On the streets of...

As soon as we drive out of New Jersey the rain begins. We've had a lucky run of weather whilst in New York but that's now over. Just down the road from New York is another famous city, Philadelphia. What it's famous for I'm not sure but it's always one of those places mentioned in films or songs.
It turns out that it used to be the biggest city in the British Empire outside London. It no doubt still is a large place but it's skyline is not really how I remember it from films, only a handful of skyscrapers are gathered around the centre and the rest is the usual American sprawl.
It's such a sprawl that we have to stay near the airport to get a lower rate motel room and even that's still expensive. By chance on check-in the local pizza guy was chatting to the receptionist and he offers us a free pizza. Unfortunately it's the normal pizza standard we're used to here, terrible. Even worse is our first encounter throughout the whole world of cockroaches in our room. One in the bathroom at night and then another huge one in the morning that seemed like it must have fallen into toxic waste and grown a few extra inches.
I complained and got our money back but even now I'm unsure if I did fully after a pay mix-up in the first place.
Next day we decide to just have one go at seeing Philadelphia and moving on to somewhere else as it's too expensive for us. Instantly the grand Town Hall impresses with it's white stone decor and statues but up close it's not so gleaming. Around it there's litter and the stone almost crumbling in places and clearly in need of a good scrub.
The long street leading away from the town hall starts well with some decent places but soon turns into an almost ghetto feel. Apparently you stay away from East Philly, crime is rife but not that we saw any evidence of this.
Away from the downtown commerce area of town we head to what all the tourists come here to see. There's many blocks of red brick terrace housing and tree lined streets. These are all considered pretty old here as they must be ooh a hundred years old or near.
Around here is where a lot of historical events took place as Philadelphia was the centre of the American revolution and the place at which most of the meetings about the revolution against Britain took place. Older buildings still remain, one being a meeting house of the founding fathers of America. Every other thing is about independence and none more so than the site of the Liberty Bell within Independence Square. A large queue around the block gathered to see the Liberty Bell. I know pretty much zero about the Liberty Bell and have little interest either. I do know it's supposed to have a crack in it and that the long queue of people waiting to see it will only see a replica.
The declaration of independence was signed here and around the area is where founding father Benjamin Franklin resided. The house in which Ben Franklin lived has since been knocked down and only now only painted girders in a house shape are left. Here and there statues of Ben Franklin are dotted about showing yet another invention from this multi-talented individual. We learn he even owned property in Preston at one point in his life. The man must have been truly rampant with thoughts. He invented the lightening rod, bifocal lenses, a carriage odometer, a stove, the Franking machine(after his name) and a musical instrument among others.
We stroll to the industrial and grey dock area where huge influxes of Irish immigrants arrived during the potato famine. A couple of monuments to the way they were treated by the Americans upon arrival and how they struggled to get work as the widespread 'Irish need not apply' signs went up at places advertising jobs. All that changed when job shortages increased and more people were needed for the expansion going on throughout America.
Back to the cobbled streets around Independence Square and the colonial buildings around. We avoid the various food stands selling the 'famous' Philly steak sandwich which is just a steak sandwich with America's favourite topping for any food item whatsoever, cheese.
In a day in Philly we've seen run down neighbourhoods, rough around the edges downtown litter dodging and well preserved red brick colonial buildings with some pedestrian cobbled leafy streets thrown in for good measure. A couple of pointed, glinting skyscrapers and the good looking Franklin steel suspension bridge all give a good overall impression of Philadelphia and it was OK. I couldn't see a point in staying more than one night and that's why we didn't. On the whole it's alright but as is common with these cities, they just can't live up to their Hollywood portrayal.