Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.
This Saturday, the Philadelphia Open Studio Tours begin. Artists West of Broad Street will be opening their studio doors to curious visitors on free, self guided tours. A great way to explore Philadelphia, you can wander from shop to studio to gallery, viewing a variety of artistic styles and media. For a complete list of locations, check out POST’s list online at http://www.philaopenstudios.com/ which provides a guide so you design your own itinerary.
Other possibilities for a day’s wandering in the city? Consider a visit to Reading Terminal Market (quite literally adjacent to Market East train station), where you can find Amish baked goods, the best cannolies and ice cream in Philadelphia, and just about anything you might be in the mood for. Open every Saturday, the Market is an easy walk from the quirky shops of South Street or the Independence Visitor Center. From there, you can ride “The Duck,” a particularly amusing way to see Philadelphia. Part car and part boat, “The Duck” drives right into the river for a more thorough tour of the city.
Finally, for a more outdoorsy possibility, Sunday is supposed to be a sunny day, ideal for walking along the river on scenic Kelly Drive. With Fairmount Park, the largest contiguous urban park system in the country, on one side, and the ever beautiful Boathouses on the other, the drive is beloved by bikers, joggers, and walkers alike. The drive is also home to a series of beautiful sculptural pieces which create a unique venue for viewing art. To get to Kelly Drive, consider taking the train to Suburban Station, then walking to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and just beyond to the waterworks and river.