Shopping Is Anything But Taxing In Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA?May 2009?Philadelphia offers some exceptional cultural, dining, recreational, and historic experiences. But for shoppers, the City is a haven for everyone from small boutique-seekers and antique aficionados, to outlet lovers and mall-goers. As a bonus, every shopper benefits from tax-free apparel and shoes. From mom-and-pop shops to the finest nationally known megastores, Philadelphia is a City in which to shop around.Downtown Deals
In the heart of the city there are more than 2,000 shops, including one of urban America?s most impressive indoor shopping centers, The Gallery at Market East. The Gallery has an eclectic mix of regional and national stores including Burlington Coat Factory, Aldo, and Five Below, as well as numerous specialty retailers like Dr. Denim and Perfume Paradise. The Shops at Liberty Place offers a one-of-a-kind shopping experience with a large variety of choices such as J. Crew, Aveda, and, Crabtree and Evelyn, all under a soaring glass rotunda. Known as "The Grand Dame of Broad Street," The Bellevue opened in 1904 as a magnificent hotel and now boasts the spectacular Shops at The Bellevue, featuring Tiffany & Co., Polo Ralph Lauren, Williams-Sonoma, Nicole Miller, and Origins, among others, all in a historic setting. Celebrating more than 100 years as a center for commerce and trade, the Bourse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and serves as one of Philadelphia?s leading commercial complexes. Located directly across from Independence National Historical Park, the Shops at the Bourse features 27 retail and food service stores.
The Best Deals in Town
Macy?s, located in the former John Wanamaker building between Chestnut and Market streets just past Broad Street, features a special visitors center where convention attendees at the nearby Pennsylvania Convention Center can obtain a special Visitor Savings Pass good for 11 percent off all Macy?s purchases. Additionally, international visitors can get an International Savings Card saving them 11 percent on purchases at Macy?s stores across the country.
The Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PCVB) offers a ?Phil Your Bags Discount Passport,? full of coupons and vouchers for area stores, shopping centers, restaurants, and attractions, with a map of participating venues. The passports can be obtained online at www.philadelphiausa.travel/philyourbags or through individual international tour operators.
Row, Row, Row?
For the chic, Rittenhouse Row is the place to shop with more than 200 upscale dining, retail, and cultural establishments, all within one of the nation?s most exclusive shopping neighborhoods. Stretching from the Avenue of the Arts (Broad Street) to 22nd Street, between Pine and Market streets, Rittenhouse Row is brimming with art galleries, haute couture boutiques, local and national retailers, and specialty stores.
From the custom fashions of Boyd?s, a men?s and women?s designer clothier, to Lagos, where jewelry designer Stephen Lagos began his locally based business?Rittenhouse Row boasts some of Philadelphia?s finest shops. The neighborhood is also home to the first Urban Outfitters, a retail chain known for its edgy fashions and furnishings and Anthropolgie, a women's clothing, accessories, and home decor shop. From their humble beginnings in 1970, Urban Outfitters has grown into a multi-billion dollar retail chain with its international headquarters at the Philadelphia Naval Business Center.
Brand Names
For the fashion plate among you, Center City (downtown) shopping includes: The Gallery at Market East ? the nation?s biggest downtown shopping center; The Shops at Liberty Place, Rittenhouse Row, Antique Row, Jewelers? Row, and South Street. This area is home to many brand names including: Ann Taylor Loft, Gap, Godiva, Guess, J Crew, New York & Co., Nicole Miller, Nine West, Polo Ralph Lauren, Tiffany & Co., Williams-Sonoma, and Victoria?s Secret. There is no sales tax on clothing or shoes in Pennsylvania!
Philly For Foodies
For the gourmand, Philadelphia and its surrounding areas are among the nation?s premier regions of farming and agriculture. From Kennett Square mushrooms and Branch Creek Farm?s organic milk and cheeses, to Lancaster?s Amish produce and baked goods, Philadelphia is a food-lover?s heaven. Reading Terminal Market, located on the street level of the Pennsylvania Convention Center, is a gastronomic bazaar in a historic setting that dates back to the 19th Century. Many of the historic market stands are still filled with local produce, fresh eggs, milk, meats, poultry, seafood, handmade crafts, jewelry, and clothing. The Market is home to more than 80 merchants, two of whom are descendants of the original stand-holders from a century before. On any given day one can find an eclectic array of fresh baked Amish goods, produce direct from the field, unusual spices, free range meats and poultry, flowers, ethnic foods, and much more.
Found just a mile south of City Hall, the 9th Street Italian Market is the oldest and largest working outdoor market in the United States. The Market, which spans the length of 9th Street from Fitzwater St. to Wharton St., has not changed much in nearly 100 years. Still predominantly Italian, it has the best of many cultures and cuisines to offer shoppers. While food enthusiasts explore the depth and breadth of the gourmet offerings, all visitors to the Italian Market are transported by the sights, sounds, and smells of a bygone era.
Oh, What a Find!
For those looking for a specific item, or perhaps a one-of-a-kind object de art, the city has many enclaves of artisans and specialty shops. Located on Sansom Street, between Seventh and Eighth streets, and on Eighth Street between Chestnut and Walnut streets, Jewelers' Row is the oldest diamond district in America, and only second in size to the row in New York City. It also features the longest continuously operating jewelry shop, which dates back to 1851, and a total of more than 300 retailers, wholesalers, and craftsmen. Many of the businesses on Jewelers? Row have been owned by the same families for five generations.
On South 4th Street, between South and Catherine streets in the Headhouse Row neighborhood, lies Fabric Row. Around the turn of the twentieth century, this area was predominantly a place of textile peddlers, tailors, or seamstresses. Working long hours, they produced the clothing that made Philadelphia the leading men's apparel manufacturer in the world. While the pushcarts are gone, as are many of the old fabric establishments, a number of them remain. Alongside the older shops, a new generation of entrepreneurs has cropped up, offering unparalleled textile shopping, including clothing, upholstery fabrics, trimmings, and sewing supplies.
The true antique aficionado will enjoy the many shops on Antique Row, running along Pine Street between 9th and Broad streets. From custom-designed glass to Colonial-era furniture and rare books, there is always a treasure waiting for the distinguishing collector. Weekends on Antique Row exude a festive, fair-like atmosphere that is agreeable to antique buffs and dilettantes alike.
Just west of Center City, in the shadow of the University of Pennsylvania, is University Square where there are vibrant outdoor shopping plazas surrounding the corner of 36th and Walnut streets. In addition, there is a Farmer?s Market every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., live music every Thursday evening, and a variety of hip international, national, and local shops selling items such as rare books or records that offer warm memories of the past, present and the future.
Liberty to Shop
The Northern Liberties neighborhood, located north of Old City between Girard Avenue and Callowhill Street, from the Delaware River to 6th Street, offers a burgeoning area of bohemian shops and interesting boutiques. Everything from home furnishings, vintage clothing, high-end skin care products, and more are on display in this unique neighborhood?sort of an industrial chic feel with some privately owned shops.
The Hippest Streets in Town
The very best in the eclectic, urban, and hip can be found in the South Street and Old City areas. Both areas feature a diverse combination of visitors and residents, and an eclectic mix of more than 300 shops and more than 60 eateries, cafes, and bars. South Street, between Front and 7th streets, is known for its outdoor buzz and bohemian residents.
The South Street Antiques Market, is one of the area?s best kept secrets.
Discreetly housed inside a historic building that was once used as a synagogue, the Antiques Market is comprised of several unique vendors peddling everything from hand-picked vintage clothing and classic eyewear to rare toys and books. Most stores on South Street are independently owned and stay open long after the city?s other retail establishments have closed for the night, adding a decidedly nocturnal flair to ?the hippest street in town.
In Old City, located between Front and 4th streets and Race to Chestnut streets, countless galleries, home dcor shops, bookstores, and new and vintage clothing boutiques line the historic cobblestone streets. Visitors can first peruse contemporary paintings, sculptures, and quilts at Artjaz Gallery on 2nd street, and then choose from a multitude of dining options on Chestnut street. From fresh sushi at Haru, to Spanish tapas at Amada, Old City restaurants offer delicacies from all over the world. In addition, on the first Friday of every month, the area?s galleries and stores are open late and vendors line the streets with their local crafts, while the curious browse and purchase. Street musicians often add even more color to the lively scene.
Get Out of Town
Visitors can take a break from Center City?s extensive shopping experience, and make the short trip to one of the numerous historic and quaint shopping destinations in close proximity to Central Philadelphia. The Chestnut Hill area, which is only 20 minutes from Center City, houses more than 200 boutique shops, cafes, and restaurants in a charming urban village setting. Historic Manayunk, only seven miles north of Center City, is known for its hills and across the Delaware River, lies Haddonfield, NJ, a lovely hamlet that mixes the Colonial and Victorian eras and features great shops, restaurants, boutiques, and a plethora of galleries featuring original artwork.
Another popular shopping destination just outside the city, the King of Prussia Mall, is the largest shopping complex on the East Coast, and offers the most discriminating shopper an endless selection of luxury department stores with more than 400 dining and shopping venues. For outlet lovers, The Franklin Mills Mall features the best names in manufacturers? and retail outlets, including Off-5th Saks Fifth Avenue Outlet, Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store, and Last Call Neiman Marcus.
The new Philadelphia Premium Outlets, located in the northwestern suburb of Limerick, offers 120 brand name outlet stores from designer fashions and sportswear to home furnishings and specialty gifts, all at 25-66 percent off everyday prices.
For more information about year-round shopping activities in and around Philadelphia, visit the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau?s Web site at www.PhiladelphiaUSA.travel. Don?t forget ? clothing and shoes are tax-free in Philadelphia!
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Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PCVB), www.PhiladelphiaUSA.travel, a private non-profit membership corporation, is the official Tourism Promotion Agency for the City of Philadelphia, and the primary sales and marketing agency for the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The PCVB competes with its counterparts worldwide for convention and tourism business. The organization has departments dedicated to the multicultural, sports, and life sciences markets.
