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Clockwise from left: Philadelphia skyline, Silk City, Morgan’s Pier, and the O-bon Festival in Clark Park Season of Celebration n summertime, the streets of Philadelphia’s historic district are crowded with visitors looking to better understand IAmerica’s beginnings. Stops on this route of interwoven sites include the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Benjamin Franklin Museum, National Constitution Center, and Christ Church. They stitch together that fabled story as easily as Betsy Ross did the nation’s first flag. “Philadelphia’s enduring independent spirit was established in the historic district,” says Meryl Levitz, the president and CEO of VISIT PHILADEPHIATM. “Today, you find that revolu- tionary quality all over the region.” Beyond Philly’s historic heart, travelers gather deeper insights into the city’s past and a rich un- derstanding of this modern metropolitan area that some four million people are proud to call home. Start by exploring the neighborhoods within a Concerts, festivals, five-minute walk. To the north, Old City condos, art galleries, and happening restaurants are lo- food, and eclectic cated in redeveloped Civil War–era factories. A neighborhoods put PHOTOS BY J. FUSCO FOR VISIT PHILADELPHIA™ few blocks south, Society Hill features stately red brick homes with Federal touches such as boot a special shine scrapers, marble stoops, and wooden shutters. on summer in Hot Fun in the City Philadelphia. To the east lies Penn’s Landing, a hub of summer fun, including concerts, films, and, most notably, BY JOANN GRECO fireworks and other events linked to Wawa Wel- come America!, the city’s weeklong Independence 156 JUNE 2014 usairwaysmag.com usairwaysmag.com JUNE 2014 157 Day festival (July 1–7). Also on the Delaware Top Chefs and Beer Halls Riverfront is Race Street Pier, a park that offers True foodies also know that some of the hippest great activities (like morning yoga and cooling restaurants lie on the fringes of Center City, breezes) and Morgan’s Pier, a summer favorite for just a 10-minute cab ride away. Along Passyunk enjoying a frosty brew with a river view. Avenue, Nicholas Elmi, America’s newest “top And to the west, head to University City’s out- chef,” has joined a stellar cadre of toque-wearers door oasis Clark Park in August for the annual who have established innovative kitchens, while O-bon Festival, a free event honoring Japanese the culinary scenes of South Street West and traditions and culture. Fairmount continue to grow. All over town, Sometimes, summer in the city means seren- the beer garden concept is flourishing, from dipitous surprises. For several years now, the Fishtown’s Frankford Hall to Bella Vista’s Pennsylvania Horticultural Society has trans- Brauhaus Schmitz, from Brü to Drury Beer formed a different empty lot into a site bursting Garden, both in Center City. with blooms. This year, Penn’s Landing is getting in on the pop-up action with Spruce Street Harbor, Artful Offerings complete with an urban beach, hammocks, and a For the culturally inclined, the mile-long food-and-drink area on floating barges. Benjamin Franklin Parkway reigns. The roster of museums includes the Barnes Foundation, Vibrant Neighborhoods where Cézanne’s still lifes top the bill this sum- Shopping and dining are great ways to explore mer; the Rodin Museum, with its unparalleled Philadelphia’s neighborhoods. Rittenhouse Square sculptures and recently replenished gardens; the remains shopping central for big-name brands just-expanded Franklin Institute; and The and luxurious goods. But elsewhere, the indepen- Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, dents shine. The east end of Pine Street offers gift where the world’s exotic birds preen in the sum- shops and eclectic boutiques, while the blocks of mer spotlight. At the top of the parkway, the VISIT Midtown Village feature a variety of restaurants Philadelphia Museum of Art is showcasing the PHILADELPHIATM and shopping treasures. Meanwhile, the warehouses work of Patrick Kelly, the Philly native who made and studios of the Loft District, Old City, Northern a huge splash in the fashion world of the ’80s. 800.537.7676 Liberties, and Fishtown are home to the city’s Behind the Art Museum, Fairmount Park, visitphilly.com maker, crafts, and artist communities. the nation’s largest urban swath of green, offers treasures like Shofuso, a Japanese tea house and garden, and Please Touch Museum, a children’s My Phillyosophy: The streets in attraction located in one of the few surviving neighborhoods structures from the 1876 Centennial Exposition. like Old City bustle well into the evening. Abundant Countryside I am never the same If the park whets your appetite for more of the great outdoors, venture farther — but convenient- ly, no more than an hour’s drive. In Bucks County to the north, you’ll discover New Hope, a charm- place twice. ing artists’ enclave, and Doylestown, a county seat alive with a trio of distinctive museums. To the south, Chester County and the Check out the next 38 pages to see PHOTO BY B. KRIST FOR VISIT PHILADELPHIA™ Brandywine Valley lure with both Longwood what makes my region great. Gardens and the rolling landscapes made famous by painter and Pennsylvania native Andrew Wyeth. visitphilly.com To the west, the towns of the Main Line offer some of the area’s best-preserved history, such as Valley Forge National Historical Park, and picturesque draws, including Chanticleer, a former private estate now known for its enchanting botanical garden. JUNE 2014 usairwaysmag.com 158 TM Photos by J. Fusco, R. Kennedy and J.S. Ruth for VISIT PHILADELPHIA visit philly toc.indd 1 5/5/14 4:20 PM 68,000 students from 135 countries explored the intricacies of Beethoven’s piano sonatas and the history of Western music through perfor- mance. And when school isn’t in session, you Opposite page, clockwise from top: Curtis 20/21 can access clips from past lectures for free. Ensemble performs at The same holds true for Curtis Performs, an Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall; Curtis Opera Theatre archive of performances of everything from performs Mozart’s Magic Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 to a chamber quartet Flute; Curtis Symphony Orchestra opens the 2012 performing a selection by 20th century com- Dresden Music Festival; poser Paul Hindemith. Similar to HD broad- faculty member Jonathan Biss filming a free online casts from the Metropolitan Opera, Curtis course; Curtis On Tour Performs takes HD to another level, with ad- ensemble sightseeing in vanced technology that allows the videos to be Beijing viewed on any device — smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer. Since its launch in 2013, viewers from 148 different countries have tuned in. It’s an impressive record — especially for a 90-year-old. That’s right: In the fall, the Curtis Institute will celebrate its founding in 1924 by Mary Louise Curtis Bok, heiress to the Curtis All the World’s Publishing Company, which produced The Saturday Evening Post and Ladies Home Jour- nal. It was one of her artistic consultants, con- ductor Leopold Stokowski, who glimpsed the future, predicting that Curtis would “become a Stage the most important musical institution of our country, perhaps the world.” The global reach of the Curtis Institute of Music And indeed it has. or any institution of higher learning, eled to 44 destinations in Europe, Asia, and alumni that include Leonard Bernstein both North and South America. With each performance, they’re increasingly in demand. and Samuel Barber and winners of After opening the Dresden Music Festival in PHOTOS BY PETE CHECCHIA (1), KARLI CADE (1), AND COURTESY OF THE CURTIS INSTITUTE OF MUSIC Guggenheim Fellowships and Pulitzer 2012 — a distinction usually reserved for the likes of the Berlin Philharmonic or other es- Prizes would be achievement enough. teemed world orchestras — reviewers couldn’t F rave enough: “Simply phenomenal,” was the assessment of one; “a first-class orchestra” was But the Curtis Institute of Music does not rest the description of another, with effusive com- on its laurels — or stay within the confines of pliments to conductor Robert Spano, himself a Philadelphia. Curtis graduate. “They embody passion, preci- Sure, it’s a local landmark, occupying sion, and, despite their youth, astonishing musi- prime real estate on Rittenhouse Square, but cal maturity,” said yet another. part of what has sealed the school’s reputation Those who can’t make it to Dresden or any is its dynamism and philosophy of “learning by of the other 44 destinations don’t have to worry. doing.” Its 168 students (who all receive full- Curtis has erased geographical boundaries by Curtis Institute tuition scholarships) routinely offer Philadel- embracing 21st century technology with gusto. of Music phia residents some 200 free classical concerts Its digital showcase is an online portal (curtis 1726 Locust Streets a year. And in recent years, they’ve made all .edu/digital) guiding music lovers to classes, Philadelphia, PA the world their stage. performances, downloads, and more. Thanks 215.893.7902 Through Curtis On Tour, established in to a partnership with Coursera, a leading pro- curtis.edu/USAirways 2008, students, faculty, and alumni have trav- vider of massive open online courses, some 160 JUNE 2014 usairwaysmag.com usairwaysmag.com JUNE 2014 161 New Landmark Exhibitions The Philadelphia Museum of Art has some © ESTATE OF© ESTATE PAUL STRAND; THE PAUL STRAND RETROSPECTIVE COLLECTION, 1915-1975, GIFT OF THE OF ESTATE PAUL STRAND, OF © ESTATE PAUL STRAND big plans over the next six months. BY JOANN GRECO CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: RENDERING © GEHRY PARTNERS, LLP; PURCHASED WITH FUNDS CONTRIBUTED BY MR. AND MRS. ROBERT A. HAUSLOHNER, n the latter half of 2014, the scenes look at the creative processes involved in shining light at the end of the dramatically augmenting an already beloved institution (it was designed between 1918 and Benjamin Franklin Parkway 1928 in the Beaux Arts style by the firm of Hor- Clockwise from left: new promises several exciting ace Trumbauer and others).

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