Where to Run, Hike, and Picnic in PHILADELPHIA

SURE, THERE ARE the cheesesteaks, the Liberty Bell, and Rocky. Philly’s got its icons and they’re legit. But the actual city—the one that rewards the curious—is something that continues to punch way above its weight. Just look at its parks: Fairmount is one of the largest landscaped parks in the country. When combined with its a!liated 60-some parks, it’s just over ten times the size of New York City’s Central Park. Most of it sits just beyond Center City, close enough to feel accessible but wild enough to make you forget you’re in the country’s sixth-largest metropolis. Head north, and you’ll find trails winding through river gorges where Edgar Allan Poe used to come for a respite. That tracks. Then there’s the Schuylkill. Philadelphia is one of those rare American cities that actually embraces its river. Around 33,000 people show up along its banks every week—runners, cyclists, scullers, and the occasional person on their lunch break. This is a well-rounded town. Its best restaurants have an honesty and approachability that make it one of the most pleasurable places to dine out in the country right now. The art scene overdelivers. But spend a few days here and what stays with you is the outdoors: larger, wilder, and more alive than you might expect.