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throwawaitnine t1_iyreerk wrote

One of the unsung absolute gems of Philadelphia that people almost never talk about on this sub is the Philadelphia Orchestra.

I think every Philadelphia should be going to the Orchestra as much as they can. Even if you aren't a fan of classical or baroque music being in Verizon Hall to hear the orchestra is an absolutely amazing and surprisingly visceral experience. It's really unlikely that in your whole life you will ever be in a room as acoustically perfect as Verizon Hall.

Recommend Gil Shaham playing Brahm's Violin Concerto in February.

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thenerdiestmenno t1_iyrm8aw wrote

And just a reminder, if you are 40 or younger you can become a "young friend" (for free) and get cheaper tickets!

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throwawaitnine t1_iyrnnr6 wrote

A real pro tip is that you can rush tickets online($15) from Wednesday afternoon and in person($20) 2 hours before a show. The rush tickets I have bought in person before have been ridiculously good seats that would have cost at least $200 normally.

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thespiff t1_j1euws4 wrote

Yep thanks for the young fans tip, great seats great price.

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Head-Kiwi-9601 t1_iyrfcrw wrote

What do people wear to the Orchestra?

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throwawaitnine t1_iyrihm0 wrote

Anything from casual to tuxedo. If you went to a show in May you'd see people in shorts. There's no dress code.

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ImaginaryRoads t1_iyu2iz3 wrote

I agree with the orchestra, but I'd actually suggest that OP try the Philly Pops instead. Not because the orchestra is bad, but because the Pops are closing after the current season and so there's a limited time to experience them.

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Running1982 t1_iytie2b wrote

They’re such an under appreciated asset to the city. They play at the Mann Center and often accompany movies(Jurassic park) or video games(the legend of Zelda soundtrack). It’s rad.

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thespiff t1_j1eu2j2 wrote

Great suggestion, last minute Christmas gift, and the shaham concert doubles as a Valentine’s Day gift! Thanks! $90 for a pair of great seats with the young fans program.

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PhillyPanda t1_iyr6lvm wrote

Cooking classes: Hudson Table and Old City Kitchen, also Cozy Meal

I think five iron golf has an Xmas promo going on

Could try the new Philly Cheese School for cheese

Cocktail making classes at Cocktail Culture

Philadelphia Woodworks has various wood projects, Loop has knitting classes

Callowhill archery or the Cliffs at Callowhill (climbing)

A membership pass to a museum/the zoo

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austinjg95 t1_iyssvo1 wrote

Dang bummed to find out they don't teach you how to make cheese at the Philly cheese school.

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cjr71244 t1_iyvk11x wrote

What do they teach you?

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austinjg95 t1_iyx68ws wrote

Had to go to their site. I haven't been myself. They teach about making cheese boards and what pairs with what. It's byob. Eat some cheese. Seems fun for some but I would've signed up last night for a cheese MAKING class.

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stillwell6315 t1_iyva49r wrote

Along the lines of cooking classes - my wife and I did a night at Let's Cultivate Food in Manayunk. Very enjoyable experience where we cooked our own food with a very small group. We did the dumplings class but they had a number of other really good ones.

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SciGuy45 t1_iyr74ql wrote

Magic Gardens. You can sign up to spend a few hours working with the guy on a current project in the neighborhood

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fritolazee t1_iyrgo5g wrote

Butcher Sew shop has some fun one day classes

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AristaAchaion t1_iyrpvot wrote

i came into the thread to recommend them! they do great 1 day classes, and i’ve taken several of their sewing classes, which were always fantastic!

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sgarst t1_iyrcey0 wrote

There are some history walking tours with actors that are cheesy/fun. I stumbled around with a 1700's British soldier drinking, going into several bars.

Tippler’s Tour maybe?

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flamants t1_iyre518 wrote

I gave my boyfriend tickets to a show at Kimmel Cultural Campus and we loved it. There's always a ton of stuff coming up so you can customize it to the person, and cost is very flexible depending on which seat section you get.

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[deleted] t1_iyrbyts wrote

Wine school of philadelphia was really enjoyable and educational. Highly recommend if you know of any wine lovers.

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azsoup t1_iyr3w3n wrote

Have you looked at the “things 2 do” in the sidebar? Lots of good stuff there.

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citizenbee t1_iyrusmj wrote

I’m always a fan of spa gift cards. It’s something you never really splurge for on yourself, and Philly has some nice spas. If there’s someone extra special you want to treat I suggest either Eviama Life Spa or Joseph Anthony Retreat Spa

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GirlintheYellowOlds t1_iyrwfe8 wrote

Someone got me a Joseph Anthony spa gift card as a gift, and it was one of the best things ever.

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citizenbee t1_iyrxgm5 wrote

I did a couples thing there with my gf for her bday and it was definitely the best!

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allmimsyburogrove t1_iyrr8c9 wrote

If you like hiking, Forbidden Drive through Fairmount Park, start in Chestnut Hill and you can walk down to Boathouse Row and then to the Art Museum. About 7 miles.

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andreach16 t1_iyreqys wrote

There are a couple of escape rooms in the city. The olde city escape games in old city is Philadelphia team.

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LePetitRenardRoux t1_iyrmfv6 wrote

My partner LOVED getting paintball tickets, it was pretty inexpensive too. Get them on groupon. For allllllnof these suggestions, search on groupon.

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Phillyboishowdown t1_iyrv8q6 wrote

I’m not sure if this is any help, but if you can’t think of anything, Flyers or Sixers tickets are always a safe bet

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aj1337h t1_iys5l6u wrote

I enjoy going through the Macys' Dickens Village... its free BTW

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Starpork t1_iys3wfe wrote

Scubadelphia does a thing where you can take a pool class with them to see if you like diving. The actual certification process is expensive but to sign up or gift the pool class sounded pretty affordable (to be clear certification is way more involved, multiple pool dives, real world dives, and a bunch of eLearning)

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Arkhikernc t1_iysdabl wrote

The library at 1901 Vine (the main library) has a number of hands-on cooking classes throughout the year.

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postgrad-dep18 t1_iysgjd0 wrote

I am gifting friends who are new parents with a gift card to shoott.com - they can book a family photography session in various areas throughout the city/anywhere in the world (I find this appealing for them bc they are always traveling!)

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brilliantpants t1_iyruoet wrote

Zoo or Camden aquarium tickets/memberships are great for families!

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klydsp t1_iyrxm23 wrote

I always tour the eastern state penitentiary when I go.

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Sleepy_Like_Me t1_iys1zyg wrote

Wonderspaces

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tor29c t1_iysp9tv wrote

Was there for the first time yesterday! A group of 5, ranging in ages from 5 years old to 63. We all loved it! Looking forward to visiting again!

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_jeremybearimy_ t1_iysf2uj wrote

There’s that Callowhill Archery place that looks awesome, been wanting to go. They sell packages

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Luna_3000 t1_iysfsqw wrote

I bought my family a tour of Lincoln Financial Field and it was really fun and surprisingly inexpensive.

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smizmar0 t1_iyt6yec wrote

I always buy my mom a 3-show subscription to the arden theater for Christmas, since she likes theater and it's on the more affordable side. She's taken me with her to see a lot of wonderful shows. Recommend.

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smizmar0 t1_iyt7g3c wrote

There's a really cool art exhibit near Trenton right now through April at the grounds for sculpture. It's a light/projection artist collective (in fact, the same collective that lights up city hall at xmas) setting up their work to interact with the sculptures. Its called night forms: infinite wave. So cool! people of all ages were "oooh"-and-"awww"-ing.

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Revolutionary_Bee700 t1_iysazzb wrote

Get them a zoo or a museum membership, so they have a gift all year.

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sbb7891 t1_iytvrls wrote

If you are planning on being part of the activities, check out what passes your library has. Options vary by location but they tend to have a lot good ones. Hard to gift since they are time sensitive and must be returned but could be good for a spur of the moment outing. I've gotten passes to the Mutter and Rosenbach.

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