Welcome to Philadelphia, William Penn's “Greene Country Towne.” The newly formed Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia is pleased to serve as host to the ninety-first Annual Meeting of the American Psychoanalytic Association.
In 2001, the Philadelphia Association for Psychoanalysis and the Philadelphia Psychoanalytic Society and Institute combined to form one entity, the Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia — the first reunification of a former split in the history of the APsaA. A “Psychoanalytic Center” is a new concept that combines the functions of a teaching institute, outreach programs, and a psychoanalytic society.
Author James Michener described Philadelphia as the “Queen City” during the building of our nation, encircled by its “jewels,” the four counties surrounding the city: Delaware, Chester, Montgomery, and Bucks counties. Philadelphia has a rich national heritage, and the survival of the city's architecture presents a complete record of our nation's early architectural development. The Fairmount Park system is a unique feature of Philadelphia: 8,700 acres of public lands, housing the Philadelphia Art Museum, Boat House Row (a row of charming cottages along the Schuylkill River that house rowing clubs), and some of the finest colonial mansions in America.
The most exciting recent development on the Philadelphia cultural scene was the opening of the new home of the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. At a cost of $265 million, it has been described as the city's new treasure under glass. Designed by architect Rafael Vinoly, it has been heralded as a wave of the future, surpassing New York City's Lincoln Center both architecturally and acoustically. Under soaring glass, it contains a state-of-the art orchestral concert hall, a chamber theater (the Perlman theater), and an experimental studio. The hall's interior is designed in the shape of a cello, the sides covered with hardwood stripes, which distributes sound evenly around the theater. Three moveable acoustic canopies reflect the sound. Reverberation chambers controlled by motorized panels that open and close and fine-tuned with curtains surround the audience at all levels.
During May 16–18, when you are in town for the meeting, the Philadelphia Orchestra under the direction of Wolfgang Sawallisch is scheduled to perform a program of “Austrian Contrasts,” including Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 27, with pianist Maurizio Pollini, and Franz Schmidt's Second Symphony.
Among Philadelphia's premier restaurants is George Perrier's Le Bec-Fin, 1523 Walnut Street, (215-567-1000), a classical French restaurant (which Craig Claiborne made famous) and Brasserie Perrier, 1619 Walnut Street, (215-568-3000), which offers French cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere, specializing in seafood and pasta.
Two other entrepreneurs dominate the Philly restaurant scene. Stephen Starr owns five of the more popular restaurants in Philadelphia: the Continental, the Buddakan, the Blue Angel, the Tangerine, and the Pod. Starr's recent additions have brought two New York chefs to Philadelphia. “Nuevo Latino” chef Douglas Rodriguez will head up Alma de Cuba, 1623 Walnut Street (215-988-1799), where you can sample his coco shrimp soup. In partnership with Starr, chef Masaharu Morimoto from Nobu in New York, known as the Iron Chef, is heading up Morimoto's, where he plans on reviving such traditions as making wasabi from scratch.
With the opening of the Kimmel Center, Neil Stein's Avenue B, next door at 260 South Broad Street (215-790-0705), is now flourishing. Chef Francesco Martorella is in charge. The focus is on Italian dishes (the wine list offers only Italian wines).
Perhaps the most exciting gastronomic news, however, is that “cozy cafes and bistros are busting out all over” (writes R. Nichols of the Philadelphia Inquirer), which will give you an opportunity, through lunch and dinner, to explore the city from the northern Liberties to South Street. One of the best places to have lunch, according to many critics, is the Reading Terminal, on Market Street between North 11th and North 12th streets. Reading Terminal offers a variety of food choices plus some of the flavor of the Pennsylvania Dutch culture. The Italian Market, 9th Street between Christian and Wharton in south Philly, is another area where you can experience ethnic foods and heritage. Here you can line up at Jim's Steaks, 4th and South streets, for an unforgettable Philadelphia cheesesteak sandwich. Or maybe you would enjoy a stroll through Chinatown, where you can have a light dim sum lunch at Joseph Poon's. Chestnut Hill and Manayunk are additional neighborhoods noteworthy for fine dining and interesting shops.
Philadelphia is no longer a city that goes to sleep early. Night life and entertainment abound. There are theaters, concert halls, music clubs, and plays of all types. Central to the performing arts in Philadelphia are the Anneberg Center in University City, the Walnut Street Theater, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Curtis Institute of Music. Jazz and blues are very much a part of the Philly scene. The big name venues are Zanzibar Blue, at 200 South Broad Street (215-732-4500), for jazz and Warmdaddy's, at Front and Market Streets (215-627-2500), for blues. Penn's Landing at Columbus Avenue and Spruce Streets and the clubs along the Delaware are favorite gathering spots for nighttime entertainment in Philadelphia.
There are numerous art galleries in Center City and Center City East, especially in the old city. Perusing the art galleries and craft shops and shopping in Philadelphia can be fun and a rewarding experience. Shopping in Philadelphia could include a trip to Pine Street and Antique Row or to 7th and Samson Streets to Jewelers Row, the second largest jewelry district in the country.
L. J. Byerly, M.D., and Helen Rosen, Ph.D., are co-chairs of the Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia's Local Entertainment Committee.
Downtown shopping includes the shops at the Bellevue, the Gallery, and the Bourse.
For those interested in taking advantage of the city's historical sights, Independence National Historical Park is a must (215-965-7676). The newly restructured, $38 million visitor center at 3rd and Chestnut (215-629-5801) is worth taking time to see. The center is being billed as “your first stop for information, history, and adventure in Philadelphia.” From here you can launch into a tour of the old city with its historic places, art galleries, and Society Hill. Washington Square (Walnut and 6th Streets) contains the burial ground of many Revolutionary soldiers and the Unknown Soldier of the Revolutionary War.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art on Benjamin Franklin Parkway and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts at 118 North Broad Street are the two major art museums in Philadelphia and have outstanding collections. The Rodin Museum at 22nd and Parkway has the largest collection of Rodin sculptures outside Paris. It's open Tuesday through Sunday. The Franklin Institute of Science Museum contains the Fels Planetarium and the Tuttleman Omniverse Theater. Highlights include a walk through a giant heart and a Baldwin No. 6000 locomotive. The Academy of Natural Science has animals in a natural setting and a hands-on children's museum. Both are located on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and within walking distance of your hotel. In the same area there is a Please Touch Museum for children, at 210 North 21st Street (215-963-0667). Also for children is the Philadelphia Zoo, at 3400 West Girard Ave. (215-243-1100). “America's first zoo,” with its birdhouse, African Plains, and Bear Country, can provide another active outing. The New Jersey State Aquarium, 1 Riverside Drive in Camden N.J. (856-365-3300), is another place for children, where they can pet sharks. The ferry between Philadelphia and Camden should be running, which makes it an easy trip.
Two of the Philadelphia area's most important art museums are the Barnes Foundation, at 300 North Latch Street, Merion, Penn. (610-667-0290), and the Brandywine River Museum, Rte. 1, Chadds Ford, Penn. The Barnes Foundation exhibits paintings of Renoir, Cézanne, and Matisse from the collection of Albert Barnes. The Brandywine Museum exhibits works of the Wyeths. Other regional specialties are Winterthur, six miles west of Wilmington, Del. (800-448-3883), containing the unequaled du Pont collection of early American furniture and antiques, and Longwood Gardens, Rt. 1, Kennett Square, Penn. (610-388-1000), another du Pont gem. Both are about an hour's drive from the meeting hotel.
You can check on the exhibits planned by the museums and art galleries as well as the events scheduled in Philadelphia during the meeting dates on the Internet at , , or .
We are looking forward to seeing you in Philadelphia. We hope you will join us in celebrating the reunification of the Philadelphia Association for Psychoanalysis and the Philadelphia Psychoanalytic Society and Institute into the Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia. Look for further information as our celebration plans progress.