City of Brotherly love - Philadelphia

The original capital of the nation, PHILADELPHIA was laid out by William Penn Jr. in 1682, on a grid system that was to provide the pattern for most American cities. It was envisaged as a "greene countrie towne" and today, for all its historical and cultural significance, it still manages to retain a certain quaintness.

Just a few blocks away from downtown, shady cobbled alleys stand lined with red-brick colonial houses, while the peace and quiet of huge Fairmount Park make it easy to forget you're in a major metropolis.

Philadelphia, which translated from Greek means "City of Brotherly Love," is in fact one of the most ethnically mixed US cities, with substantial communities of Italians, Irish, Eastern Europeans and Asians living side by side. Many of the city's residents are descendants of the migrants who flocked here after the Civil War when, like Chicago, Philadelphia was seen as a place of tolerance and liberalism. More recently, it voted in the nation's first black mayor, and has the country's best museum dedi-cated to African-American history and culture.

Eating
Eating out in Philadelphia is a real treat: the ubiquitous street stands sell soft pretzels with mustard for around $1, while Chinatown and the Italian Market are good for ethnic food, and Reading Terminal Market makes a bargain lunch stop in Center City. South Street has plenty of fun, if well-touristed, eateries while hipper restaurants cluster along 2nd Street in the Old City. The South Philly cheesesteak , a sandwich of melted American cheese atop layers of wafer-thin roast beef, varies from joint to joint around town; some of the best are to be found in the Italian cafés around 9th and Passyunk in South Philadelphia. And bear in mind that a cheesesteak is hot, a hoagie (complete with lettuce and tomato) is not.

Entertainment
Few reminders are left of the 1970s "Philly Sound"; stars like Patti LaBelle, the O'Jays and Harold If You Don't Love Me By Now Melvin and the Blue Notes have waned, though their legacy is readily apparent in the smooth vocals of contemporary artists like Boyz II Men and the soulful rhymes of rapper Eve. It's also a decent place to see rock bands: most of the names that play New York come down here and tickets are half the price or even less. The world-famous Philadelphia Orchestra performs at the grand Academy of Music on Broad Street (tel 215/893-1999), modeled after Milan's La Scala; nosebleed seats cost just $5 on the day, and they give free summer concerts at the Mann Music Center in Fairmount Park (tel 215/567-0707). Philadelphia's other great strength is its theater scene: small venues abound. Check the listings in the free City Paper or Philadelphia Weekly newspapers, or call the 24-hour event hotline (tel 215/573-2787). TIXSTOP, in the visitor center, sells half-price standby tickets (Tues-Thurs 11.30am-3.30pm, Fri & Sat 11.30am-5pm).

Getting there
Philadelphia's International Airport (tel 215/937-6800) is eight miles southwest of the city off I-95. Taxis into town cost around $20 (try Yellow Cab; tel 215/829-4222), and the South East Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA) runs trains every thirty minutes (6am-midnight; $5.50) to three downtown destinations: 30th Street near the university, Suburban Station near City Hall and Market East, adjacent to the Greyhound terminal at 1001 Filbert St (tel 215/931-4000). The very grand 30th Street Amtrak station, the second busiest in the US, is just across the Schuylkill River in the university area (Amtrak passengers can transfer downtown on SEPTA for free; ask when you purchase your ticket), opposite the city's main (24-hour) post office at 30th and Market (zip code 19104).

The excellent visitor center , 1525 JFK Blvd (daily 9am-5pm; tel 215/636-1666 or 1-800/537-7676, ) at the Penn Center subway station in the heart of downtown, supplies a wealth of information and can help with accommodation.