Pennsylvania’s ‘city of brotherly love’ is sometimes perceived by the Brits as primarily a history lesson on why, how and where the american colonists chose independence. Is there more to be explored?
‘‘So I assume you will be dropping by Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell and perhaps checking out that Benjamin Franklin impersonator you met before,” said my friend, learning that I was about to revisit Philadelphia.
A Benjamin Franklin look-alike in front of Independence Hall
“Nope,” said I. “I’m sure there must be more to see and do than that in the ‘City of Brotherly Love’.” Thus I found myself on a bleak winter weekend strolling with an audio tape through the dark corridors of the Eastern State Penitentiary and whiling away time with a talented old hippy in his Magic Garden.
Castle-like Eastern State, founded in 1829 and now a unique museum, was the world’s first true ‘penitentiary’, conceived by the likes of Benjamin Franklin and designed by English architect John Haviland. Their aim: to inspire penitence and reformation. Each prisoner was incarcerated in a centrally-heated private cell with a flush toilet, a skylight. a Bible and no ability to communicate with fellow inmates. Surprisingly, notorious gangster Al Capone was comfortably ensconced in an opulently-furnished cell, and bank robber Willie Sutton showed what he thought of the system, by tunnelling out to temporary freedom.
Established by English Quaker William Penn in 1682, Philadelphia has always inspired visionary and entrepreneurial men such as Franklin and the other founding fathers who steered America toward nationhood at Independence Hall.
A statue of Sylvester Stallone as a triumphant Rocky Balboa in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art
More recently, its notable residents have ranged from self-made actor/ director Sylvester Stallone – whose triumphant statue as boxer Rocky Balboa graces the forecourt of the treasure-filled Philadelphia Museum of Art – to chemist Dr Albert C Barnes who used money made from his invention of Argyrol, a gonorrhoea drug, to invest in thousands of works of art, including Renoirs, Cezannes, Matisses, Picassos and Modiglianis. In 2012 they were relocated from his original museum on the edge of the city to the handsome Barnes Foundation building on Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
After three awesome hours within it, I emerged to indulge in retail therapy in Macy’s, a snack in lively Reading Terminal Market and a stroll past a few of the city’s nearly 4,000 outdoor murals. My destination was the Magic Garden, a house museum where the interior and exterior walls are encrusted with glittering mosaics and found objects from around the world. It’s the creation of Isaiah Zagar, a self-avowed ‘old hippy’ who, with his artist wife, Julia, has been creating alternative art in the city for decades, including about 200 mosaic murals, Our chat confirmed my opinion that Philly is much hipper than it is perceived to be.
Amish women serving customers in lively Reading Terminal Market
But in Philadelphia you can’t escape – nor should you – early-American history, so my last stop was a hard-hat tour through the Museum of the American Revolution, sited close to Independence Hall and due to open on April 19. Envisioned as a thrilling interactive experience, it will follow the whole saga from beginning to end, not forgetting, of course, the role played by the mother country, Great Britain.
Five Fab Philly Experiences:
- HISTORY – The Independence National Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known as “The most historic square mile in America” and home to iconic Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.
- ART – The Museum Mile, site of such treasure-filled establishments as The Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Barnes Foundation.
- VIEWS – The splendid, landmark Philadelphia City Hall, crowned by a statue of William Penn and offering great views of the city centre, and One Liberty Observation Deck at the top of the city’s tallest building.
- SHOPPING – The Rittenhouse Row section of Walnut Street where you can enjoy tax-free shopping for clothing and shoes in chic boutiques and larger stores.
- THE UNUSUAL – Al Capone’s cell in Eastern State Penitentiary, the medical peculiarities in the Mutter Museum and the glittering mosaic murals embedded with found objects in the quirky Magic Garden.
