The Best Places to Stay in Philadelphia for First Timers

In this article, I have listed down four best places to stay in Philadelphia for tourists visiting the first time. They are Old City, Midtown Village, Logan Square, and Rittenhouse Square. All four areas are located in the Center City district, which is home to the main tourist attractions. Therefore, they are generally quite safe. Try not to stay in accommodations outside the Center City because those areas are generally not very safe for tourists. Even within Center City, it is best to keep your city smarts about you, because Philadelphia is known to have some rough neighbourhoods.

When we were exploring Philly, we did see some unsavoury characters. However, they were few and far between, and most of them were just zooming past us in their pimped-up cars blasting loud music. We also saw many police officers patrolling the streets, which made us feel safer.

I have given detailed descriptions of the four respective areas in Philly below, along with a table for easy reference. Check out the below map of Center City as well to get a sense of the areas’ locations. Also read: 15 Best Things to Do in Philly for First Timers

this is a map of Center City Philadelphia

1. Old City

Old City, also known as the “Historic District”, is home to the important historical landmarks in Philadelphia. We spent one whole morning walking around the Independence National Historical Park, checking out attractions such as the Independence Hall, Liberty Bell Center, Korean War Memorial, Christ Church, and many more. We bought tickets for a tour of the Independence Hall, which is known as the birthplace of the United States. We also went to the Liberty Bell Center, home to the Liberty Bell. This large metal bell is widely seen as an iconic symbol of American independence. I managed to take a few decent photos with it before being jostled out by tourists. Old City is also home to Penn’s Landing, a waterfront area where many events and attractions are held. And of course, this area has plenty of great bistros, artisan shops, funky boutiques, book stores, records stores, etc.

Why Stay in Old City

This is a good area to stay if you want to be within walking distance of all the United States historic landmarks.

What to Do in Old City

Independence National Historical Park – This is the most popular tourist area in Philly with many historic landmarks.

Penn’s Landing – This waterfront area is the site of many events and attractions. You can check out the events here.

Where to Stay in Old City

B&B – If you are on a budget, you can consider Okan’s Airbnb, a spacious apartment that is within walking distance of the historic district. The apartment is clean and modern, with a washer-dryer, bathroom, and WiFi. You can click here to get a $45 Airbnb discount coupon.

MidRange – A good value-for-money hotel would be Hilton Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing. The hotel offers clean and modern rooms with great views of the river. It is located beside the Independence Seaport Museum in the Penn’s Landing area, and is around a ten-minute walk away from the historic district. The hotel has free WiFi, an indoor pool, and a decent gym. Click here to see the latest price of Hilton Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing.

Luxury – A great hotel to pamper yourself is the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Philadelphia. This luxury boutique hotel offers chic luxurious rooms with great views of the park. It is located in a fantastic location and provides exceptional service. The hotel has a great rooftop bar, good gym, and free WiFi. There is even complimentary wine and iced tea in the lobby every night. Click here to see the latest price of Kimpton Hotel Monaco Philadelphia.

2. Midtown Village

Midtown Village, also known as the “Gayborhood”, has a number of LGBT-friendly shops, bistros and pubs. It is the site of the annual “PrideDay LGBT Parade and Festival”. The area is located between the historic Old City area and the upscale Rittenhouse Square. Over here we saw many landmarks and attractions such as the Philadelphia City Hall, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Reading Terminal Market, and famous performing arts centres.

Why Stay in Midtown Village

Situated between the Old City and Rittenhouse Square, Midtown Village is a convenient place to stay if you want to be within walking distance of both the historic district and the high end neighbourhood of Rittenhouse Square.

What to Do in Midtown Village

Philadelphia City Hall – This National Historic Landmark serves as the seat of government of Philadelphia. I found this Baroque-style building to be majestic and beautiful.

Reading Terminal Market – We saw local purveyors selling a variety of fresh produce, meat, seafood, baked goods and more at this popular farmer’s market. And we saw plenty of awesome eateries here too!

Where to Stay in Midtown Village

B&B – If you are on a tight budget, you can consider Matthew’s Airbnb. This homely apartment is in a great location, with a well-equipped kitchen, fresh bedding, and WiFi. Matthew is a airbnb “superhost” and the apartment has many good reviews. You can click here to get a $45 Airbnb discount coupon.

MidRange – A great value-for-money hotel to stay at would be the Loews Philadelphia Hotel. The hotel offers beautiful stylish rooms, a great gym, swimming pool, and free WiFi. Service is very good too. It is situated in a great location just opposite the Reading Terminal Market, with various nearby metro stations. Click here to see the latest price of Loews Philadelphia Hotel.

Luxury – If you want to stay at a luxury hotel, you can consider The Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia. This five-star hotel offers luxurious rooms, a great lobby bar, complimentary WiFi, and is very near various train stations. Click here to see the latest price of The Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia.

3. Logan Square Area

Logan Square (also known as Logan Circle) is a traffic circle with a pretty public park in the centre. The square itself is surrounded by various famous institutions such as the Academy of Natural Sciences and the Franklin Institute. The Benjamin Franklin Parkway runs through Logan Square and leads to the Philadelphia Museum of Art where we saw the world famous Rocky Statue and Rocky Steps! We also visited the Fairmount Water Works, a beautiful neo-classical structure that was once the city’s public water supply center.

Why Stay in Logan Square Area

This is a good area to stay if you are a family with children, because it is near family-friendly attractions such as museums and parks. The popular children museum Please Touch Museum and Philadelphia Zoo is located further up from the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

What to Do in Logan Square Area

Logan Square – We spent a short time at this small park that has a beautiful water fountain in the centre. It is surrounded by various elegant buildings such as the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul and the Franklin Institute. We also saw the pretty AMOR sculpture.

Philadelphia Museum of Art – The main reason why we came here was to take photos of the famous Rocky Statue and “Rocky Steps”. Unfortunately, the steps were closed because of the annual NFL draft. Luckily, I still saw the iconic Rocky Statue. I took several photos with the statue, with my arms raised in victory (like Rocky).

Fairmount Water Works – We visited this beautiful attraction in the evening and saw many Philly locals exercising and relaxing in the surrounding park area. We got a great view of the Philadelphia Museum of Art from here too.

Where to Stay in Logan Square Area

B&B – If you are on a budget, you can check out Bob’s cozy loft studio airbnb which is just across the street from the Franklin Institute. The small space has a kitchen, common area with TV, WiFi, and a double-decker bed. You can click here to get a $45 Airbnb discount coupon.

MidRange – A great four-star hotel to stay at is The Windsor Suites, which offers comfy modern rooms at relatively affordable prices. The hotel also has a great rooftop pool, a decent gym, free WiFi, and an Irish pub. It is just a three-minute walk from Logan Square. Click here to see the latest price for The Windsor Suites.

Luxury – If you can afford to spend a little more, you can consider staying at The Logan Philadelphia, Curio Collection by Hilton. This semi-luxury 4.5 star hotel offers elegant spacious rooms, a swimming pool, a decent gym, and free WiFi. Guests can also enjoy great views of Logan Square and the museum area from the rooftop bar. Click here to see the latest price for The Logan Philadelphia, Curio Collection by Hilton.

4. Rittenhouse Square Area

Rittenhouse Square is a pretty public park with lush trees, green spaces and pretty sculptures. The square is surrounded by many classy cafes and restaurants. The area around the park is an upscale district with many expensive residences.

Why Stay in Rittenhouse Square Area

This is a good area to stay if you like a high end district with a sleek crowd. You will also be near many classy bistros and cafes.

What to Do in Rittenhouse Square Area

Rittenhouse Square – We enjoyed strolling around this tranquil park with lush greenery and open green spaces. This is a great place for picnicking, relaxing and taking a break from hectic city life.

Parc – This is a classic french-style bistro with al fresco seating overlooking Rittenhouse Square park. We settled at a table outdoors in the cool night air, enjoying our food while people-watching. This was one of our most pleasant experiences in Philly.

Where to Stay in Rittenhouse Square Area

B&B – Mitchell’s airbnb is a cozy apartment with pretty hardwood floors that is very near Rittenhouse Square. It has a kitchen, bathroom, TV, WiFi and a large bay window. You can click here to get a $45 Airbnb discount coupon.

MidRange – During our two-day holiday in Philly, we stayed at the Sofitel Philadelphia. You can check out our full review of the hotel. This semi-luxury hotel offers clean and spacious rooms with dark coloured furnishings. We experienced great service during our stay here. The hotel has a decent gym, free WiFi and a nice lobby bar. Click here to see the latest price for Sofitel Philadelphia.

Luxury – If you want to stay at the best hotel in Philadelphia, you can’t go wrong with The Rittenhouse Hotel. This number one ranked hotel on TripAdvisor offers classy luxurious rooms that are clean, spacious and comfortable. Guests enjoyed exceptional service and are treated to complimentary chocolate–covered strawberries in the lobby. The hotel also has a wonderful pool, gym, library-themed bar, and free WiFi. Click here to see the latest price for The Rittenhouse Hotel.

Conclusion

As mentioned earlier, all four areas above are located in the Center City district. The Old City district is the best area to stay at if you want to be within walking distance of all the main historic landmarks. Midtown Village is a convenient locations that is within walking distance of both the Old City and the Rittenhouse Square Area. The Logan Square Area is good if you are a family with children because it is relatively near to several museums, Fairmount Water Works, Philadelphia Zoo and Please Touch Museum. Last but not least, Rittenhouse Square is a high end district with many classy cafes and restaurants. And that’s it! I hope you have enjoyed reading our list of best places to stay in Philadelphia for tourists visiting the first time. Feel free to leave any questions in the comments section below.

This article is part of our completely free and fantastic Ultimate Philadelphia Travel Guide for First Timers. Why spend days researching when all your holiday information is simply a click away?