Can you find Romance in Philadelphia?

The most common choice for a romantic evening remains a special dinner at a good restaurant followed by a movie or show. If this is your choice, Philadelphia is the perfect place.

The city is one of the finest "dining" cities in the nation, boasting seven of the restaurants identified as four-star in the 2001 Mobile Travel Guide: Georges Perrier's Brasserie Perrier and Le Bec-Fin, as well as the Fountain at the Four Seasons, Jake's in Manayunk and La Famiglia in Old City, Striped Bass and Susanna Foo in Center City. The interior of Striped Bass was used to film the dinner scene in the hit film The Sixth Sense.

Unfortunately the days of the great Center City movie houses have passed, but the Ritz Theaters have several properties in the Old City area that feature less mainstream films including the best foreign and independently produced films of the day. United Artists has taken over the old Sameric on Chestnut Street and also operates a hugely successful Cineplex on Columbus Boulevard.

Center City, and particularly the Avenue of the Arts area has excellent theaters featuring the best in comedy, drama and musicals. The Pennsylvania Ballet and Philadelphia Orchestra offer other alternatives for after-dinner entertainment.

If you and your partner would rather spend an afternoon in more quiet contemplation, a walk along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway from the base of the LOVE statue in John F. Kennedy Plaza to the Philadelphia Art Museum will take you past some of the best public art and museums in the world. Philadelphia has the most public art of any city in the country. The Rodin Museum along the Parkway is the perfect choice for some quiet time.

Statue of The Thinker - Rodin Museum
Photo by John Fischer

A walk along the Kelly Drive along the east side of the Schuylkill River is a special experience. From the Art Museum you can walk for up to four miles to the Falls Bridge passing the Waterworks, Boathouse Row, the edge of Laurel Hill Cemetery and the Rock Garden. Along the way you'll see some beautiful statues especially at the Ellen Phillips Samuel Memorial. If you're lucky you'll even catch some crew teams rowing in the river. There are lots of places to sit and talk in private.

For even more of a retreat, your can escape to Forbidden Drive in the Wissahickon section of Fairmount Park. Here you can stroll, bike, blade, or jog through the forested, hilly trails for miles on end and forget that you're even in the city.

Other areas of Fairmount Park are also quite romantic. The Japanese House and Garden on North Horticulture Drive is such a place as are the nearby grounds of the Fairmount Park Horticultural Center.

Various events throughout the year offer perfect opportunities for special times. The Philadelphia Flower Show, while often crowded, offers a wonderful chance to spend time with someone close. Throughout the summer Penn's Landing hosts numerous events including free concerts and festivals as well as several spectacular fireworks and laser light shows. Many couples enjoy the riverfront entertainment and then walk over to South Street to one of the bars or clubs or just to wander through some of the eclectic shops that are found in this totally unique part of the city.