Center City Travel Guide

Center City, Philadelphia's main business and commercial area, stretches from 8th Street west to the Schuylkill River, dominated by the endearing baroque wedding cake of City Hall and its 37ft bronze statue of Penn. Before ascending thirty stories to the observation deck at Penn's feet, check out the quirky sculptures and carvings around the building, including the cats and mice at the south entrance. A couple of blocks north at Broad and Cherry streets, the Museum of American Art at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (Tues-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-5pm; $5, free on Sun 3-5pm; tel 215/972-7600), housed in an elaborate, multicolored Victorian pile, exhibits three hundred years of American art, including works by Mary Cassatt, Thomas Eakins and Winslow Homer.

Beginning at 8th Street, Chinatown, marked by a 40ft oriental gate, has some of the best budget food in the city. A block over on 12th Street is the century-old Reading Terminal Market - where many Amish farmers come to the city to sell their produce. It's always good for a lively time and makes a great lunch spot. The $500-million Convention Center, which opened next door in 1993, signaled major changes for this once dodgy area, as flashy hotels, coffeehouses and restaurants have replaced the previously derelict shops and offices.