tallest building in the United States between Chicago and New York.





Arch Street United Methodist Church, constructed 1865-1870.










Comcast Center poking out from the fine old architecture of Center City...





One City Plaza, built 1898





The famous "LOVE" statue in JFK plaza.










The Insurance Company of North America Building, built in 1925, became a national landmark in 1978, and is now a condominium building. The insurance company re-located to Chestnut St.





Pennsylvania Railroad Suburban Station Building, built in 1929, serves as a downtown terminus for all SEPTA transportation buses, subways, and commuter rail.





Eagles, on the Insurance Building. You'll see Eagles just about everywhere in Philly... if you know what I mean...





Suburban station again, the office portion is called One Penn Center...










A nice lady told me to look inside the Suburban Station, and I was thoroughly impressed...













Looking up at Liberty Place, tucked between two other office buildings...





The base of the Comcast Center...






Looking up, definitely not as "strong" and "powerful" as the Empire State Building in New York...













Mellon Bank Tower, NOT in Pittsburgh?!?










The top of Liberty Place









Looking up at Liberty Place





More offices in Center City...






My Hotel, the Latham Hotel, great rates and very classy rooms, too...









My room, very hospitable...









The view from my room...










First Baptist Church of Philadelphia, completed in 1698. For some reason, every time I see a church in Philly, I keep thinking of the show, "Amen" with Sherman Hemsley, who, btw, is a native of Philadelphia, and you know him best as TV's George Jefferson.









Liberty Place Towers 1 and 2, I had to retake some pictures, because the sun began to shine...





Diverse architecture in Center City,






Famous DAFFY's store in Center City





Sculpture









Dramatic shots of Liberty Place and Comcast Center














Looking towards City Hall...





Suburban Station and One Penn Place again...













Mellon Tower again...






Blue Cross Building...









Philadelphia Stock Exchange Building...





Subway... to Independence Hall Park and Old City, coming up on the next part of the tour!







Took the Market Street subway over to near Independence Hall. Philly's subway system MUCH cleaner and nicer than New York City's.





Looking west on Market Street from the Subway station...













Independence Hall, the birthplace of the United States. Likely Philadelphia's most famous building, next to City Hall. Built in 1753. A World Heritage Site and part of Independence National Historic Park.










Independence Hall from the Liberty Bell exhibit





The famous Liberty Bell













Site of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) social movements in 1965.






Second Bank of the United States, built in 1816.













"The Signer" Statue





The Bourse Building, built in 1895.






Looking east on Market Street









More of Independence Hall and Park...


















Constitution Document Museum





INSIDE Independence Hall... the west wing





The East Wing, where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776.


































Hall in Independence Park...









Benjamin Franklin's Estate


















Plaque of Benjamin Franklin













Old City Philadelphia...































































Riverfront...






Benjamin Franklin Bridge...





Walt Whitman Bridge...





Camden, New Jersey (went through here on a bus, interesting place)





Looking east back towards Center City...





Penn's Landing(??)










More of Old City...


































Christ Church Neighborhood House









The Christ Church Steeple, completed in 1744. Was once the tallest building in the United States until 1856.






































Betsy Ross House and Museum







































Arch Street Friends Meeting House, oldest Quaker meeting house in the U.S., built in 1804.









Ben Franklin Statue in front of a FIRE HALL!





Benjamin Franklin's Grave...





Christ Church Burial Ground...






Plaques portraying the life and times of Benjamin Franklin...









Quaker Meeting House





National Constitution Center





United States Mint






Fox 29, a carbon copy of Buffalo's FOX 29.









Retail on Market Street...















































Chemical Heritage Building (not much of a heritage-looking building)









Reading Terminal. built 1891-91 as a railroad station, now the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Reading Market, and Hard Rock Cafe














The Market Street National Bank Building





Looking up at City Hall...





Buildings around Penn Square














Looking up at the City Hall again...





Buildings on Broad Street, home of the 2008 Philadelphia Phillies Championship celebration...









Back towards City Hall in the middle of Broad Street...










I love the LEDs on these buildings, not necessarily the colour, though. Should be either RED,ORANGE or GREEN! If you're a Philly sports fan, you know what I mean.









NIGHT SHOTS OF CENTER CITY:



Looking up at Liberty Place










Mellon Tower and another Building













Comcast Center









Looking towards City Hall in the middle of Center City...






I call this a "Grand Theft Auto" shot, for some reason it reminds me of playing that game...





City Hall at night, lovely...


















Looking up at Liberty Place again...





Comcast again...





Blue Cross Tower


















My hotel at night...





Broad Street at night...






























Dick Clark Walk of Fame marker, Americans know he hosted American Bandstand, taped in Philadelphia for many, many years.





Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts






Images around Logan Square, a roundabout in Center City





Academy of Natural Sciences Building










Looking towards Center City and City Hall on Ben Franklin Parkway





Looking towards the renowned Philadelphia Art Gallery on Benjamin Franklin Parkway









Free Library of Philadelphia





Franklin Institute Science Museum, one of the oldest science museums in the United States. Built in 1934.














Moore College of Art, with Center City in the background...





Inside the Franklin Institute....







One of the coolest ball "machines" I have even seen...






Sports room







Here's to hoping one day, the Philadelphia Eagles will win that first SUPER BOWL Championship!









Golf Balls were made of wood at one time, WTF?








Ben Franklin Statue in the main lobby of the Franklin Institute...





Space...





Scopes...





Engines and Machinery...






Planes, Trains, and Automobiles...





The biggest beating heart I have ever seen...





Hearts come in many shapes and sizes, dependent on what living there you are...





Blood cells!!!





The history of Ben Franklin and Electricity!!!










Back outside... we go...







The world-famous Philadelphia Museum of Art, built in 1919 by Architect Horace Trumbauer, later became famous for scenes from the movie, Rocky in 1976...


















Skyline from the Art Gallery





Rocky Statue





Residential Area called Fairmount...



St. Francis Xavier Church, constructed 1839






































Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul, built from 1846-1864.










City Center scenes









Comcast center, looking up...





After taking the Broad Street subway to the Sports Complex...




Wachovia Spectrum, former home of the Philadelphia Flyers NHL team and 76ers NBA basketball team. Built in 1966 and slated to close in September 2009 and eventually be demolished to make way for a theatre/shopping complex.









Citizens Bank Park, home of the 2008 World Series Champions, Philadelphia Phillies







Philadelphia skyline, from the parking lot of Citizens Bank Park...





Lincoln Memorial Field, home of the soon-to-be 2010 Super Bowl Champions, Philadelphia Eagles (!!)






Wachovia Center, current home of the Philadelphia Flyers and 76ers. Awesome Arena.







No trip to Philly is complete without trying an authentic cheesesteak!



This is the Talk to the Town restaurant. Rumoured to have the best cheesesteaks in Philadelphia, and I don't doubt it. Best cheesesteak I have ever head.





After meeting up with Matt, took some pictures inside the Wachovia Center...






Yes, a few Sabres fans were in attendance, as you see the guy with the Pominville jersey on... HAT TRICK display...





Mike Richards' first hat trick...





Keith Primeau's memorable hat trick in the 2003-04 Playoffs in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Flyers REALLY should have won the Stanley Cup that year.





Flyers History Display and Memorabilia...














The Phillies brought the World Series trophy to the Wachovia Center, I had a chance to take a picture of it...





Inside the rink of the arena...









Jumbotron...






Flyers...





Sabres...





Ready for the opening faceoff!!!





Sabres scored early on Marty Biron, the Flyers fans were not too pleased...






1st period action...









Look, it's the PHILLIE PHANATIC!!! With the World Series Trophy... I always thought the RED phanatic could be the mascot of the Flyers...





The Phillie Phanatic on the Jumbotron





Late in the first, the Flyers score to tie it at 1! Buy me a drink and get Matt one too!










Now the Flyers fans are forgiving Biron, at the moment...













After no scoring in the second period, early in the third, Jeff Carter gives the Flyers the lead FOR GOOD...










Flyers Bench





Sabres Bench





Jeff Carter, 17 in the middle, he would have 2 goals this game, and record his 200th career goal this game!





Faceoff....










Guy dancing in the stands!!!











Flyers score again!!!









Biron doing his work, keeping the Sabres from getting within striking reach...










Flyers running away with this one, 4-1!





Another goal to make it 5-1!





A fight breaks out, something you'll almost always see at a game in Philly...










The Flyers would win this game by a score of 5-2!!





Championship Banners...





Stanley Cup Banners...






Rittenhouse Square













Urban Living at its finest










Church of the Holy Trinity, built in 1857..

















Applebee's in Center City, nice building for an Applebee's... won't see many of them...






Washington Square...





Tomb of the Unknown Soldier









More Urban Living at its finest here... believe this is Washington Square West


















This shot I call the "Cosby Show" shot. BTW, Philadelphia is Bill Cosby's hometown!














































Jeweller's Row in Center City










One final look at Independence Hall





Christ Church of Philadelphia, I walked in, met a very nice minister telling me the history of Philadelphia and he thought of it as an American version of Montreal. We even talked about how we hope the Eagles win the Super Bowl someday.... he also joked at how I was from Canada and a Sabres fan! LOL!







Inside the Christ Church... constructed in 1727-1744. Oldest building I have ever stepped in if I recall... was once the tallest building in the United States, until City Hall was built.