Central Park | Philadelphia | George Washington | Fairmount Park

What are your favorite landmarks in the city? I love the Philadelphia Museum of Art, downtown. When I grew up, in Cleveland, even though the museum there was always open, we were never encouraged to go. Maybe that was something that my parents failed to show me. All I know is that I spend a great deal of time down there. Philadelphia is just brimming with history. The authenticity of what the place is, what it's truly about - all these things make the biggest difference in life to me. Being a part of something that's older than me, being part of something that's a little deeper than my understanding, because then I can keep learning.

There are areas in Philadelphia, like Germantown Pike, where you can almost hear George Washington marching down with 300 men to battle a stronghold near the center of the city held by British sympathizers. What's interesting is that those 23 men inside that home killed almost 150 of George Washington's men and caused the others to retreat because they were so well fortified there. I live 10 minutes from that place and live near the first known school that had a mixed group of kids, both white and black. It's really, really nice. But my favorite place is still Fairmount Park. That's where I spend most of my time. I run there in the morning, and I run there in the evening, except in the summertime, when the mosquitoes like to have their way with me.

You should come to Fairmount Park. I've never seen anything more beautiful.

Is it larger than Central Park? Oh yes. It blows Central Park out of the water. It runs the whole length of the city.