This week Daytripper takes you to the Ben Franklin Parkway, home of the Franklin Institute, the Art Museum and asinine traffic patterns. But this area is so much more than a backdrop for a climactic Rocky moment. It boasts museums and scenery found nowhere else in the city.
Figs
2501 Meredith St.
(215) 978-8440
Tue-Thu, 5-10 p.m., Fri-Sat, 5-11 p.m., Sun, 4:30-9 p.m., Sat-Sun, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
www.figsrestaurant.com
This Morrocan restaurant was ranked one of Zagat's top 10 BYOBs in the city. Head chef Mustapha Rouissiya, one of the top chefs in the country, has created an eclectic menu which includes both brunch and dinner.
Rodin Museum
22nd St. & Ben Franklin Pkwy
Tue-Thu, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
(215) 763-8100
www.rodinmuseum.org
No, it's not in commemoration of the last Penn president; the museum is the largest collection of artwork by French sculptor Auguste Rodin outside Paris. See drawings, prints, letters and of course, sculptures by the creator of "The Thinker."
Kelly Drive
Fairmount Park
(215) 685-0000
www.fairmontpark.org
Kelly Drive stretches from the Philadelphia Museum of Art to the Twin Bridges at Manayunk and is known by many as one of the most scenic locations in Philadelphia. Look to one side and you'll see rowers in the Schuylkill; look to your other side and you'll see Fairmount Park.
Free Library of Philadelphia
1901 Vine St.
Mon-Wed 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Thu- Sat 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun 1-5 p.m.
(215) 686-5322
www.library.phila.gov
Yes, there's a Free Library on 40th and Walnut, but this location is the central library of the city. And it has more to offer than just books; cultural performances abound, from African American freedom song concerts to the weekly poetry readings by different poets.
