PHILADELPHIA, May 4, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Penn's Landing is Philadelphia's Waterfront district, running along Columbus Boulevard from Washington Avenue to Spring Garden Street. This year, Penn's Landing Corporation will proudly produce its 20th Season of free programming on the Great Plaza, the heart of Penn's Landing, Philadelphia's premier riverfront entertainment destination.
Philadelphia is a lively, constantly emerging city, and this vitality is equally exciting on the Delaware River waterfront. With so many restaurants, residences and attractions, Penn's Landing is a breathtaking place to live, eat, and play all year long while enjoying unsurpassed views of the waterfront. Penn's Landing Corporation is the non-profit organization responsible for funding and producing public programming at Penn's Landing. The special event calendar at Penn's Landing boasts holiday celebrations, special events, festivals with flashy fireworks and family activities, and the fun of ice-skating at the Blue Cross RiverRink. There is always something to do at Penn's Landing, which now hosts more than one million visitors each year. Joe Brooks, acting president of Penn's Landing remarks, "From a tree-lined Columbus Boulevard to award-winning restaurants and businesses, we hope to create a quality experience for the visitor to Penn's Landing."
In the past few years, the growth on the waterfront has been very apparent. The most recent examples of this are the $80 million Dockside Residences and $70 million Hyatt Regency Hotel at Penn's Landing, both of which opened within the past three years, and the three miles of completed improvements on Columbus Boulevard between Reed and Richmond Streets, in collaboration with PENNDOT. This $27 million project includes street paving, new medians, sidewalks, lighting and landscaping. Another initiative in progress includes an expansion of the International Sculpture Garden.
People in the Greater Philadelphia region count on us to produce their favorite summer and winter traditions and we are steadfast in our commitment to public programming. Summer 2005 will offer new events for visitors to Penn's Landing including an outdoor film series and a Rhythm and Blues style concert series. Yet, longtime visitors to Penn's Landing can still enjoy traditions like Italian National Day, African American Cultural Extravaganza, and the Jazz on the Waterfront series, all continuing the Penn's Landing mission of free and quality programming for the citizens of the Greater Philadelphia region. The variety and diversity of musical events specifically adds to the overall quality experience for the visitor to the Philadelphia waterfront.
"Through constant development and cultivation of our diverse schedule of public programming, Penn's Landing has become a unique asset for the local community and the Greater Philadelphia Region. Penn's Landing Corporation looks forward to building on the vitality of Penn's Landing as it continues to chart the course for future development of Philadelphia's central waterfront district," comments Joseph Brooks, acting president, Penn's Landing Corporation.
The Penn's Landing waterfront features a variety of award-winning businesses and attractions as outlined below.
Food
-- The waterfront's newest place to party, Cavanaugh's River
Deck is also the city's largest outdoor Irish grill and bar,
serving casual cuisine with live music and dancing under the
stars from May to September. (215) 629-7400,
www.theriverdeck.com
-- With over a million dollars in renovations at the ever
popular Chart House Restaurant, diners can sample creative
seafood dishes, watch ships pass from the outdoor patio,
listen to the soothing waterside waterfall, and admire the
city skyline from the cocktail lounge. (215) 625-8383,
www.chart-house.com
-- Tucked among the bells, whistles and bars in the enormous
Dave and Buster's entertainment complex is the Grand Dining
Room, the flagship restaurant for the nationwide chain,
featuring an extensive menu from lunch to late-night dinner
and a relaxed, quiet setting. (215) 413-1951,
www.daveandbusters.com
-- The food, cooked at the table, is also the entertainment at
Hibachi. Teriyaki and sushi are served up with the best views
of the city, as well as a heaping of jazz during Sunday
brunch, offered 10:30 a.m. -- 2:30 p.m. (215) 592-7100
-- The enticing American fare at Keating's River Grill, located
in the recently developed Hyatt Penn's Landing, is matched by
the restaurant's lively bar and lounge and the superb views
from its 140-foot outdoor terrace. (215) 521-6509
-- From its home on Pier 3, the elegant La Veranda Ristorante,
has boasted first-rate Roman cuisine, a wood burning grill
and stunning river views for 13 years, making it one of the
most successful Italian restaurants in the city.
(215) 351-1898
-- The recently reopened Moshulu "is a rare harmony of first-
class food and service with stunning views and ambience,"
writes Philadelphia Inquirer food critic Craig LaBan. Located
on an historic docked ship, the Moshulu offers an
unparalleled fine dining experience. (215) 923-2500,
www.moshulu.com
Living
-- Open since Fall 2002, the Dockside Residences at Pier 30 is a
16-story luxury building with an onsite fitness club and
pool. Dockside offers 242 studio, one-, two-, and three-
bedroom apartments, each featuring a lovely water view.
(215) 925-3000, www.docksideapartments.com
-- A former warehouse, Pier 3 Condominium offers all the
amenities of luxury living, with a health spa and indoor
pool, elegant mahogany wood finishes, and some of the best
views in town for Fourth of July fireworks. (215) 351-4003
-- Residents of the posh waterfront Pier 5 Condominium enjoy
24-hour concierge service, private indoor parking, convenient
proximity to Old City and South Street, and a full service
marina. (215) 351-4100
Attractions
-- Designed by renowned architect Robert Venturi in 1992, the
striking 106-foot Columbus Monument commemorates the 500th
anniversary of Christopher Columbus's historic voyage. The
three-sided obelisk is inscribed with text honoring the
explorer and his descendants.
-- Looking towards the twelfth season on Philadelphia's
Waterfront, the outdoor Blue Cross RiverRink at Penn's
Landing will return to its original home at Columbus
Boulevard and Market Street. The Blue Cross RiverRink, open
from November to February, is the perfect place to ice skate
while enjoying scenic views of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge
and Philadelphia skyline. (215) 925-RINK, www.riverrink.com
-- With 185 spacious guestrooms, many with magnificent views of
the Delaware River and the Philadelphia skyline, the Comfort
Inn Hotel Downtown/Historic District is conveniently located
on the waterfront, near Historic Philadelphia. Hotel
amenities include a complimentary shuttle to local
attractions and restaurants. (877) 424-6423,
www.comfortinn.com
-- The waterfront's newest and biggest hotel, the Hyatt Regency
opened in 2000, attracting hordes of visitors and business
meetings to the modern, 350-guest room facility equipped with
fitness center, restaurant/bar, Starbucks and ballrooms,
conference and meeting rooms that overlook the river.
(215) 928-1234, www.hyatt.com
-- At the Independence Seaport Museum, visitors can watch
boat-building on the premises, and explore maritime history
through family friendly exhibits and tours through the
Cruiser Olympia and the WWII Becuna submarine.
(215) 925-5439, http://www.phillyseaport.org/
-- Plans are underway to expand and renovate the International
Sculpture Garden, which features artwork from around the
world. The Penn's Landing Corporation, the Fairmount Park Art
Association and Margie Ruddick Landscape are working in
conjunction to extend the Garden from the Hyatt hotel to the
Penn's Landing Visitor Center. The $1 million redesign
includes new lighting, paving of pathways and more green
space.
-- Home to the Olympia warship cruiser and the Becuna submarine,
the Penn's Landing Marina is available to private boaters,
offering 24-hour security and electric and water service from
May to October. (215) 351-4101
-- Philadelphia Ship Preservation Guild, the owner and operator
of the historic barkentine Gazela, the century-old sailing
ship Gazela, docked along Penn's Landing at Market Street.
The Gazela is available for receptions, group tours, and
educational programs. (215) 238-0280, www.gazela.org
-- A land and water tour like no other, Ride the Ducks has made
a huge splash at Penn's Landing. The enormously popular
entertaining duck rides invite quacking passengers to view
the sites of historic Old City from land and Penn's Landing
from water, while learning fascinating local trivia and
folklore. (215) 227-DUCK, www.phillyducks.com
-- With live entertainment, cocktails and snacks, the Riverboat
Queen Fleet at Penn's Landing's one-hour tour of the harbor's
famous ships is a luxurious way to experience the Delaware.
The Queen Fleet also rents paddleboats for independent
boaters. 1-866-577-LOOP, www.riverloop.com
-- Winner of Spirit Cruises' "City of the Year" award, The
Spirit of Philadelphia runs lunch, dinner and midnight harbor
cruises featuring live entertainment, buffet meals and
unparalleled views of the skyline. (866) 211-3808,
www.spiritofphiladelphia.com
GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES:
In addition to other smaller improvements that Penn's Landing Corporation will make to a few of our parking areas this spring, a fresh start will be made to market Piers 9 and 11 North and the Former East Central Incinerator Site (Piers 31 -- 34 North) for development. Penn's Landing Corporation has spent significant dollars during the past year on determining the structural integrity of each of these piers. This information is not only important for PLC but for future developers who endeavor to build on them. While all are in good working form, additional substructure supports will be necessary prior to any development.
Independence Blue Cross is the presenting sponsor of the 2005 Summer Season at Penn's Landing. The Penn's Landing family of sponsors for the 2005 Summer Season includes: US Airways, PECO Energy, Pennsylvania Lottery, Commerce Bank, Anheuser-Busch, and the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation.
Celebrating the 20th anniversary season, Penn's Landing is Philadelphia's Waterfront district, running along Columbus Boulevard from Washington Avenue to Spring Garden Street. The main site for the more than 50 festivals, concerts, and events at Penn's Landing is the Great Plaza, located along the Delaware River on Columbus Boulevard at Chestnut Street. For more information on event locations and event details, please call (215) 922-2FUN or visit www.pennslandingcorp.com. The Penn's Landing website is a virtual resource for the waterfront which can help plan a visit to easily park, play and stay all day at Penn's Landing.
The Penn's Landing Corporation logo is available at: http://media.primezone.com/prs/single/?pkgid=349