City of Brotherly Love!
A year or so ago, my friend Casey Ryan posted a blog about being a tourist in his own town. This year, when I was looking for a quick trip (adults only!) I remembered that blog and thought it was a really good idea!
Years ago when I worked in the city... first on South Street, and then at Liberty Place... I was always in a rush to get to and from somewhere. Never really took in the sights, and definitely never appreciated how lucky I was to be a young twenty something single woman living in such an amazing metropolis! Going back twenty years later was really cool. The city is rich with photographic opportunity! I love Thomas Paine Plaza across from city hall:
The sun was rising over the city. I cranked up my aperture to get the beautiful sun burst. This photo is straight out of the camera, which is why the building is a little leaning. I was shooting with my 24-70mm lens. This plaza is so cool... there are chess pieces, bingo numbers, monopoly pieces, etc. Because men are always boys on the inside, John tried moving a game piece. I can now confirm that the pieces do not move ;) There is also a very cool sculpture of people squished together, holding each other up. The sculpture is called "Government of the People" by Jacques Lipchitz. At the base is a plaque that reads,
"Symbolizing family life, the wellspring of society, the hope of the future and the concept of government being of, by and for the people. This sculpture is dedicated to the people of Philadelphia."
The plaza is definitely worth a visit if you're sightseeing in Philly! To see a photo of the sculpture by Jacques Lipchitz, click the link at the bottom of this blog.
As we walked through City Hall, which I have shamefully never done before, despite being a Philadelphia native, I was struck by the peek of traffic and city life through each of the tunnels. It was early in the morning, and while the courtyard under City Hall was empty, the streets were already buzzing. City Hall itself is amazing. As the largest municipal building in the United States, I find it pretty phenomenal that one can walk straight under it! Here's a look at the view from inside the courtyard looking down Broad Street:
I loved showing my husband around town. I couldn't wait to walk over to Spruce street where my old apartment brownstone stands unchanged. Society Hill and Old City are my two favorite neighborhoods in Philly. I love the tree lined streets and all the great little shops and restaurants. This is a random house on Spruce that I thought was so homey and such a good representation of the homes in this area. This is also SOOC, as I was so busy vacationing this last week, there was little time for editing ;)
We had such a great time "visiting" Philadelphia! No matter where I live, whether a few hours down I-95, or 7000 miles away in the Middle East, Philly will always be home to me.
To see more of our city walk: http://eileenearnestphotography.zenfolio.com/p1028229392
Plus, you can check out my earlier entries here: http://eileenearnestphotography.zenfolio.com/blog My new posting schedule is every Monday (as if I had an "old" schedule, but it sounded good!). If you enjoy the posts, please click the FB, Twitter or G+ button... so many social media choices, so little time =)
Lastly, a big thanks to my friend Casey for the tourist in my own town idea!! You can check out his blog here: http://dreamtiming.blogspot.com/
