During our first weeks in Philadelphia,
my husband and I found ourselves being reminded of Paris. At first we just thought it was simply the switch to urban rather than suburban living -
interesting walks past lovely old houses, lots of history, lively street life, plenty of little restaurants and cafes, etc. After a while it became more specific and we realized that there are indeed actually many similarities - and that we are by no means the first to notice. I even found a book entitled "Philadelphia: An American Paris" by Joseph L. Borkson (2006) full of wonderful pictures that
document particular sites and architecture to match those in Paris. Here are a few of my photos, some
from a recent bike ride along the magnificent Schuylkill River trail that right along the river in a beautiful park, from the heart of Philadelphia to Valley Forge, a distance of about 20 miles. The Schuylkill isn't the Seine - it's wilder and less confined - but the sense of
freedom on a bike in a city was a nice reminder of long rides along the quais and through traffic light streets of summer Paris.
my husband and I found ourselves being reminded of Paris. At first we just thought it was simply the switch to urban rather than suburban living - 
interesting walks past lovely old houses, lots of history, lively street life, plenty of little restaurants and cafes, etc. After a while it became more specific and we realized that there are indeed actually many similarities - and that we are by no means the first to notice. I even found a book entitled "Philadelphia: An American Paris" by Joseph L. Borkson (2006) full of wonderful pictures that 
document particular sites and architecture to match those in Paris. Here are a few of my photos, some 
from a recent bike ride along the magnificent Schuylkill River trail that right along the river in a beautiful park, from the heart of Philadelphia to Valley Forge, a distance of about 20 miles. The Schuylkill isn't the Seine - it's wilder and less confined - but the sense of 
freedom on a bike in a city was a nice reminder of long rides along the quais and through traffic light streets of summer Paris.
