Philadelphia’s Avenue Of The
Arts
Avenue of the Arts
Photo by B. Krist for GPTMC
PHILADELPHIA, June 29 , 2006 - Designated
in 1993 by representatives of the region’s business, political,
community and arts leadership, the Avenue of the Arts is a stretch
of more than four-and-a-half miles along the main artery of Broad
Street that encompasses the recently built Kimmel Center
for the Performing Arts, as well as landmark
establishments such as the historic Academy of
Music and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine
Arts, which celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2005.
Along and around the Avenue, restaurants, shops and hotels enliven
the busy thoroughfare, and just blocks away is the Benjamin
Franklin Parkway, an arts and cultural hotspot that stretches from
City Hall to the Philadelphia Museum of
Art.
The Arts:
Founded in 1805, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA),
located north of City Hall, has been at the vanguard of American
art since its inception. Home to works by Winslow Homer, Thomas
Eakins and Maxfield Parrish, America’s oldest art school and museum
long preceded the official designation of its address by training
such notable artists as Mary Cassatt. Recently expanded, PAFA now
hosts exhibitions in the beautifully restored Samuel M. V. Hamilton
building.
In more recent times—2001 to be exact—the $265 million
Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts opened to
great acclaim. It’s now home to several of the city’s prominent
performing arts groups, including the Philadelphia Orchestra,
Philadanco, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia
Chamber Music Society, Peter Nero and the Philly Pops and the
American Theater Arts for Youth. Just up the street is the
venerable Academy of Music, which opened in 1857,
making it the oldest opera house in the country and the current
home of the Opera Company of Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania
Ballet.
Other performing arts venues located along the Avenue include
the 300-seat Wilma Theater, showcasing innovative
drama and musicals by national and local groups; the
Merriam Theater, a 1,688-seat facility, offering a
full schedule of dramatic and musical productions from local,
university, regional and national companies; and
Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and the Performing
Arts, one of the country’s premier organizations dedicated
solely to jazz music, history and instruction. Within the district
is the Prince Music Theater, named after legendary
theater producer Hal Prince. The 300-seat venue presents a variety
of American musical theater, as well as film and children’s
programming. Also calling the Avenue home is the University
of the Arts, the only university in the U.S. devoted
exclusively to education in design and the visual and performing
arts, with a cadre of fine art galleries and performance spaces. On
North Broad Street, Freedom Theatre is the
nation’s oldest and largest African American theatrical
institution.
Hotels:
From new construction to renovations of landmark buildings, hotels
along and near the Avenue of the Arts, which is just blocks from
the Pennsylvania Convention Center, offer visitors diversity in
architecture, design, price and amenities.
- The Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia Hotel, a
reconstruction of the exquisite, neo-classical domed Mellon/Girard
Bank building, features a rotunda with public areas, two
full-service restaurants and a bar. An adjacent tower houses 331
rooms, a tobacco lounge and the Ritz Carlton Club, a private lounge
with dramatic skyline views and private access to 45 club rooms and
suites.
- The 172-room Park Hyatt at the Bellevue Hotel,
which recently celebrated its 100th birthday, is located in a
magnificently restored National Historic Landmark building and
features one of the city’s most memorable views from its newly
renovated 19th-floor restaurant.
- The 500-room Courtyard by Marriott, Philadelphia
Downtown is located in the site that was formally the City
Hall Annex, just off Broad and Market Streets. Listed on the
National Register of Historic Places, Courtyard has the best of
contemporary comforts as a full-service hotel.
- The 270-room, Art Deco-style Residence Inn Philadelphia
Center City, in the former Market Street National Bank,
offers extended-stay rooms ranging from studios to one- and
two-bedroom suites that include a fully equipped kitchen, as well
as meeting space and fitness facilities.
- The 425-room Doubletree Hotel offers visitors
full-service amenities, as well as a spectacular view of the
Academy of Music.
Restaurants:
Eating on Avenue of the Arts has never been better. Broad Street
features some of the area’s best steak houses, with local luminary
hangout The Palm, and the elegant, club-like
Capital Grille—not to mention outposts of the
popular Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and
Morton’s of Chicago chains—nearby.
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant flies
in its fish daily from coastal waters around the world. Sharing the
same building at Broad and Locust are Sotto
Varalli, also serving seafood, and Upstares at
Varalli, where Italian fare is dished out high atop Broad
Street. Inside The Kimmel Center, Cadence is a
convenient option for a pre-theater meal. The dramatic Ritz-Carlton
Philadelphia Hotel boasts The Grill, with fine
dining and an excellent wine list. On the culinary cutting edge,
Bliss was recently recognized by Esquire
magazine for its new American cuisine and soothing atmosphere.
Inside the Park Hyatt at the Bellevue are Zanzibar
Blue, a favorite for soul food and live jazz, and
Nineteen, a newly opened 19th floor hotspot that
redefines hotel restaurants thanks to giant pearls that drip from
the dining room ceiling, a thoroughly luxe living room lounge and
an innovative menu. Downstairs, The Food Court at
the Bellevue provides a quick bite for shoppers and strollers.
Nearby, the Rittenhouse Square area offers outdoor cafes, four-star
restaurants and upscale bars—with critical mass along and around
Walnut Street and Rittenhouse Square.
Shops:
Shopping options on and off the Avenue are constantly expanding,
and with no sales tax on clothing the temptation to shop is
irresistible. Visitors will find flagship stores for Banana
Republic and Tower Records, plus
Borders Books and Music and Robinson
Luggage. The chic, upscale shops in the Bellevue include
Nicole Miller, Tiffany & Co.,
Polo Ralph Lauren, Origins and
Williams-Sonoma. Just off the Avenue, Rittenhouse
Row’s shopping and dining district seems to grow by the day with
both nationally known shops and locally owned boutiques, including
Ann Taylor, Gap, Knit
Wit, Kenneth Cole, Joan
Shepp, Bluemercury,
Waterworks, Puma,
Ubiq, Diesel,
Kiehl’s, Urban Outfitters,
MAC, Coach, Children’s
Boutique, Children’s Place and
Barnes & Noble.
Note to Editors: For photos of Greater
Philadelphia, visit our Photo
Gallery. On the pressroom, you can also subscribe to RSS feeds
to receive updates on topics that are specifically of interest to
you: What’s New, Dining, Events, Seasonal Travel, Hotel Packages
and Tourism Research.
CONTACT:
Donna Schorr, GPTMC
(215) 599-0782, donna@gptmc.com
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