Results tagged “independencehall”

There's a nice little park catty-corner to Washington Square, at 6th and Walnut Streets. I always wondered what this park was called. Well, turns out it's Independence Square, and it is part of Independence National Historical Park, which gave me pause about covering it. Should Parking only cover "Philly" parks, or are National parks within Philadelphia all right? I've decided it's all right if I only discuss the actual outdoor park part, and not the bells and whistles that go along with it (i.e., Independence Hall and Liberty Bell and pretty much anything over in that part of the city that requires that you wait in line and pass a security check). You may note my obvious hypocrisy here; a few weeks ago, I gushed over Shofuso in Fairmount Park, which you have to pay to get into and isn't really a park in the sense of you can picnic at it, etc. But, oh well.

This might be the best documentary on Old City, ever.

This one doesn't star Katherine Hepburn. Instead, you get the judicial system.

We wish we could be this thrifty!

Now that the election buzz has died down just a tad and the baseball season is over, it’s time to reflect a bit on the month that was. Here’s just a brief look at all the cool happenings since October 5th:

No debate: there’s no better, or more appropriate, place to celebrate the birth of our nation than right here in Philly. Here are a few things to help you enjoy your freedom this weekend. The best part? Most of it’s free.

Battlestar Galactica is easily the best drama on TV!

Even if you don't feel like watching this entire video, you'll want to see what our Governor does at about 8:15 in.

Photo from the Ben Franklin Bridge walkway. Photo by author, SkyscraperSunset.com, November 25, 2007....

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Ma Phillyist is visiting later this week. We're totally psyched to see her—it's been since the holidays—but unfortunately, her visit coincides with the BlogPhiladelphia "unconference," which we do plan to be at. Mom assures us that it's okay, she can keep herself busy on Friday. But the problem is, she's done most of the busy-keeping activities in the city that we can think of: she's been to the Art Museum, Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and a slew of other "major" tourist attractions. She's not a big shopper, and anyway, she'll be car-less, so sending her to King of Prussia for a day isn't really an option. So, what Phillyist wants to know is: where should we dispatch our mother so that she'll be busy and entertained for a full day without us?

The 2007 Sunoco Welcome America! Festival launched yesterday (complete with live map to tell you where the festivities are, or, if you're like us, what parts of the city to avoid over the next few days). Between now and Wednesday, there's a ton of celebratin' to do, as part of Welcome America! or otherwise. We know that at some point, we'll be barbecuing some burgers and dogs, and watching fireworks are an absolute must, but otherwise, everything is really up in the air. So what we want to know is how like to celebrate Independence Day. Do you go in for the parades? Pay homage to the Founding Fathers at Independence Hall, where this holiday got started? Do you escape the city and head down the shore? Watch the fireworks, or, perhaps, light some of your own? Leave us a comment and let us know where you'll be and what you'll be doing!

Image credit: Flickr user JasonJT

Yeah. We don't think the floor is what they're especially concerned about in Independence Hall.

- Accidents on Roosevelt Boulevard have been a long-time problem - and it seems that previously installed red light cameras may have exacerbated, rather than aided, the problem. Currently, there is discussion to add radar enforcement to the speed deterrents. City Councilman Brian O'Neil has said, "The mayor should just shut down the middle six lanes until there is a solid plan in place -- or forget the middle lanes are there and green them over." Phillyist used to live in the Northeast - and whereas we think the entire neighborhood would be lost without Route 1 to rely on, greening over those middle lanes might not be a bad plan.
- As one of our tipsters has pointed out there on the sidebar , 60 Minutes' Philadelphia-bred Ed Bradley has passed away, having succumbed to leukemia.
- Bad news for Philly schools - the School District is planning some deep cuts in order to help assuage their $73-million + deficit. Thankfully for the students, the proposed cuts seem to fall on the administrative, rather than the educational, ends. (Children, after all, are our future - if Ms. Houston is to be believed.)
- There's a movement to impeach the prez, and right here in our own town; specifically, at Independence Hall on the 11th. More info here. (via, which gets props for creative headlining)
- Not exactly news, but as I know several people who were curious to hear what noted columnist and Santorum detractor Dan Savage might have to say about the outgoing Senator's defeat: here it is. (via) Image via Stock.xchng

Or, at least, not putting up any new ones for now.



In a victory for Philadelphians and all Americans, on Friday the National Park Service announced that a proposal to enclose Independence Hall within a security fence has been scrapped [Philly.com]. If realized, the plan would have cut Independence Square in half with a six-foot tall black iron barricade, hypocritically restricting access to one of the world's most important symbols of freedom.

After releasing the plan, the NPS also allowed for a period of public commentary, accepting thoughts from citizens via their website. Apparently the people of Philadelphia and elsewhere turned up in droves to criticize the proposal, fueled by local blog protests like this one on phillyskyline.com. In that entry, author Brad Maule summarized the problem this way:



Comments from Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa) during Friday's press conference implied that the local outcry was the main reason for reconsideration of the proposal. The public's statements resonated so well, in fact, that some of the "temporary" bicycle barricades we've endured at the site for years will also be removed. Security upgrades moving forward will focus more on improving "human resources."

This is great news. Thank you, National Park Service, for trashing this ill-conceived plan.

- It probably goes without saying by now - but if you're planning to fly out of Philadelphia International Airport, you're going to want to get there very early and watch what you pack in your carry on luggage.

So maybe a week of rain isn't the best time to ask you about your favorite place to stand outside and wait for food. But Phillyist wants to know: what's your favorite food truck in the city?

It would be redundant of us to list all of the official events here (particularly as you can get a fairly comprehensive picture reading here and here), but suffice it to say that we're a party town so in love with our freedom that the celebration has already begun. Upcoming highlights include readings of the Declaration of Independence (that's that bit of paper Nicholas Cage was running about with in National Treasure for you film buffs), an evening with Thomas Jefferson at Independence Hall (he's the nickel guy), and loads of concerts - including the big one at the Art Museum prior to the kick-ass annual fireworks display. This year's performers: Lionel Richie and American Idol Winner Fantasia Barrino. And if you're planning to come to this show, remember to come early, stay hydrated, and come prepared to ooh and ahh.

sides of Chestnut Street near Independence Hall. Yeah, probably not. Still, we miss those days.

by Sarah M. Granlund

When Ed Bacon planned Independence Mall, it was lauded as visionary. It was to be a green, open space in the middle of the city's historic district, providing an area for public gathering and a place to view the historic buildings of the area.

We see dead people. You might too, considering you can't swing a dead cat in Philadelphia without hitting someone with a ghost story. Professional ghost hunters like the Philadelphia Ghost Hunters Alliance probably never have a shortage of haunted sites to investigate. But you don't have to be a professional or go on a tour to find the spirits -- you simply need to know where to look.

It's official: the best time to hit the local historical tourist hotspots -- (Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the National Constitution Center) -- is when the other million or so people milling about the Philly streets are doing so on the other side of City Hall. Lines were short and show tickets easily accessible. Even the sidewalks were easy to traverse (if one could avoid the gauntlet of tour providers who were all to eager to hook someone, anyone who wasn't going to the concert). In fact, despite being just a stone's throw away from the glut of people, things were sedately business-as-normal in Old City. Notably devoid of rock stars, it was full of costumes and cobble-stone, and contently highlighting the locations and events that led up to the birth of our nation this Fourth of July weekend.