Reading Terminal Market - not a place books go to die

We woke up Friday morning (and by woke up Friday morning, I mean Little got up to go to her classy young professional job and I got up and ate the breakfast of champions: pie). I had planned to make up the sightseeing I was planning on doing Thursday. Instead of walking, I decided to take the subway. Thus began the day of questionable life choices.

Good life choice: wearing seersucker shorts and a blue oxford
Poor life choice: wearing a long sleeve blue oxford and having to walk to the subway in what was probably 300% humidity

The subway stop is only a couple of blocks from Little's apartment, but it's a couple of blocks in a not great direction. I passed by questionably liquor stores and stores that sold "custom jewelry" aka grillz. I really wanted to take a picture of the items they had on display in the window (read: items on a table behind a window with prison bars), but I figured that if my outfit didn't scream "not local," the whole "Asian-with-camera-taking-pictures" would.

Subway fare is $2.90 roundtrip. I gave exact change to the woman behind the counter and she gave me this slip of paper and told me to walk on in. I thought I had won a special lottery and I was holding a Willy Wonka ticket to a day of mystery and adventure. NO. FAIL.

Good life choice: paying in exact change and getting rid of small extra bills/coins
Bad life choice: thinking I had won a special prize because by "Willy Wonka ticket of magic" I mean "stupid bus ticket"

The woman had given me a bus ticket. I stood at the platform and stared at it for probably 5 minutes thinking there must be some significance to this ticket. Maybe it had a secret code on it, maybe it somehow doubled as subway fare. I went back and asked her and she said, "This station doesn't sell tokens." I then asked her what I was supposed to do with the bus ticket she got me. She explained that the ticket helps me get on a bus, and if I had it to the driver, I don't have to pay.

Wow! Thanks! USELESS. FAIL.

I ride the subway to the stop I need and talk to Debbie, the counter woman there. She is an absolute sweetheart and says that if I come back during her shift, she'll let me on the subway without having to pay again. Pleased with this lovely turn of events, my faith in the brotherly love of Philadelphia restored, I head to Reading Terminal Market.

In case you forgot to write down directions to Reading Terminal Market, have no fear. There is a giant neon sign mounted on the wall outside the market. For comparison, please note that it is bigger than that tree and bigger than most of the cars on the street. Even better, please notice the man on the phone in the lower right hand corner. That sign is like... twice as big as he is. At least.

Once you go inside though, it is like a food lover's paradise! Every different type of food has a little area, there's fresh produce, all kinds of food-related products, everything you could ever want to eat. Mexican, Thai, Chinese, deli delicious, DUTCH. It was paradise.

They also have wireless internet and a sweet sitting area. The iced coffee is totally fab and very very strong.



1. Fresh veggies and example of the produce stands they have and how cheap everything is.
2. A GIANT BURRITO. Seriously, that was probably how big I was when I was born.
3. All kinds of delicious pies and desserts and delicious things I wanted to eat/put in my mouth until the Dutch lady who handled this part of the market came and asked me if I needed help. I panicked and ran away. I didn't want her to think I was taking a picture of her.
4. Chocolate delicious.
5. More chocolate things.

I then sat and people watched and it is the craziest blend/mix of people you've ever seen. There are a lot of tourists later on, but early in the morning, there are a lot of people who the market staff are really familiar and friendly with (and it's more entertaining than sitting in the window seat at Starbucks during finals and watching people fight for open table space).