Caitlin & Kaitlyn
Caitlin & Kaitlyn
If you're coming from out of town and staying awhile (or you're from Philly and still want to know our favorites), here's a list of our personal recommendations of things to check out in the area:
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Located within the city, this is a sprawling museum filled with art, statues, and artifacts from different cultures and eras. We're particularly fond of the impressionist works here!
H Mart Elkins Park
To say we come here often is an understatement. Visit the HMart in Elkins Park for their amazing food court (lots of Korean and Chinese options), Caitlin's favorite bubble tea (go to Cafe Clover next door and get the lavender milk tea), and our favorite karaoke spot Duba.
Morris Arboretum & Gardens of the University of Pennsylvania
The Morris Arboretum has beautiful gardens and scenic paths to walk along. It's also where we got engaged!
Check out a local bookstore!
One of our favorite things to do is visit local independently-owned bookstores! Here is a list of our favorites:
- Capricorn Books is a fun, small, and "unconventional" bookstore in the suburbs that has both new and old books. It's across the street from White Horse Coffee & Creamery, one of Kait's favorite cafes.
605 West Ave, Jenkintown, PA 19046
https://capricornbookshop.com/
-Big Blue Marble is a bookstore in the Mt. Airy neighborhood of Philly, featuring new books by LGBT+ authors and queer-centric topics. There's also a reading room upstairs! It's nearby a cafe that has great crepes and an interesting thrift store to poke around.
551 Carpenter Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19119
https://www.bigbluemarblebooks.com/
-Giovanni's Room is a historic LGBT+ bookstore in the Gayborhood of the city. It has both new and used books covering an array of topics, from bestsellers to queer/feminist theory (that Caitlin appreciates buying for cheap). It's worth the visit if you're exploring Center City!
345 S. 12th Street Philadelphia, PA 19107
https://www.queerbooks.com/
-Mostly Books is a used bookstore containing a massive collection of over 10,000 items, located near South Street in the city. It's the furthest from the wedding venue but well worth the trip if you love books! Pictured above is Kait and our best man Jace exploring this place. There's also a cat who roams around!
529 Bainbridge St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
https://mostlybooksphilly.com/
Chinatown
One of our favorite neighborhoods in Philly is Chinatown!
Special locations include:
- Prince Tea House for European-style and Asian-style tea and sweets. We recommend the mille crepes cake!
203 N 9th St
https://www.princeteahouse.com/
-Terakawa Ramen for authentic Japanese food (across the street from Prince Tea House). Aside from the ramen, we love the pork katsudon!
204 N 9th St
https://terakawaramen.com/
-Tea-Do is Caitlin's favorite bubble tea spot in Chinatown. The sakura-rose milk tea is her favorite! We both love the shrimp tempura onigiri here for a snack.
132 N 10th St
-Ebisu Japanese Life Store for Japanese snacks, groceries, and household products.
1023 Arch St
-Enjoy Market (located inside & downstairs of the store You&Me) is similar to Ebisu, but also has tons of Asian beauty products and other trinkets in addition to groceries.
143 N. 11th Street
-Little Seven House is where Caitlin buys all of her cute stationery, located right next to the Chinatown Friendship Arch. This store also owns Happy DIY (around the corner from Prince Tea House/Terakawa Ramen) where you can make decoden-style DIY creations.
933 Arch St
https://www.littlesevenhouse.com/