Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Alternate meanings: Philadelphia (disambiguation)
Philadelphia is the fifth-largest city in the United States and the largest city in Pennsylvania, occupying all of Philadelphia County. 6. As of the 2000 census, the population was 1,517,550, but a July 1, 2002 Census estimate showed the population dropping to 1,492,231. The city is also host to four different major league sports.
Philadelphia is one of the oldest cities in the United States (it was first settled by Swedish colonists in 1669, see New Sweden) and has played a critical role in American history and the development of the United States.
During part of the 18th century the city was the second capital and then-largest city of the United States. At that time it eclipsed Boston and New York in political and social importance, with Boston-born Benjamin Franklin playing an extraordinary role in its rise.
The city is the central city for the Delaware Valley metropolitan area.
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| City nickname: "City of Brotherly Love" | |||||
Location in the state of Pennsylvania | |||||
| County | Philadelphia County | ||||
| Area - Total - Water | 349.9 km² (135.1 mi²) 19.6 km² (7.6 mi²) 5.29% | ||||
| Population
- City (2004)
- Density |
4,337.3/km² | ||||
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5 | ||||
|
Latitude
|
39°57' N | ||||
| Mayor | John Street | ||||
History
Philadelphia was a planned city founded and developed by William Penn, a Quaker. Philadelphia was the capital of Penn's colony. During early immigration by Quakers and others when immigrants purchased land in the city, they also received farm land outside of the city. This was intended to allow the city's population to leave the city easily. Penn also required lots of alley ways and open spaces in to hopes of controlling fires and disease (which were then common problems in London).
It was a major center for the independence movement during the American Revolutionary War.
The city's name means "city of brotherly love" in ancient Greek. William Penn, a Quaker, hoped that the city, as the capital of his new colony founded on principles of freedom and religious tolerance, would be a model of his philosophy.
For a time in the 18th century, Philadelphia was the largest city in the Americas north of Mexico City, and second only to London in size in the British Empire.
In 1790, the seat of the United States Government was moved from Federal Hall in New York to Congress Hall in Philadelphia as the result of a compromise between a number of Southern congressmen and United States Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton. In exchange for locating a permanent capital on the banks of the Potomac River, the congressmen agreed to support Hamilton's financial proposals. Philadelphia served as the temporary capital until 1800 when the Capitol building in the new Federal city of Washington, DC was opened.
An early railroad center, Philadelphia was the original home of the Baldwin Locomotive Works, the world's largest builder of steam locomotives (which relocated to nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania). The Pennsylvania Railroad, once America's largest railroad by revenue and traffic volume and at one time the largest public corporation in the world, was headquartered on Broad Street, as was its merger successor, the Penn Central.
The city limits have been coterminous with the county since 1854. Prior to that, the city of Philadelphia consisted only of those areas between South Street, Vine Street, the Delaware River, and the Schuylkill River.
In 1876 Philadelphia hosted the World's Fair known as the Centennial Exposition. Memorial Hall and the expansive mall in front of it are remnants of this fair.
In 1926, the city held the Sesquicentennial Exposition.
Street layout of central Philadelphia
Philadelphia's City Hall
Penn's surveyor, Thomas Holme, laid out the city in a strict grid, with all streets running either north-south or east-west. The north-south streets are numbered sequentially from Front (instead of First), along the Delaware River, to 13th, followed by the main north-south thoroughfare, Broad Street (instead of 14th).
The numbered streets then resume, continuing in the original plan to 28th at the Schuylkill River. The east-west streets, many of them named for trees, e.g., Chestnut, Walnut, Locust, and Spruce, parallel the main thoroughfare named High Street by Penn, but called Market Street since at least the early 18th century. He also planned five public parks, one at the intersection of High and Broad Streets in the very center of the city (now occupied by the City Hall) and four others (now called Washington Square, Rittenhouse Square, Logan Square and Franklin Square) surrounding it. The eastern edge of Rittenhouse Square is on 18th St., four blocks west of City Hall, while the western edge of Washington Square is between 7th and 8th, about six and a half blocks east of City Hall. Both are the same distance south of City Hall. City Hall is the tallest masonry building in the world; and through the late 1980s, City Hall used to be locally known as the tallest building in Philadelphia. However in 1987, One Liberty Place broke the gentlemen's agreement not to exceed the height of the statue of William Penn on the top of the City Hall. Since then, seven other skyscrapers have been completed exceeding the statue including One Liberty Place's little sister, Two Liberty Place. One Liberty Place is the tallest building in Pennsylvania with Two Liberty Place trailing behind it. Since the completion of One Liberty Place, no Philadelphia sporting team has won a "world" championship event in its respective discipline, most notably the Super Bowl, a phenomenon locally known as the "curse of Billy Penn."
Rittenhouse Square is named after David Rittenhouse, a son of the first paper-maker in Philadelphia, William Rittenhouse. Rittenhousetown is a delightful rural setting in Fairmount Park. David Rittenhouse was a clockmaker and friend of the American Revolution.
Downtown is known informally as "Center City."
8th and Market Streets, 1910s
Government
From a governmental perspective, Philadelphia County is a legal nullity, as all county functions were assumed by the city in 1952, which has been coterminous with the county since 1854.
Historic seal of the city of
Philadelphia, made by
William Penn.
Executive
The city is headed by an elected mayor who is limited to two four-year terms. The incumbent is former Philadelphia City Council President John Street (D), who was first elected in 1999. He was re-elected by a larger majority in 2003.
See also: List of mayors of Philadelphia
Legislative
The legislative branch of Philadelphia is the Philadelphia City Council. Philadelphia has seven council members at large, and ten council members from districts. The current council president is Ann C. Verna.
Judicial
The Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, also known as the Court of Common Pleas for the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania, is the trial court of general jurisdiction for Philadelphia. It is funded and operated largely by City resources and employees.
The Philadelphia Municipal Court handles matters of limited jurisdiction as well as landlord-tenant disputes, appeals from traffic court, conducts preliminary examinations for felony-level offenses, and the like.
Traffic Court is a court of special jurisdiction which hears violations of traffic laws.
Pennsylvania's three appellate courts have chambers in Philadelphia. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, which is the court of last resort in the state, regularly hears arguments in Philadelphia City Hall. Also, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania and the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania sit in Philadelphia several times a year.
Judges for all of the above courts are elected at large.
Business
Philadelphia's economy is heavily based upon manufacturing, refining, and financial services. Philadelphia has its own stock exchange.
The list of major companies in Philadelphia includes Aramark, GlaxoSmithKline, Sunoco, Comcast, and Pep Boys.
The Federal government plays a large role in Philadelphia as well. The east-coast operations of the United States Mint are based near the historic district, and the Federal Reserve Bank's Philadelphia division is based there as well.
Geography
Philadelphia is located at 39°59'53" North, 75°8'41" West (39.998012, -75.144793)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 369.4 km² (142.6 mi²). 349.9 km² (135.1 mi²) of it is land and 19.6 km² (7.6 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 5.29% water. Bodies of water include the Schuylkill River, Cobbs Creek, Wissahickon Creek, and Pennypack Creek.
Philadelphia is unofficially divided into numerous neighborhoods. These include Andorra, Roxborough, Northern Liberties, Manayunk, Center City, Queen Village, Kensington, University City, Strawberry Mansion, Chestnut Hill, Fishtown, Port Richmond, Germantown, Mount Airy, Chinatown, Fox Chase, South Philly, Society Hill, the Museum District and many others.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 1,517,550 people, 590,071 households, and 352,272 families residing in the city. The population density is 4,337.3/km² (11,233.6/mi²). There are 661,958 housing units at an average density of 1,891.9/km² (4,900.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 45.02% White, 43.22% African American, 0.27% Native American, 4.46% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.77% from other races, and 2.21% from two or more races. 8.50% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 590,071 households, 27.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.1% are married couples living together, 22.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% are non-families. 33.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.48 and the average family size is 3.22.
In the city the population is spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 81.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $30,746, and the median income for a family is $37,036. Males have a median income of $34,199 versus $28,477 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,509. 22.9% of the population and 18.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 31.3% of those under the age of 18 and 16.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Transportation
Public transportation
Philadelphia is served by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, or SEPTA. SEPTA runs buses, trains, subways, trolleys, and trackless trolleys around Philadelphia and into the suburbs.
Philadelphia lies directly on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. Amtrak's 30th Street Station is a major railroad facility which offers access to Amtrak, SEPTA, and NJ Transit rail lines.
PATCO provides light rail service to Camden, Collingswood, Haddonfield, Cherry Hill, Ashland, and Lindenwold, New Jersey, from stations on Locust Street between 16th and 15th, 13th and 12th, and 10th and 9th Streets, and on Market Street at 8th Street.
Two airports, Philadelphia International Airport and Northeast Philadelphia Airport, reside within the city limits. Philadelphia International Airport provides domestic and international scheduled air service, while Northeast Philadelphia Airport serves general and corporate aviation.
Roads
Interstate 95 runs directly through the city along the Delaware River, providing transportation from Florida to Maine.
The city is also served by Interstate 76 (also known as the Schuylkill Expressway) which runs along the Schuylkill River. It meets with the Pennsylvania Turnpike at King of Prussia and provides access to Harrisburg and points west.
Interstate 676, or the Vine Street Expressway, was completed in 1991 after years of planning as a link between I-95 and I-76. It runs beneath city level through Center City.
The Delaware River Port Authority operates three bridges in Philadelphia over the Delaware River to New Jersey: the Walt Whitman Bridge, the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, and the Betsy Ross Bridge.
List of Philadelphia Neighborhoods
West Philadelphia
- University City/Spruce Hill - So titled due to the heavy presence of institutions of higher learning; Drexel University, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, and the Ivy League University of Pennsylvania. Overlaps with the Spruce Hill community which can be found further west beginning at 40th Street. Breadth: East to the Schuylkill River and Interstate 76 (Schuylkill Expressway), North to Market St., South to the Schuylkill River and Gray's Ferry Ave., West to 46th Street.
- Cedar Park - originally outlying farmland, with the construction of trolley lines linking West Philadelphia to Center City in the late 1800s Cedar Park soon developed into a suburb of Philadelphia marked by Queen Anne style architecture. The neighborhood is currently undergoing gentrification stimulated by the University of Pennsylvania's redevelopment plan for West Philadelphia. There is a distinct progressive politics mien to the neighborhood and a sizable African immigrant community located around the 49th to 46th blocks of Baltimore Avenue. Breadth: North to Larchwood Ave., South to Kingsessing Ave., East to 46th St., West to 52nd Street.
- Powelton Village
- Walnut Hill - Breadth: North to Market Street, South to Larchwood Ave., West to 52nd St., East to 46th Street.
- Cobbs Creek - a predominantly Black American neighborhood. Breadth: North to Market Street, South to Baltimore Ave., East to 52nd Street., West to Cobbs Creek Park.
- Overbrook
- Carroll Park
- Haddington
South Philadelphia
- Gray's Ferry - Breadth: North to Gray's Ferry Ave., South to Passyunk Ave., West to the Schuykill River, East to 24th St..
- Schuylkill - Breadth: North to South Street, East to Broad St., West to the Schuylkill River, South to Washington Avenue.
- Point Breeze
- Packer Park
- Queen Village
- Whitman
- Penn's Port - known commonly as "2nd Street". Penn's Port is predominated by Irish-American Catholics.
- Passyunk
Center City
- Market East/Old City
- Market West
- Society Hill
- Penn's Landing - encompassed by the Delaware Riverfront.
- Fairmount - incorporates the Spring Garden community, the Benjamin Franklin Parkway museum district on its periphery and borders Fairmount Park. The museum district includes the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Academy of Natural Sciences, the Rodin Museum, the Franklin Institute, Eastern State Penitentiary and the main branch of the Philadelphia Public Library. The Barnes Foundation plans to relocate within this vicinity in the near future. Fairmount enjoys a multiethnic mix from all socioeconomic strata.
- Fishtown
- Northern Liberties
North Philadelphia
- Port Richmond
- Kensington
Northwestern Neighborhoods
- Manayunk
- Cedarbrook
- Oak Lane
- East Falls
The Northeast
the 'Far Northeast'
- Bustleton
- Byberry
- Upper Holmesburg
- Pennypack
- Somerton
- Torresdale
the 'Near Northeast'
- Frankford
- Holmesburg
- Lawndale
- Lexington
- Mayfair
- Oxford Circle
- Tacony
- Wissinoming
Southwest Philadelphia
- Kingsessing
- Eastwick
- Elmwood Park
- Penrose
People and culture of Philadelphia
Philadelphia is known for distinctive food
- Cheesesteaks, a kind of humble culinary masterpiece, made of cheese (usually either Cheez Wiz(tm), provolone or American) and slices of fried ribeye steak on a hoagie roll, sometimes combined with onions and/or mushrooms
- Hoagies -- a type of sandwich made with cold cuts on a Italian roll
- scrapple -- corn meal mush cooked up with every part (scrap) of the pig
- Italian water ice -- a frozen dessert, similar to a slushie except stiffer
- soft pretzel -- thick, doughy pretzels, generally salted, often served with mustard
Philadelphia still gets many immigrants, and has a large Italian American population along with Irish-Americans, Asian-Americans, and growing numbers of Hispanic residents and emigres from Russia and Asian countries. In fact, the "Italian Market" section of South Philadelphia is home to a growing number of Vietnamese residents.
List of Famous Past and Present Philadelphia Residents
- Marian Anderson - opera singer/contralto
- Ed Bacon - urban planner
- Kevin Bacon - actor
- Pearl Bailey - singer, dancer, actress
- John Barrymore - actor
- Nick Berg (from nearby West Chester), man who was beheaded in Iraq
- Mohini Bhardwaj - American gymnast
- Boyz II Men - singers
- Kobe Bryant - basketball player
- Alexander Calder - artist
- Wilt Chamberlain - basketball legend
- John Chaney - Temple University basketball coach
- Noam Chomsky - linguist
- Robert Crumb - underground comics artist & writer
- Stanley Clarke - bassist
- John Coltrane - saxophonist
- Bill Cosby - comedian/actor
- Mike Douglas - singer/television talk-show host
- Julius Erving - basketball legend
- Eve - rapper/actress
- Larry Fine - actor
- W. C. Fields -actor
- Benjamin Franklin - statesman, Revolutionary War patriot, inventor
- Richard Gere - actor
- Stan Getz - saxophonist
- Oscar Goodman - Attorney and Mayor of Las Vegas, Nevada
- Daryl Hall (of Hall and Oates) - singer
- Marvin Harrison -football player
- Sherman Hemsley - actor
- Allen Iverson -basketball player
- DJ Jazzy Jeff (of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince) - hip-hop DJ
- Joan Jett - rock musician
- Michael Johns - health care exec and former government official
- Louis Kahn - architect
- Grace Kelly - princess of Monaco
- Patti LaBelle - singer
- Mario Lanza - singer
- John Oates (of Hall and Oates) - singer
- Teddy Pendergrass - singer
- Trudy Pitts - Jazz Keyboardist
- Philip Syng Physick - father of American surgery
- Paul Robeson - singer/activist
- M. Night Shyamalan - movie director
- Will Smith (Fresh Prince) - comedian/Actor
- Rasheed Wallace -basketball player
- John Wanamaker - department store founder
- Grover Washington, Jr. - jazz musician
- Chris Matthews - television talk-show host
Philadelphia in film and television
- 1776 (Film version of Broadway musical, 1972)
- Amen (TV series, 1986-1991)
- American Bandstand (Dance party show, 1952-1964 in Philadelphia; aired from Los Angeles 1964-1989)
- American Dreams (TV Series, 2002-present)
- Angie (TV series, ?)
- Beloved (Oprah Winfrey feature film, 1998)
- Blow Out (Feature film, 197?)
- Boy Meets World (TV series, 1993-1999)
- Cold Case (TV series, 2003- )
- Fallen (Feature film, 1988)
- Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (Feature film, 1967)
- Hack (TV Series 2002?-2004
- Jersey Girl (Feature film, 2003)
- Manequin (Feature film, 198?)
- Philadelphia (Feature film, 1993)
- Philly (TV Series, 2001-2002)
- Rocky (Feature film, 1976)
- Rocky II (Feature film, 1979)
- Rocky III (Feature film, 1982)
- Rocky V (Feature film, 1990)
- Signs (Feature film, 2002) (filmed in adjacent Bucks County)
- Taps (Feature film, 1981) (also filmed at adjacent Valley Forge Military Academy and other nearby locations)
- The Sixth Sense (Feature film, 1999)
- Trading Places (Feature film, 1983)
- Twelve Monkeys (Terry Gilliam feature film, 1995)
- Unbreakable (Feature film, 2000)
- The Village (Feature film, 2004)
- Witness (Feature film, 1985)
Colleges and universities in Philadelphia
- Curtis Institute of Music
- La Salle University
- Drexel University
- University of Pennsylvania
- Philadelphia University
- Saint Joseph's University
- University of the Arts
- University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
- Temple University
- The Art Institute of Philadelphia
- Thomas Jefferson University
- Holy Family University
- Chestnut Hill College
Colleges and universities in the vicinity of Philadelphia include
Bryn Mawr College, located in Bryn Mawr; Haverford College; and Villanova University, located in Villanova, all three located northwest of Philadelphia on the Pennsylvania Main Line; Swarthmore College, located in Swarthmore; and Widener University, located in Chester.
Professional sports in Philadelphia
Philadelphia has a long and proud history of professional sports teams. Philadelphia sports fans have a reputation of being devoted to their teams in good times and bad. Of late Philadelphia teams have been performing well, but frequently missing championships by failing during the crucial stages.
- football: Philadelphia Eagles (National Football League)
- baseball: Philadelphia Phillies(Major League Baseball)
- basketball: Philadelphia 76ers (National Basketball Association)
- hockey: Philadelphia Flyers (National Hockey League), Philadelphia Phantoms (American Hockey League)
- arena football: Philadelphia Soul (Arena Football League)
- indoor lacrosse: Philadelphia Wings (National Lacrosse League)
- indoor soccer: Philadelphia Kixx (Major Indoor Soccer League)
The Philadelphia Charge (Women's Soccer) and Philadelphia Barrage (Major League Lacrosse, lacrosse) plays at the stadium of Villanova University, which is located in Villanova.
In the past Philadelphia has also been home to the Philadelphia Athletics (MLB, now the Oakland Athletics), and the Philadelphia Warriors (NBA, now the Golden State Warriors). The city's original NFL team was the Frankford Yellow Jackets (Frankford being a section of the city located in the northeastern part of town); the club disbanded during the 1931 football season, then re-emerged under the same ownership two years later as the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles, Phillies, Flyers and 76ers have each recently had a new stadium built for them. The Eagles now play at Lincoln Financial Field (informally known as "The Linc"). The Phillies now play in Citizens Bank Park (a.k.a. "The Park"). The Sixers and Flyers share the Wachovia Center. The Wachovia Spectum is now home to the Soul, Kixx and Wings.
List of museums and libraries
- Philadelphia Museum of Art
- University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
- Rodin Museum (largest collection of Auguste Rodin's works outside France)
- Barnes Foundation
- Atwater-Kent Municipal Museum
- Rosenbach Foundation
- Liberty Bell & Independence Hall
- Franklin Institute
- Please Touch Museum
- Fort Mifflin
- Mütter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia (museum of medical and pathological oddities and curiosities)
- Edgar Allan Poe House
- Rosenbach Museum
- National Constitution Center
- Fairmount Waterworks and its interpretive center
- Free Library of Philadelphia
List of sites of interest in Philadelphia
- Independence Hall
- LOVE Park
- Fairmount Park
- Eastern State Penitentiary
- Elfreth's Alley
- Philadelphia Zoo
- Betsy Ross House
- Penn's Landing
- Italian market
- Reading Terminal Market
- South Street
- Constitution Center
- One Liberty Place
- For a traditional Philadelphia cheesesteak - Pat's Steaks or Geno's Steaks
Events
- The Mummers Parade, held every New Year's Day on Broad Street
- The Greek Picnic, a reunion and celebration of African-American college fraternities
- The Wing Bowl, a chicken wing-eating competition
- Philadelphia Flower Show
- Philadelphia Auto Show
External links
- www.phila.gov - City's website (http://www.phila.gov/)
- www.philadelphia.com - A guide for Philadelphia visitors and entertainment (http://www.philadelphia.com/)
- Independence Hall (http://www.nps.gov/inde/)
- Betsy Ross House (http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flaghome.html)
- Penn's Landing (http://www.pennslandingcorp.com/)
- Cedar Park Neighborhood Association (http://cedarparkneighbors.org/index.html/)
- Spruce Hill Community Association (http://www.sprucehillca.org/)
- Powelton Village Civic Association (http://lrc.swarthmore.edu/powelton/join.html/)
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