For the last few years, Midtown Village has thrown quite the party - Sumo Wrestling, live music and hanging out with Where Magazine!  Happens this Saturday, October 3rd!

This fall, October 2nd - December 31, 2009, the National Constitution Center will feature its newest exhibition, Diana: A Celebration.  This exhibition comes to Philadelphia for the first time, showcasing the life and work of the Princess of Wales.

Nine galleries showcase the life and legacy of Diana Frances Spencer, Princess of Wales.  This award winning exhibition offers an intimate glimpse into her childhood, her engagement to HRH Prince Charles, their fairytale wedding, their children and Diana’s tireless charity work.

Exhibition highlights include:

*Diana’s royal wedding gown, diamond tiara, veil, 25-ft. train, shoes and parasol

*28 dresses, suits and gowns designed by Versace, Valentino, Chanel, and Azagury, among others, worn by Diana during her public life

*Diamond tiaras and priceless family jewels

*Home Movies of Diana’s childhood, historical artifacts, personal letters, photos and heirlooms

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to view this historical exhibition!

The Independent Philadelphia Hotel has partnered with the National Constitution Center in creating this wonderful package inclusive of the following;

*Overnight Accommodations for (2)

*Two VIP/untimed tickets to the exhibition Diana: A Celebration

To book your package click here:  http://theindependenthotel.com/philadelphia/?cat=22

Date:

June 7, 2009

The Race

The world’s most competitive cyclists turn their sights on Philadelphia for the annual Philadelphia International Championship every June, when about 300,000 fans line an arduous road course to watch hundreds of elite pro cyclists whip through some of Philadelphia’s most beautiful streets.

The scenic course includes the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Kelly Drive, and, of course, the infamous Manayunk “Wall,” a 17% grade hill rising sharply off the banks of the Schuylkill River.

The race is a culmination of a weekend of related festivities that are great for the entire family.

Best Places To Watch

The best places from which to watch the race are:

• the “Feed Zone” located near the start/finish line along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway,
• the Family Fun Zone on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art,
• along Main Street in Manayunk,
• along the Manayunk Wall,
• Lemon Hill in Fairmount Park,
• and various spots along Kelly Drive in Fairmount Park, which you must walk to since the Drive is closed to traffic.

Thinking of coming to see the Race?  The Independent Hotel in Philadelphia is now taking reservations.  Click on make a reservation or call us today! 

The Independent Hotel, Philadelphia’s newest premier boutique hotel, has partnered with the Spirit of Philadelphia to bring you a most entertaining and unique dining experience. 

Come aboard and enjoy the most entertaining lunchtime experience in Philadelphia featuring our Grande Buffet! This two-hour cruise on Philadelphia’s historic harbor is perfect for an afternoon getaway, a birthday, office party, entertaining out-of-town guests, you name it.

Let us walk you through a cruise:

• Big smile - a keepsake photo of you and your party will be taken upon boarding, so go ahead and “mug” for the camera. (You can pre-purchase or decide at the dock when you return.)
• “This way please” - we will greet and seat you. Please note that many tables are designed for cabaret-style seating with other guests, reminiscent of ocean-going cruises. Order drinks, then feel free to get up and explore the ship - especially our outdoor strolling decks.
• Bon Voyage! - As the ship pulls away from the dock, grab your streamers and your drinks and join our Spirit entertainers in a festive Bon Voyage toast.
• Bon Appétit - Once you’ve been invited up to our Grande Buffet, take as little or as much as you like. You can even go back for seconds and thirds as long as the buffet is open!
• Oooo, ahhhh - while you dine, we’ll entertain you with a fascinating narrated tour of Philadelphia’s breathtaking skyline easily seen from our huge panoramic windows.
• Live Entertainment - Throughout the cruise, Spirit’s staff will dazzle you with impressive renditions of your favorite tunes. Sit back, relax and enjoy the talent.
• Stretch your legs - head topside for the largest outdoor patio deck in Philadelphia and catch a breath of fresh air and an amazing view.
• Rock ‘til you dock - from line dances to Top-40 hits, our DJs know how to get everyone up and dancing, right to the end of your cruise.

About the Spirit of Philadelphia
Perfect for parties of two to 500 guests, the three-deck Spirit of Philadelphia offers a sleek and fresh approach to dining and dancing on the water:

• Three climate-controlled dining & entertainment decks
• Huge panoramic windows all around
• Bathrooms on two interior decks
• Outdoor strolling decks at bow and stern
• Full outdoor patio deck topside with cafe-style seating
• Full-service bars
• Handicap accessible
• Two dance floors and staging areas
• Flexible seating arrangements

Packages starting at $264.00 and includes:

* Overnight accommodations for (2) people

*(2) Tickets aboard the Spirit of Philadelphia

*Two hour festive river cruise

*Bountiful Buffet

*Narrated skyline tour

*Vibrant entertainment with a lively DJ playing a full range of dance hits

To book your package click here:  http://theindependenthotel.com/philadelphia/?cat=22

The Independent Hotel Philadelphia is Philadelphia’s newest premier boutique hotel.  Located just minutes from the University of Penn campus, The Independent Hotel

Sunday May 17, 2009

At the University of Pennsylvania, you’ll find a historic, Ivy League school with highly selective admissions and a history of innovation in interdisciplinary education and scholarship. You’ll also find a picturesque campus amidst a dynamic city and a world-class research institution

April 23 - 25, 2009

As the first and oldest of relay meets, the Penn Relays has always tried to stay at the forefront of advances in the sport.  From April 23 to April 25, Philadelphia will be dashing with spectators from around the world who are eager to see tomorrow’s Olympic stars at one of the oldest and longest-running track and field events in the world.

So who competes in The Penn Relays? Men and women from high schools, colleges, clubs, the armed services, prepatory schools and even elementary schools. This year, during some 33 hours of competition, participants from ages eight to 80 will run more than 425 races — that’s more than one race every five minutes.

Paul Cézanne’s posthumous retrospective at the Salon d’Automne in 1907 was a watershed event in the history of art. The immediate impact of this large presentation of his work on the young artists of Paris was profound. Its ramifications on successive generations down to the present are still in effect.

This exhibition features forty paintings and twenty watercolors and drawings by Cézanne, displayed alongside works by several artists for whom Cézanne has been a central inspiration and whose work reflects, both visually and poetically, Cézanne’s extraordinary legacy.

Based on the remarkable resources of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, both in its holdings of major works by Cézanne and in its large collections of early modernist works—thanks to A. E. Gallatin and Louise and Walter Arensberg—this show is a unique occasion to experience the continuing impact of this influential painter.

Francis Alÿs (Belgian, born 1959)
“I remember blaming Cézanne (or was it that I blessed him) for having saved me from having to deal with the enigma of painting.”

Max Beckmann (German, 1884–1950)
“Cézanne was my greatest love and still is when I think of French art.”

Georges Braque (French, 1882–1963)
“To my way of thinking, there is no master equal to Cézanne.”

Paul Cézanne (French, 1839–1906)
“In my thought one doesn’t replace the past, one only adds a new link to it.”

Charles Demuth (American, 1883–1935)
“John Marin and I drew our inspiration from the same source, French modernism. He brought his up in buckets and spilt much along the way. I dipped mine out with a teaspoon, but I never spilled a drop.”

Alberto Giacometti (Swiss, 1901–1966)
“Cézanne did not … seek to be original. And yet there is no painter so original as Cézanne.”

Arshile Gorky (American, born Armenia, 1904–1948)
“Cézanne is the greatest artist, shall I say, that has lived.”

Marsden Hartley (American, 1877–1943)
“[Cézanne had] ideas that were to make the world of painting over again.”

Jasper Johns (American, born 1930)
“As for the Cézanne [Bather], it has a synesthetic quality that gives it great sensuality—it makes looking equivalent to touching

Ellsworth Kelly (American, born 1923)
“Cézanne tackled and conceptualized the three-dimensional world in terms of its underlying structure and our uncertain relationships to it.”

Fernand Léger (French, 1881–1955)
“[Cézanne’s] influence was so strong that in order to free myself I had to move all the way to abstraction.”

Sherrie Levine (American, born 1947)
“I engage the idea of removing the artist completely from the artwork, so that it becomes a kind of group project with audience participation.”

Brice Marden (American, born 1938)
“Cézanne, my hero.”

Henri Matisse (French, 1869–1954)
“I thought: If Cézanne is right, I am right. Because I knew Cézanne had made no mistake.”

Piet Mondrian (Dutch, 1872–1944)
“Beauty in art is created not by the objects of representation but by the relationships of line and color (Cézanne).”

Giorgio Morandi (Italian, 1890–1964)
“We sat down around the big table and talked about art,” John Rewald recalled, “not so much about his [Morandi’s] as about the masters he admired, above all Cézanne and Seurat.”

Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881–1973)
“[Cézanne] was my one and only master! Don’t you think I looked at his pictures?”

Liubov Popova (Russian, 1889–1924)
“Cézanne no longer depicted the impression of the object, but only its essence.”

Jeff Wall (Canadian, born 1946)
“I have always admired Cézanne.”

Equality Forum 2009 Visit www.equalityforum.com for more information.

Equality Forum is a national and international GLBT civil rights organization with an educational focus.  Equality Forum presents annually the largest and premiere national and international GLBT civil rights forum. Equality Forum 2009 has 34 panels, 8 parties and 10 special events. There is no registration fee and all panels are free.

20 Days until Opening Tap

Over 445 events at dozens of venues

in the city and suburbs
And more to come!

The second-annual Philly Beer Week (PBW) 2009 will kickoff on Friday, March 6 at 7 p.m., in the spectacular Comcast Center lobby and Winter Garden (17th street and JFK Boulevard) with the Opening Tap, a celebration honoring over 30 regional breweries whose beer help make Philadelphia “the best beer-drinking city in America.” The Opening Tap will begin with a ceremonial ‘first tap’ using the official Philly Beer Week Keg Mallet, followed by a strolling beer tasting and a festive awards ceremony. Opening Tap tickets cost $40 and can be purchased online at www.phillybeerweek.org ($50 at the door.)

“The Opening Tap is a one-of-a-kind event featuring our local breweries and their beers, as well as the men and women who create them,” says Don Russell, who along with Tom Peters and Bruce Nichols are the founders of Philly Beer Week.

Invited breweries for the Opening Tap include: Appalachian Brewing, Barley Creek Brewing Company, Brew Works, Dock Street, Dogfish Head, Earth + Bread, Erie Brewing Company, Flying Fish, General Lafayette, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Lancaster Brewing Company, Legacy, Lion, Manayunk Brewpub, McKenzie’s, Nodding Head, Penn Brewery, Philadelphia Brewing Company, Porterhouse, Reading Brewing Company, Riverhorse, Rock Bottom, Roy Pitz, Sly Fox, Triumph, Stewart’s, Stoudts, Troegs, Twin Lakes, Victory, Weyerbacher, Yards and Yuengling.

A group of local beer writers created the awards that will honor each brewery represented at the event. An emcee will announce each award and invite the brewery representative to join them, get their photo taken and receive their PBW award.

“These are not your traditional “Best Of” awards. They have a definite Philly attitude! In this town, we may take our beer seriously, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously,” says Russell who created the awards with fellow beer writers George Hummel, Bryan Kolesar, Lew Bryson, Jack Curtin, Suzanne Woods, Rich Wagner, Woody Chandler and Carolyn Smagalski.

Food will be available for purchase from the Market at the Comcast Center, and live music is also planned. Attendees must be at least 21 years of age, and no children will be admitted.

Those wishing to take public transportation to Philly Beer Week, can purchase Sip Safely with SEPTA, an unlimited, all-day, bus-trolley-rail pass that will be sold for $9.00, valid any one day between March 6 and March 15. This pass is valid on SEPTA services, to encourage PBW participants to travel safely, rather than driving from event to event. Sip Safely with SEPTA passes are available for sale at most SEPTA locations.

Join the Independent Philadelphia Hotel and Midtown Village & Washington Square Merchants for a “Sweetheart Sunday” - February 8, 2009 from noon - 6 p.m for a day of sweetheart shopping and dining specials in Midtown Village & Washington Square.  Enter to win the “My Center City Weekend” contest featuring an overnight stay at The Independent Philadelphia Hotel and one of many wonderful prizes to be given away!

The Independent Philadelphia Hotel is an official drop off location for the “My Center City Weekend” contest on February 8th from noon - 6 p.m. and will be hosting an “Open House”  offering Complimentary Refreshments and tours of Philadelphia’s “Newest” Boutique Hotel.  Plan to stop by, drop off your entry, enjoy the refreshments and meet our staff!  The Independent Philadelphia Hotel will be offering on the spot “discounts” to those that book their reservation during this time.  We look foward to “welcoming” you Independent Style on February 8th from noon - 6 p.m.! 

Please call 215-772-1440 for additional information and reservations.

A Streetcar Named Desire Through Sunday, March 1
Walnut Street Theatre
Presented by Walnut Street Theatre
Call 215-574-3550 to order
> official website

In 1947, Broadway’s hottest young writer brought his newest play to the Walnut. It was an exotic, erotic, passionate and dramatic story set in the steamy French Quarter of New Orleans. Blanche DuBois, a faded southern belle, takes us on a journey of delicate indiscretions, lost dreams and bruttish actions into her own madness, aided by her handsome, masculine brother-in-law, Stanley Kowalski.

VISITOR INFORMATION

“Scrumptious” - is what comes to mind when you think of Center City District Restaurant Week!

 Through Friday, January 30
Various Locations
Presented by Center City District
$35
buy it now!
> official website

Participating Center City restaurants offer a minimum of 3 courses for only $35† per person, and participating parking facilities offer diners discounted rates. Restaurants book up fast, so make your reservations today!

Come and dine at Center City’s fabulous restaurants throughout the year. Expect a wide variety of delicious foods from steak to sushi, Italian to Brazilian. Use the restaurant list and links to online reservation services at the official website. 

VISITOR INFORMATION

† Tax, alcohol and gratuity not included. Dinner only.

Make this New Year’s Eve one to remember by booking your overnight accommodations now at The Independent Philadelphia Hotel and enjoy the 2010 Mummer’s Parade on New Year’s Day up close and personal!  This Philadelphia tradition takes place a block away from The Independent Philadelphia Hotel - location, location, location! 

The 2010 Southwest Airlines Mummers Parade will feature unique costumes, music, and pageantry that is the Philadelphia Mummers. Crowds will line Broad St., in Philadelphia, from South Philly straight through Center City. The climax of the parade takes place at City Hall where the official judging takes place.

The parade itself is one of the longest running traditions in the country.  The parade began in 1900 as an offical  event for the city, however the parade has been going on since the 1800’s as a way to celebrate the New. 

Plan now to be a part of this tradition “Independent Style” by making your reservation to spend New Year’s Eve at The Independent Philadelphia Hotel!  Happy New Year!

Philly Overnight® is back. The two-night hotel package is now available seven days a week at The Independent Philadelphia Hotel!  PACKAGES STARTING AT $209.00 DOUBLE OCCUPANCY plus applicable taxes - based upon availability

The Philly Overnight® Hotel Package gives you two nights accommodations with free parking.
It’s the perfect package for a quick getaway.

Included in the package;

• 2 nights accommodations
• Free Parking for both nights (upwards of a $75 value at most Center City hotels)
• A Free gift upon check-in: an adorable Philly’s More Fun Teddy Bear
• Macy’s Savings Pass featuring an 11% discount

The package is available seven days a week, which means you can book it for any two consecutive days — e.g. a Tuesday and a Wednesday, a Sunday and a Monday, a Friday and a Saturday, etc. 

And in addition to the accommodations for two nights, your Philly Overnight® Hotel Package includes free parking (upwards of a $75 value), a Macy’s Savings Pass and a free gift upon check-in. 

And remember, Philly is more fun when you sleep over! And now your weekend is whenever you want it to be - PACKAGES STARTING AT $209.00 DOUBLE OCCUPANCY plus applicable taxes - based upon availability. 

CLICK HERE TO MAKE YOUR RESERVATION NOW:   https://reservations.ihotelier.com/istay.cfm?hotelid=15322&packageID=111302

The holidays are quickly approaching and The Independent Philadelphia Hotel invites you to come be out guest and take in not only all the spectacular shopping Center City Philadelphia has to offer but to plan a visit to Franklin Square Outlet Center as well!  We are offering discounted rates through the end of December 2008 - leaving you with more money to shop! 

Holidays In The Square Friday, November 28 through Saturday, December 20
Franklin Square
Presented by Historic Philadelphia, Inc.
FREE!
 
> official website
· · ·
FREE caroling performance in Franklin Square where visitors can sing along with their favorite holiday songs as they stroll through the Square. Take a ride on the Lightning Bolt Express Train, a magical ride around the historic square (tickets required). 11 am – 2 pm, weather permitting.

Dates:

• Friday, November 28, 2008 @ 11:00 am
• Saturday, December 20, 2008 @ 11:00 am

“Congratulations, Philadelphia Phillies - World Series 2008 Champions!”  The Independent Philadelphia Hotel could not be prouder of their home team, the Philadelphia Phillies for bringing home the World Series 2008 Championship and for making us forget that it had been 28 years since the last win - Good things come to those who wait!!  They truly are a team to be proud of and have earned the title, World Series 2008 Champions - that is for sure!

The Independent Philadelphia Hotel “Congratulates” the Phillies on being one game shy of capturing the 2008 World Series Title!  GO PHILLIES!! 

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Ryan Howard knows this place will go nuts with one more win.

“It will be absolute bedlam,” he said. “It will be one of the craziest places on earth. It’s kind of scary to imagine.”

2008 MLB playoffs

World Series Phillies lead 3-1 Game 1: Phillies 3, Rays 2 Rosenthal | Fraley | Video | Photos Game 2: Rays 4, Phillies 2 Rosenthal | Fraley | Video | Photos Game 3: Phillies 5, Rays 4 Rosenthal | Kriegel | Video | Photos Game 4: Phillies 10, Rays 2 Rosenthal | Kriegel | Video | Photos Game 5: Mon. at Phillies Game 6*: Wed. at Rays Game 7*: Thurs. at Rays * — if necessary   All games on FOX

More on the playoffs:

• MLB Playoff Central | Video Central
• Rosenthal: Who will pay for Manny?
• Fan reaction to every series

Then again, who would’ve guessed Phillies pitcher Joe Blanton would shut his eyes, take a huge swing and sock a ball into the seats.

Blanton became the first pitcher in 34 years to homer in the World Series, Howard drove in five runs with two homers and Philadelphia romped over the Tampa Bay Rays 10-2 on Sunday night to move within one win of its first title since 1980.

The team of 10,000 losses could give title-starved Philadelphia its first champion in any of the four big sports since the NBA’s 76ers in 1983.

“A championship is the only way to fully reverse that thought of how the Phillies are portrayed,” said Jimmy Rollins, who sparked the Phillies with three hits and three runs. “If we get that game, I believe we will be happy, the city will be happy, there will be a big parade,” - No doubt!