Reading Terminal Market

Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market is an urban foodie's paradise, a whole city block of fresh meat and seafood, local produce and dairy, decadent pastries and desserts. Since 1892, the Reading (pronounced like "redding") Terminal Market, named after the train station that was once located here, has been home to dozens of retailers serving the public, as well as local chefs looking to pick up ingredients.

Parking and Public Transportation at Reading Terminal Market

Reading Terminal Market offers $4 parking at nearby garages at 11th and Arch and at 12th and Filbert; you can take advantage of this deal if you've made $10 worth of purchases and get your parking validated.

Reading Terminal is right near the nexus of all public transportation in Philadelphia. Nearly every trolley line entering Center City from the west ends at City Hall, just two blocks from the market. The Broad Street subway line lets off at City Hall as well; the Market-Frankford east/west subway line has a stop at 11th Street, a block south of the market.

Admission to Reading Terminal Market

Admission is free, though walking past the roughly 100 merchants without buying something is tough.

Reading Terminal Market is open 8:00AM-6:00PM Monday-Saturday and 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. on Sundays. Keep in mind that many of the Pennsylvania Dutch merchants are not open Sundays and Mondays.

Must See/Do at Reading Terminal Market
This is one of the best places in the city to get high-quality produce as dirt-cheap prices. If you're hungry now, grab a roast pork sandwich from Tommy DiNic's and head to the food court for some great people watching.

Other Places to Visit Near Reading Terminal Market
If you're looking for more retail therapy, the Rittenhouse neighborhood, with its high-end boutiques, is a few blocks west. You can also take the Market-Frankford subway line to Independence Hall to brush up on your history, or the PHLASH shuttle system to the museum district for the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Barnes Foundation and the Franklin Institute.

Insider tip for visitors to Reading Terminal Market
The best time to visit Reading Terminal Market is in the mornings or mid-afternoons. Lunch time and weekends are packed with people, locals and tourists alike.

Author's bio: Jeff Birou is an education administrator by day, travel and freelance writer by night. You can find him at his blog, Lance+Jeff, or on Twitter at @Jetsetter_Jeff.