I wasn't going to post another picture blog but couldn't resist this opportunity to showcase one of my favorite spots in Philly-Rittenhouse Square. When William Penn laid out the streets in Philadelphia, he built four squares in his very symmetrical plan. The geography lent itself to the street plan, though-in those days Philadelphia consisted only of this chunk of land between the Schuylkill and the Delaware rivers.
Here's what it looks like now-Center City
The four squares are now called, from northwest around to southwest, Logan (now a circle with a Calder fountain-must get some daytime shots),
Franklin (just redone with a playground and a beautiful merry-go-round-no picture yet), Washington (also rehabbed recently-on the outskirts of the colonial area)
and Rittenhouse-the jewel in the crown. This part of the city has always been upscale, and Rittenhouse Square is the axis on which it turns-everyone relaxes, walks their dogs, and generally hangs out there. Many apartment and condo buildings line the square, and the first sidewalk cafe to break Philly's age-old ban sits on the east side on 18th Street.
Last December I captured the scene on the square on a early winter day; the leaves were gone but the air was comfortable and the light beautiful for pictures. I went back in May as the city laid out its springtime green, rambling around Old City and Rittenhouse, shooting some of the same scenes as December.
Enjoy Rittenhouse Square-a slice of my city.
December
La Colombe-the best coffee anywhere
May
A circle in the Square
Rittenhouse Square
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