From parkland chosen by Will Smith for his hit music video Summertime, to Philadelphia cheesesteaks sought-after by John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, to Gritty the Philadelphia Flyer’s ice hockey mascot interviewed on popular comedy shows, travellers planning a future visit to Philadelphia can discover a number of hidden pop culture secrets across the city.
Philadelphia CVB has therefore shared three insider facts very few visitors to the city may be aware of, helping travellers put some popular culture into their future trips to the City of Brotherly Love.
‘It’s Time to Sit Back and Unwind’ like Will Smith in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park
Many visitors to Philadelphia will be aware of ‘The Fresh Prince’s famous West Philadelphia heritage, but many may not know that Philadelphia native Will Smith chose the city’s Fairmount Park as the location to film the music video for his 1991 Summertime hit with DJ Jazzy Jeff. The iconic music video takes viewers on a brief tour through the park, passing by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Boathouse Row and shows the group settling in at Belmont Plateau for a classic American summer barbecue. Today, the grassy space in Philadelphia’s sprawling Fairmont Park offers some of the best skyline views of Philadelphia and is popular with locals across the city, from families looking to meet for barbecues to teenagers meeting to play sports.
Try the Philly Cheesesteaks Approved by John Legend, Chrissy Teigen and Barack Obama
Eating a Philly cheesesteak is a rite of passage in Philadelphia and thanks to the abundance of cheesesteak sellers across the city, each local will have their own personal favourite. Travellers eager to follow in the footsteps of well-known celebrity faces should head to Pat’s King of Steaks since the self-proclaimed ‘inventor of the cheesesteak’ is loved by singer John Legend and his supermodel wife Chriss Teigen, who reportedly shipped orders of the sandwich to Los Angeles for Chrissy’s birthday last year. Those with presidential tastes should head to Carmen’s Famous Italian Hoagies and Cheesesteaks in Reading Terminal Market as this is where Barack Obama indulged in a cheesesteak and mint chocolate chip ice cream during a visit to the city.
Get Gritty and Support the Philadelphia Flyers from Afar
Although the Philadelphia Eagles are now well-known across the world following their win in the 2018 Super Bowl and historic win over the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium in 2018, UK sports lovers may not be familiar with the city’s other professional sports teams such as the Philadelphia Flyers ice hockey team. The team’s seven-foot, fluffy and orange mascot, Gritty, is well-known across the U.S. for his appearances on popular late-night comedy programmes and now has over 300,000 Twitter followers online. Shortly after his debut in 2018, locals in Philadelphia began to embrace Gritty and in 2019 he was announced by the National Hockey League Player’s Association as the league’s number one mascot.
For more information on Philadelphia, visit the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau’s website, www.discoverPHL.com
