Active Pursuits

Biking & Blading

Lloyd Hall in Fairmount Park, the most southerly Boathouse Row building along the Schuylkill River, is the jumping-off spot for urban biking and blading activities. You can rent bikes and skates at the hall Saturdays from 10am to 7pm (tel. 215/568-6002). Once you're on wheels, the paths along the Schuylkill on Kelly (East River) Drive, West River Drive, and off West River Drive to Belmont Avenue are pure pleasure. The lower half of West River Drive along the Schuylkill is closed to vehicular traffic most weekend hours in summer. The ground is flat near the Schuylkill on either side but loops up sharply near Laurel Hill Cemetery or Manayunk.

Monday through Saturday, you can also rent bicycles from Breakaway Bikes at 1923 Chestnut St. (tel. 215/568-6002; www.breakawaybikes.com).

Philadelphia has added one-way bike lanes in Center City along Pine and Spruce, as well as around Independence Park and along Ben Franklin Boulevard. Visit the Bicycle Club of Philadelphia at www.phillybikeclub.org for more specific neighborhood recommendations. If you want my advice: Be vigilant biking in town. And always wear a helmet.

Boating

Spring through fall, Schuylkill Banks offers kayak tours starting at $40, $50 for the moonlight tour, and $75 to kayak on to Bartram's Garden. Go to www.schuylkillbanks.org, or call tel. 215/222-6030, ext. 103, for more information. Outside of the city, try Northbrook Canoe Co., north of Route 842 at 1810 Beagle Rd. W., in West Chester on Brandywine Creek (tel. 800/898-2279 or 610/793-2279; www.northbrookcanoe.com; reservations preferred), or Bucks County River Country, 2 Walters Lane in Point Pleasant, on Route 32, 7 miles north of the New Hope exit on I-95 (tel. 215/297-5000; www.rivercountry.net) with canoeing, inner tubing, and rafting on the Delaware River.

Fishing

Pennypack Creek and Wissahickon Creek are stocked from mid-April to December with trout and muskie and provide good, even rustic, conditions. A required 1- or 3-day license is $27 and a 7-day license is $35, available online at www.fish.state.pa.us/license.htm. Outside the city, Ridley Creek and its state park (tel. 610/892-3900) and Brandywine Creek at Hibernia County Park of Chester County (tel. 610/383-3812) are stocked with several kinds of trout.

Golf

The quality and variety of public access golf are wonderful. The city of Philadelphia operates five municipal courses in the region. All have 18 holes, and current fees range from $18 to $33 Monday through Friday and $18 to $48 on Saturday and Sunday. Not everyone can get onto the legendary Pine Valley or Merion, but Hugh Wilson of Merion also designed the pretty and challenging Cobbs Creek, 7400 Lansdowne Ave. at Haverford Avenue (tel. 215/877-8707). Karakung is the shorter 18-hole course, and is preferred by seniors and juniors. John F. Byrne, 9550 Leon St. near the intersection of Frankford Avenue and Eden Street in North Philadelphia (tel. 215/632-8666), has an Alex Findlay design with Torresdale Creek meandering through or beside 10 holes, and plenty of rolling fairways and elevations. Walnut Lane, Walnut Lane and Henry Avenue in Roxborough (tel. 215/482-3370), places a premium on short game skills, with 10 par-3 holes and deep bunkers set into hills and valleys. There's also a driving range in East Fairmount Park.

Among the better township courses outside the city are Glen Mills Golf Course, 221 Glen Mills Rd. (tel. 610/558-2142; www.glenmillsgolf.com); Pinecrest Country Club, Route 202 (tel. 215/855-4113); and Paxon Hollow Country Club, Paxon Hollow Road in Marple Township (tel. 610/353-0220).

Hiking

Fairmount Park has dozens of miles of paths. The extensions of the park into the Wissahickon Creek area are quite unspoiled, with dirt roads and no auto traffic.

Ice-Skating

November to early March -- cold weather permitting -- the Blue Cross RiverRink at Festival Pier is open for public skating near the intersection of Columbus Boulevard and Spring Garden Street daily. Admission for one 2-hour session is $8, and $9 for Friday and Saturday's 8:30 and 11pm sessions; skate rental, $3. Call tel. 215/925-7465 or visit www.riverrink.com for details; the modest food court serves hot chocolate. One word of warning:  This place can get way crowded on weekends. Across town, the indoor Penn Ice Rink at the Class of 1923 Arena, 3130 Walnut St. (tel. 215/898-1932; www.business-services.upenn.edu/icerink), offers daily public skating sessions, Monday and Wednesday through Friday from noon to 1:30pm, Saturday from 5:45 to 7:15pm, and Sunday from 1:30 to 3pm. Admission is $5 for weekdays and $7 for weekends; skate rental is $3. There are also weekly opportunities to freestyle and play open hockey games, and regular games from the women's and men's teams of Drexel and Penn.

Running & Jogging

Again, Fairmount Park has more trails than you could cover in a week. An 8.25-mile loop starts in front of the art museum, goes up the east bank of the Schuylkill, across the river at Falls Bridge, and back down to the museum. At the north end, Forbidden Drive along the Wissahickon has loops of dirt/gravel of 5 miles and more, with no traffic. The Benjamin Franklin Bridge path from 5th and Vine streets is 1.75 miles each way. Wherever you choose, go during daylight hours. The newest, and greatest, addition to the running scene is the completion of the riverside Schuylkill Banks trail, which stretches from Locust to Race Street, behind the art museum, where it connects with the east and west river drives (Martin Luther King Jr. is to the west; Kelly Dr. to the east). Entrances for this smooth, convenient trail are at Locust and Walnut streets.

Rescue Rittenhouse Spa Lounge 

One floor above the din of bustling 17th Street is Philadelphia's most tranquil -- and toniest -- day spa. Rescue Rittenhouse Spa, 255 S. 17th St. (tel. 215/772-2766; www.rescuerittenhousespa.com), has a devoted following among Philadelphia's most discerning spagoers. Patrons swear by the magical "biolift" facials (everyone who does skin here is amazing), ethereal massages, impeccable mani-pedis, and flawless makeup application. You'll crawl into one of the robes, sip a glass of cucumber-mint water, curl up on a cushy white sofa, and never want to leave -- at least, not without a bagful of magical products from Biologique Recherche, Valmont, or Chantecaille.

Swimming

Many hotels have small lap pools, and, the city itself has a dwindling number of municipal pools. My favorites are/have been: Cobbs Creek, 63rd and Spruce streets, and FDR Pool, Broad and Pattison in South Philadelphia. Call tel. 215/686-1776 for updates and details.

Tennis

Some 115 courts are scattered throughout Fairmount Park, first come, first served. You might also try the University of Pennsylvania's indoor and outdoor courts at the Robert P. Levy Tennis Pavilion, 3130 Walnut St. (tel. 215/898-4741). Hours are limited, but the cost for guests totals $32 per court/per hour.