Philadelphia's hippest neighborhood, Old City, today is much as it was when Benjamin Franklin walked its streets. One of the most progressive citizens of his time, city-father Franklin would surely approve of the many art galleries, trendy shops and vibrant restaurants that dot the downtown Philadelphia landscape.
The rich history of Philadelphia is still visible today in the superb Historic District: Independence Hall, where the nation's Constitution was hotly debated, and the Liberty Bell, which became a symbol of the new government are there. The city's museums—more than a dozen, including the excellent Franklin Institute and the Philadelphia Museum of Art—are world-class institutions that mix old and new in surprising ways.