Walnut Street has been characterized as "the city's premier shopping district" by The Philadelphia Inquirer.

[4] Walnut Street is most known for Rittenhouse Square Park and its upscale shopping district in the high-end neighborhood of the same name.

This area of Walnut Street and a few blocks to the east features a variety of shops, eateries, bars, hotels, and office buildings.

Among the many attractions and historic sites on Walnut Street are Independence National Historical Park and Society Hill on the east and Washington Square, Washington Square West, the St. James Hotel (1226-1232), the Philadelphia Stock Exchange (1419-1411), the Sun Oil Building (1608-1610), the 1616 Walnut Street Building, Rittenhouse Square, Estey Hall (1701 Walnut Street), and the Church of the Holy Trinity.

The street continues westward through Walnut Hill, Dunlap, and eventually Cobbs Creek, where the it ends.