Philadelphia's Lost Waterfront

(32 reviews)

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania audio tour: Philadelphia's Lost Waterfront

This is a 2.2mi walking tour

It takes an average of 60 mins to complete.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The United States

$6.99

Access all 56 locations offline with the VoiceMap app

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About the Tour

This route explores the north central Philadelphia waterfront, focusing on what remains of this historic locale after the installation of Interstate I-95 in the 1970s, and relating (among other things) how early Quaker settlors lived in caves along the waterfront.

Keep in mind that this area was where wheeling and dealing went on to encourage local, regional and national enterprise. It was where early American capitalists made their fortunes. It was where the individual American colonies were crafted into a nation. And it was also where terrible urban contagions began.

Tour Producer

Harry Kyriakodis

1 tour

I am a historian and writer about Philadelphia, as well as a tour guide for the city, and have collected what is likely the largest private collection of books about the City of Brotherly Love: about 2700 titles, new and old. I'm also a founding/certified member of the Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides and have lived at Pier 3 Condominium at Penn’s Landing since 1997, where and when my fascination with Philadelphia’s waterfront district began. I regularly give walking tours and presentations on this and other unique yet unappreciated parts of the city for various groups. I'm a graduate of La Salle University (1986) and Temple University School of Law (1993) and was once an officer in the U.S. Army Field Artillery.

Preview Location

Location 1

Begin at Christ Church, Old City

Hello, I'm Harry Kyriakodis, author of the book Philadelphia's Lost Waterfront and a founding certified member of the Association for Philadelphia Tour Guides. I'm also your virtual guide today.

You should be standing in front of Christ Church on the street between the chu... Hello, I'm Harry Kyriakodis, author of the book Philadelphia's Lost Waterfront and a founding certified member of the Association for Philadelphia Tour Guides. I'm also your virtual guide today.

You should be standing in front of Christ Church on the street between the church and the park next to it. I'd like to to tell you a bit about this church before we get going, so take a seat while you listen.

Anglicans of the Church of England founded a small wooden place of worship here in 1695. They later decided to build the most sumptuous church in the American colonies. The church you see today was constructed between 1727 and 1744. It's considered one of the nation’s most beautiful eighteenth-century structures, a superb example of Georgian architecture and a monument to colonial craftsmanship.

Christ Church's steeple was financed by lotteries managed by Benjamin Franklin. The tower pierces the sky at 196 feet, and was the tallest structure in North America for almost a hundred years. The “Philadelphia Steeple,” as it was commonly called, could be seen from miles away by seafarers sailing up the Delaware River toward the city. Even today, the Christ Church steeple is a prominent landmark.

After the American Revolution, Christ Church could no longer be an Anglican church. Church officials in England agreed to establish the Episcopal Church in America. So Christ Church is the birthplace of the Episcopal Church in the United States.

We're almost ready to get going, but first let me explain how this works. VoiceMap uses your GPS location to play commentary automatically. So you can put your phone away now, and just focus on your surroundings. I'll give you directions to keep you on track, so unless I ask you to stop for a closer look at something, you can just keep walking. Make sure you bring a pair of headphones or earphones, as Interstate 95 and Delaware Avenue produce too much noise to use your phone's speakers.

Let's go. If you're facing the church, turn right at 2nd Street and walk towards Market Street. There are no restroom stops, but you can visit one of several restaurants which I will point out along the way. Please be careful, by the way, of traffic along the entire route. Read More

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How VoiceMap Works

Focus on your surroundings, not the screen

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Follow a route with turn-by-turn-directions

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Major Landmarks

Ben Franklin Bridge
Wood Street Steps

Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
20 N American St, Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA
Total distance

4km
Final location
302 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA
Distance back to start location

69.91m

Directions to Starting Point

The start point is Christ Church in Old City Philadelphia, specifically at the wooden benches on the south side of church, on Church Street, near Second and Market Streets.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

There are several places at which to take in the Delaware River (and waterfront activity) along the way, as well as stop for bite to eat and relax.

Best time of day

Anytime during the daytime.

Precautions

Be careful of traffic and crossing the streets. Make sure you bring a pair of headphones or earphones, as Interstate 95 and Delaware Avenue produce too much noise to do this tour using your phone speakers.

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“This app has become my go-to app for audio tours. I pretty much use it for every trip and it works wonderfully. I highly recommend VoiceMap for travelers to truly experience cities.”

App Store Review

“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”

Google Play Store

Questions and Reviews

4.5 / 5

32 Ratings

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