Come to Midwinter in Philadelphia!

It's hot and sticky as I write this, but before we know it Jack Frost will be nipping at our noses, and so I thought I'd offer some tips on surviving-and enjoying-Midwinter '99 in Philadelphia. The last conference held here, Midwinter '95, gave us all a big surprise in the form of nine inches of snow that fell during the first night and promptly turned into pack ice. Some people had pulled into town without so much as a coat or a pair of plastic Totes for their shoes. Let me reassure you all: that was the only measurable snow we had that winter. However, as the Scouts are fond of urging, we should all "be prepared" in order to have a good time.

For your general knowledge, most conference events will be held downtown (a.k.a. Center City), in or near the Pennsylvania Convention Center.  The convention center is a whispering distance from Chinatown, Reading Terminal Market (the indoor version of a huge outdoor market), the Gallery (Philadelphia's downtown shopping mall), the new Marriott Hotel, and Lord and Taylor's-formerly Wanamaker's-which boasts the world's largest fully functional pipe organ, with 30,067 pipes. Center City and the historic district, or old city, are so neatly laid-out that even I have trouble getting lost there.   Philadelphia's north-south streets are numbered, with Front being the equivalent of 1st, and Broad, the principal north-south thoroughfare, equivalent to 14th. The east-west streets are named, with Market dividing north from south. Vine St., some blocks north of Market, is where the main, or central, building of the Free Library of Philadelphia is located.

For the few who may not know it, Ben Franklin did NOT found the Free Library, though he did found, or at least fund-raise for, practically everything else here! He established the Library Company, a subscription library that provided the germ of an idea for a tax-supported library whose doors would be open to all comers, at no cover charge; hence the word "Free" in the public library's name. Central was opened in 1927 and is actually just off Logan Square, which is also Logan Circle-proof positive that sometimes a square peg can fit into a round hole. This building, its three regional libraries, and its 50 or so branches, house literally millions of books, manuscripts, prints, pictures, maps, microforms, newspapers, magazines, audio cassettes, video cassettes, CD's, computers, and one stuffed bird-which, during its lifetime, belonged to Charles Dickens. Try to make time to see Central and/or a branch or regional library, especially because we're in the midst of a major renovation project. Other site-seeing opportunities in and near the city, include the Art Museum, many historic buildings, and beautiful Lancaster and Bucks Counties.

As for the weather, what can I say?  Except, "Don't shoot the messenger!" If you don't own a warm jacket or coat, go to a thrift shop and get one and bring something to keep your feet, hands, and head dry and warm. And don't forget an umbrella. Winter here is likely to be cold and it can be nasty. If that happens, expect delays in getting around, and give yourself extra time.

That doesn't mean you can't enjoy yourself, and make your stay here more pleasurable. LIRT will be holding the traditional "Bites with LIRT," lunches in restaurants close to the Convention Center, so get your reservations in for those.  (You'll find a mail-in reservation form elsewhere in this issue.) Popular restaurants near the convention center include The Hardshell Cafe, a seafood restaurant in the Gallery, Ray's Cafe, a cozy Chinese place in (of course) Chinatown, and the Terrace on the Court, which faces the pipes of the organ built by John Wanamaker's son in that magnificent store.

As in most cities, you'll want to be careful not to be "marked" as easy prey by people who like to take unfair advantage of others. This means things like not wearing your name tag outside conference sites, not going out alone at night if you can help it, not carrying valuables around, and keeping wallets out of sight and purses closed. Use cabs when you have to, and buddy up when you go out, especially at night. And learn some of the local ways: "Yo!" for instance, means "hi" or "you called?" And a huge, warm, soft pretzel, which most people prefer slathered with mustard, can tide you over nicely through a long meeting until your next meal. Oh, no one I know has ever run up the steps of the Art Museum. Climb them slowly, and turn around a few times to savor the view. On a clear day, Philadelphia is beautiful.
 

Barbara Pilvin works at the Free Library of Philadelphia and is LIRT Treasurer.