With its colonial history, open spaces and street art, the old capital, Philadelphia, is far from an average American city, says ANDY MOSSACK

SOME SEE it as New York without the attitude or traffic, while others revere it as the true birthplace of America. Philly, as it is affectionately known, was the new nation's capital at the start of the Revolutionary War in 1775 and then for a decade until 1790, when it was replaced by Washington DC. There is no denying Philadelphia has an illustrious past and anyone who has ever tasted a Philly cheesesteak will be left in no doubt as to where heaven really is.

Take a stroll through the parks and wide boulevards, gape at some of the 3,000 giant street murals of images from Sinatra to local landscapes and you'll realise there is a lot to this city. Add in tax-free shopping and you begin to see why Philly, an hour from New York, can more than hold its own with the Big Apple.

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THE BEST ADDRESS
Elegant and historic Rittenhouse Square at the heart of downtown is a perfect base. The square, surrounded by fashionable restaurants and hotels, is within walking distance of the city's numerous museums, including the Rosenbach Museum and Library, home of rare books and manuscripts, among them James Joyce's Ulysses.
The urban park, the square's centrepiece, is a great place to escape the summer heat. The city was built with walking in mind (although there is a bus, tram and subway system) and laid out using tree names for roads running east to west and numbers for those that run from north to south.

THE CULTURE
Don't miss the old State House bell, inscribed with the words from Leviticus: "Proclaim liberty throughout the land, to all the inhabitants thereof."

Adopted by anti-slavery protesters in the 1830s and by many other groups since, it became known as the Liberty Bell and was rung on important occasions including the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence at the Pennsylvania State House, now Independence Hall. Badly cracked, the bell is housed in the Liberty Bell Center on Market Street, opposite Independence Hall.

You won't be able to miss Philly's 3,000 giant murals on many of the city's buildings. There are regular Trolley tours of some of the best urban artwork (www.muralarts.org) and two-hour walking tours from $17pp.

Philly is big on museums, many of them on Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Walk through a giant heart in the Franklin Institute Science Museum, climb inside a tyrannosaurus rex skull and dig for fossils in the Academy of Natural Sciences or marvel at the largest collection of Rodin sculptures outside Paris at The Rodin Museum.

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DON'T MISS
Recreate the scene from the movie Rocky when boxer Rocky Balboa, AKA Sylvester Stallone, runs up the steps of the Museum of Art.

During filming of the third instalment, Stallone donated a bronze statue, now at the bottom of the museum steps.
Philadelphia in the Movies Tour (dialling from the UK: 001 215 625 7980/www.moviesitestour.com), $35pp, will take you to more than 50 sites featured in blockbusters such as Philadelphia, Age of Innocence and Witness.

Buy a ticket for the hop-on, hopoff Big Bus Company Tour (923 5008/www.bigbustours.com/eng/philadelphia). It is good value at $27pp. The 20 stops include America's largest urban green space, Fairmount Park, and the site where once Benjamin Franklin's house once stood.

The Mütter Museum (563 3737/ www.collphyphil.org/mutter.asp), $14pp, on South 22nd Street is not for the faint-hearted. A weird and wonderful display of human bits and pieces, it includes a tumour from President Grover Cleveland's mouth and the joined liver of Chang and Eng Bunker, whose condition and birthplace gave us the term Siamese twins.

BEST FOR FOOD
The Philly cheesesteak is an Amoroso roll filled with chopped beef, onions and Provolone cheese.

Try one of the best at the huge indoor Reading Terminal Market at the corner of 12th and Arch Streets where you can also buy fresh Amish cheeses, falafel, sushi and Peking Duck.

Stephen Starr dominates the Philly restaurant scene with 13 eateries. My favourite is Butcher and Singer (732 4444/www.butcherandsinger.com) on Walnut Street, a homage to the Twenties with low lights and dark woods. Try the 12oz chargrilled steaks, seafood platters and perfect Manhattans.

Square 1682 (563 5008/www.square1682.com) on South 17th Street offers dishes such as Serrano ham with saffron, San Marzano tomatoes, Manchego cheese and sourdough bread for $8.

THE HOTEL
Indulge in five-star luxury and be eco-friendly at the Palomar, Philly's first green hotel (563 5006/www.hotelpalomar-philadelphia.com).

Set within a restored 80-year-old art deco building on South 17th Street, close to Rittenhouse Square, it is filled with sustainable furnishings and fittings.

The chic cocktail bar was built using recycled beer bottles, while the reception area wallpaper is made from the hotel architects' own diary entries. The light and bright rooms offer great city views.
Doubles from $179 per night (two sharing), room only.

RETAIL THERAPY
With tax-free shopping on all clothes and shoes, Philly is a shoppers' delight, offering more than 2,000 shops and boutiques including Macy's giant flagship store near City Hall. Head to Rittenhouse Row and Walnut Street for designer boutiques such as Burberry, Armani and Juicy Couture. UK visitors qualify for "Phil Your Bags" discount vouchers, available at www.philadelphiausa.travel/ philyourbags, which can be exchanged for discounts at many stores and restaurants.

The East Coast's shopping mecca, The King of Prussia Mall, is 30 minutes from the city, offering 400 shops including big names such as Hermes, Bloomingdales and Michael Kors.

GETTING THERE:
British Airways (0844 493 0758/ www.ba.com) offers five nights at Hotel Palomar from £815pp (two sharing), room only. Price includes return flights from Heathrow and car hire.

Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau: 0844 880 6853/ www.philadelphiausa.travel