24 Hours in Philadelphia
Sometimes, it’s in and out of a city, for a quick meeting or on your way to another destination. When that happens, take the opportunity to enjoy what’s around you. Take a walk (even in the rain), catch a hop-on-off bus (the best way to get an overview of a new city), enjoy the hotel and eat the city’s iconic food.
We traveled to Philadelphia for Len’s passport meeting at the Italian Consulate. It had been a long time coming, and we wanted to do it as economically as possible, a quick trip. Our appointment at the consulate dictated what we could and could not - so did the rain. We flew in late in the day (via Delta) on Tuesday, met with the consulate mid-day Wednesday, and returned home on Thursday. Never miss an opportunity to see something for the first time.
Sonesta Philadelphia Rittenhouse Square
Our view from our 20th floor room at the Sonesta.
We have stayed at Sonesta brands before and have enjoyed the experience. We booked the Sonesta Philadelphia Rittenhouse Square, located in downtown and only one block from the Italian Consulate. As always, we book through Hotels.com to get the points and the ability to cancel should our plans change. On site, Ruth’s Chris Steak House and a lobby bar/coffee shop.
What’s Philadelphia without a cheesesteak?
Since the trip was Len’s, I did make my one request - a Philly cheesesteak. Len did some quick research, and lo-and-behold, about three blocks from the hotel, Cleavers Philadelphia satisfied my longing for a gooey sandwich of epic proportion.
The first bite, everything and more that I hoped. Recalling my first authentic sandwich (over six years ago) came rushing back, and I was in heaven. Ribeye steak and Cheese Whiz .
It’s offered a multitude of ways, but don’t overthink it. Just stick with the legend.
Dressed to impress the Italians
Len’s road to dual Italian citizenship has taken the better part of eight years. When you throw in COVID, what should have taken only about three years became a drawn out process. This was the last step - obtaining a passport.
It was long and complicated (rules have changed recently). He is an Italian by birthright - with an unbroken family chain - but we had to prove it. Birth records, marriage records, census records - all official documents from the commune or Secretary of State. Then all documents had to be apostilled (verifying legality) and then translated into Italian. We made an appointment with the Miami consulate (appointment was two years out which gave us time to gather necessary items) to take the documents, and then COVID hit. Rather than meeting in person, we were asked to mail everything in; we did and after two rounds of revisions and questions, we waited. It wasn’t until 2022 that he received the email that he was recognized. Then, we moved to North Carolina.
The state you live in determines your consulate. In Georgia, our consulate was Miami. In North Carolina, our consulate was Philadelphia. Hi registration had to be changed in the Italian commune of Castellemmare del Golfo (hometown), so we waited again. Nothing is ever simple with the Italians.
We had been at this point before. We had made two previous appointments (as well as travel arrangements) only to cancel due to a hiccup. This time, we had heard of no disruptions from the consulate, so we hoped everything was on track.
We arrived at the consulate for our 12:15 p.m. appointment. I expected massive stone artwork, but not one gargoyle in sight. Just a very American office with blue (for passports) and purple (for visas) chairs in the waiting room and women and men behind glass. I think I expected to hear Bocelli serenading our entrance. However, the cadence of the Italian language made us both happy, and tended to calm Len’s nerves.
Within one hour, Len had that burgundy jewel in his hands. As the woman behind the glass handed it to him and asked him to verify information, I couldn’t help but tear up. Such a long journey. It was finally complete, and the entire process was a lesson in family history. Next step, find champagne.
Want to know more about the process? Contact us and we’ll share everything.
GoCity for the afternoon
With the afternoon, we walked through the city center to the departure site (corner of 6th & Market Street) for GoCity Philadelphia. The rain kept falling but nothing could damper our celebratory mood. Len knew Philadelphia well having spent years at Villanova; this, however, was my first visit. We downloaded the GoCity app and saw all the tours and attraction details. So many I wanted to do, especially the South Philly Italian Markets but that would have to wait for another visit.
Go City unlocks access to nearly 1,500 attractions, tours, and activities in 25+ destinations across four continents, including Philadelphia. Historical attraction highlights offered on the Go City Philadelphia passes include:
Museum of the American Revolution
Revolution and Founding Fathers Tour
National Constitution Center
African American Museum
Independence Seaport Museum
The All-Inclusive Pass offers an unlimited number of free, one-time entries to attractions and activities throughout the duration of the pass, while the Explorer Pass (our pass) offers free, one-time entry to a chosen number of attractions and activities for a 30-day period. Both passes include easy entry, skip the line at select attractions, additional discounts at cafes, gift shops, and more. We had flexibility and freedom to choose what attractions, tours, and experiences.
With limited time I got to know Philly with the Hop-on-Hop-Off Tour on the Big Bus. A comprehensive look at the city, I made notes for my next visit, hoping to spend more time at the famous landmarks - Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, the Betsy Ross House and to climb the Rocky steps.
A celebration dinner
Finally, it was time for the champagne and dinner. Located about two blocks from the hotel, The Continental Mid-town (1801 Chestnut Street) oozed with a celebratory atmosphere, drawing its inspiration from the 1950s. A rooftop patio, swinging basket chairs, retro cocktails - a playful atmosphere that was delightful. Look for the massive olive on the corner.
And just like that, it was time to return home. We took an Uber to and from the airport (the easiest and most affordable transport ever), and with a 5 a.m. pick-up on Thursday morning, the next stop was home. Mission accomplished and I was taking my Italian home.
