Arriving mid day staying another full day then leaving next day in the afternoon. I am looking for hotel advice. Should we stay in historic downtown area? I do want to tour Freedom Hall but what else is recommended?

Any recommendations will be appreciated.. mid September time line.

Ha, Advice please, not adfice.

Nothing fancy, but we stayed at Holiday Inn Express Philadelphia-Midtown last Thanksgiving and it worked well. It was clean, safe and decent breakfast.
We walked to pretty much everything from there like Independence Hall (what I'm guessing you mean) and Reading Terminal Market for food. Also did a hop on/off bus from Independence Hall to get around to other things.

I highly recommend the Element downtown. It is a couple blocks from City Hall and Reading Terminal Market. Not a far walk to either Rittenhouse Square or the historic district.
My fave restaurant is a small Italian spot called Prunella. The food is great! And the vibes are laid back, great for a date night.
The walk to Natural History Museum (Rocky Steps) is a nice walk but can be far depending on fitness level. But it takes you by all of the museums and it's really pretty.

Yes to all of the above. Love the Reading Terminal Market. There's some good food in there. I'm partial to DiNic's pork and broccoli rabe sandwiches.

Betsy Ross house, Constitution Hall. I think the Franklin Institute is very worthwhile.

Stay downtown. It's a pain getting around that city, but everything of note is walkable from downtown.

Reading Market for a meal or two.

You've got a full day with:
Liberty Bell
Independence Hall (Get a reservation ahead of time)
Museum of the American Revolution
National Constitution Center
Christ Church
Elfreth's Alley
Tour of the Mint (if interested)
Benjamin Franklin Museum (If it's back open)

You could spend part of a day up by the Museum of Art (with the Rocky Steps) or the Barnes Foundation.

It's also worth walking through City Hall. What a beautiful building.

CDub06 said:

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Stay downtown. It's a pain getting around that city, but everything of note is walkable from downtown.

Reading Market for a meal or two.

You've got a full day with:
Liberty Bell
Independence Hall (Get a reservation ahead of time)
Museum of the American Revolution
National Constitution Center
Christ Church
Elfreth's Alley
Tour of the Mint (if interested)
Benjamin Franklin Museum (If it's back open)

You could spend part of a day up by the Museum of Art (with the Rocky Steps) or the Barnes Foundation.

It's also worth walking through City Hall. What a beautiful building.

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Thanks, great stuff, thanks.

From the sound of it you don't have time but if you do, Gettysburg is definitely worth the drive.

Once there you can easily how Lee wasn't thinking straight and had he listened to Longstreet, the battle would have likely ended differently. Of course had Lee not lost Stonewall, it definitely would have ended differently. Either way, probably not enough to win the war. Sorry for the digress.

Reload8098 said:

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Gettysburg …

Once there you can easily how Lee wasn't thinking straight and had he listened to Longstreet, the battle would have likely ended differently.

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I thought it Interesting that the big dates were July 2nd and 3rd, and it made me wonder if Lee was pushing (a bit too hard evidently) for a Fourth of July victory.

CDub06 said:

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Stay downtown. It's a pain getting around that city, but everything of note is walkable from downtown.

Reading Market for a meal or two.

You've got a full day with:
Liberty Bell
Independence Hall (Get a reservation ahead of time)
Museum of the American Revolution
National Constitution Center
Christ Church
Elfreth's Alley
Tour of the Mint (if interested)
Benjamin Franklin Museum (If it's back open)

You could spend part of a day up by the Museum of Art (with the Rocky Steps) or the Barnes Foundation.

It's also worth walking through City Hall. What a beautiful building.

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What this guy said ^

I lived in Old City for 3 years, which is east side of downtown. I can add a few food recs if you need any, just let me know what part of town you decided to stay. Keep your head on a swivel. Cool city but the crime there is ridiculous.

No votes for going down the hood for a cheesesteak?
Pats or Genos. Or have 2

Toros23 said:

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CDub06 said:

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Stay downtown. It's a pain getting around that city, but everything of note is walkable from downtown.

Reading Market for a meal or two.

You've got a full day with:
Liberty Bell
Independence Hall (Get a reservation ahead of time)
Museum of the American Revolution
National Constitution Center
Christ Church
Elfreth's Alley
Tour of the Mint (if interested)
Benjamin Franklin Museum (If it's back open)

You could spend part of a day up by the Museum of Art (with the Rocky Steps) or the Barnes Foundation.

It's also worth walking through City Hall. What a beautiful building.

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What this guy said ^

I lived in Old City for 3 years, which is east side of downtown. I can add a few food recs if you need any, just let me know what part of town you decided to stay. Keep your head on a swivel. Cool city but the crime there is ridiculous.

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I'll add, not normally a big fan of these but the hop on hop off bus is a good way to see the city.

Aggie@state.gov said:

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No votes for going down the hood for a cheesesteak?
Pats or Genos. Or have 2

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Angelo's was my favorite in the city. Delassandros if up for a trek out to the burbs.

Toros23 said:

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Aggie@state.gov said:

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No votes for going down the hood for a cheesesteak?
Pats or Genos. Or have 2

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Angelo's was my favorite in the city. Delassandros if up for a trek out to the burbs.

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Angelo's is my favorite as well. Jim's on South St is good too. I also like Donkey's but they're all across the river in NJ. I think they're up to 3-4 locations now. But purists don't always think Donkey's counts because they're on kaiser rolls. I still think they're great.

I don't know any locals who go to Pats or Genos.

Dinic's has great roast pork sandwiches, in Reading Terminal Market or down at the Navy Yard.

If you're going to Angelos, expect a line down the sidewalk even before they open. Like several of those places, they're cash only.

Monk's Cafe in Philadelphia is a LEGENDARY Belgian beer bar. The food is good, and the list is simply incredible. The location is also very convenient, on foot, to the museums and historic sites.

There's a bar between Pat's and Geno's. Once upon a time, I walked over there with a friend, bought from each of Pat's and Geno's and split them at the bar. It was a good way to try both.

I am actually a bigger fan of Tony and Nick's. I've walked to all three of those places from downtown, and I recommend the walk. The walking will give you an exposure to the culture and architecture that is worthwhile. There are some good Italian bakeries on the way.

Strangely, I was at the PA airport overnight, a couple of weeks ago. I was too tired to go out. I regretted that I did not make it over to Monk's.