It is rather hard trying to pick apart our experience of Philadelphia, it was rather tainted by the shutdown of the US government which meant that everything we wanted to see was strictly out of bounds (like most of the other things we had tried to see in the previous 2 weeks).

It was particularly tough in this circumstance as the main site requires a lot of context and background information to stop it from being just a rather pleasant Georgian building. The impressive levels that the shut down had taken; blockading streets, deployment of armed guards, turning off of audio displays did make it a very unrewarding visit. Both my wife and I studied US politics to varying degrees so were fairly well versed on the values of the site. I must admit that the irony wasn't lost on us that a place preserved for the political constitution crafted there was put out of bounds by the shortcomings of that set up a couple of centuries later.

There were some other fine buildings near Independence Hall and we had a nice stroll down to Mother Bethel Church which played an important role in the Underground Railroad (alas it too was closed, though this time for a community lecture series, so it wasn't as galling). Beyond this was the interesting and rather hip South Street with some long queues for famous cheese steaks.

Bill Bryson said you experience a city through how you arrive in it, and I think this explains partially why my memories of Philadelphia are not the fondest. A lack of left luggage facilities at the airport saw us hauling our baggage onto a rather grim commuter train which deposited us at the grand 30th Street Station. Here we were met with humourless apathy and ambivalence by an endless array of staff inconvenienced by our presence. After a day of traipsing around closed buildings on the underinvested transport infrastructure my spirit was finally broken by the security staff at the airport that threw our belongings around and shouted at our fellow passengers. Maybe I caught everyone and thing in Philadelphia on a bad day but it isn't high on my list of places to head back to.

Perhaps the interpretation inside can highlight the importance of the site and show its universal appeal; however with those parts out of bounds it is hard to give a full review and the rest of the city didn't really endear itself to me. Maybe on another day, with a functioning government and some friendlier interactions I may have liked Philadelphia but I don't think I will be rushing back to get a fuller explanation of the importance of Independence Hall.

[Site 4: Experience 1]