Mid-Atlantic - 8 hours layover in Philadelphia

I've got 6 hours layover in Philadelphia, so I want to see the city. I've never been there, how long does it take to get there? Are there any buses or trains? Do they have any malls in the city? :) What's a good place to eat? And is it really as dangerous as so many people say? :( I'd be there from 12 pm -6 pm

I've never been there, how long does it take to get there? Are there any buses or trains?
The SEPTA R1 train (http://www.septa.com/service/sched/pdfs/R1Airport.pdf) will get you to downtown Philadelphia. The ride is about 20-30 minutes depending on where you get off and trains run every 30 minutes.

Do they have any malls in the city?
Not sure why one would want to go to a mall when one is going to a city with a thriving downtown, but if you must shop in an enclosed space then you can do it at Liberty Place, 16th and Chestnut.

What's a good place to eat?
Entirely depends on what you like to eat, how much you want to spend, etc. Please be more specific if you would like reasonable answers.

And is it really as dangerous as so many people say? :( I'd be there from 12 pm -6 pm
:rolleyes: If you are going to dangerous neighborhoods, it could be dangerous. If you are not, it is not.

I've got 6 hours layover in Philadelphia, so I want to see the city. I've never been there, how long does it take to get there? Are there any buses or trains? Do they have any malls in the city? :) What's a good place to eat? And is it really as dangerous as so many people say? :( I'd be there from 12 pm -6 pm

Train: Take the R1, as noted.

Malls: An easy mall to get to is The Gallery at Market East (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gallery_at_Market_East), which is at the "Market East" stop on the R1 line, as is the far superior Reading Terminal Market. (http://www.readingterminalmarket.org/)

Good place to eat? Don't waste your short time there at a sit-down restaurant. Just grab a cheesesteak from a sidewalk vendor. Cheap and delicious.

Dangerous? Um...no.

Malls: An easy mall to get to is The Gallery at Market East (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gallery_at_Market_East), which is at the "Market East" stop on the R1 line, as is the far superior Reading Terminal Market. (http://www.readingterminalmarket.org/)
Just for clarity's sake, while I completely agree with the opinion that Reading Terminal Market is far superior to the Gallery at Market East, it should be noted that RTM is not a mall. It's a food market. So go there for lunch, but don't go there expecting to shop at Fashion Bug (which is about the level of stores at Market East, I'm afraid).

Please, no matter what, do not waste your time in a shopping mall. If you just go to the Gallery or Liberty Place you might as well not leave the airport. Just to emphasize: Philadelphia does not have an upscale, downtown indoor shopping mall. The Gallery is most definitely down-market. All the best shopping can be found out on the streets.

If you like to shop, Walnut Street, between Broad Street and 18th Street has a great selection of high-end shops. For more information on this area, check out this link:
http://www.rittenhouserow.org/index2.html
(this is my neighborhood by the way, so I am just a bit partial) :)
As others have stated, you take the R1 train (which stops at terminals A through E) from the airport to downtown Philly (which locally is called Center City). The trip takes about 20 minutes and will cost $7.00 cash. You purchase the ticket on board.

If you decide to check out the shops on Walnut Street, take the train to Suburban Station and walk south to Walnut Street (the passenger information counter in the station has an excellent map of Center City).

As far as eating: yes you can get a chessesteak, but Philadelphia has such a unique, vibrant restaurant scene that I would recommend checking out some of the great restaurants. With six hours, you will have plenty of time.
Check out my recommendations from this thread:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mid-atlantic/852889-philly-restaurants.html

If you decide you want to do some touristy things, I recommend the National Constitution Center at Independence National Historic Park.

As far as safety, don't give it a second thought. You will be perfectly safe.

I, too, will be at PHL for about four hours sometime soon. As such it'll be tight to get in, snap a picture, and go back to the airport.

I appreciate the information thus far. A few addl questions to help me plan/see if this is feasible:

1. travelmad478, thanks for the SEPTA schedule - but is it reliable (run on time)?

2. I was thinking of heading down to Independence Hall. I will check bags for the flight, but will have to schlep my carry-on, including laptop, downtown. Think that will be an issue getting past security at the Natl Historical Park?

3. I am on an E190 flight from Boston - that'll arrive at terminal C, right?

I only the answer to one question: Yes, Septa R1 is pretty reliable and on-time. On some days, there may be a few minutes delays. Real bad delays may occur only with bad weather and such.

I find SEPTA very reliable, especially on the R1/Airport line. SEPTA seems to be aware that that is "high profile" route and treats it as such.

I would definitely agree with some earlier suggestions: Reading Terminal Market for lunch (a very Philadelphia experience, in a good way), and Walnut Street for shopping. If you crave an enclosed mall, check out Liberty Place, which is a block away from Walnut Street and has a good food court with lots of diverse choices.

If you are feeling more contemplative, Independence Mall is a great place to go too, though it is slightly farther from the airport via public transportation. Great place to ponder democracy and its alternatives on a park bench in beautiful surroundings, especially this time of year.

Enjoy your brief visit. Philadelphia is an amazing place.