Center City

Getting there

By regional rail 1 Jefferson Station (Market East Station), Market St. between 10th & 12th St. An underground station that is on Market Street between 9th and 12th Sts. It is one of three core Center City stations on the SEPTA Regional Rail system. There are several entrances, but the main one is on 12th & Filbert Sts. (updated Jun 2021)

By subway The Market-Frankford Line runs under Market Street with three stations serving Center City East: 8th Street (non-free connection to the Broad-Ridge Spur), 11th Street, and 13th Street (free connection to the Broad Street Line and the Subway-Surface Trolleys). The Broad Street Line runs under Broad Street along the western edge of the district, with stops at Race-Vine, City Hall (free connection to the Market-Frankford Line and the Subway-Surface Trolleys), Walnut-Locust, and Lombard-South. The names of the hyphenated stations indicate the two parallel streets the station is situated between. The Broad-Ridge Spur is a branch of the Broad Street Line that operates under 8th Street in Center City East. The stations serving the district are Chinatown (at 8th and Race Streets) and 8th Street (at Market Street, non-free connection to the Market-Frankford Line). The Spur operates M-Sa 6AM-9PM, no Sunday service.

See

Neighborhoods 1 Washington Square West. A lively neighborhood, extending from 7th to Broad Street, Chestnut to South Street. It is bordered by the quieter neighborhoods of Rittenhouse Square to the west and Old City/Society Hill to the east. It is home to Antique Row and Mid-Town Village (two great shopping districts), historic cobbled streets, theaters, restaurants and more. Antique Row (Pine Street between about 13th and 9th Streets) is full of interesting shops, not all of them antiques-oriented. This neighborhood is a good place to see Philadelphia's native style of house, the "trinity" -- two, three, or four floors, one room per floor, connected by spiral stairs. The small streets above Pine, such as Quince Street, are lined with trinities. Washington Square itself is worth a visit to see the tomb of the unknown Revolutionary War soldier. 2 The Gayborhood. A subsection of Washington Square West, the Gayborhood is Philadelphia's traditional LGBTQ-friendly area. It covers from about Broad and Walnut about 11th and Pine, and is most strongly associated with 12th and 13th streets, especially from Pine to Walnut. The Gayborhood is comprised of bars, restaurants and other LGBTQ-friendly business, including Giovanni's Room, the oldest operating queer bookstore in the U.S. Popular establishments include Woody's, Pure, and 12th Street Gym. Most straight-owned Gayborhood businesses are friendly to the LGBT community and straights alike regardless of orientation. (updated Aug 2023) 3 Chinatown. Extends from approximately 8th Street to 11th Street east-west, and Vine Street to Market Street north-south. Compared to the Chinatown of other cities, Philadelphia's is fairly small. It is home to a variety of Asian ethnicities (not just Chinese) and is a popular neighborhood for young people. The streets are dominated by homes, restaurants, and boutique stores. Chinatown's symbol is its "Friendship Arch", an ornate paifang in the heart of the neighborhood, located at 10th and

Do

The Avenue of the Arts is on Broad Street containing many of the city's cultural institutions, especially the theater and arts area south of City Hall. The Avenue is a becoming more residential, but the main attractions include the Kimmel Center, Merriam Theatre, and the Academy of Music.

1 Kimmel Center, 260 S Broad St, ☏ +1 215-893-1999. Showcases a variety of performing arts from chamber music, dance, drama, orchestral, jazz & pop. 2 The Philadelphia Orchestra (at the Kimmel Center). Founded in 1900, the Philadelphia Orchestra is one of the most famous and widely traveled orchestras in the world. Performs in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. 3 Academy of Music, 1420 Locust St, ☏ +1 215-893-1935. The Academy is the oldest grand opera house in the United States still being used for its original purpose. The Academy also provides the Philadelphia area with interesting and popular concerts, ballets, Broadway shows, and other events. Tours of the Academy, focusing on its inspiring history and current renovations, are available by contacting the manager's office.

Theater and music There are a number of venues for theater and music not on the Avenue of the Arts.

4 The Mask and Wig Club, 310 S Quince St (between Spruce and Pine), ☏ +1 215-586-3729. Mask and Wig has presented comedy, music, and dancing to the University of Pennsylvania, to Philadelphia and to audiences across the country since 1889 and is a legend amongst Philadelphia theatre-goers. Each spring, Mask and Wig performs a full-length musical comedy at its historic Clubhouse. 5 Walnut Street Theatre, 825 Walnut St (at 9th St), ☏ +1 215-574-3550. America's oldest theatre celebrated its 200th anniversary season in 2009. Shows regularly sell out, and travelers are advised to buy in advance. The theater is a self-producing, non-profit regional theater.

Buy

1 Fashion District, 901 Market St (three city blocks on north side of Market St, stretching from 8th to 11th Sts), ☏ +1 215-625-4962. M-Th 11AM-7PM, F Sa 10AM-8PM, Su noon-PM. A slew of traditional retailers. (updated Aug 2023) 2 Reading Terminal Market, 12th and Arch Sts (entrances on Arch St, Filbert St, and 12th St), ☏ +1 215-922-2317. M-Sa 8AM-6PM, Su 9AM-5PM. The Reading Terminal Market is home to many of Pennsylvania's Amish merchants who sell their goods. Here, you can find some of the best baked goods and the freshest organic produce in the region. Additionally, the market features cheesesteaks and other non-Amish restaurants and shops. 3 Antique Row, Pine St (Between 9th and 13th). Antique Row is home to a mix of antique stores and local gift and craft boutiques. Visit the Foodery at 10th and Pine for a selection of hundreds of by-the-bottle beers from around the world, or a few blocks down, ring the bell at Halloween (1329 Pine) for an incredible jewelry store experience that can accommodate any budget. (updated May 2021) 4 Giovanni's Room, 345 S 12th St (at Pine), ☏ +1 215-923-2960, [email protected]. M-Sa 11AM-8PM, Su 11AM-7PM. The oldest operating LGBT bookstore in the U.S. Offers a broad mix of new and used books and music, as well as a small thrifting selection. (updated Aug 2023)

Chinatown East of Broad St, "East meets West". Philadelphia's Chinatown is an ethnic section of the city that can't be missed. Why settle for Chinese buffets when you can get the authentic stuff right here? Chinatown is located north of The Gallery at Market East, close to the Reading Terminal Market.

5 Chinatown Square, 1016 Race St (between 10th and 11th Sts). A waning business venue with two floors of random Chinese merchandise; the upstairs has a lot of music, books, and DVDs. They also have a man in back that does Chinese