Where to stay · Philadelphia · United States
Where to stay in Philadelphia
8 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: ajay_suresh, CC BY 2.0
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Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Old City. Cobbled colonial blocks around Independence Mall, galleries and First Friday art nights. Best alternatives — budget: Fishtown; nightlife: Washington Square West and Midtown Village.
Key facts
- First visit
- Old City
- Families
- Old City
- Budget
- Fishtown
- Nightlife
- Washington Square West and Midtown Village
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Old City | Cobbled colonial blocks around Independence Mall, galleries and First Friday art nights |
| Families | Old City | Cobbled colonial blocks around Independence Mall, galleries and First Friday art nights |
| Couples | Old City | Cobbled colonial blocks around Independence Mall, galleries and First Friday art nights |
| Budget | Fishtown | Former industrial river ward turned brewery, music venue and restaurant district |
| Luxury | Rittenhouse Square | Leafy square, Walnut Street shops and the city's most polished restaurant strip |
| Nightlife | Washington Square West and Midtown Village | The Gayborhood's rainbow street signs, 13th Street bars and Antique Row |
| Food lovers | Rittenhouse Square | Leafy square, Walnut Street shops and the city's most polished restaurant strip |
| Solo travellers | Washington Square West and Midtown Village | The Gayborhood's rainbow street signs, 13th Street bars and Antique Row |
| Shopping | Rittenhouse Square | Leafy square, Walnut Street shops and the city's most polished restaurant strip |
| Quiet stays | Society Hill | Brick Federal rowhouses, gas lamps and Headhouse Square |
Philadelphia neighbourhoods in detail
$$$ · Best for first-timers, culture, couples and families
Old City
Old City holds Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Elfreth's Alley and Christ Church, along with converted warehouses full of galleries, cafés and bars on 2nd and 3rd Streets. It is the obvious base for history-focused trips, and the Delaware River waterfront at Penn's Landing is a few minutes' walk east.
- Good
- Walk to the main historic sites; Characterful 18th- and 19th-century streets; Good restaurant and bar choice
- Watch out
- Weekend nights on 2nd Street can be loud; Hotel choice is smaller than in Center City West
- Nearby
- Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, Elfreth's Alley, Penn's Landing
$$$$ · Best for couples, luxury, food lovers and shopping
Rittenhouse Square
Rittenhouse Square is one of William Penn's five original squares, ringed by apartment towers, hotels and café terraces. Walnut and Chestnut Streets carry the main shopping, and the side streets hold brownstones and some of the city's best-known restaurants. The Schuylkill River Trail and the Parkway museums are within walking distance.
- Good
- Elegant, walkable streets; Dense choice of restaurants; Central for both Old City and the Parkway
- Watch out
- The priciest hotels in the city; About a 30-minute walk to Independence Hall
- Nearby
- Rittenhouse Square, Walnut Street, Schuylkill River Trail, Philadelphia City Hall
$$$ · Best for couples, quiet stays and culture
Society Hill
Just south of Independence Hall, Society Hill has one of the largest concentrations of 18th- and early 19th-century houses in the country, many restored in the 1950s and 1960s. Headhouse Square's colonial market shed hosts a farmers' market in season, and South Street's shops and bars begin at its southern edge.
- Good
- Quiet, beautiful residential streets; Walk to the Independence sites; Close to South Street restaurants
- Watch out
- Few hotels inside the neighbourhood itself; Little to do late at night
- Nearby
- Headhouse Square, Independence Hall, South Street, Philadelphia's Magic Gardens
$$$ · Best for nightlife, food lovers, solo travellers and first-timers
Washington Square West and Midtown Village
Between Old City and Broad Street, this area mixes tree-lined residential blocks with the restaurant and bar cluster of 13th Street and the long-established LGBTQ+ nightlife of the Gayborhood. Pine Street's Antique Row is on its southern edge, and Reading Terminal Market and the convention center are a short walk north.
- Good
- Central between Old City and Rittenhouse; Lively restaurants and bars; Close to Regional Rail at Jefferson Station
- Watch out
- Busy and noisy on weekend nights; Convention weeks push up hotel rates
- Nearby
- Reading Terminal Market, Washington Square, Antique Row, Jefferson Station
$$ · Best for nightlife, food lovers, solo travellers and budget
Fishtown
Fishtown, north of Center City along the Delaware, is where many of the city's newer restaurants, breweries and bakeries have opened, mostly along Frankford and Girard Avenues. Live-music venues such as Johnny Brenda's and the Fillmore draw a young crowd, and the Market-Frankford Line runs to Old City and Center City in about 10 minutes.
- Good
- Some of the city's most talked-about food and drink; Better-value short-term rentals; Quick train to the centre
- Watch out
- Few classic sights nearby; Patchy streets between Fishtown and Center City late at night
- Nearby
- Frankford Avenue, Penn Treaty Park, Northern Liberties
$$ · Best for food lovers, budget and culture
East Passyunk and South Philly
South Philadelphia is the city of rowhouses, corner bars and Italian bakeries. East Passyunk Avenue, with its Singing Fountain, is a long strip of chef-owned restaurants, while the 9th Street Italian Market and the rival cheesesteak stands at 9th and Passyunk are a short walk away. It is mostly a place to eat rather than to stay.
- Good
- Excellent neighbourhood restaurants; Everyday local character; Lower prices than Center City
- Watch out
- Few hotels; Bus or Broad Street Line needed to reach most sights
- Nearby
- Italian Market, East Passyunk Avenue, Pat's and Geno's
$$ · Best for culture, families and quiet stays
Fairmount and the Art Museum area
Fairmount sits between the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and Eastern State Penitentiary, with rowhouse streets, neighbourhood bars on Fairmount Avenue and quick access to the Schuylkill River and Boathouse Row. It suits travellers who plan to spend most of their time in the museums and want a quieter base than Center City.
- Good
- Walk to the Parkway museums; Residential and calm; Riverside running and cycling paths
- Watch out
- Limited hotel stock; About 2.5 km from the Independence sites
- Nearby
- Rocky Steps, Eastern State Penitentiary, Barnes Foundation, Boathouse Row
$$ · Best for budget, solo travellers and culture
University City
West of the Schuylkill, University City is home to the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel and the Penn Museum, with student cafés along Walnut Street and Baltimore Avenue. It is the most convenient base for Amtrak travellers, since 30th Street Station sits on its eastern edge.
- Good
- Next to Amtrak and the Airport Line; Good-value food; Penn Museum on the doorstep
- Watch out
- Feels like a campus rather than a city centre; Graduation and move-in weekends book out hotels
- Nearby
- 30th Street Station, Penn Museum, Schuylkill River Trail
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Old City | $$$ | Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, Elfreth's Alley, Penn's Landing |
| Rittenhouse Square | $$$$ | Rittenhouse Square, Walnut Street, Schuylkill River Trail, Philadelphia City Hall |
| Society Hill | $$$ | Headhouse Square, Independence Hall, South Street, Philadelphia's Magic Gardens |
| Washington Square West and Midtown Village | $$$ | Reading Terminal Market, Washington Square, Antique Row, Jefferson Station |
| Fishtown | $$ | Frankford Avenue, Penn Treaty Park, Northern Liberties |
| East Passyunk and South Philly | $$ | Italian Market, East Passyunk Avenue, Pat's and Geno's |
| Fairmount and the Art Museum area | $$ | Rocky Steps, Eastern State Penitentiary, Barnes Foundation, Boathouse Row |
| University City | $$ | 30th Street Station, Penn Museum, Schuylkill River Trail |
Getting to your hotel
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is about 11 km southwest of Center City. SEPTA's Airport Line Regional Rail train reaches University City and Center City stations in about 25 minutes, and taxis charge a flat fare to Center City; the drive takes 20–40 minutes depending on traffic.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Philadelphia for first-time visitors?
Old City. Old City holds Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Elfreth's Alley and Christ Church, along with converted warehouses full of galleries, cafés and bars on 2nd and 3rd Streets.
+Where should families stay in Philadelphia?
Old City: Walk to the main historic sites.
+Which area of Philadelphia is best for a budget stay?
Fishtown ($$): Former industrial river ward turned brewery, music venue and restaurant district.