Activities abound in Philadelphia, both for the spectator and the participant. For the major leagues sports enthusiasts, there are four arenas in South Philly where fans can enjoy their favorite local teams play.
The Eagles play football at the newly constructed Lincoln Financial Field. The Sixers play pro basketball at the Wachovia Center, which is also home to the Flyers (NHL hockey), the Phantoms (AHL hockey), the Wings (lacrosse), the Kixx (soccer), and the Soul (arena football league). The Phillies play baseball at Citizens Bank Park. All of these are new, state-of-the-art stadiums, located within blocks of each other, just off Broad Street in South Philadelphia, with plenty of parking, and also easily accessible using the Broad Street subway.
College sports are big in this city, too, and, while most games are held on campus, individual schools’ websites can provide the most accurate information about where to see the games.
For sports bars enthusiasts, there are several standout bars downtown: Champions, at 12th & Markets Streets; Fat Tuesday’s, on South Street; B & W Sports Bar, in the Fairmount section; Irish Pub @20th, on 20th & Walnut Streets; and Dave & Busters, at Pier 19 on Columbus Boulevard. Plenty of TV screens to go around.
For those who would rather participate than watch, Philadelphia is the place to get busy. Depending on what interests each person, there is something for everyone. There are three major ice skating rinks in the city: downtown is the Blue Cross River Rink at Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing on Columbus Boulevard & Spring Garden Streets, in West Philadelphia is Class of 1923 Ice Rink, on 3130 Walnut Street, and in Chestnut Hill is the Wissahickon Ice Skating Club.
Jogging, roller blading, biking, and walking enthusiasts will enjoy their workouts along Kelly Drive, stretching from just behind the Art Museum to the Twin Bridges in East Falls, and bordered by the Schuylkill River and Fairmount Park. At the Twin Bridges, by crossing the Falls Bridge, those feeling more adventurous can make the return trip on the West River drive, making it about a 6 mile circuit trip. There are beautiful sites all along the way, including over 2 dozen statues and works of art, watching the crewmen on the rowing teams, Boathouse Row, and all of the beautiful foliage.
Fairmount Park, at over 4000 acres, is the country’s largest landscaped park. It contains over 215 miles of trails, enjoyed by hikers, walkers, bikers, and horseback riders. The park is also home to Philadelphia’s six public golf courses, and there is a driving range in East Park. While there is only one miniature golf course in Philadelphia at Burholme Park in Northeast Philly, there are many more in the outlying suburbs.
For lovers of dancing, the action continues in Philly. International folk dancing is held on Tuesday evenings at Lloyd Hall on Boathouse Row, and during the summer at the Art Museum outside. Israeli folk dancing happens at the outside Art Museum terrace on Thursday nights, and on Sundays at Germantown Jewish Center in West Mount Airy and at Klein JCC in Northeast Philadelphia. There is a Zydeco/Cajun dance party every Wednesday night at Warmdaddy’s on 4 South Front Street. And at Le Champignon-Tokio Ballroom, on 122-124 Lombard Street, tango dancing is held on Wednesday nights, and on Thursday nights you can go swing dancing.
There are tennis clubs all around Philadelphia, including The Philadelphia Tennis Club at 422 Locust Street, The Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis Center on 4015 Main Street, The Philadelphia Sports Club on 250 South 5th Street, plus innumerable other courts around the city.
For those who like to fish, Pennypack Creek and Wissahickon creek are stocked annually with trout and muskie, and outside the city, Brandywine Creek and Ridley Creek are stocked with trout. Fishing licenses required, which can be locally purchased.
Philadelphia is also home to many nationally acclaimed races, including the Wachovia Pro Cycling Tour Championship, held annually in early June; the Broad Street Run, held in early May; the Dad Vail and Stotesbury Regattas, rowing races along the Schuylkill in mid-May; and the Pennsylvania Derby at Philadelphia Park, on Labor Day.
Speaking of horse racing, handicappers can try their luck at Philadelphia Park, in Bensalem, and at several off-track betting parlors around the city.
Enjoy your visit in Philadelphia.
