The city of Philadelphia  

• Location and other features
• A bit of history

 

Location and other features                       
 
      The fifth largest city in the United States, Philadelphia is located in the southeastern corner of the state of Pennsylvania
      Philadelphia is a major port situated approximately halfway between New York and Washington. Both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were drafted here-hence Philadelphia is the birthplace of the nation and has been an important commercial, industrial, and cultural centre. Philadelphia's economy is a complex system of manufacturing,commercial, service, and research activities.  
 

The Port of Philadelphia, on the Delaware River, is one 
of the world's busiest freshwater ports and a major US 
port of entry that handles more than 5,000 cargo ships 
each year. Central high-rise buildings house office 
headquarters of major regional, national, and international corporations, as well as the research facilities of some of the country's leading pharmaceutical, computer, and technology-based companies, are here.        Manufacturing includes such items as transport equipment, containers, printed materials, and fabricated metals; ice cream, baked goods, and other food products are also made here. 

        Six medical schools, numerous colleges and universities,a nd private research oriented firms provide the impetus and facilities for major research activities in science, technology, medicine, economics, communications,and architecture.  

Philadelphia is situated on a relatively level site and islaid out in a regular grid pattern, the first city in America to be planned in such a manner, The heart of the city centre, which is known as Center City, is marked by the intersection of Broad and Market streets, the city's two main thoroughfares.  

    A bit of history 

       Since the 1950s the appearance of central Philadelphia  has changed dramatically as a result of major redevelopment and restoration projects. In eastern Center City, the Society Hill area (named after the Society of Friends) has been transformed from a decaying area into an affluent urban residential village with numerous restored 18th- and early 19th-century town houses.  

        Independence Mall and Independence National Historical Park, located in this area, contain restored structures that were prominent in early American history. Penn Center, across from City Hall, was the first of several high-rise commercial and office complexes to be completed. 

        Until 1986, with the construction of the Liberty Place complex a "gentlemen's agreement" prevented the construction of new buildings which exceeded the height of City Hall. 

      Today Philadelphia's transformation distinguishes itself by the preservation of the old and the integration of the new; thus, a restored 18th-century town house may sit comfortably in the shadow of modern metal-and-glass high-rise buildings. The Pennsylvania Convention Center, completed in 1993, is located between Arch and Race Streets.  

       An enduring feature of Philadelphia is its mosaic of neighbourhoods, most of which are regularly referred to by their proper names, such as Germantown, Manayunk, East Falls, and Queen Village. Many of them retain the ambience of the ethnic groups who settled in them. Major districts include South Philadelphia, which is known as an Italian neighbourhood, and  West and North Philadelphia, which are predominantly black neighbourhoods.  

   Philadelphia has buildings of outstanding architectural interest. Independence Hall, Carpenter's Hall (the site of the First Continental Congress), the First and Second Banks of the United States, the Liberty Bell, the Betsy Ross House (where in 1777 the first American flag is reputed to have been made), and Christ Church (where Benjamin Franklin is buried) all lie within a few blocks of one another in the historic district. Also located in the city is the Veteran's Stadium, home of a major league baseball and football team.  

  The University of Pennsylvania and an associated hospital and other schools, along with adjacent Drexel University (1891), form the heart of University City. Temple University is one of more than a dozen other colleges and universities, including La Salle University (1863), Thomas Jefferson University (1824), Curtis Institute of Music (1924), University of the Arts (1876), and Moore College of Art and Design (1844).  

   The Walnut Street Theater, opened in 1809, is the oldest active theatre in the United States. The handsome Academy of Music, constructed in 1857, is the home of the Philadelphia Orchestra, one of the finest symphony orchestras in the world. 

    Among the city's museums are the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Rodin Museum, and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, which houses an art school as well as the oldest (established 1805) art museum in the United States. 

  Other museums include the Academy of Natural Sciences (1812), the oldest natural sciences museum in the United States; the Franklin Institute (1824), the oldest science and technology museum in the United States. 

This page has been created by Joan Casas