I was born and raised in Philadelphia. Here are 8 things I wish tourists knew before they visited.

• I was born and raised in Philadelphia, so I've watched tourists come and go my whole life.
• There are so many great restaurants and cheesesteak shops beyond Pat's and Geno's.

I've lived in Philadelphia my whole life, so I've watched plenty of tourists come and go.

Here are some of the things I wish everyone knew before visiting my East Coast city.

Pack your walking shoes

Philly is one of the largest cities in the country, but it's also incredibly walkable.

I think walking is the best way to explore Philly's many neighborhoods, each of which has something unique to offer.

The walk from my home in West Philly to the Delaware River on the east side is only about an hour and a half. Along that walk, I cross the Schuylkill River, mosey through the famed Rittenhouse Square, pass Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, and explore the charming streets of Old City.

Philly's thriving restaurant scene goes beyond Fishtown

Don't get me wrong, there are some incredible restaurants in Fishtown. But more often than not, when I ask someone visiting where they're going to dinner, they name one of the neighborhood's new, trendy spots.

Fishtown is one very small (and very new) slice of what the Philly dining scene has to offer. There's an incredible array of food (at all different price points) across the city, from fine-dining tasting menus in Rittenhouse and late-night tacos in the Italian market to steaming pots of pho on Washington Ave and platters of Ethiopian food in West Philly.

There are so many places to eat that may not have been included on the "best new restaurant" list you skimmed before coming into town. Don't be afraid to ask a few locals where they like to eat and step outside your comfort zone.

Be prepared for BYOB restaurants

Due to the high cost of liquor licenses in Philadelphia, many restaurants are "bring your own beverage," or BYOB.

This is great for your wallet as you don't have to pay marked-up restaurant prices for alcohol, but it can be frustrating if you wanted a beer with dinner and didn't realize it wasn't an option.

Just check to see if the restaurant is BYOB before heading out for a meal — there are sure to be plenty of places to grab a six-pack or a bottle of wine on your way.

Pat's and Geno's aren't the only places to get a good cheesesteak

I don't necessarily want to wade into the ever-controversial debate about where to get the best cheesesteak in Philly. But I will say that the famous Pat's and Geno's aren't all there is — and, in my opinion, they're not even the best.

Cheesesteaks can be found all over the city, but a few places I'd recommend are Angelo's (the pizza is great here, too), John's Roast Pork, and Sonny's.

Pro tip: Many cheesesteak spots only take cash.

Philly has more green space than you might expect

When people think of Philly, they don't often think of lush green spaces, nature hikes, and bird watching.

Visitors can stroll the Schuylkill River Trail leading to the Philadelphia Museum of Art or feed the koi fish at the Japanese Tea House in Fairmount Park.

In West Philly, check out Bartram's Gardens, a nearly 50-acre green space with lush gardens and a fully functioning farm. Wissahickon in Northwest Philly also offers scenic hiking trails and the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge by the airport is a bird-watchers paradise.

Many of these spaces are accessible by public transit, and if not, they're just a short drive away.

People tend to be much nicer than our reputation implies

Philadelphians can sometimes have a reputation for being gruff, but more often than not, we're incredibly welcoming.

I love my city, and I want to share that love with everyone who comes to visit. I'm all too excited to point visitors to my favorite spots and welcome new residents into our community. For me, there's no gatekeeping in Philly.

Don't just take a picture on the Rocky steps — go inside the art museum, too

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is one of the best in the country and has a vast collection to explore. But some tourists only know the museum as the place where Rocky Balboa famously ran up the museum's 72 stone steps.

I won't discourage tourists from taking pictures with the Rocky statue or reenacting the scene, but I highly encourage everyone to check out what's inside the museum, too.

For visitors wanting even more art, I'm particularly fond of the Barnes Foundation, which houses a collection of impressionist, post-impressionist, and modern art.

Philly is more than just New York's little brother

Philly is only about two hours south of New York City, and, given our proximity, we're often compared to our much larger neighbor. Some people even go so far as to call Philly New York's "sixth borough."

That said, Philly is so much more than a smaller (usually cheaper) version of New York. It's a bustling city in its own right with incredible food, music, culture, and personality to explore.