Philadelphia and the Countryside - Press Room

Spring/Summer 2007:
Uwishunu How To Explore Philly Like A Local
uwishunu.com, Philly’s new insider blog providing the deal from real Philadelphians on eating, drinking, music, culture and more, is giving travelers a new way to stay overnight in the city. Ten hotels have signed up to offer the new hotel experience, called Philly Like A Local, now bookable on uwishunu.com, gophila.com or by calling the hotels directly. Amenities include a late check out; shopping, dining and nightlife privileges; a uwishunu™ temporary tattoo collection and notebook, along with additional goodies. The package is part of uwishunu™ (“you wish you knew”), a two-year tourism initiative created by the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) to promote the unconventional side of the city primarily through the power of new media and Web 2.0.

Art Stars Of The Future
It only happens in May, but people in the art world talk about it all year: it’s the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts’ Annual Student Exhibition. As the culmination of their formal study, undergraduates and grad students at this well-respected institution display their finest work for an entire month. The art runs the spectrum of traditional media, from painting to sculpture to print making, but if there’s one thing that’s consistent, it’s that the exhibition is known as one of the nation’s best places to spot fresh new talent. The popular Preview Party kicks off the 106^th year of the exhibition on May 10, 2007; the show runs May 12 through June 3, 2007. www.pafa.org

Philly Goes Golden In Celebration Of Tut
Philadelphia is celebrating the grandest King Tut exhibition to hit the United States in a quarter-century with the Tutankhamun and The Golden Age of the Pharaohs, presented by Mellon Financial Corporation, at The Franklin Institute through September 30. Complementing the main exhibition is Amarna, Ancient Egypt’s Place in the Sun, already on view at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Beginning May 12, visitors can find Tut fun throughout the city thanks to the King Tut Treasure Tour, a geocaching trail and scavenger hunt showing off Philly’s Egyptian connections. The free tour sends participants in search of clues hidden within Philadelphia landmarks that tie into Tut. The last clue brings geocachers to what is believed to be the largest man-made geocaching clue ever: a walk-through sand sculpture of an Egyptian city. The King Tut Hotel Package is bookable at www.gophila.com.

America’s Most Historic Urban Redevelopment Project: Independence Mall
Just like the Constitution that was created here, Historic Philadelphia is evolving constantly and more relevant today than ever before, thanks in part to a major urban redevelopment project on Independence Mall that’s been 10 years in the making. Summer 2007 will be the first full summer season for the all-new Independence Mall, where diverse exhibitions and attractions tell the story of the nation’s past while keeping pace with 21st-century developments. On Memorial Day weekend, Once Upon A Nation amps up its live, interactive storytelling benches with more than 25 new stories—including one that chronicles the invention of girl scout cookies—and the introduction of storytelling benches, a trolley tour and a unique after-hours experience in Valley Forge National Historic Park. From May 25-September 3, 2007, the National Constitution Center hosts Eyewitness: American Originals from the National Archives, an exhibition that presents stunning photos and video, audio recollections and artifacts from some of the nation’s most memorable events. And for visitors craving even more history, there are tours of Independence Hall now offered every 15 minutes. And, on weekends kids can participate in the National Park Service’s Fun with Franklin in Franklin Court or Soldiers Life in the New Hall Military Museum. www.onceuponanation.org, www.constitutioncenter.org, www.nps.gov/inde

Get Outdoors, And Hit the Road
Each spring, the warm weather beckons people to dust off their fitness and recreation gear and take it where it belongs: outside. For bicycle enthusiasts, there are dozens of professional and amateur races, like the new 40-mile Bike Philly 2007 that will traverse city streets on September 9, 2007; and hundreds of paved and off-road trails, like the scenic 23-mile Schuylkill River Trail that offers a detour to the mountain-bikers’ paradise, Wissahickon Gorge. For running warriors, this summer promises to be an exciting one with the opening of a new spur of the Schuylkill River Trail, the completion of the extended Struble Trail in Chester County, the addition of a new trailhead picnic area at the Schuylkill Environmental Education Center and the ever popular Philadelphia Marathon, to be held November 18, 2007. And that’s just the beginning. To find more activities to fill up an outdoor lover’s calendar, log on to www.gophila.com/outdoors to peruse 150 pages’ worth of listings searchable by category, type and area. It’s all part of Boundless Philadelphia™, a marketing initiative inviting visitors to come play outside.

Philly On The Fourth: There’s No Other Place To Be
Really, where better to celebrate America’s birthday than in the city where it all began? Sunoco Welcome America!, the week-long citywide birthday bash, is a spectacular reason why Philly’s more fun on the Fourth. From Fiesta Goya on the Parkway, which spotlights Tito Puente Jr. playing with award-winning Latin musicians, to Taste of Philadelphia’s food-centric festival, to parades, fireworks, family fun and headline concerts by Chaka Khan and Hall & Oates, Philadelphia really is more fun on the Fourth. www.americasbirthday.com

Fall 2007
Wearable Art Finds A New Home At The Philadelphia Museum Of Art
Fashionistas and scholars of fashion history will rejoice at the opening of the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Ruth and Raymond G. Perelman Building in mid-September 2007, as it marks a grand new era for the museum’s vast costume and textile collection. The museum’s first major annex will boast a nearly 2,000-square-foot gallery, a glass-walled study gallery and increased study, storage and conservation areas that will provide unprecedented access to the costume and textile collection, which numbers some 30,000 objects. The opening exhibition will be A Passion for Perfection, which highlights three Philadelphia-born designers who have achieved international renown: James Galanos, Gus Tassell and Ralph Rucci. www.philamuseum.org

Ready, Set, Renoir
The Philadelphia Museum of Art will be the only U.S. venue to host Renoir Landscapes, an exhibition featuring works by the Impressionist great, on view from October 4, 2007-January 6, 2008. Renoir’s innovative approach to painting outdoors placed him among the most audacious and original landscape artists of the mid-19th century. www.philamuseum.org

Also New:
Ka-Ching: Slot Parlors Open In Pennsylvania
The sound of money echoed far and wide when the Philadelphia region opened its first two slot parlors licensed by the Commonwealth. Philadelphia Park Casino and Racetrack opened on December 19, 2006 in the existing Philadelphia Park racetrack, former home of famed champion horse Smarty Jones; and Harrah’s Chester Downs Racetrack and Casino opened in January 2007 in a brand-new racing facility in Chester. Between them, the two “racinos” boast thousands of gaming machines, horse racing, fine dining and various entertainment options. www.philadelphiapark.com, www.harrahs.com

Philly’s BYOB Craze: Map Out The Perfect Outdoor Dining Game Plan At gophila.com
Now there’s more of a reason than ever to make the popular comparison between Philadelphia and Europe, and that’s the predominance of outdoor dining experiences that add a friendly ambiance to sidewalks in neighborhoods throughout the city. And now hundreds of bring-your-own-bottle restaurants are also offering an outdoor dining option. The interactive BYOB directory and map on www.gophila.com invites hungry diners to search for a restaurant by neighborhood or cuisine and even maps the nearest state-run liquor store where just the right bottle awaits. Looking for a taste of Jamaica? The site recommends Jamaican Jerk Hut, an authentic café with a bustling backyard where patrons can bring their own rum to jazz up a wide selection of juices. Craving a romantic spot outside city limits? Spring Mill Café serves up Old World charm in 19^th-century general store-turned art gallery and restaurant in Conshohocken. Only comfort food will do? Rx in West Philly uses locally sourced ingredients in its scrumptious mac-and-cheese, sweet potato soup and hanger steak with fried potatoes. www.gophila.com/byob

Philadelphia Podcasts Now Downloadable At A Computer Near You
Curious to know where to find the city’s most authentic Ethiopian food or the coolest vintage clothing? Thanks to www.soundaboutphilly.com, home to a series of free, completely mapped and customizable audio tours, visitors—or anyone interested in the region—can get answers to these and other questions via podcast tours playable on their home computers, iPods or MP3 players. There are seven tours with about 10 short segments each: History Unplugged (non-textbook Philly history), Flavorhoods (ethic dining), Vintage Philadelphia (classic Philly spots), My Philly (insider tips straight from locals), Once Upon A Nation (the undertold stories of Colonial Philadelphians), Philly Noir (the African American experience), and Keepin’ the Faith (religious history). Listeners are also encouraged to create and post their own podcast tours. www.soundaboutphilly.com

Contact(s):

• Cara Schneider, (215) 599-0789