Philadelphia

Things to See and Do In Philadelphia

Huntsman Hall: 3730 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Welcome to Philadelphia! The conference is hosted on the beautiful urban campus of the University of Pennsylvania. It is a short walk to center city Philadelphia (about 20 minutes), but there is also plenty to see and do on campus if you need a break from DjangoCon.

Once in University City or Center City, Philadelphia can be easily navigated through the following means:

Penn Gourmet Coffee

University City is home to some of the best coffee joints in the city. Step outside the comfort zone of a regular "cup of joe" and into a tantalizing cup of awesome.

Penn Food - Fine Dining

  • Han Dynasty University City: A personal favorite of our hosts at Wharton, who actually smuggled a meal from Han Dynasty to PyCon in Montreal in 2015! Anthony Bourdain described Han Dynasty as the "best Sichuan style Chinese food outside of China." Chef Han Chiang is a bit of a crazy character, but delivers where it counts.
  • Pod: Sushi, Sashimi and More
  • Penne Restaurant & Wine Bar: Located at The Inn at Penn
  • Distrito: Mexican from Jose Garces

Penn Food - Casual & Takeout

  • Koch's Deli: World-famous old-school take-out institution for sandwiches, hoagies & sliced cold cuts by the pound.
  • Food Trucks: Penn is home to a large food truck community. Many offer excellent meals, in the $5 price range, within a block of the conference venue.
  • Bobby’s Burger Palace aka. BBP: This is Bobby Flay’s burger joint! There are a number of choices on the menu ranging from your classic burger all the way to a brunch burger with egg! You can crunchify any burger by adding potato chips! The milkshakes are to die for!
  • City Tap House: gastropub with an excellent menu.
  • Paris Cafe Creperie: huge crepes, sweet and savory.
  • The Greek Lady: the best hoagies on campus.
  • Wawa: the greatest convenience store on the planet! Two locations on campus.
  • Kitchen Gia: Fritattas, salads, gourmet sandwiches, and more

Penn Campus Bucket List

  • Discover Penn: landmarks around campus, including an interactive map.
  • ENIAC: Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer: The first electronic general-purpose computer. It was Turing-complete, digital, and could solve "a large class of numerical problems" through reprogramming. The entire original programming staff were women.
  • The LOVE Statue: We have our own iconic Philadelphia LOVE statue! It’s less crowded and right down Locust Walk. No need to fight with engaged couples to get your picture with this one!
  • Ben Franklin on a bench - feel free to get your picture taken with Ben Franklin (you may want to rethink sitting on his lap though!)
  • The Giant Button: We have a gigantic button... a monument of a seated Ben Franklin stands near the sculpture; legend has it that when this man of considerable girth sat down, his vest button popped off and rolled across the University's Locust Walk. It eventually came to a stop and split into two—hence becoming today's sculpture!
  • The Biopond: Want a quiet spot to enjoy a quick bite to eat? Have some “me” time? Like nature? The BioPond is the perfect escape for you.

Around Town Bucket List

The downtown area has way too many restaurants to list (http://www.visitphilly.com/restaurants-dining/), historic sites to see, amazing museums, historic City Hall, more murals than any city on the planet, and lots of public parks.

  • Historic Philadelphia: Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Betsy Ross House
  • Ben Franklin Parkway: The Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Barnes Foundation, the Franklin Institute
  • Gayborhood: Philadelphia was founded on the principles of freedom and equality, and that is evidenced by the city’s rich gay culture.
  • South Street: partially home to Philadelphia bohemian counter culture, partially commercialized. Lots of food, bars, and other strange attractions.
  • Rittenhouse Square: Luxury apartments, popular fine dining options, and retail stored surround this tree-filled park, which is one of the original five square parks planned by William Penn. Rittenhouse Square is home to the most desirable addresses in the city. The tree filled park provides a spot to relax within the busy city.
  • Spruce Street Harbor Park: while a little bit farther from campus, this beautiful new park on the Delaware River at Penn's Landing provides hammocks, beautiful lighting in the trees, and several summer restaurants.