Info for Tourists & Travelers: Understanding Philadelphia

The nickname “City of Brotherly Love” was coined when William Penn, who founded the city, named it to reflect its Greek translation and roots. Penn’s idea was to build a place, being a Quaker, that anyone can practice their own faith openly and without persecution. The original capital of the country, it was also the 2nd biggest British Empire after London. Its history, tradition, and culture are hidden not too deep beneath the layers of events and celebrations they continue to celebrate today. It is an exciting, renowned melting pot of immigrant cultures.

Source: Unsplash - Devon Wellesley

 Just like Penn intended, there are a lot of parks and green spaces to enjoy everywhere you turn in downtown Philly. As an ideal escapade from bustling city life, Philadelphia provides blocks of landscaped greens surrounded by public art, all of which can be clearly viewed from within your Philadelphia charter bus. Just to name a few: Franklin Square, Fitler Square, Washington Square, Rittenhouse Square or Logan Square.

Home to historic landmarks like Liberty Bell and the Declaration of Independence, it has inspired a smaller New Philadelphia in Ohio (30 minutes from Canton) which has a population of approximately 180,000.  Thanks to its rich history, culture and friendly people (except for when you’re supporting the opposite sports team, that is), the city revels in its own quirks. To sample what Philadelphia offers, look out for the following.

1. City of Firsts

You’re right if you think, being one of the pioneering cities in the country, that Philadelphia had the privilege of enjoying many historical firsts. It hosted America’s first independence, got to first explore the world of personal computers, ran the country’s first daily newspaper (The Philadelphia Packet and Daily Advertiser back in 1784), and its people enjoyed the country’s very first zoo! Not only did it build the country’s first hospital, it had the first medical school which, until today, is known for vast advancements in the medical sector. The stats don’t lie. One in every six doctors in the country received their training in Philadelphia.

Bring the Philadelphia charter bus to the following attractions if you’re interested in finding out more about how Philadelphia became the guinea pig for the countless industries that drove America forward.

• The American Philosophical Society

105 South Fifth Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106-3386
(215) 440-3400
Hours: Mon to Fri 9 am - 4.30pm
www.amphilsoc.org/library
Benjamin Franklin and his Quaker botanist friend, John Bartram established the society way before the Declaration of Independence. Its purpose was to have a place where the scientific discovery was independent of Great Britain’s dominance. Today, it is an International research center with focuses on early American history, Native American ethnography, linguistics, digital innovation, and sciences.

Ben is ready to root for our hometown team in next weekend's #superbowl! #flyeaglesfly🏈💚 #librariesofinstagram

A post shared by American Philosophical Society (@amphilsociety) on Jan 25, 2018 at 8:14am PST

• Dox Thrash - Accomplished Painter and Printmaker

Dox Thrash became well-known because he produced countless paintings, drawings, and prints during his lifetime that reflected his life as an African American. It was a bold idea at that time. In the 1940s, after introducing the Carborundum printmaking technique, he continued developing his expertise in etching, drypoint, mezzotint, lithography and linoleum cut. We are sure you’ll enjoy the results of his countless experiments as much as he did. He remained active in the art scene until his death and you can view his masterpieces at the Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Woodmere Art Museum, and the Baltimore Museum of Art.

• The First Bank of the United States

Independence National Historical Park - 128 South 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA
The city established its first bank during a nationally tumultuous time. Chartered in 1791 as a part of Alexander Hamilton’s reforms, it played a crucial role in setting the financial stage right for the country. Introduced in the country’s first capital, it had the Federal Government take over Revolutionary War debts, raise money for the new government and established the country’s first national bank and currency.

• Bartram's Garden

5400 Lindbergh Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19143
(215) 729-5281
info@bartramsgarden.org
Hours: Mon to Fri 10 am - 4 pm; Sat and Sun 10 am - 6 pm
http://bartramsgarden.org
The oldest surviving botanic garden in North America, the historic garden offers free admission for all. A little off-the-beaten-path, it’s a hidden gem and a sanctuary to those looking for a quiet place to relax, enjoy kayaking/paddling, picnic, or have a romantic date with their loved ones. Head out during sunset and you’ll be rewarded with countless Instagram-worthy pictures!

🎶 It’s just another manic Monday, I wish it was Sun(flower)day 🎶 #thebangles #bartramsgarden #sunflower

A post shared by Bartram's Garden (@bartramsgarden) on Aug 20, 2018 at 6:10am PDT

There's more where that came from! Continue reading this article for more on the best local cuisine to try in Philadelphia, why the history of Philadelphia is such a source of pride for the locals and what to expect from Philly sports fan (Answer: A LOT!) We've also listed down a whole bunch of interesting art attractions and venues to check out when in town!

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Bus Rentals Philadelphia Will Make Your Trip to Philadelphia Memorable With Affordable Charter Buses

If you’re trying to find a bus in Philadelphia, you’ve come to the right place! Bus Rentals Philadelphia, backed by a reputable leading ground transportation company in the United States and supported by a wide network of service providers, have a buffet of offerings up for grabs! You get a 50% discount off rental rates while they are still available any time of the year, enjoy promotional packages for overnight and long-distance trips, or travel in style during your corporate events and team-building outings. With reliable, professionally driven coaches, mini buses, school buses, party buses, limousines and shuttle buses, that’s one thing checked off your worry list.

So, forget about driving your group or family around Philadelphia on your own or renting individual cars because you can save money and do your part for the environment with charter buses. They’re more efficient in so many ways! Call us right now at 1-800-304-1993 for information about our promotional packages or complete a simple contact us form right here and we’ll quote you via email in no time.

We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Intriguing Facts About Fun Philly

In our history books, the fact that the city of Brotherly Love was the site of the Declaration of Independence; it’s where you are encouraged to ditch your diet and dig into delicious Philly cheesesteaks; and it also played a pivotal role in the American Revolution, was a meeting place for the Founding Fathers of the country...but these are all common knowledge. Having been one of the country’s capitals, it’s had its run as a headliner, before Washington D.C. took over. Suffice to say, there is a lot more from where that came from. 

Being the city where many of the country’s firsts came about, the can-do spirit is still very much rife and alive. The spirit of intense excitement of being able to forge ahead in multiple industries and being written repeatedly on pages of our history books has created a society of influencers. Philly handily beat out New York City and Columbus, OK, for the hosting of the 2016 Democratic National Convention, while Republicans will be holding their nominating convention in Cleveland. With its history, knowing nuggets of its decorous past will inevitably lead down the road of politics.

Even with that said, there’s really more to Philly than cheesesteaks, politics, and history. So, without further ado, here are some compelling facts about the city to tickle your noggin. 

1. The Birth of the Giant Brain in the 1940s

We’re going on out a limb to say that, apart from the brains in the humans who helped come up with ENIAC, the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, the Giant Brain, was the closest we came to an automated system at the time. It was also the first fully electronic computer in the world when it was designed and built at the University of Pennsylvania. The endeavor received enthusiastic response and support from the United States Army which started using the computers right off the bat during WWII. Reputed to be 1,000 faster than any other computers known to man at that time, it was a natural winner.

It was smart enough to out-calculate the best of human beings and was said to be Turing-complete. Just by inputting data (read: numbers), it helped in artillery firing tables for the Army's Ballistic Research Laboratory and was included in the study of thermonuclear weaponry.

You won’t find the computer around anymore, that goes without saying, what with a smartphone in everyone’s hands, we literally have something that outperforms this relic device. But it’s interesting to explore what was successfully salvaged of ENIAC. Visitors who are into computing and science will find original bits and pieces of it at The School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Pennsylvania, National Museum of American History in Washington D.C., The Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA, The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, The United States Army Ordnance Museum in Maryland, The U.S. Army Field Artillery Museum in Fort Sill, The United States Military Academy at West Point in New York, and a little further away, in the London Science Museum. 

• University of Pennsylvania
  Philadelphia, PA 19104
  (215) 898-5000
  
• National Museum of American History
  1300 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC 20560
  (202) 633-1000
  info@si.edu
  www.americanhistory.si.edu
  
• Computer History Museum
  1401 N Shoreline Blvd, Mountain View, CA 94043
  (650) 810-1010
  www.computerhistory.org
  
• University of Michigan
  500 S. State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
  (734) 764-1817
  www.umich.edu
  
• U.S. Army Field Artillery Museum
  Corral Rd, Fort Sill, OK 73503
  (580) 442-1819
  www.sill-www.army.mil/famuseum
  
• United States Military Academy
  Building 606, West Point, New York  10996
  (845) 938 4041

 

Want to enhance your Phillies tailgate? Swing by your local Whole Foods Market for their made-in-house burgers – grill (and tailgate!) ready. pic.twitter.com/QtEYbkwNdz

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 16, 2018

Continue Reading more interesting fun facts about what you can find at every corner of Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love, on our website, Bus Rentals Philadelphia right now by clicking on the link above.

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Bus Rentals Philadelphia is the One-Stop-Shop for All your Ground Transportation Needs

We are dedicated to serving you, ensuring that you’re getting the best deal in the market, making comparisons and helping you get to where you need to be at in a comfortable Philadelphia charter bus, coach or limousine. We are here to serve you. Our mission and vision have always been simple: to be the one-point contact for all your charter bus rental needs...not just Philadelphia, but also out of town, and nationwide! We want to serve you no matter where you are, and whatever time it is that is convenient for you. We offer you a personal account executive who will act as a contact for all your travel and transportation needs. So, if you have a day-trip, church outing, sporting event, city tour, corporate event, bachelor or bachelorette party, wedding, prom, or field trip coming up, we would like to be the charter bus company of choice. Wait no more! Give us a call at 1-800-304-1993 right now to get your quick charter bus quote or complete this simple contact us form and we’ll get back to you promptly with all the information that you need.