Best costume, best location, best Irish spirit!
When you’re Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade veterans as we are, you get wise to the best places to watch the parade, grab a bite to eat, take a potty break, and rest up (or party) afterwards. We list the post-parties on our calendar, so we thought we’d share some other insider info so you can watch the parade like a pro. ~ Jeff and Denise
Best Place to Watch the Parade: The reviewing stand or, if it’s cold, inside the CBS3 trailer. Failing that (and you will unless you have a special ticket or are doing color commentary), we like the spot down around 16th and Arch. The route is narrow there, you can sit on the walls or, better yet, at the tables outside Tir na Nog and watch the parade pass you by. The performing area—where the bands play, the dancers dance, and the AOHers wave at the cameras—is just past 23rd Street on the Parkway.
Rowdiest place to watch the parade: Around 16th and JFK. What a difference a block makes. This corner presents your best opportunity to run into bare-chested young hooligans, typically well advanced along the path to inebriation. No worries, though. They’re loud and boisterous, but generally harmless. We once witnessed a “Silly String” fight there. Philly is no Hoboken.
Warmest place to watch the parade: Inside one of the pubs along the route—or at home, in front of the TV. The CW-Philly57 network broadcasts it live starting at 1 p.m. An encore airs on St. Patrick’s Day—Tuesday, March 17, on CBS3 from 9 a.m. to Noon.
Best place to warm your hands: Wrap your frigid little fists around a latte or just a plain (but strong) cup o’ joe at the Starbucks at 16th & Arch. We start our parade day early, when it’s usually the coldest time of the day, and we’re in and out of the place once or twice.
Best costume to wear to the parade: Something green, preferably silly and undignified. That will assure that you’ll get your picture taken or wind up on TV. And you’ll gain some measure of immortality. You’re sure to pop up on Facebook or YouTube where you will live for eternity.
Best food along the parade route. You can always grab a dishwater dog or soft pretzel from one of the street vendors, but there are a couple of nice Irish pubs right along the parade route, including Tir Na Nog at 16th and Arch and Con Murphy’s Pub at 1700 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Best place to excuse yourself. There are plenty of portable toilets down by the reviewing stand. Or pop into one of the pubs or restaurants along the route (there aren’t all that many), grab a bite, a brew, and a bathroom break.
Best opportunity to spot a monster Irish Wolfhound. We can’t guarantee it, but the overlarge McGuinness and his kilted owner Jim Kilrain often stake out a spot near 17th and the Parkway. (The dog you see in this post is not an Irish Wolfhound. It is Irish Wolfhound kibble.)
Best parking. There are two places: One is the garage at 16th and Arch under the LOVE Park. The other is on 17th Street between the Parkway and Arch Street, near (as luck would have it) Con Murphy’s Pub. There’s VIP parking at Eakins Oval but you need to be a VIP or to have mugged one for their windshield sticker.
Place with the smallest crowd. Where Race blends into Logan Square, just above the Cathedral. Crowds typically thin out here. You can have the sidewalk all to yourself. Many of the groups—especially the dance groups—go through their routines before making the last long trek up to the reviewing stands and the TV cameras. The Mummers have also been known to strut a bit.
Best way to get to the city: The train. There’s a One-Day Independence Pass that costs $12 per person and is good on all SEPTA trains, buses, subways, or trolleys, except for week-day rush hour runs. A $29 pass lets a family of five traveling together hop on any SEPTA vehicle—well, maybe not those cool little track inspection cars—all day.
