Car Rental Philadelphia links and information. An introduction to Philadelphia for the people who have never been, what the climates like, and some details on Philadelphia's transport.

Philadelphia Introduction

If Benjamin Franklin were alive today, he'd be right at home in Old City, Philadelphia's hippest neighborhood.

One of the most progressive citizens of his time, Franklin would surely be out browsing the many art galleries and trendy shops or sampling the cosmopolitan fare at its newest eateries.

He might even be seen at the hottest nightspots -- if only to satirize them in one of the publications that made his reputation (his printing establishment was in the neighborhood). We suspect Philadelphians would wait for the review.

Franklin was a key player in the city's rich history, whose relics are still visible today. Philadelphia's superb Historic District has Independence Hall, where the nation's liberty was ironed out, and the Liberty Bell, which made that liberty known.

Its museums -- more than a dozen, including the excellent Franklin Institute -- are world-class institutions that mix old and new in surprising ways.

Watch fourth graders sprawled on the floor of the Philadelphia Museum of Art drawing pictures of the objects on display, and you'll see how much a part of contemporary life this city's history really is.

Philadelphia Climate

Philadelphia has four distinct seasons, and spring is possibly the most beautiful and pleasant. The city's climate is moderated by its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean: high humidity in summer, frequent high winds and bitter cold in winter.

January's average temperature is 33 F/1 C -- temperatures tend to dip below freezing in the evening. July's average temperature is 75 F/24 C with sunny, humid days that sometimes exceed 90 F/32 C with more than 90% humidity.

April and October average temperatures are in the 50s F/10-15 C. Clear skies 25% of the time; partly cloudy skies 31%; cloudy skies 44%.

Annual rainfall: 40 in/100 cm; heaviest rain in July and August. Annual snowfall: 20 in/50 cm.

Philadelphia Transportation

Thanks to William Penn's decision to plan Philadelphia as a grid, it's one of the easiest cities to navigate in the eastern U.S.

You do have to understand the numbering and naming system, though. In Center City, all numbered streets are one-way.

East of Broad Street (also known as "14th Street," the Broadway of Philly), odd-numbered streets run south to north, even-numbered streets north to south.

West of Broad Street, odd-numbered streets run north to south, even-numbered streets south to north. Market Street is the dividing line between north and south addresses.

In the downtown area, major streets running east to west are named after trees (e.g., Chestnut, Walnut, Locust, Spruce). They, too, alternate directions as one-way streets. (Locating an address is simple: 1918 Locust, for instance, would be between 19th and 20th streets.)

Because on-street parking is difficult to find and parking lots in the tourist areas can be expensive, walking or using the bus is advised if you are going sightseeing.

The Independence Park area is easily covered on foot, by subway or by using the Philly Phlash Shuttle Service, which makes a continuous loop around most tourist attractions.

The convention center, hotels, restaurants and shopping are within easy walking distance of one another and of the historic area.