OK,

Pro-Phillyites, don't get me wrong, Philadelphia history is great and everything, and Philadelphia has beautiful parts, but it seems to me that the tourism seems to be focused on just a few blocks around and a bit cheesy.

Lib Bell, Cons Center, Independence Hall, then the tourists go into the Bourse to eat at the food court.

Have you ever seen that food court? That is soooooo geard towards suburbanites. It looks just like the inside of their malls, except you have like four stores that sell Philly junk. OK, I go to the Bourse to eat sometimes too, but is that what tourists should be seeing as part of Philly culture?

How about having a few upscale restaurants around there? And how about moving Tiffany's and Barnes and Noble there too? Then they could spend some money and not be insulted by our lack of refinement, aka, strip of ghetto stores on market st across from the gallery.

We should also have better news. I really don't want Philly to be remembered for the Chingy riots. It was like terrorism struck that day with helicopters hovering everywhere and market st packed with throngs of sweaty careless teenagers.

HELP already!

bunni

You're just not looking where the tourists actually go - or, you don't go there yourself. Independence Mall is surrounded with some of the more interesting sites in the city - whether Old City with its mixed architecture, Society Hill, with its fine housing, funky South Street, etc.

As for the Bourse, its privately owned and makes its own decisions about the mix of retail. For years, Ken Kaiserman (the owner) tried expanded retail in there - there stores like Crabtree and Evelyn, a book store, a state store, and others on the first floor. The food courts was on the second or third balcony (can't remember which). It failed miserably. Tourists don't want to buy Tiffany jewelry! In most cases they'd rather have a shirt or a hat or a snow globe with the liberty bell in it ;-)

So, Kaiserman did what any successful businessman would do. He brought the food court down to the first floor, expanded the office space under rental and has made a fairly successful go of it (except for those underground places that never seem to work). As for the quality of the food court, it's actually quite a lot better than your typical suburban food court - no Macs, no Burger King, etc. Instead, its more like the mix in Liberty Place. And, to my mind, it actually is a delightful place to sit - mainly because it is one of the more wonderful atriums in the city.

Good explanation Chris. I think the Bourse building is a destination in itself. Nothing wrong with grabbing a quick inexpensive bite of lunch to fuel you up for more sightseeing.
I can think of other cities which draw the tourists to the usual places; Baltimore inner harbor (actually, come to think of it: what else is there?), Boston Fanuel Hall and Quincy Market....I'm just saying there's nothing wrong with having tourists visit the places you mentioned. It's what they came to see, and if they leave fat and happy, all the better!!
Ultimately, it comes down to the tourists being savvy and asking locals where to go, what to see. Also, doing internet research before they come to town. That's how you get the insider's scoop.
I found lots of maps and area info to help tourists along, in hotels and other public places. And, whenever I'm in a city that I know and see a tourist struggling with a map, wearing a confused look, I ask if I can help.
Wherever they go, the most important things are cleanliness and friendly people. And, of course, no riots :icon_be_:

I think a lot of the tourists are drawn here to the architecture, which is everywhere and not cheesy at all. I see them on an almost daily basis, clearly identifiable by their craned necks and fingers pointing up and across the streets.

However, bunni, you forgot the biggest cheesefest ever: the horrible underground Ben Franklin museum. What an outdated joke that place is. Hasn't been updated since '76, I'd say.

okay, I agree that the place is filed with crap but that is probably because it can't support much else. it's really a shame we have no more use for its original function, as a bourse. I walked in there and walked back out. It is not Librty Place but Liberty Place's food court, and even so, the selction is worse. The only thing that can help it, i think, is a burgeoning full time Old City pop. Still, chris, I agree that tourists don't encessarily want tiffany lamps, and the ones that do will look for the shopping districts. who goes to see the constitution and buy expensive stuff? however, i'd like tourists to see something other than a low grade food court and remember philly for what it is. anwyays, ther is more to baltimore than the inner harbor. fell's point is much like I imagine olde city woudl have been ahd 95 not destroyed it. plus the crab cakes are amazing. Faneuil Hal has a bunch of cheesey restaurants but certainly not just low grade food court. it's got everything from fast food to fine dining. a comedy club and several bars. but faneuil hall also attracts a more lcoal crowd to support it and does not depend soley on tourism though i'm sure that helps.

Inner Harbor, South Street Seaport, Tabor Center (Denver) and Fanuel Hall both have suffered over the past years as destination shopping has failed - people use to travel by the bus load to shop, but know you can find Brookstone, Sharper Image, etc. in almost any upper tier shopping mall.

The saving grace for Fanuel Hall is that it also boasts a wonderful market - sort of as if you threw together the Bourse and RTM.

As for the Bourse, it is an office building. That's all they want to do with it. That's where they make the money - which I thought many of you would respect. The food court, which is certainly better than those in most suburban malls or in Gallery East is okay - fast food which is perfect for families with kids in tow who are visiting our historic shrines. Lets face it, if husband and wife with their two or three kids in tow need to eat, they are not going to Tangerine or RedSky or any of the other high end stupid restaurants in Old City. They want something relatively inexpensive, fast, and, hopefully, with some names they recognize (SaladWorks, Sbaro, etc.).

Then on top of this, the atrium is wonderully beautiful. Eldondre, if you walked in and then out, that's too bad. Go in there sometime when it isn't filled, sit and look around at the architectural details.

now chris, i never said the building isn't nice. nor do I have a problem with them using it for office space. I don; recall a saladworks or anything that struck me as better than gallery east though a hell of a lot less crowded. there are a few tourist shops in there but it's not a mall in any sense. just a small food court that is maybe as good as something on the ohio turnpike. there's ntohting inherently wrong with that but it woudl be ncie if there were more. there is unused space on the east side that used to be a mexican place that went out of business. still, fanuiel hall also benefits from being somewhat of a destination and not a food court. I'm sure the owner wil adjust if there are any changes in area demand.

They've tried a number of times with higher end restaurants, a dance club, a theatre group and more . . . all on that lower level. Everything, including the Old City version of El Mariachi have failed miserably. So, set yourself down, have some onion staws or cheese fries from Fireworks, an ice cream from the ice cream place and a bad Bain's pastrami (there used to be a Wall Street Deli in the corner but that too went belly up) and enjoy the architectural details. As I said, no Mac, no Burcher King, no Colonel or Wendy's. And it has a Bucks County coffee or some sort of higher end coffee vendor. Not all is bad.

The Bourse does seem underutilized by the local population. The thing with Fanueil Hall is that locals would take visitors there. I wouldn't be particularly motivated to take visitors to the Bourse. Perhaps with the ongoing development of the Mall I would, but it's just not a place to go for non-tourists who are not contrained by time or place (like drivers at a rest stop). Couldn't they put in more unique vendors instead of rest stop type places? Fanueil Hall at least has a "Philly Cheesesteak" stand in addition to the requisite chowder vendor. It also has some interesting merchandise stores that sells more than your typical airport souvenir shop. Is there at least a cafe in there for locals to get a good cup of Joe? That area still seems to be missing a critical mass of locals in addition to the tourists as El suggested.

one might think you designed the place. i'm not worked up but hope that it will someday be more. is taht so wrong? and God is bain's bad. the only worse places are wall st deli and schlottsky's. i'll keep admiring the details from the outside thanks. there's no reason to stop there. just another nice building in the streetscape. maybe i'm mixing up fanueil hall with something else, but i remember the ground floor being full of restaurants. i even lost my camera in a bar there.