Walking and Talking in the City

I spent a summer in Moscow 12 years ago and one of the things my
friends and I would do for fun was meet up, walk and talk, and then,
when we got tired, take the Metro home. Moscow's vast network of
tree-lined boulevards made the pastime quite enjoyable. Fast forward
to the present, and walking and talking has become, for my wife and I,
the preferred way to spend an evening alone when we've left our
daughter with a babysitter.

This weekend, we actually had a free afternoon, as my in-laws came
down to watch Jada. So Amy and I headed east from our University City
home and were quickly through the PENN campus and across the Walnut
Street Bridge to Center City. We decided to stop first at the Reading
Terminal Market to take in the sights and smells and grab a bite while
we cooled our heels. From there, we made a beeline for the Italian
Market to pick up some of the freshest and cheapest produce in town.
We decided to conclude our afternoon out back at Reading Terminal
Market, but not before slight detours through South Street,
Independence Mall, and Chinatown.

If you're counting, that's five places in one afternoon! After our
second bite at Reading Terminal Market, we took the subway home,
having logged about six miles on foot, but with steady conversation
and visual sights to distract us from our sore legs. You might decry
Philadelphia's crowded streets and tight blocks, but just remember
that the flip side of that is that all of that makes for a very
walkable city. Just like Moscow.