Philadelphia (July 2017)

We spent a weekend in Philadelphia in late July 2017. Originally, our plan was to stay overnight near the stadium area so that we could attend the Tom Petty concert at the Wells Fargo Center. But our plan expanded when we learned the Phillies were playing the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park the next day. And we added yet another element when we heard on TV that the Eagles training camp was holding an open practice at Lincoln Financial Field. So we saw all three sports venues in one weekend! We also ran into a sorority sister at the concert, and another one saw us at the football stadium, and the trifecta was that my sister’s friend also saw us at the concert – what a small world! We ate at two restaurants in the XFINITY Live! Center (NBC Sports Arena and 1100 Social), as well as one restaurant in the Navy Yard called Bar Amis (created by one of our favorite Philadelphia chefs, Marc Vetri). Because we stayed at a newish hotel in the Navy Yard, we spent some time learning about the area. Thanks for a great weekend, Philadelphia!
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Philadelphia: Courtyard by Marriott Navy Yard (July 2017)




My spouse and I stayed at the Courtyard Philadelphia South at the Navy Yard on a Saturday night in late July 2017. We reserved our room online using the Marriott website. As its name indicates, this hotel is located in the Philadelphia Navy Yard, but we chose it because of its proximity to the Wells Fargo Center, Citizens Bank Park, and Lincoln Financial Field, because we would be walking to all three venues over the course of our two-day weekend in South Philadelphia. (The only other hotel within walking distance of the stadiums is the Holiday Inn.) The hotel also claims to be close to the Philadelphia Airport, but at nearly 7 miles away, there are other better-located Marriott properties if flying is your goal. Complimentary parking is available in a large surface lot, or you can park on the streets surrounding the hotel. We had no problem finding parking on a weekend when the nearby offices are closed, but it might get a bit crowded during the workweek if the hotel is operating at capacity. Speaking of which, we received an email from the general manager a few days before our stay inquiring if we might be willing to move to the airport location in exchange for a complimentary stay. But as we explained to her, we had booked this property because of its proximity to the sports venues, and therefore, we did not want to move.

The Courtyard Philadelphia South at the Navy Yard offers amenities including a fitness center, bistro/bar (which offers semi-table service for Starbucks coffee, alcoholic beverages, and less-complicated food. (Originally, we planned to have lunch at the hotel, but when we checked out the bistro’s offerings, the menu was more casual and simpler than we wanted. Instead, we walked to nearby XFINITY Live!, which offers several dining options including the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Bar and Grill, Victory Beer Hall, Broad Street Bullies, and 1100 Social. (See our separate reviews of XFINITY Live! Titled “Huge Restaurant/Bar/Entertainment Complex Near the Sports Venues”, NBC Sports Arena titled “Huge Venue to Watch Televised Events”, and 1100 Social titled “Interesting Food at This Well Managed Restaurant”.) Another dining option, Bar Amis, is close by, but it is not open for Saturday lunch or at all on Sundays. (See our separate review of Bar Amis titled “Sit on the Outdoor Patio and Enjoy the Navy Yard View”.) On weekdays during traditional working hours, the Navy Yard offers additional counter-service restaurants to feed the employees, some of which are accessible by the general public/hotel guests. Additionally, the hotel offers a food/sundry pantry where you can buy pre-made sandwiches (which were surprisingly filling and tasty as a midnight snack), snacks, packaged food that can be microwaved (the pantry contains a microwave for guest use), and beverages (both alcoholic and non- alcoholic). Note that although the pantry is open 24 hours per day, state liquor laws prevent the purchase of alcohol after 2:00 am.

Our standard king room offered a bed flanked by two nightstands, a furniture piece that held the large flat-screen TV, empty mini-fridge, coffee service, and ice bucket. An adjacent desk and chair offered a place to work. (Missing from this room was a luggage rack; we had to place our suitcase on the desk instead.) Our room also contained a sleeper sofa and a large leather ottoman; we are always pleased when we have somewhere to sit and watch television other than the bed. The bathroom was large and modern, with an oversized glass-enclosed shower (but no bathtub), and a good size vanity with single sink. Basic toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, lotion) and a hair dryer were provided. The closet offered an iron and ironing board and an electronic safe. Wi-Fi is complimentary throughout the hotel.

We enjoyed our quiet stay at the Courtyard Philadelphia South at the Navy Yard, and we would stay here again before or after a nearby sporting event or concert.











Philadelphia: Citizens Bank Park (July 2017)

Citizens Bank Park – Watch the Liberty Bell “Ring” When the Phillies Score
My spouse and I visited Citizens Bank Park on a Sunday afternoon in late July 2017. The evening prior, we attended a concert at the Wells Fargo Center, and we had stayed overnight at the nearby Courtyard by Marriott Navy Yard. Earlier that morning, we attended the open practice session for Eagles training camp, so to complete our trifecta of events, we attended a Phillies game. (See our separate reviews for the Wells Fargo Center, Lincoln Financial Field, Courtyard, Navy Yard, XFINITY Live!, NBC Sports Arena, 1100 Social, and Bar Amis.) Although we found tickets listed online on both the venue website and on third-party vendor Stubhub, a personal friend (season ticket-holder) sold us her tickets instead.
Citizens Bank Park (also known as “The Bank” or “CBP”) is home to MLB’s Philadelphia Phillies. The ballpark is part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, which also includes the Wells Fargo Center, Lincoln Financial Field, and XFINITY Live. The Phillies season runs from April to October. The stadium, seats nearly 44,000 fans, opened in 2004 on the site of the former multi-purpose Veterans Stadium (“The Vet”), but it has been modified since then. In 2004 shortly after opening, the bi-level exposed bullpens were reassigned so that Phillies pitchers would use the lower-level pen, thus protecting them from heckling fans, with the visiting team using the upper pen closer to the crowd. A year later in 2005, the left field wall was moved back 5 feet because it was deemed too “hitter-friendly”.
When you are not watching the game, be sure to check out the Wall of Fame located above the bullpen, the Daktronics video and message displays/scoreboard, the statues in Ashburn Alley (of famous Phillies Richie Ashburn, Robin Roberts, Mike Schmidt, and Steve Carlton), art in the park (tile mosaics, tile terrazzo floors with outlined images of famous players, and murals), and the 52-foot tall Liberty Bell that “rings” and lights up after every Phillies home run and game victory. Concessions include Bull’s BBQ, Campo’s Steaks, Chick-Fil-A (closed on Sundays, just like the retail stores), Chickie and Pete’s, Primo Hoagies, Rita’s Italian Ice, Tony Luke’s, Wayback Burgers, Turkey Hill Creamery, and Federal Donuts (we tried the fried chicken sandwich and the cinnamon-sugar and cookies-and-cream donuts). You can get more formal table service at Harry the K’s Broadcast Bar and Grill, plus there are private clubs (like the Diamond Club or Hall of Fame Club) for more exclusive service.
We enjoyed attending a Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park.









Philadelphia: 1100 Social (July 2017)



1100 Social - Interesting Food at This Well Managed Restaurant

My spouse and I visited 1100 Social for brunch on a Sunday afternoon in late July 2017. We visited between sporting events at Lincoln Financial Field and Citizens Bank Park, and 1100 Social provided a convenient place for a meal. The restaurant is open on Friday and Saturday nights and during stadium events. You can book a table using the online Open Table reservation system. Parking is available in an adjacent lot; however, it is only complimentary when there are no sporting events or concerts. (We arrived on foot because we stayed nearby at the Marriott Courtyard at the Navy Yard.)
1100 Social opened in September 2015 in the XFINITY Live Center, the entertainment venue at the South Philadelphia sports complex. (The restaurant occupies the space of the former Spectrum Grill.) The name 1100 Social combines the street address for XFINITY Live! (at the corner of 11th Street and Pattison Avenue) and the social aspect of the restaurant (conceived by Entertainment Consulting International or ECI). This restaurant offers the most upscale environment and refined menu of all the XFINITY tenants. (Other dining establishments including the NBC Sports Arena, PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Bar & Grill, Victory Beer Hall, and Broad Street Bullies offer a more pub-like atmosphere and menus.)

1100 Social seats approximately 300 patrons in a variety of places: indoors at the curved bar, high-top communal tables near the bar, or regular tables and booth, semi-indoor (outside of the 1100 Social enclosed main dining area yet still within the XFINITY complex), and outdoors at high-top or regular tables or in Adirondack chairs.

1100 Social serves food with an Asian and Mexican flair, organized into snacks, small plates, large plates, and bowls. The supplemental weekend brunch menu also contains some breakfast-y options. The chef once participated on the Bravo TV show “Top Chef”, and he is also chef/owner of two other Philadelphia restaurants, Ela and the Gaslight. The menu contained so many interested dishes that we had difficulty narrowing down our choices. We ordered the General Tso’s rice balls (with broccoli and sesame seeds) and the steamed pork buns to share as appetizers. For our “entrees”, we shared the Banh Cam (giant crispy Vietnamese dumplings filled with pork) and the Korean meatballs. Everything was delicious! Service was great, with the manager stepping in to expedite and deliver food.

We loved our lunch at 1100 Social – we wish it were closer to home so that we could visit more often.