Places to go Near PHL - Phila Intl Airport 

FDR Park and Golf Course

 So you're in Philly for the night and you want to go out and maybe see the town or go for a walk in the park, or find some of those famous eats everyone talks about in Philadelphia.  Where do you go? Well you're probably staying down by the airport at one of the many park sleep fly hotels in the area. They are all near I-95, so we will take that (I95) north towards the city, now if you want to take a walk in the park I mentioned, get off I-95 at the Broad St. Exit, stay to the left, and make a left on Pattison Ave. Make another left at the entrance to FDR Park, or as we locals call it "down the lakes". This is a huge park that was home to the US Sesquicentennial back in 1926. Only a few of the original buildings remain from that amazing event, but the ones that are left are a nice reminder of that forgotten era. The first building you will see on the left is the "Lookout" Its like a big domed gazebo type building overlooking Edgewater Lake.

 The next building you will see is the boathouse. This was the Russian Tea Room on top during the Sesquicentennial, and a boathouse on the bottom. Theres a floating dock around the back side, you can go fishing there, or just watch the ducks and geese. On the opposite side of the street from the boathouse to the right is a large parking lot, and another treasure from the past. The Swedish American Museum is there, still open to the public at certain times of the day, and if you take away the wrought iron fence, still the way it looked more than 80 yrs ago. Its full of Swedish American History, as the Swedes were the first to settle this area way back in the 1600's.
  If you keep going around the park, don't worry, it just goes in one big circle, you'll come past Edgewater Lake on the left. Keep going around and you'll come to the first set of tennis courts on the right, right next to I 95. If you keep driving you'll come to a now famous skate park where all the local and not so local skateboarders go, including the likes of Bam Margera and friends of Viva la Bam fame. The skate park may not look like much but I see they are still building on to it. And the city is doing an amazing job trying to keep the whole park clean.
  Down the road a bit more is 2 more buildings from the Sesquicentennial, they were used as first aid stations for the celebration. Since then they have been used for many things including a kind of changing room from when they had a giant swimming pool there. If you park in the next lot and take a walk behind those buildings, you will find a nature trail that runs from one side of Meadow lake to the other. Meadow lake is a man made lake with a concrete bottom that was a huge swimming and wading pool back in the day. It hasn't been a pool since the fifties when they built an oversized olympic swimming pool there, right behind those 2 buildings. A sign on the trail tells the story of why the pool is no longer there.

Anyway on a recent walk on the nature trail we were surprised to find 3 or 4 White Swans in Meadow Lake, along with a Great Egret and some Canadian Geese just enjoying the lake.
   Down the road a bit more and you'll find some brand new tennis courts that were just put in a year or so ago. So if you like to play tennis, stop in and check them out, its free.
   Ok now that you've taken a walk in the park, took in the sights, and relaxed awhile, you gotta be working up an appetite. Just go out any exit from the park onto Pattison Ave. again and make a right. Follow Pattison Ave. past the Spectrum, Past Citizens Bank Park the new Phillies Stadium, and Lincoln Financial Field, the new Eagles Stadium. Keep going until you get to Front Street, and make a left. Take Front St. until you hit Oregon Ave. and make a right. Don't go too far from here because right across the street is Tony Luke's Sandwich Shop, and on the right is Tony Lukes Beef and Beer. You can get some awesome sandwiches at either one of those places. I have to recommend the Chicken Cutlet Italian, it's breaded chicken cutlet on a long hoagie roll with sharp provolone, and your choice of broccoli rabe or spinach. This is my favorite, but all the sandwiches are good there. If you like pork, then you'll have to try that. They have the best pork sandwiches in town.
   There's literally hundreds of things you could do in town now, too many for me to keep rambling on about, I'll put those in another article soon. When you're done for the night, just look for I-95 South and head back to your Park Sleep Fly Airport Hotel and get ready for your flight. Have a Nice Trip :)

  Editor Phila-Airport-Parking.com