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Philadelphia is home to the nations first hospital, university, and zoo and for the next few days it's home to DIA 2016.
From the 26th to the 30th of June industry leaders are flocking to the Pennsylvania Convention Center in the middle of downtown Philadelphia.The streets of Philadelphia are both beautiful and thick with history, so if you have a little extra time, why not explore them?
All of the below places are close to the convention center or easily accessible by a short cab ride for attendees. Happy exploring!
We'll start with what we love most - the food!
When you're needing a rest after walking through the historic streets of Philadelphia you can head towards the Delaware River to Penn’s Landing. Here you'll find a pretty but unassuming boat floating on the river. Inside, you'll find something quite special.
The Moshula is a four masted sail ship with a fine dining restaurant and bar on board. Here you can treat yourself to a cocktail or indulge in a meal whilst taking in all this iconic landmark has to offer. It's one of our favourite places to eat in Philly so make sure you book in for dinner.
Close to Moshulu you'll find the Olympia and the Becuna, a WWI era warship and a small submarine, both of which you can explore. Definitely worth looking at whilst you're in the area.
Of course you wouldn't be experiencing Philadelphia if you didn't have a Philly Cheese Steak. The home of the original steak sandwich is Pat's Steaks which is in South Philly. They are open 24 hours a day 7 days a week and have been owned and operated by the Olivieri family for over 80 years. You can get a cab to Pat's or Moshulu's as it's quick ten minute ride or you can take a leisurely half hour walk - either way both are certainly worth it!
The number one most visited attraction in Philly is the Reading Terminal Market - if you are a foodie this will be your paradise!
Now you're full you should head to 1 Penn Square where you'll find Philadelphia's City Hall the tallest habitable building in the world from 1894 to 1908.
When the statue of William Penn was placed, sculptor, Alexander Milne Calder wished for the statue to face south so that its face would be lit by the sun for most of the day showing off the details of his work. Instead, the statue faces northeast. Looking out towards Penn Treaty Park in Fishtown, commemorating the site where William Penn signed a treaty with the local Native American tribe.
You can head here to City Hall to indulge in the governmental history but also to admire the architecture and art surrounding the building.
After this be sure to take a look at Philadelphia's 30th Street Station, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This station is a major stop on Amtrak's Northeast and Keystone Corridors.
In 2005, Philadelphia-based Pew Charitable Trust asked Amtrak to change the name of 30th Street Station to "Ben Franklin Station" in honour of the celebration of Ben Franklin's 300th birthday in January 2006. The cost of replacing signs at the station was estimated at $3 million. This idea was eventually abandoned whilst Amtrak worried 'Ben' station would be mixed up with it's other three 'Penn' stations.
You can take a look at the butterfly room in the Natural History Museum or maybe wander to the Franklin Institute which has a planetarium and science museum. Be sure to check if there are any special exhibits in town as these are often something special.
As you're walking through the backstreets of Philadelphia be sure to not miss these works of art that you may just walk right on by. Keep an eye out for murals and graffiti hiding behind corners.
If you take some time to visit Philadelphia's Art Museum you can take a walk up the Parkway which will lead you to a collection of sculptures. The Rodin Museum contains the largest collection of sculptor Auguste Rodin's works outside Paris. The Rodin Museum is only approximately fifteen minutes from the convention center - definitely worth the walk!
If after all of the above you still have some time left our other favourite Philadelphia picks would be checking out Chinatown or heading across the river to Camden and enjoying the Camden Aquarium. Of course the Liberty Bell is a must see as well as the famous Rocky Statue and steps. Who can pass off the chance to pose next to Rocky?
When you've spent your day exploring Philly and your ready to return to the Convention Center, head towards Booth #633. Here you'll find the Zigzag team and you can find out more about our global quality assurance services, ask their favourite thing about Philly or let us know yours.
We hope you have a wonderful conference and most of all... enjoy Philadelphia!
Zigzag are a global Quality Assurance company providing services to the Pharmaceutical, Biotech and Medical Device industries. We have offices based in Europe, North America and Singapore. For more information please visit www.zigzagassociates.com