Philly Has A Lot To Ring Your Bell

Click These Links For A 'Net Tour -- From Colonial History To Culture And Cheesesteaks

PHILADELPHIA, Updated 10:01 a.m. EDT July 25, 2000 -- When W.C. Fields once joked that he wanted his epitaph to read, "On the whole, I'd rather be in Philadelphia," he was being flippant.

Organizers of the 2000 Republican National Convention, on the other hand, feel that sentiment wholeheartedly.

When Republicans from all corners of the country converge on this city of 1.5 million people, they will find it is a whole city. There's something for everyone -- from haute cuisine to greasy cheesesteaks, colonial history to contemporary art, bustling shopping districts to green city parks.

City and tourism officials are working to make it easy for conventioneers to check out Philadelphia's famous sights and little-known treasures.

"There really is so much to do, we hope many people come early or stay" after the convention, said Karen Besa of Philadelphia 2000, the host committee for the convention that runs from July 31 through Aug. 3.

Walking In Philly

Finding one's way around downtown -- known as Center City -- is easy thanks to William Penn's surveyor, Thomas Holme, who laid out the city streets on a grid. Numbered streets get higher as they head west from the Delaware River; named streets go from north to south. An enormous statue of Penn sits atop City Hall -- the country's largest municipal building, located in the heart of Center City.

Blocks are small and streets are narrow, making Philadelphia a walkable city; streets are lively late into the evening.

The historic district lies east of City Hall and includes the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, as well as Betsy Ross' home and Elfreth's Alley -- the oldest continuously residential street in the United States. The area is marked by narrow, tree-lined cobblestone streets, meticulously maintained colonial-era homes and lots of art galleries.

Just north of the historic district lies the city's restaurant-packed Chinatown; a few blocks to the south is South Street, with shops, bars and restaurants catering to the college crowd. (Click for a video tour from GoPhila.com. May require RealPlayer software, which you can download for free here.)

Culture Hunt

The posh Rittenhouse Square area is located west of City Hall and is home to many upscale boutiques, restaurants and historic homes. Also west -- along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway -- are the Philadelphia Museum of Art (with the steps made famous in "Rocky"), The Franklin Institute Science Museum, The Academy of Natural Sciences and the Rodin Museum, which houses the largest collection of Auguste Rodin's works outside Paris.

Bizarre And Arty

Those seeking a more unusual experience could check out The Mutter Museum, established as a teaching tool for 19th century medical students -- and full of skeletons, heads in jars and other strange sights.

The parkway also marks the starting point of Fairmount Park, the world's largest landscaped urban park. The 8,900-acre respite from the hustle-and-bustle includes winding creeks, nature trails, ball fields and picnic areas.

Broad Street, the downtown's main north-south artery, is also known as The Avenue of the Arts and is home to several theaters and the Academy of Music, home of The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Opera Company of Philadelphia.

Farther south is the neighborhood made famous by Rocky's run through the open-air Italian Market. South Philadelphia is packed with restaurants, bakeries and is the place to get one of the city's famous cheesesteaks. But don't call it "Little Italy" -- here, it's just "South Philly."

Scores of activities are available a short ride outside the city, from the Pennsylvania Dutch communities of Lancaster County to the Brandywine River Museum and historic Valley Forge. Click here for rotatable, 360-degree view of Valley Forge National Park. (Requires Apple QuickTime, which you can download for free by clicking here.)

Related Links:

• Virtual Tour Of Philadelphia City Hall
• Philly Sites Significant In GOP History
• From UShistory.org: Republicans Back Home In Philadelphia
• Panoramic Views Of Philly Sights (Requires Apple QuickTime)
• Liberty Bell Trivia
• Virtual Tour Of Betsy Ross' Home
• Video tours from GoPhila.com (May require RealPlayer.)

Copyright 2001 by NewsNet5. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.