Rittenhouse Square Park

Let me just start out by saying that as a teenager, I spent a lot of time in Rittenhouse doing rambunctious, illegal, teenager things. Things have changed for me, but not for the park. This is a haven for teenagers to smoke weed and drink 40s. I don’t have an issue with this but when you impose on my relaxing park time, I don’t like it. They have made efforts to reduce this by adding a security guard.
To the defense of the park, it’s amazing for people watching. You will see a lot of crazies, drunk people, and just strange things in general (once I saw a man balancing a standing baby on his hand). They hold nice farmers markets here, and various other events such as free movies.
It’s a park in the middle of a city, so what do you expect? Surrounded by good food and good coffee.

Beautiful green space in urban concrete jungle. Surrounding architecture harks to Euro roots and the layout of the green is classic with gardens, sculptures, and holiday festive lights too. A real treasure for those seeking reprieve inside the city.

Love this park. It is my neighborhood park. I love strolling through it a weekend morning. So many people out and about and sometimes performers. Also great to spend a lazy afternoon reading. Is a bit small but overall great park.

Great place to relax, people watch, see animals, busk, read, etc.

I live in the neighborhood & I love it. It’s a great public area, wonderful restaurants & art shows. Always something going on.

The whole neighborhood, and one of the most well known neighborhoods in Philadelphia, is named after it so clearly it is top notch! The park is not incredibly large, but still works as a central location that draws people from all over the city with dogs, kids, family. There are so many restaurants and coffee shops around that I recommend picking something up and finding a bench in the park to enjoy! Whether looking for some alone time to watch the world go by and read a book or with a large group, Rittenhouse Square can accommodate perfectly.
The park is pretty all year long, but I especially love the lights that are put up around the Christmas season– very magical. I love when some solo instrumentalists, small bands or performers will provide entertainment or lovely background music.
The park also serves as a spot for many events throughout the year including art fairs, craft and food festivals.
It is so nice to have a spot like this in the middle of the busy city. Great outlet for city dwellers who need some time with green space and sun!
One caveat is that you will be approached by multiple people asking for money during even a short stay in the park. Unfortunately, it seems to be unavoidable everywhere you go in Philadelphia.

Cute park in the middle of a square block of charming apartment complexes and restaurants. Great place to live* if you are in Philadelphia.
* not the park, the Rittenhouse area is a good place to live. Although, I think there are some ppl who do live in the park.

Best park in the city for relaxing, hanging out, and people watching. They don’t sell food here but almost any food you would want is within a few block radius. I like to grab food to-​go and eat it in the park. There are plenty of benches and open space for picnics.
In Rittenhouse square you never know what you might see. You could see street performers, street musicians, sun bathers, kids playing in the fountain, flash mobs, wedding parties, movie nights, the naked bike ride, crazy people talking to themselves, or the occasional concert. That unpredictability is a part of the charm.
Philly is a city of parks, but Rittenhouse square is at the top of the list.

I love this place. Cute pups, shady spots, and tons of space to spread out.

The park is the heart of Rittenhouse Square, and on a warm spring day, everyone is out, relaxing, walking, and enjoying the day people watching. It’s great to see the performers also, and the locals say hi to each other. The park also has a lot of benches to sit on.
A great neighborhood spot, even for those of us who are only in Philly a few times a year.

One of my favorite places in the city when its sunny. Its the one spacious spot in center city where there’s some good swing music and well manicured lawns.
Though its a small park (1 block), it is surrounded by great restaurants/​shops and its lively regardless of the time of year.
It will always be my favorite place to spot cute dogs/​puppies/​birds and read a book on the weekends!

A great place to hang unwind and relax on a warm weekend. Lots of activities happening during the day, including jugglers, musicians and small vendors selling fun things. It is great to have a picnic in when the weather is nice, and you can sit around and see Philadelphia life go by.
It is also very close to most of the Center City shopping, and can serve as a great break between your day out in the city.

Ever since I found this park, it’s definitely become one of my all-​time-​must-​stop-​by destinations whenever I’m in the city. It may not be as large and fancy as New York’s Central Park but it personally makes for quite the ideal place for any get together where there’s some much needed catching up to get to because of it’s peaceful and less tourist-​y atmosphere.
Love how you can actually hear, appreciate, and enjoy the various musics that usually play in the park at all areas of the park! Perfect park to visit regardless of whatever season it may be that you choose to visit!

I remember Rittenhouse seeming a lot larger when I was younger… maybe my ability to drive (slowly) around the park has diminished its size to me. Regardless, this is one of my favorite parks in the city and a GREAT place to people-​watch. I have whiled away a few afternoons in the park reading, doing homework, or meeting the various dogs that come to play here. I’ve always enjoyed my time in this park, although it can get a little creepy at night (personally, it’s the fountain and the brush that does it for me).
Bonus: in the winter, people make giant snowmen all over the park and it’s fun to pose with all of the snow sculptures (or try to figure out what they are)!

This is a 5 star park without question.
Love stopping through here for any amount of time, any time of day, just about any time of the year.
If you’re out for lunch during the work week (or any time for that matter), it’s a great place to chill outside, sit on a bench/​ledge/​grassy area and just chazz it up with friends or work buddies.
I even love coming out to the area to sit and have lunch alone sometimes or to bring a good book to read.
The people watching is unrivaled and it’s an all around good time at the park. Even better is that it’s located right next to so many good restaurants and shops so you aren’t far from activity when you’re ready to change the scene.
Bonus for coming on Saturdays and checking out the outdoor markets when the weather is nice!

I really enjoy the park and really view it as what Philly is all about. There’s such a wide variety of characters that it’s just fun to sit on the grass and watch people.
There’s the street performers in the center of the square, and you can get jugglers, violin players, guitar players, painters, etc.
There’s the bikers and chess players at the northeast corner
There’s the students just hanging out in the center of the square
There’s the sunbathers when the whether is right
There’s the kids and parents playing around the fountain
There’s the wedding parties and photographers trying to snap the perfect picture
There’s the dog-​lovers playing on the grass
There’s the romantic couples lying on blankets
And, there’s special events — concerts and movies during the summer, fancy balls, art shows throughout the year, and farmer’s markets on the weekends.
A great place to spend a weekend.
Enjoy!

When you walk into rittenhouse park, you feel like you step outside the city. The park has a great feel to it.
Can you call it wonderland? It seems that time slows down as you walk into the park as its microsociety is enchanting.
Rittenhouse was originally designed to add extra green space between buildings, as a prevention for fires spreading throughout the city.
During the nicer months you can come here to see families, people walking their dogs, students studying, the elderly taking in the times that have past, people reading, others sipping on coffee, the homeless, and the occasional pot smoker.
The vibe is really chill, and its as if walking into a fairy tale. For any person with time to kill this is a great place. Have you, a must for anyone that lives in the Philadelphia area, or any person traveling through.

A great park in the middle of the city!
With old historical buildings and businesses surrounding it, this park sets a tranquil scene to get away from the hustle and bustle.
There are many park benches to relax and enjoy some fresh air. Lighted pathways allow for park goers to still have that secure comfort.
It was great to stumble across this park. Another beautiful piece of Philadelphia.

What a beautiful little urban oasis. I love running through here on my way to the river trail. It’s so lush and leafy, with charming paths and beautiful plantings.
Great place to relax, sit and read a book, catch up with a friend or just sit and do nothing.
I’m knocking it down a star because when I was there last weekend, the fountain wasn’t working. That really adds to the charm. Once that’s back up and running, five stars all the way, baby.

What a five star park. Five stars for the scenery. Five stars for location and five stars for the people watching.
I love coming here on a Sunday putting out a blanket, sneaking some beer in our bags and just chatting and watching the strange birds that fly by.
My favorite person to spot is the man biking through with the dogs in his front basket. Both of the dogs wear goggles and hats. Keep an eye out. He’s a classic