Traveled to Redding Terminal Market…

On Saturday, July 10th, my suitemate, Reshica and I decided to travel to the Farmer’s Market at Redding Terminal Market. I had heard several suitemates talking about the great prices and produce available there, so I decided it was time for me to travel there too!

So Reshica and I had talked about going earlier in the week, so she stopped by to see if I wanted to go. We got our bags ready and walked to the 34th street station for the Market-Frankford Line that would take us right to 11th street for the Redding Terminal Market. We walked right out of the train station, and only had to cross a small street to get right into the market.

This is a must-see place for anyone who visits Philadelphia. This terminal market has just about everything from produce farmer’s market, meat stations, fish stations, florists, ice cream, Indian and Pakistani foods, Thai, Chinese, etc, etc. Below is the map of the entire market and shows all the booths.

Today, the Reading Terminal Market, considered by many as one of the finest public markets in the U.S., blends together state-of-the-art systems technology without sacrificing its historical integrity. It’s not only a popular hometown attraction, but also the most popular Philadelphia tourist destination after the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. More than 80 merchants offer patrons fresh produce, meats, fish, groceries, flowers, baked goods, crafts, books, clothing, as well as hard-to-find specialties and ethnic foods. Shopping and dining become a pleasure in this warm, inviting, and unique atmosphere. The Reading Terminal Market, as it was over a hundred years ago, is reminiscent of personal, neighborhood shopping, and still offers something for everyone. A trip to Philadelphia would not be complete without stopping here.

http://www.readingterminalmarket.org/about/somethingforeveryone

So as you can see, this market place has a little bit of everything! The farmer’s market is insanely cheap. I got: 4 kiwis, two heads of broccoli, 2 apricots, 2 cucumbers, and 2 green peppers for $4.10 (and that is even WITHOUT the student discount that they have every Sunday and Wednesday)! Reshica and I found our treasures and walked around some, but it is such a large place that you almost need to spend hours in (almost like a flea market) because you will never see it all in one quick tour!

From there, we traveled to Chinatown, because I mentioned to Reshica that I have never been to a Chinatown. She warned me that it was going to smell odd (and boy did it ever)! It was an odd smell, one that I could not describe if I wanted to. I was very tempted to go in one of the dozens of Chinese restaurants, but I wondered if I really wanted some food, how would I know WHICH one to go in?!?! There were too many to decide. Chinatown was about 4 blocks deep and 4 blocks wide. It was filled with other farmer’s markets, restaurants and several knick-knack type of stores. It was a very interesting adventure, but Reshica and I were talking throughout our walk that I almost missed most of it!

From Chinatown, we went into the Gallery which is connected to the 11th street SEPTA station. It declares itself to be:

Sensational Shopping in Center City Philadelphia

The Gallery at Market East is prominently located in the heart of Philadelphia’s thriving Center City. Adjacent to major historical attractions, The Gallery is amazingly convenient and bustling with activity. More than 40,000 people enter The Gallery each day for great stores and eateries, all accessible through one of the city’s busiest transportation hubs. With its giant directory sculptures and soaring four-story atrium, The Gallery is one of the city’s premier shopping destinations.

http://www.galleryatmarketeast.com/about_us

The Gallery was a neat place because it had stores that I recognized, such as Old Navy, Burlington Coat Factory, Claires, Bath and Body Works, but there were also stores that were not familiar. These included Five Below (which is similar to a Dollar General except that all items range from $1-$5), Kicks USA, Underground Market, and several others. While we were walking around, Reshica decided that she wanted to get her left cartilage pierced (and who am I to tell someone not to), so I supported her! We walked into a store and I helped her decide which color gem she should get and helped her decide at which location on her cartilage she should get it pierced. It was a fun and eventful time, and completely out of the blue! Overall, she was pleased with her decision and she said that it doesn’t hurt even now (which is awesome).

From the Gallery, I had mentioned an exchange store, Buffalo Exchange, that I had stumbled upon when I ventured into the city once before. Reshica was enthralled by the idea, so we decided to head there next. On the way through the city, we stumbled across LOVE Park, which I had been wanting to see! This is a park that was built in the 1960’s at the eastern end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway across from City Hall.

LOVE Park in Philadelphia is famous as a mixed-use urban space and world capital of skateboarding, celebrated by millions as one of the most recognized landmarks of a $2 billion-a-year industry.

http://www.ushistory.org/lovepark/

To me, this park is extremely special because of the fantastic LOVE sign at one of the ends of the fountain. So Reshica told me that she would take my picture in front of the sign (YAY!). While I was standing in line (yes, there was a line to get your picture taken with this sign, it is that popular), we noticed a wedding party that had stopped at the park to take pictures in front of the water fountains and I am only certain that the LOVE sign was also included in their pictures (adorable thought!).

I hope that when more people come to visit, this is a place that we can come for SEVERAL photo opportunities! I LOVE Love Park!

We finally found Buffalo Exchange and had a nice time looking around for clothes. We each found a treasure and while we were there, we both decided that we needed to take a NYC trip with another suitemate of ours (Alyssa), and find more exchange stores. I have so far found 3 fabulous finds at this store and it is always fun because every time you go in, there are new items. People can buy, sell or trade clothing. So if you are willing, you can find some fantastic finds!

We ventured back to our place, with bags full of produce and clothes. We decided to close off the evening watching Grey’s Anatomy episodes on my Netflix account and eating popcorn. I would say it was an overall fantastic Saturday out on the town. Not only did I find some great places, but I also found a great friend in my suitemate.

Thanks for traveling along with me!

…Walked everywhere I go!

One of the great things about living the in the city of Philadelphia, is that the city is set up perfectly for pedestrians, bikers and public transportation.  I have tried out some of the public transportation here, including trolleys (that can travel below and sometimes above ground) and subway.  I have yet to travel the regional rail which is more of a train expressway I believe.  I will find out more when I take the regional rail to the airport.  So far, I have had pretty good public transportation experiences and I have even had some fun conversations with other people while we are waiting for the trolley.  I am starting the get the hang of the whole process of determining which stop I need to get off at and where the trolley stops are located.  While riding the trolleys, I have even learned which stops are for which stores, due to the bags that people tend to carry on to the trolley.

I do not feel out of place if I walk around the city with a large tote bag or even a backpack because majority of the other people walking are doing the same.  Whether I am walking to work in the morning with other hospital and business professionals or down by the outside shopping streets, people have bags to carry the things they need while they are out or even to carry home their goods that they buy while out. 

It is awfully nice to be so close to work in the morning.  On average, it takes me about 15 minutes to get from my room to the Acute Care PT/OT room in the hospital!  I am not used to this idea at all! Typically in Louisville, it would take me on average to get to places about 20-30 minutes.  But to be able to get in AT LEAST 30 minutes of walking time on a daily basis is so exciting.  (I say AT LEAST because in the acute care setting, we are running up/down at least 4-5 flights of stairs, traveling all across the large hospital that includes 3 buildings, etc.  So needless to say, I get plenty of walking done during my work day!).

Last Sunday, I traveled into the city and discovered a lot.  I found a few vintage type stores and a hidden mall within a professional building.  To top it off, I even found two Victoria’s Secrets within 1-2 blocks from each other!  Never do I feel alone, because I am surrounded by other shoppers at all times.  It is a pretty neat experience. 

Before I go anywhere, I make sure that I have educated myself on the routes in which to get there.  I track which trolley/train stops I need, where to find them, and how to get to where I am going.  This helps put me at ease so that I am at least familiar with where and what I am looking for. 

Later on Sunday, I traveled back to where I live and found a grocery store about 2-3 blocks.  I ventured around the store which seemed smaller than some of the general grocery stores at home, but it could also be due to the different layout that I was not used to.  But the grocery building was about 3 stories tall, but that included parking for people since it was on the corner of busier streets, as well as rooms for some business offices.  When you are in the city, they have to find any and all available room to put places, so sometimes businesses are on the second floors of buildings in order to make sure they can maximize the space available!

So I dare you to come visit me and let’s go walking around the city!! Because after all, that is what people do!