getaways

History Meets Hip

>>Spring is the season of rebirth, and the perfect time to celebrate our nation's birthplace with a jaunt to Philadelphia. Stodgy no more, with a hot new art and music scene, buzz-

worthy clubs and restaurants just a start. As you experience a just-right mix of history and hip, you won't have to ask for whom the Liberty Bell tolls. It tolls for thee, with a jazzy lilt. (www.gophila.com)

SEE: The revitalized Old City District has all the art galleries and chic restaurants you'd want, on cobblestone streets our Founding Fathers trod. Elfreth's Alley (www.elfrethsalley.org) is America's oldest residential street, continuously occupied since 1713. Make sure to visit the nearby Christ Church, "the Patriot's Church," where you'll marvel at the wineglass pulpit with the shades of Betsy Ross and George Washington. Feast your eyes on Maxfield Parrish's seminal 1916 Tiffany glass mosaic Dream Garden in the Curtis Center lobby, which launched Philadelphia's art preservation movement more than a decade ago when a mogul tried to buy and move it to Las Vegas.

DINE: At the Society Hill Hotel Bar (www.phillyhotel

bar.com), quaff local microbrews and taste an upscale take on the ubiquitous Philly cheesesteak, this one made with shiitake mushrooms and Gruyère cheese. For haute Asian in a lively scene, try Buddakan (www.buddakan.com), or sample sophisticated tapas at Amada (www.amadarestaurant.com).

STAY: Location, location, location is what Loews Philadelphia Hotel (www.loewshotels.com) has. Sleekly housed in a renovated bank building that's a National Historic Landmark, it's within walking distance to most historic sites. For a gracious splurge, the fabled Rittenhouse Hotel (www.rittenhousehotel.com) boasts historic views and Lacroix at the Rittenhouse, one of the city's finest French restaurants.

SHOP: Get into the art swing with a visit to Snyderman-Works Galleries (www.snyderman-works.com), with fine jewelry, ceramics, glass and other works by more than 200 artists. Browse the upscale boutiques on North Third Street-particularly Viv Pickle (www.vivpickle.com), where the staff will create and sew any handbag you design and send it to you within six weeks. Nearby, the Gourmet of Olde City, Papery and Bonejour cater to, respectively, the home chef, stationery lover and pampered pup.

INSIDER TIP: There's no better place to experience the city's vibrant live music scene than World Café Live (www.worldcafelive.com), a showcase for local, regional and international jazz and new music talent.

-Mary Alice Kellogg