I love that Philadelphia doesn’t give a (bleep) what you think about it but if you like it, great and if not, then your opinion definitely doesn’t mean (bleep). I love that even people who aren’t Eagles fans are saying ‘Go Birds’ by the time their stay is ending. I love the food, the culture and how Rocky is a fictional movie but when it comes to telling the story of Philadelphia, there’s more than a ring of the bell of truth to it.
One thing about this trip, however. The rain that we tried to escape in Houston by coming to Philadelphia two days early followed us and hit right in the middle of the game, pouring down on us as we were content to know that we brought rain ponchos … but dismayed that we left them in the hotel.
This year’s World Cup adventure for my fiancée, Johanna, and me extends to five of the 16 host cities, four in the U.S. and one in Canada. Throughout the next few weeks, I’ll be taking readers behind the scenes at what it was like as a fan in each city and each stadium — what the city was like and what the stadium experience was like to make the fan experience as seamless as possible.
Our second stop was Philadelphia; a place I’ve visited more than a dozen times and have family that live in the suburbs. This time, it was to find out not just the fan experience, but what it was like with a hospitality package that Johanna got me as a Christmas present to cheer on France as it played Iraq in the second group stage match for both teams.
The day before the game, we took a stadium tour of Lincoln Financial ... er, Philadelphia Stadium. There were plenty of spots that were looking different for Eagles fans because sponsorship names were taped over, including a stadium map in each elevator. The Eagles' sensory room for people with autism was also, somehow, covered up. We also got that close to the field and was able to see just how much of the field level was the new grass and how close it was cut.
The Fan Experience
Getting to the Game: We left the City Hall train station stop at 2:08 p.m. and got off the train at 2:23 p.m. at the sports complex where the Eagles, Phillies, Flyers and 76ers all play. The signage was not great on how to get to the gates and whether because of weather or not, there were not very many volunteers directing people where to go. We had gotten a push alert that the gates opened for the game at 2 p.m. but because of weather, Philadelphia organizers had sent a message on WhatsApp that the gates were not open until 2:30 p.m., leaving a large backlog of fans. Without really seeing a lot of signage or volunteers, it felt a bit scattered.
The hospitality experience included a variety of cold and hot bites and sliders but nothing that would be counted as amazing. The Trophy Lounge itself was pretty full all before and during the game delay but the liquor was not in particularly high demand.
The Hospitality Experience: Once we got through the gates, we finally made our way through to the Trophy Lounge. It was a spacious area inside the stadium with multiple food stations serving a variety of hot and cold foods. Would I say the food was up to the amount of money that was a hospitality experience? I wouldn’t, but it was enough for us to eat. The best foods were probably the one-bite variety of desserts. There was also the ability to have alcohol … from FIFA’s official sponsor, which meant that if you think Budweiser isn’t real beer, then you would be really out of luck. What made the hospitality come in very handy was when the weather delay came at halftime and ended up lasting for two-plus hours, meaning we were able to shelter in a cool area and not grouped up along the concourse which on social media videos looked a less than pleasant experience. The hospitality lounge was to be open for two hours after the game but given the delay before the second half started, we left right after the game. It also promised a hospitality gift for all attendees; that ended up being a FIFA-branded wireless phone charger.
Leaving the Game: We left the stadium at 8:50 p.m. and got in line 20 minutes later for the free Septa subway to City Hall. By that point the weather had subsided, thankfully, and it took us until 9:40 to get on to the subway platform for the next ride. By 9:51 the train arrived, we left at 10:01 p.m. and were at City Hall and steps away from our hotel by 10:15 p.m. There were no volunteers or police presence in determining where the line was and where it was ending, so we had to backtrack a bit once we realized where the line was and how far back it stretched.
One more thing … is where Johanna can say what she thinks about the experience. Here are her thoughts: We have been to a ton of events with weather, but this is the absolute most soaked I have ever been. I had to use a hair dryer on our shoes the next morning. Worth it. The hospitality food was terrible. The seats were fun, though, right at midfield able to watch the formations move across the field.
Where We Ate
From left: Tommy DiNic's, Miller's Twist pretzels and the soccer-inspired awesome cookie at 4th Street.
The Reading Market Terminal is one of the best places to find food for my dollar anywhere in the country. Tommy DiNic’s roast pork with provolone and sweet peppers is irresistible and then there are the pretzels … and the cookies … and if you want ice cream, or any other type of food almost from anywhere in the globe, you can find it there. It gets crazy busy and finding a seat is a sport in and of itself, but it’s worth it and anyone who’s going to Philadelphia and doesn’t go there for a food stop is missing out on one of the things that makes Philadelphia so authentic as a city.
Parc is a French bistro at Rittenhouse Square that is the perfect place to celebrate, say, a 12th anniversary with your fiancée (wink wink). It is home to the best french onion soup that either of us have ever tasted and the lobster cocktail presentation was awesome. The scallop risotto and steak and frites for the main courses were things to be savored, not sped through. And the crème brûlée was more than enough for two for dessert.
Iron Hill Brewery in Center City also was a great place for some beers that they promoted as World Cup flights and are all developed in-house. The crab cake sandwich was delicious and Johanna enjoyed her fish and chips greatly. We went back the next day to watch the U.S. game against Australia and had some more brews and a small pepperoni pizza with a hot honey drizzle that was very good.
Burtons Grill & Bar in St. Davids had a terrific brunch and lunch option for both of us when we spent the day with my brother and his family. The restaurant is very strict about its cooking methods for those with Celiac disease, which one of my nieces has, and takes care of her down to make just about anything on the menu gluten-free and by using special dishes that are only used for gluten-free meals so nothing is mixed together even during the cleaning process.
What Else We Did
Being that we got into town early, we were able to check out Citizens Bank Park for the second time and see the Phillies play the Miami Marlins. The ballpark is very nice, and the concourses are terrific with local foods and drinks. The Phillies leaned into the World Cup being next door by having a soccer scarf giveaway on the night we went and the Phillie Phanatic has a soccer souvenir at the team store. Would it make my top five MLB ballparks that I’ve been to? Well, there’ll be a post for that later this summer.
If it’s more than sports that you want, then the Barnes Foundation is a must-see and for my money is a better museum than the Philadelphia Museum of Art (not taking the Rocky statue and stairs into account). The amount of French impressionist art is astounding, being home to the world’s largest collections of both Cézanne and Renoir. We have been there before, were there again this trip and will absolutely be there in the future. We spent hours there and could have walked through the whole place again if it was open that long.
Another thing we were amazed at: the Brazilian fan base as their followers came to town a few days ahead of the France game for Brazil vs. Haiti. There were thousands, everywhere. All in yellow and green, all partying and having a great time, all showcasing the jogo bonito that the country is known for and wanting to make the World Cup into a World Party. It was infectious and left you smiling anytime you saw a group chanting and cheering along the way. And I can guarantee you that Center City businesses saw an uptick in foot traffic ahead of their game.
We also went to the FIFA Fan Festival in Philadelphia, checking out the scene on Sunday at Lemon Hill for a few hours. The fan activations were highlighted by the Bank of America bead giveaway, which drew a line that looked to take hours of waiting. I went through the Home Depot’s Beckham Backyard activation, where attendees were making fans to deal with the heat; the VisitPA activation which was pretty popular; and other regular sponsors including Kia and Michelob. The FIFA store was underwhelming for merchandise which has proven to be a consistent theme during our travels. There were multiple spots to watch with massive TV screens that didn’t have match commentary so that people would be able to just experience the action. The food stands were for different types of things throughout one section of the park and there were plenty of spots for water. There were also good activations with an area full of foosball tables and a spot where people would be able to ‘score goals’ kicking balls against a computer screen based on where the correct lights flashed.
Where We Stayed
The Marriott Downtown hotel was all-in on the World Cup. On Sunday night when there was New Zealand vs. Egypt playing the same time as the Phillies and Mets, only one TV was turned to the baseball game. The day before the Brazil vs. Haiti game, flags of the two countries were mounted in front of the sports bar that was at the center of the ground floor and surrounded by a variety of other guest amenities including a 24-hour general store for snacks and drinks. It was turned yellow and green by Brazil fans ahead of its game and ahead of the France vs. Iraq game, it had about a 50-50 representation. And being one block from the Reading Terminal Market meant it was definitely our best hotel experience to date of this World Cup adventure.
The Airport Experience
When we flew into Philadelphia, the landing at around 1:30 a.m. meant we didn’t get a feel for what the volunteer experience would be (for obvious reasons). Our departure was before 8 a.m. so the same applies for leaving the city, although it was noticeable that once getting through security at our terminal, there was a large TV area with about a dozen comfortable recliners for people to watch games if they wanted.
Next stop on the journey: Vancouver.
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