Fodor's Expert Review Boathouse Row

These architecturally varied, quaint-looking 19th-century buildings—city icons built in Victorian Gothic, Gothic Revival, and Italianate styles—are home to the rowing clubs that make up the Schuylkill Navy, an association of boating clubs organized in 1858. These clubs host various races, including the Dad Vail Regatta and the Head of the Schuylkill. The view of the boathouses from the west side of the river is splendid—especially at night, when they're outlined with hundreds of small lights. Lloyd Hall, at 1 Boathouse Row, is a public recreation center with a gymnasium, bicycle rentals in season, and a café.