March 08, 2009

Philadelphia is a Greek word which means ‘the city of brotherly love’. It was the first capital of the US for almost 25 years. This is where the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution was written. Many of America’s firsts including the famous Thanksgiving Parade happened here. A multi-cultural cosmopolitan city - which is a university town as well — this is a blend of history, culture and education.

I began exploring the city on a fine summer afternoon. My first stop was the majestic sand-coloured building of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, also famous for its front steps known popularly as the ‘Rocky steps’. This is where Sylvester Stallone was shown training for his big fight in the iconic movie Rocky. The museum is housed along Fairmount Park, the largest urban park system in the world which runs parallel to the Schukyll River. Big crowds were walking along the scenic walking trek while a rowing competition was being cheered by a bigger picnicking crowd of onlookers. It was a beautiful place to spend a Sunday afternoon.

The next day I headed towards the downtown or centre city. The skyline of Philadelphia is towered by a futuristic grey building and its pointed tip. The city is fast-paced and bustling with activity and I spent hours just absorbing the scenes and window shopping. Finally exhausted and hungry, I made a stop for lunch at a mall surrounded by hundreds of smartly dressed professionals. Strolling down, I arrived at the historic Independence Hall, the birthplace of the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. The hall is the centrepiece of the 45-acre Independence National Historical Park, home to 20 buildings of historical significance. I toured the park and then walked across the road to another monument, the Liberty Bell. The huge — and now cracked — bell was rung to call citizens to the first reading of the Declaration of Independence in 1876. Its inscription reads, ‘Proclaim liberty throughout all the Land unto all the inhabitants thereof’ — a befitting tribute to a country known as the Land of Opportunity.

I decided to continue my history lesson with a visit to the house of Betsy Ross — the young widow seamstress credited with sewing the first American flag. History tells us that George Washington had assigned the job after giving Ross a hand-drawn design of the star spangled banner. Walking down, I arrive at her house — a narrow two-storey structure typical of old Philadelphia, designed to avoid greater taxes calculated on house width. It felt great to finally witness history from such close quarters.

 

Rittenhouse Square is home to premier cultural, entertainment, haute couture, residential and dining destinations. Housing shops, salons, restaurants, music and art academies, hotels, libraries, cinemas and two world-class theatres, this is a place to experience the high life

 

Delaware River and Penn’s Landing are close to Ross’s home, so I walked to the majestic and historical riverfront. Penn’s Landing is the spot where the founder of Philadelphia, William Penn disembarked from his ship. Today, it is a vibrant waterfront where history, sport and natural beauty come together to fascinate. I did not have the time to explore all the fascinating interactive displays at the Sea Port Museum, but I did see the USS Olympia, which, in 1898 established US as a maritime superpower by defeating the Spanish Fleet in the Philippines. Next to it was parked the USS Becunia, a submarine that served in the Second World War, the Korean and the Vietnam wars. Such honours seemed overwhelming for a small submarine. A tour inside the submarine was quite claustrophobic and I wondered at the feats attained in such a state — that too with a maximum crew of 66 in a 300 feet submarine.

I took a bus to the city centre to head for the Rittenhouse Square, which is home to premier cultural, entertainment, haute couture, residential and dining destinations. Housing shops, salons, restaurants, music and art academies, hotels, libraries, cinemas and two world-class theatres, this is where you experience the high life.

My trip couldn’t be complete without foraying into the intellectual world, albeit only physically. In the afternoon I took a bus to the other end of the town to the world famous University of Pennsylvania. Walking along Chestnut and Walnut streets, one can feel the carefree and upbeat environment of a university town right in the middle of the city. I could see students from all over the world as I walked along Pennsylvania Law School, the alma mater of Richard Nixon and other world leaders.

History lessons were never so enlightening.