My wife and I will be in Philadelphia 08/02-3 (possibly through the
4th); we will be seeing the FC Barcelona vs. Manchester United soccer
match at the new Lincoln Financial Field.  Neither of us has ever been
to Philadelphia before and are a bit at a loss as to what else to do
during our stay.  We both enjoy quirky sights (the Mutter Museum of
medical oddities will certainly be one sight to see) and good ethnic
(middle eastern, Chinese, etc.,) food.  We live in central Illinois,
which is comparable to the Sahara Desert on cultural and gastronomic
adventures - so we want to do something different and interesting.  I
am not really all that interested in the Independence Hall/Liberty
Bell scene, and prefer something outside that realm (though other
historical sites may interest us).  Let's say we'll be occupied from
6:00 PM - 10:00 PM on 08/03.  Also, are there any expatriate bars that
are worth checking out after the match (English or Spanish)?  We'll be
staying at the Holiday Inn right across from the stadium, so the
closer the attactions to this, the better.  The address for the hotel
is 900 Packer Ave. Philadelphia (Holiday Inn Stadium). I prefer travel
to the southern US and am actually dreading bobbing about Philadelphia
in our free time before/after the match.  Can you help us???  If any
clarification is needed (I may have been a bit vague), please ask
away.  Thanks for helping us with out Great Escape!

---

Clarification of Question by amole-ga on 02 Jul 2003 15:09 PDT

Addendum:  are there any good Serbian, Bosnian, or Croatian
restaurants in the vicinity

Greetings amole,

Sorry for keeping your question locked all afternoon.  I love doing
the GA travel questions but have to wait till I finish my regular job
so I appreciate your patience.  Most researchers would have had this
information back to you within the hour.  Hope it was worth the wait.

=========================
ARRIVAL
=========================

Philadelphia International Airport:
http://www.phl.org

"Philadelphia International Airport is 5 miles (8km) southwest of the
city center. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation System SEPTA
runs rail lines from the airport into the city every 30 minutes.
Shuttle buses, limousines and taxis also operate between the airport
and the city. There are rental car agencies at the airport and in
town, but driving isn't recommended in central Philadelphia; parking
is difficult and regulations strictly enforced. Most downtown
distances are short enough to walk.

SEPTA provides comprehensive transportation service in the city and
suburbs, both on rail and bus systems. A trolley bus is a good way to
visit many of the sights. Three subway lines travel under the city."

Getting around/helpful numbers:
http://www.fodors.com/miniguides/mgresults.cfm?destination=philadelphia@119&cur_section=tra

================================
HOLIDAY INN/PHILADELPHIA STADIUM
================================

Holiday Inn/Legends Sports Bar
http://www.sixcontinentshotels.com/h/d/hi/hd/phlps

Legends Sports Bar and Grille
Location: In Hotel - Hotel 
Serves: Dinner 
"For the sports lover, our own Philly Legends Sports Bar and Grille is
the place to be! Legends serves great appetizers, cooked to order
burgers, and sandwiches. Thirty-two colored televisions, one
big-screen television, and DJ entertainment on weekends adds to your
enjoyment. During special events, live entertainment varies."

=============================
RESTAURANTS
=============================

I didn't find any Bosnian/Serbo-Croatian restaurants but I hope you
find something to your linking in the ones I've chosen.   Most
restaurants are about 15 minutes away from your hotel.  You can check
any restaurant that looks interesting by pulling up the restaurant at
citysearch (http://philadelphia.citysearch.com), scrolling down to the
bottom of the page, enter your hotel address and get directions. 
Here's an example:

Cuba Libre
http://www.cubalibrerestaurant.com

1 Start out going North on S 10TH ST towards PACKER AVE by turning
left. 0.00
2 Turn RIGHT onto PACKER AVE. 0.26 
3 Turn LEFT onto S 7TH ST. 0.42 
4 Turn RIGHT onto W OREGON AVE. 0.16 
5 Turn LEFT onto S 5TH ST. 2.45 
6 Turn RIGHT onto MARKET ST. 0.27 
7 Turn RIGHT onto S 2ND ST. 0.01 
Total Distance: 3.60 miles 
Estimated Time: 14 minutes  
 
Tangerine
http://tangerine.citysearch.com

Buddakan
http://buddakan.citysearch.com

Morimoto
http://www.morimotorestaurant.com/main.html

Susanna Foo's
http://www.susannafoo.com/restaurant/susanna.html

Mallorca
http://www.mallorcarestaurant.com

Pasion
http://www.pasionrestaurant.com/1.html

==========================
CASUAL RESTAURANTS
==========================

Monks Cafe
http://www.monkscafe.com

Pat's King of Steaks
http://www.patskingofsteaks.com

Melrose Diner
http://www.melrose-diner.com

==========================
RESTAURANT REVIEWS
==========================

Philadephia Weekly
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/listings/rest_reviews.asp

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/dness/notes/phlrst.htm

==========================
BARS/TAVERNS
==========================

Philadium Tavern
1631 Packer Ave, Philadelphia, PA
http://www.digitalcity.com/philadelphia/entertainment/venue.adp?vid=175994

Grey Lodge
http://www.greylodge.com

Standard Tap
http://www.standardtap.com

==========================
ACTIVITIES
==========================

Mütter Museum
http://www.collphyphil.org/muttpg1.shtml

Joseph Poon's Walking Tour of Chinatown
http://www.josephpoon.com/WOKNWALK.htm
http://www.josephpoon.com

Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology 
http://www.museum.upenn.edu

Eastern State Penitentiary
http://www.easternstate.org

Yards Brewing
http://www.yardsbrewing.com

Regional Terminal Market
http://www.readingterminalmarket.org

The Academy of Natural Sciences
1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19103 
http://www.acnatsci.org/museum/future.html


=============================
ADDITIONAL LINKS
=============================

Frommer's Guide to Philadelphia
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/philadelphia/0023020003.html

Is Philadephia Haunted?
http://www.angelfire.com/zine/digest/inn.html

David Lynch's Philadelphia
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/2093/quotecollection/philly.html

Philly Magazine
http://www.phillymag.com

Philly Homepage
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly

Philadex
http://www.philadex.com/main.asp

Philly Visitor
http://www.phillyvisitor.com/travel.html

Go Philadelphia
http://www.gophila.com

If any of these links malfunction or you'd like further information,
please shoot me a clarification note and I'll further refine my
search.  Enjoy your time in Philadelphia!

Cheers,
V

A thorough response to the question!  Thanks for the help - worth the wait!

Hi amole,

Thanks for the rating and the tip.  I'm still working on that
Bosnian/Sero-Croatian restaurant.  Don't give up on me.  ;-)