#1 Philadelphia February 2015

Downtown Philadelphia 

PHILADELPHIA

My 24th birthday was this past weekend and I travelled down to Philadelphia for a 3 day trip during my university's February break. I usually luck out with the timing of my birthday as it's close to President's Day and a rarely have school. Due to my team's first place win in the  Better Philadelphia Challenge Design Competition, we were offered an expenses paid trip for the award ceremony. This is my second birthday in Philadelphia as my team from the 2014 competition also received special recognition. Also, we met up with a reporter from Next City, so keep an eye out for our project!

Anyways, we spent 3 weekdays down in Philly exploring the city and accepting our award. I'm not from the East Coast, but often feel like the city gets an undeserved bad reputation when compared to other major metros. It definitely has a more working class culture, but that is one of the things I appreciate the most. As the first capital of the US and birthplace of the country, there are plenty of historical and cultural offerings that make Philadelphia worth a visit. It was an exceptionally cold weekend and the temperatures hovered around 30 F. It also snowed while we were in the city, which was interesting to see. 

La Reserve B&B: Rittenhouse Square

We stayed just south of Rittenhouse Square at a Bed & Breakfast called La Reserve. It was a great experience and I highly recommend the place. The location was ideal for exploring and the price was extremely reasonable given the size of the rooms. Moving on to our travels...

Independence Hall 

Most of the people in my group had never visited the city, so we stopped by the major attractions. In my opinion, the most importance sites of Philadelphia can be seen in 2 or 3 days. Many of the main tourist attractions are near Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were drafted. It is across the street from the famous Liberty Bell site. Both attractions are free and require very little wait time in the winter. I did travel to Philly over the summer and the lines were significant. You queue outside for the Liberty Bell in the sun, with little relief from the heat. Independence Hall requires you to schedule a tour time (still free). We put our names into the system and got a tour for 3 hours later. Also, they screen you before you go inside. 

Since you are in the area, I recommend heading over to Sonny's Famous Steaks for a famous Philadelphia cheesesteak. This is the most famous food from the area and Sonny's has a reliable standard cheesesteak, "The Classic" with Cheez Wiz. Warning: this is pretty unhealthy and not the most appetizing food. It's a short walk from Independence Hall, so try to stop by. We also wandered into (by wander, I mean yelp) a coffee shop since it was freezing outside. The #1 café in the city on yelp is Menagerie Coffee, which is also in the Old City. Reviews recommend the ice (drip) coffee, but we had solid lattes and hot brews. 

After that we ventured to the waterfront at Penn's Landing. The area is somewhat disconnected from the Old City due to a large interstate, but I recommend traveling down to the Delaware River. There are some historic ships and it's an easy walk. 

Elfreth's Alley Selfie 

On the way back to the car (near Independence Hall), we stopped by the historic Christ Church, where many of America's founding fathers attended services. You can sit in George Washington and Benjamin Franklin's booths. Down the street is Elfreth's Alley, the oldest continuously inhabited street in the United States. It is a very beautiful, narrow alley with a museum. The neighborhood surrounding Elfreth appears to be an art's district with many design and boutique stores. It looked interesting,but many were closed by the time we arrived. Closer to the Independence Mall is Benjamin Franklin's grade, where many people leave a penny coin (Franklin: "A penny saved is a penny earned"). The area also features the National Constitution Center and U.S. Mint, but we didn't have time for a visit. 

For my birthday dinner, we walked to Chinatown (also very close) for a Malaysian/Chinese dinner. I'm a big fan of Malaysian food as it's extremely filling and a good mix between two of my favorite cuisines: Indian and Chinese. The restaurant Banana Leaf did not disappoint, although some of there dishes were different than I remembered. Nonetheless, really good. We had already picked up my birthday cake in the morning from Stock's Bakery in Kensington. There pound cake is delicious and everything is very affordable. It's in a very residential area and you know that only locals go there. Doughnuts are 45 cents!  

LOVE Sign: Way too small!!!

The next day we visited the Italian Market, which is an awesome traditional market in South Philadelphia. The selection of produce and restaurants was great and I had wished that we hadn't already eaten. We did pick up cheese and prosciutto at the Di Bruno Bros. House of Cheese after sampling a few. Also recommended!

City Hall: Go in the central courtyard!

After buying a few things and visiting many shops, we left for Center City Philadelphia. The city is centered around City Hall, which is the largest/tallest masonry building in the world. To clarify, this means it is the largest masonry (brick) building with a structural system entirely of brick. It's a beautiful building and I recommend venturing inside the central courtyard. 

Reading Terminal Market

Further down Market Street is the Reading Terminal Market. This lunchtime favorite has a huge selection of delicious foods in a building named for the famous Reading Railroad (Monopoly). We had lunch at DiNic's Pork & Beef, which was AMAZING. I highly recommend the meatball sub (add provolone) as they were literally the best meatballs I have ever had! We tried three different sandwiches (beef, pork, meatball) and the meatball was by far the best. 

Following our lunch, we headed back to the hotel to prepare for the competition's award ceremony. I was giving a speech and needed to actually write one (ironically I didn't follow the script at all). The ceremony and reception were fun and we headed back to school soon after it was finished. Overall, the trip to Philly was a very fun and delicious 3 day getaway from school. Check out my recommendations below: 

Attractions:

- Liberty Bell

- Independence Hall

- Elfreth's Alley

- UPenn

- Italian Market

- Christ Church

- Reading Terminal Market

- Penn's Landing

- City Hall

- LOVE Sign 

-

Food:

- Banana Leaf (Malaysian)

- DiNics (lunch, sandwiches, MEATBALLS)

- Sonny's Famous Steaks (Philly cheesesteak) 

- Stock's Bakery (desert, cakes, doughnuts)

- Di Bruno Bros (cheese, italian snacks)

- Sabrina's Cafe (brunch & breakfast) 

- Menagerie Coffee (coffee & tea)

Round-the-World Trip

SUMMER 2015

I will be finishing my Master of Regional Planning this May and intend to travel a bit before I set off to join the workforce. My girlfriend, Irene, and I are in the midst of planning a round-the-world trip and hope to visit a number of countries in the northern hemisphere. Our first destination is Scandinavia, with a June 11th flight from NYC to Oslo, Norway. We bought this ticket on a whim back in October when we found an amazing deal for $235 including taxes. We will be flying on Norwegian Airlines, which is a budget carrier that recently began transatlantic service. This find initiated the decision for our world-traversing trip. 

The current itinerary is set from New York all the way to Hong Kong, with stops in Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and East Asia. Our final destination is Tokyo, Japan, where Irene's family lives. Our planned return to the U.S. will likely be sometime in mid to late September. Also, my younger sister Amy will be joining up with us in Bangkok for the last third of the trip. Here is our trip by region & cities: 

Scandinavia (Norway/Sweden)

• June 12 - 17

• Stockholm, Oslo

Central Europe (Poland/Czech Republic/Germany/Austria/Slovakia/Hungary)

• June 17 - July 9

• Warsaw, Krakow, Wroclaw, Prague, Munich, Salzburg, Linz, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest

Mediterranean (Italy, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro)

• July 9 - July 25

• Milan, Venice, Trieste, Pula, Zagreb, Zadar, Split, Mostar, Dubrovnik, Kotor, Sarajevo

Middle East (Turkey, Oman, United Arab Emirates) 

• July 25 - August 3

• Istanbul, Muscat, Nizwa, Dubai)

Southeast Asia (Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia)

• August 4 - August 29

• Bangkok, Yangon, Mandalay, Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Saigon, Hanoi, Singapore, Kuala Lampur, Phuket, Krabi

East Asia (Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Japan) 

• August 29 - ???

• Macau, Hong Kong, Kaohsiung, Taipei, Shanghai, Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo 

Nearly every region of our trip has a focus country/city in which we will dedicate additional time. While in Central Europe we will spend a week in Poland visiting the 3 largest cities in addition to other significant sites such as Auschwitz Concentration Camp. Our eyes are set on Croatia for the Mediterranean, with over a week in the coastal parts of the country. This will include some of the cities made famous by Game of Thrones (Irene: "how can you have Game of Thrones in the same paragraph as Auschwitz?!?!". Although we are expecting the ruins of Myanmar (Burma) to be a highlight of Southeast Asia, the largest chunk of time will be spent along the beaches of Thailand and Vietnam. The last segment of our trip around East Asia will include about a week in Taiwan and 2+ weeks in Japan. Irene has a number of relatives in both countries. 

We are extremely excited to travel the world and see new countries! Irene and I are especially looking forward to Central Europe and the Middle East as neither of us have been. Irene has traveled more extensively in Western Europe (having lived in London) and I have more experience in Asia (Hong Kong/Shanghai). My sister has yet to travel outside North America and will be touring Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan with us. Also, she find an incredibly cheap flight from Seoul to Los Angeles ($280 including taxes) and will be visiting South Korea by herself for a few days. 

I should also mention that we will be celebrating Irene's 24th birthday in Dubai. I'm a bit jealous because my 24th is going to be in Philadelphia for the 2nd year in a row....

Highlights: 

Milan Expo 2015

World Expo 2015: After visiting the Shanghai 2010 World Expo I am excited for the opportunity to visit the next major exposition in Milan, Italy. Shanghai's theme was improved city living, which was very interesting considering my interests in urban planning and China's rapid rise. The 2015 Milan Expo promises to be very worthwhile as the theme is food systems and innovation. A world expo...... about food....in Italy....SIGN ME UP. 

Auschwitz: Main Gate

Auschwitz: This year is the 70th anniversary of the infamous camp's liberation by the Soviet army. Sadly, it is likely to be the last decade anniversary that most survivors will be able to visit the camp. Visiting the Nazi concentration camps and Khmer Rouge killing fields are a somber reminder of our past and an important lesson for the future. 

Plitvice Lakes National Park 

Dubrovnik (Location of King's Landing scenes form GOT)

Plitvice Lakes/ "King's Landing" Dubrovnik: As an avid Game of Thrones fan (Irene: *rolls eyes* "Game of Thrones is everywhere!!"), we are excited to visit the famous sites of Croatia. This part of the trip is meant to be a relaxing break from the previous segment and we will likely spend a lot of leisure time at the beach. We also plan to visit Croatia's first national park, Plitvice Lakes. 

Wadi Bani Khalid Desert Oasis

Oman: Sharing a border with the modern UAE, this Middle Eastern country is famous for its preservation of local culture, customs, and buildings. Oman also offers amazing ecological diversity and scenery. We are looking into visiting the Wahiba sands, ancient forts, and maybe even a tropical oasis or two. 

Bagan: City of Temples

Myanmar: This country formerly known as Burma has only recently opened up to outsiders. Last year saw a record 2 million visitors, while adjacent Thailand saw nearly 25 million. In traveling to the country, we are hoping to see it before the waves of tourists ruin some of its most sacred sites and temples. 

Taiwan Night Market

Taipei: Taiwan streetfood is well known across Asia. In the US, we can thank the Taiwanese for their bubble tea! This is one of the last East Asian countries I have yet to visit and have waited for a good reason to go. We are especially excited to eat xiaolongbao (小笼包）at the original Din Tai Fung. This dish originally came from Shanghai/Jiangsu Province, but this chain perfected it! (Irene: "I'm so offended that you chose simplified chinese. How are the Taiwanese and Japanese supposed to read this?!")