Philadelphia is strange city in several ways. First, if you're driving from New York, you can't enter the city using I-95, unless you insist on a complicated reroute. The best way is to exit the New Jersey Turnpike onto Route 30, which will take you through the Greater Camden Area before you get to the Ben Franklin Bridge. In this way, you have two sequential major cities on the Northeast Corridor with only a superficial interstate highway link.
Camden County's mix of tacky affluence and flamboyant poverty is guaranteed to set of all your knee-jerk Garden State prejudices. On Route 30 alone, one passes enormous shopping malls (technically it's a shopping campus), seedy motels districts, 'luxe loft waterfront rentals,' family-friendly pseudo-retro diners, and actual retro diners where people get whacked.
At night, it all carries a subtle, menacing aura; like the Jersey Devil lurks behind every sign-scarred storefront.
Route 30 is a trip unto itself, though I don't recommend you take it. The City of Camden is so broke it recently had to dissolve its police department, leaving County law enforcement overstretched.
Once you've crossed the Ben Franklin, there are few things to prioritize. First, get the touristy stuff out of the way. That means visiting Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and running up the Rocky steps. As a lifelong New Englander, seeing a bunch of stuff from the 18th century wasn't that novel, but I now I've been there and done that.
The story of America's past can be fascinating, but the most interesting thing you will learn is that Philadelphia is our nation's only major city where downtown parking is easy. Again, it's a strange place.
On to the main event. Here is my guide to the best Philly Cheesesteaks:
Psychoeuphorology Today's CHEESESTEAK POWER RANKINGS!
6th Place: Geno's Steaks: This joint's founder, Joe Vento, died in 2011, and though I prefer not to speak ill of the dead, he leaves me no choice. The first thing visitors will notice is that Mr. Vento turned his shop into a billboard for xenophobia ('I'm Mad as Hell! I Want my Country Back!; This is America, When Ordering SPEAK ENGLISH!). I feel insulted when retailers try to force politics on me.
The next thing you will notice is that ol' Joey left behind a culture of disrespectful and inattentive service. I know there are people who think this is a charming local quirk, but it's just wrong. Thirdly, you'll find your cheesesteak is just a cold white hoagie roll with a paltry amount of flavorless fillings.
Seating is outdoors, and condiments are provided.
I'll bet when Joe Vento died, I'll bet his soul was deported to Mexico.
2nd Place: Pat's King of Steaks: Right across the intersection from Geno's. The the people are less obnoxious. A decent cheesesteak, but pretty much what you would expect. It's griddled beef on a white hoagie roll with grilled peppers and onions (optional). Pick from provolone, american, or Cheez Wiz. Like Geno's seating is outdoors, and condiments are provided. Pat's is the original steak, though not the King. That honor belongs to...
1st Place: Dalessandro's Steaks and Hoagies: Friendly service, and a generous helping of chopped beef, with the fat properly drained. You have your choice of banana peppers, hot peppers, or sweet green peppers. I went with the hot peppers, and it was a good call. They are your basic spicy, vinegar-cured red peppers, crushed, and deposited as a base layer on the roll. I picked American cheese, and it was nicely melted throughout the sandwich. There's nothing exotic or difficult about the Philly cheesesteak, but details matter, and Dalessandro's nails them.
They offer a nice selection of beer as well as indoor and outdoor seating. They are just down the block from a public golf course, which makes it a nice place for a post-round lunch.
The problem is that Dalessandro's is in the Northwestern corner of the city, far from downtown, and inconvenient by public transit. It takes a little effort to get there, but if you want the city's best cheesesteak, this is where it's at.
Other notes on Philadelphia
Having finished lunch at Dalessandro's, I chose to take the local roads back to City Center. There are a few observations worth sharing:
-During the 19th Century, many of the northern suburbs of the city were incorporated into Philadelphia proper. As a result, much of the city's land area is very low rise, which is helpful for navigating relative to the downtown skyline.
-The Philadelphia area is home to a large Vietnamese population.
-Philadelphia has many bad drivers. Unlike New York or Boston-syle overaggressive jackasses; Philly's bad drivers tend to be spaced out and drift inattentively.
-The neighborhood bar in the middle of the block is going strong in Philadelphia. In most cities, zoning and economics have forced them into retail districts, or at least busy street corners. In Philadelphia, an operating bar in the middle of a residential side street is a common and charming throwback to the days when beer was difficult to distribute.
-The University of Pennsylvania has one of the nicest urban campuses I've yet seen.
-It's not always sunny in Philadephia. This is just another ignorant rumor of the mainstream media.
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