First, let me apologize to anyone who calls Philadelphia home. And, it could have been the 108-degree heat index during our 3-day stay, BUT, we were sorely disappointed in our visit to the city of brotherly love. Maybe DC and Baltimore spoiled us with their beautifully developed waterfronts. Philadelphia has not invested in their waterfront; it is run-down and dirty.
We arrived at our marina, Philadelphia Marine Center, and were escorted into a 30’ slip. Stealaway is 40’ overall including the 6’ bowsprit. Our cockpit was beyond the finger pier (making it difficult to climb on and off the boat), our stern and dinghy were hanging out in the fairway and our bowsprit extended over the walkway. We had to tie across 2 slips to keep our bowsprit from being a hazard to other boatowners as they traveled the dock after dark.
We were charged an extra $.50 per foot for our 3-day stay because the city had a firework display on the 4th (not just the night of the 4th as we were quoted). We couldn’t even see the fireworks from our boat; we had to walk to the fuel dock to get a glimpse of them. When I discussed the inaccuracy of our bill with the manager, she apologized for the miscommunication and offered us free t-shirts as consolation. Now we have nicely embroidered t-shirts advertising a marina we would never recommend.
Location, location, location. Our slip was directly beneath the Ben Franklin Bridge connecting Philadelphia and Camden over the Delaware River. This bridge provides for vehicle, pedestrian, and yes, light rail…all night long. As if the noise of the trains were not enough, there was an open-air bar, Morgan’s Pier, on the pier right next to the marina. Morgan’s Pier draws quite a crowd and they entertain with lively music until 2 or 3 a.m. every night. Between the heat, the trains and the music, sleep was hard to come by!
While in Philly, we did take in a baseball game, tour the historic district, watch the Independence Day parade and eat a cheesesteak. The highlight (other than the Phillies game) was the free Pops concert on the lawn of Independence Hall. It was cancelled due to thunderstorms☹