DESTINATIONS — THE US
Reading Terminal Market
Eastern State Penitentiary
Liberty Bell
Magic Gardens
to keep the silence. The idea was later abandoned as some inmates wound up deaf or mad from the isolation. However, the authority’s intentions were good – this was one of the first prisons in the world to focus on reforming rather than punishing the crooks it housed. 12.00: Good citizenship is in the city’s blood. Head to Independence National Historical Park and you can join the queue to see the iconic Liberty Bell. Inscribed on it are the words: ‘Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof’. It was commissioned in 1752 and heralded the Declaration of Independence and
the US Constitution – both signed in Philly. The best place to get up to speed with these major nation-building documents is at the red-brick Independence Hall across the street. 13.30: Should all that swotting up on history make you hungry, check out Philly’s China Town. Head through the elaborate and vividly colourful Friendship Gate and take your pick of the restaurants serving dim sum, Thai or Vietnamese fast food. 15.00: Philly is particularly known for its fine art collections, but before you admire the old masters, lose yourself in the wacky world of contemporary artist Isaiah Zagar. Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens is a courtyard gallery featuring a maze of murals, mosaics and sculptures created from recycled materials such as glass bottles, tiles and mirror fragments, bicycle wheels, rakes and plates, all adorned with
fairy lights. 19.00: After freshening up back at your hotel, head out for a stroll around the Historic Waterfront District. Focus your attention on the streets around South Street and 3rd Street – it’s one of the coolest neighbourhoods, busy with bars and restaurants brimming with personality.
64 •
travelweekly.co.uk — 27 November 2014 TRIED & TESTED: Loews Philadelphia Hotel
Centrally located just a couple of blocks from shopping on Walnut, the Love sculpture and Reading Market, the Loews Philadelphia has a sleek, retro feel, plus a claim to fame in Philly’s architectural history. It was the first city skyscraper in the US to be built in the international style, swapping ornamentation for clean lines and spacious interiors. The sizeable lobby, with its high
ceilings and monochrome decor, leads to rooms with sumptuous beds and of unusually generous proportions for a city hotel. The ground floor restaurant has a swanky, in-crowd vibe and gives classic American fare a modern twist at breakfast, lunch and dinner, with the creative menu making up for the slow service. Book it: From £127 per room per night
loewshotels.com
PICTURE: EMILY SMITH
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