Solo travel

I rented an Airbnb for a day, and it went well! I walked to the store with the Airbnb host and we chatted and got groceries, and the area felt safe. People were mostly friendly, and the grocery store I went to was very bougie but the food was meh. Philly cheesesteak is overrated as I learned.

Group travel

I traveled with two of my friends to Philadelphia last year And it was the first time we did couch surfing And some of the places we went to weren’t that safe but we did not had any bad encounters Since we did couch surfing (and the host was very generous) we did not really have to paid for food I will say that it’s not a city with a lot activities but there’s some of the places and things we did : - got to celebrate St Patrick at a very nice pub (1116 Walnut St) - saw a show at the Wells Fargo Center (3601 S Broad St) - great pizza at OG Pizza (2500 Frankford Ave) - Cute Market : Reading Terminal Market (1136 Arch St) - Independence National Historical Park with the Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell - and for The Rocky’s fan there’s a statue and the stairs (of the Philadelphia Museum of Art ; 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway)

Solo travel

I spent a couple of weeks in Philadelphia during covid. I found the people incredibly friendly, even though we were all keeping our distance. I biked around the city using Indego bikes, which are super affordable by the hour. My favorite Italian food is in Philly.

There are safe areas with low crime like in the tourist areas, but there are many areas with a high crime rate and a high homeless population on the streets within the downtown area. Transportation (Bus, subway) is safe during the day but I would caution against traveling alone at night!

Certain neighborhoods you should definitely avoid aka Kensington and Spring Garden. Otherwise totally safe. Bring a buddy if you can. Center city is rougher now but Fishtown and Northern Liberties feels safer.

Historic city center mainly safe, we well as parks during daylight. Avoid north of the city center. Fishtown neighborhood is gentrified but don’t stay in Kensington. Lots of homeless folks that don’t usually bother others.

I have taken the SEPTA at odd hours and in between and in my experience, I’ve been fine thankfully though I have heard reports of harassment/assault from others. Just be alert/aware of your surroundings at all times, be respectful, etc.

Depending on the neighborhood you’re in, some neighborhoods can be really safe while others can be dangerous. Center city, Fishtown area and South Philly generally feel safe to me while I’ve experienced some harassment in West Philly and Kensington area.