Her Philly

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February 21, 2014

150 Fun & Fab Things To Do In Philadelphia

Philly, you are the best city of all the cities. In honor of your loveliness, I’ve teamed up with four other fab Philly lady bloggers to bring our readers the ultimate list of all the things you must do, see, eat, drink, and visit in our fair city. A Philly bucket list, if you will, filled with unique things to make you say “hmmm that sounds interesting,” and more obvious things to make you go, “duh! Why have I not done that yet?”

By the end of reading this I expect you will be ready to book your Philly vacation! Before you do, check out these philadelphia vacation rentals from Stay Alfred. Whether your here for pleasure or business, these luxurious rentals means you can stay in style.

Below you’ll get my contribution to the list, and when you’re done, click over to the rest of the list on each blog. Here goes!

things to do philadelphiaContinue Reading…

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Filed Under: playing Tagged: amada, anthropologie, broad street run, chinatown, circle thrift, concerts, diner en blanc, dog park, east passyunk, eastern state penitentiary, festivals, flavors of the avenue, flea markets, flywheel, jose garces, la calaca feliz, little babys, little pete's, macys christmas light show, mister 1801, monks, philly zoo, reading terminal, restaurant week, rittenhouse, silk city, SIPS, uber

January 30, 2014

The Chinatown Tour {Part 2}

Happy almost weekend! If you’re just tuning in, earlier this week, I began documenting my Philly Chinatown tour, led by the super knowledgeable Albert Lee. So without further ado, let’s go on with the second part of our tour!

 

Tea-Do (132 North 10th Street)

Where to get bubble tea in Chinatown // Her PhillyDue to my longstanding love affair with bubble tea, a shop was one of my requirements for a stop on Al’s tour. Tea-Do has so many options to choose from, ranging from tea with milk and tapioca bubbles to fruity tea with aloe and lychee jellies. If you’ve never had bubble tea, you drink it with a huge straw which sucks up the little “bubbles” in your drink. It’s basically amazing.

Tea-Do bubble tea in Chinatown // Her PhillyEach tea comes with a plastic seal over the top, and you have to stick the pointy end of your straw through to get to the drink. That was probably the most stressful part of the day. 😉

 
Shanghai Bazaar (1016 Race Street)

Shanghai Bazaar in Philadelphia Chinatown // Her Philly With bubble tea in hand, we moved on to this humongous bazaar, filled with everything from toys to books to jewelry & more. I didn’t look much at the prices of the the items, but there was definitely a plethora of goodies to choose from.Shopping in Chinatown // Her Philly Where to shop in Philadelphia Chinatown // Her Philly

 
Joy Tsin Lau (1026 Race Street)

Joy Tsin Lau dim sum // Her PhillyAfter some shopping, it was finally lunch time! We hurried in the crowded restaurant for some dim sum, which is basically small sized portions of food served in steamer baskets or on small plates. Al explained that dim sum is to the Chinese as tea time is to the British. Dim Sum at Joy Tsin Lau in Philadelphia Chinatown // Her PhillyOur only restriction was no duck (my request), and Al quickly ordered for us off of the wizzing trays filled with food. We tried lots of different things, but I loved the shrimp dumplings & fried rice the best. Yummy fried rice at Joy Tsin Lau in Chinatown // Her PhillyLunch for four of us, including tea & dessert, and until we were literally stuffed, ended up being $27. If that’s not a gem in this city, I don’t know what is.

 
Lucky Chinese Cookie Factory (155 North 9th Street)

Lucky Chinese Cookie Factory Philadelphia // Her PhillyOur last stop was a quick visit to the fortune cookie factory! You can go in & see the cookies being made (so cool!) and pick up a bag of “X-Rated” cookies to take home with you. They also do custom cookies for events & weddings.

That stop signaled the end of our tour. We had sipped, shopped & chomped our way through Chinatown, and I can confidently say I will be back!

Touring Philadelphia Chinatown // Her PhillyI hope this blog inspires you to break out of your comfort zone and explore a new neighborhood or two. Thanks again to Al for being a great tour guide, and my friends Kelly & Colleen for braving the chilly temps with us! If this type of neighborhood tour is something you’re interested in seeing more of, let me know in the comments & I will find a new Philly hood to explore next!

Remember, Chinese New Year starts tomorrow. Get the details on all the Philadelphia festivities & have fun! xx

her philly

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Filed Under: playing Tagged: bubble tea, chinatown, dim sum, exploring, neighborhoods, tours

January 28, 2014

The Chinatown Tour {Part 1}

Let me start off with a confession: I have lived in Philadelphia for two and a half years, and until earlier this month, had never stepped foot in Chinatown. That’s right, I said it. Sure – I was intrigued by the promises of bubble tea and supermarkets filled with cute little odds & ends I shouldn’t be  buying, but I was just, so . . . intimidated. Where would I go? How would I know where to eat? Would I be able to navigate by myself? Would I be in the way?

With the nearing start of Chinese New Year (this Friday!), I thought it was about time to expand my horizons and venture to the other side of the arch. I enlisted the help of Philly’s resident Chinatown expert, Albert Lee, to host our “#ChinatownUncensored” tour, grabbed my two best girlfriends, and off we went!

I invite you to come along with with us on our tour. First stop . . .

Chinatown Arch (10th & Arch Streets)

Philadelphia Chinatown Gate // Her PhillyWe met up with Al at the most iconic spot in Chinatown, the arch. This structure was the first authentic Chinese gate built outside of China in 1984. Those four letters on the gate read, conveniently, “Philadelphia Chinatown.” If you’d like to take a photo with the gate, I recommend doing it from farther up 10th Street & getting the other side – traffic seems to always be moving on this side.Touring Philly's Chinatown // Her Philly

Prosperity Chinese Symbol // Her Philly

At the gate, we also got our first glimpse of these little street designs. They mean prosperity, and are all over the town’s sidewalks.

 

KC’s Pastries (109 North 10th Street)

KC's Pastries Philadelphia Chinatown // Her PhillyAfter learning all about the gate, we headed down the street for our first taste of some Chinese treats. This pastry shop had so many options to choose from, it was so hard to decide. If you’re craving coffee, now’s the time to grab a cup – coffee is only sold in bakeries, not restaurants, around here.

Red bean sesame ball // Her PhillyI opted for this little 90 cent red bean sesame ball. I happen to love red bean, but even my friend Colleen, who thought she was eating chocolate, enjoyed it. 😉

Emily Tharp Philadelphia Blogger // Her PhillyWhere to eat in Chinatown // Her Philly

 

Gyration Boutique (125 North 11th Street)

Philadelphia Chinatown Consignment store // Her PhillyNext, we swung over to a new local consignment shop and one of Chinatown’s only retail stores. The boutique does not sell plus size or maternity clothes, but the store was beautiful and, according to Al, a very welcomed addition to the area.

Inside Chinatown's Gyration Boutique

 

Asia Supermarket (143 North 11th Street)

Chinatown Philly Asian Supermarket // Her PhillyI was possibly the most excited for our stop in this Asian supermarket. If you’re looking for wall-to-wall rice, ramen & tea, plus some other colorful goodies at a great price, you’ve found your happy place.

Ramen at the Philly Asian Supermarket // Her PhillyInside Philadelphia'a Chinatown // Her Philly Tea aisle in a Philadelphia Chinatown supermarket // Her PhillyHerbal Lover's Tea for Women // Her PhillyThis tea caught my eye – maybe I’ll be back for some luck in my love life in the form of tea.

After about an hour and a half of exploring, our day was off to a great start!

 

Where to go in Philadelphia's Chinatown

A big thank you to Al for showing us all of the places to be in Chinatown. Stop back later this week for part two of our day (bubble tea, dim sum & more shopping, of course)! If this made you crave some exploring yourself, you can get all the details on Philadelphia’s Chinese New Year celebration plus more from the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation.

her philly

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Filed Under: playing Tagged: chinatown, exploring, neighborhoods, tour

Hi! I'm Emily, a Philly lady on a quest to discover everything lovely, exciting, affordable, and beautiful about my city.

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I got out bright and early, route planned, coffee & water ready, and and cash in hand. It was a gorgeous morning and I was excited to find some gems. 

Watch to see what I picked up! What are your best yard sale tips? 

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