Stylish Getaways: Philadelphia, PA
Author:Lindsey ShookFrom gastronomic goodies to a state-of-the-art museum, the City of Brotherly Love will provide an affair to remember.
STAY
Located in the heart of the city, the Hotel Palomar (above) is housed in the renowned Architects Building, which was built in 1929 by 23 preeminent Philadelphia architects. The boutique hotel’s Art Deco lobby was designed by Powerstrip Studio and combines modern furnishings, custom artwork and colorful busts of Philly’s most famous founding father, Benjamin Franklin. Take in the city on one of the hotel’s complimentary bikes or stay in and enjoy a revitalizing in-room hot stone massage by Mind.Body.Spa; hotelpalomar-philadelphia.com.
SHOP
Historic Queen Village is host to many trendy boutiques, galleries and vintage shops. Colonial Wallcoverings, a mainstay in the neighborhood for more than 37 years, has recently become a hotspot for local artists to exhibit their work. But owner Paul Sperling ’s wallpaper collection is still the talk of the town: He makes house calls to offer expert advice and will take a swatch or image to create a custom paper just for you; colonialwallcoverings.com.
SEE
Book your plane tickets now to be one of the first visitors at the new Barnes Foundation museum opening this May. Situated on nearly five landscaped acres, the museum features a light-filled indoor courtyard designed by architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien that breaks down the barriers between gallery and garden space. The collection comprises works by some of the most renowned artists from the Impressionism period forward, such as The Card Players by Paul Cézanne and The Smoker by Vincent van Gogh, as well as African sculptures, Native American textiles and more; barnesfoundation.org.
EAT
Mediterranean kitchen and bar Barbuzzo has played a significant role in transforming the once vacant and lifeless 13th Street into a haven for foodies. The restaurant’s design, a collaboration between Urban Space Development and Provenance Architectural Salvage, includes distressed church pews, tabletops made from 350-plus-year-old reclaimed wood and flooring made from old Maryland harbor docks . Try a slice of the house specialty, Uovo: a pizza that includes spring onion, fava leaves and a farm-fresh egg; barbuzzo.com.
SIP
The food-truck craze has hit many US cities, and you can count Philadelphia on that list. One retrofitted delivery truck that stands out from the pack is not serving up gourmet grub but rather steaming cups of joe brewed by lifelong friends and Philly natives Jonathan Adams and Damien Pilieggi, who together make up Rival Bros Coffee. The small-batch, custom-blend roaster and espresso bar on wheels is located in the city’s famous LOVE Park at the corner of 16th Street and JFK Boulevard, making it hard to miss and difficult to pass up; rivalbros.com.
Tell us! Do you have a suggestions for a Philadelphia getaway?