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{{Infobox City|official_name = City of Philadelphia
|image_skyline = Philadelphia_skyline_August_2007.jpg|imagesize = 250px|image_caption = Philadelphia skyline August 2007
|motto = "Philadelphia maneto" - "Let brotherly love endure"|nickname = "City of Brotherly Love", "The City that Loves you Back", "Cradle of Liberty", "The Quaker City", "The Birthplace of America", "Philly".|image_flag = Flag of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.png|image_seal = Philadelphia City Seal Color.jpg|image_map = Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Philadelphia County.svg|mapsize = 250px|map_caption = Location in Pennsylvania|subdivision_type1 = [Political divisions of the United States|subdivision_type2 = List of counties in Pennsylvania|subdivision_name =
United States|subdivision_name2 = [Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania|leader_title = Mayor of Philadelphia|leader_name =
John F. Street (United States Democratic Party)|established_title = Founded|established_title2 = Municipal Corporation|established_date =
October 27 1682 [1701|utc_offset = -5|timezone_DST = [Eastern Daylight Time|utc_offset_DST = -4|area_code =
Area code 215,
Area code 267|latd=39 |latm=57 |lats=12 |latNS=N|longd=75 |longm=10 |longs=12 |longEW=W|elevation_m = 12|elevation_ft = 39|website = http://www.phila.gov|footnotes =-->The city of
Philadelphia is the largest city in
Pennsylvania and the
List of United States cities by population city in the United States. It is conterminous with
Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, and serves as the county seat. It is colloquially referred to as "the City of Brotherly Love" (from
Greek language:
Φιλαδέλφεια, , Modern Greek: , "brotherly love" from
philos "love" and
adelphos "brother"). The city is commonly and informally referred to as "Philly" by residents.
In 2006 the
United States Census Bureau estimated the population of the city proper to be over 1.4 million. Listing of population estimates of U.S. cities. Retrieved on
October 8,
2006. Philadelphia is a commercial, educational, and cultural center. As of the 2006 population estimate, the metropolitan area was the fifth-largest in the United States with a population of 5.8 million. United States Census Bureau - " Estimates of Population Change for Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Rankings: July 1, 2005 to July 1, 2006." Retrieved on
8 April 2007.
The city was once the second largest in the
British Empire and most populous city of the United States. It was one of the first
List of capitals in the United States. During the 18th Century, it briefly eclipsed Boston, Massachusetts and
New York City in political and social importance, with
Benjamin Franklin taking a large role in Philadelphia's early rise to prominence. It was the social and geographical center of the
13 Colonies. It was in this city that some of the ideas, and subsequent actions, gave birth to the American Revolution and American independence.
History
Prior to the arrival of Europeans the Philadelphia area was inhabited by the Lenape Native Americans in the United States. Europeans arrived in the Delaware Valley in the early 1600s, with the first settlements being founded by the
Netherlands, United Kingdom and
Sweden. In 1681, as part of a repayment of a debt, Charles II of England granted
William Penn a
charter for what would become the
Province of Pennsylvania. Part of Penn's plan for the colony was to create a city on the Delaware River to serve as a port and place for government. Despite already having been given the land by Charles II, Penn bought the land from the local Lenape to be on good terms with the Native Americans and ensure peace for his colony. According to
legend Penn made a treaty of friendship with Lenape chief Tamanend under an elm tree at Shackamaxon, in what is now the city's
Kensington, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Having been a
Religious Society of Friends, Penn had experienced religious persecution and wanted his colony to be a place where anyone could worship freely despite their religion. Penn named the city Philadelphia, which is
Greek language for brotherly love (
philos, "love" or "friendship", and
adelphos, "brother").
.Penn's plan was that Philadelphia would be like an English rural town instead of a city. The city's roads were designed with a grid plan with the idea that houses and businesses would be spread far apart and surrounded by gardens and orchards. The city's inhabitants didn't follow Penn's plans and crowded by the Delaware River and subdivided and resold their lots.
Philadelphia: A 300-Year History, pages 7, 14 - 16 Before Penn left Philadelphia for the last time, he issued the Charter of 1701 establishing Philadelphia as a city. The city soon grew and established itself as an important trading center. Conditions in the city were poor at first, but by the 1750s living conditions had improved. A significant contributor to Philadelphia at the time was
Benjamin Franklin. Franklin helped improve city services and found new ones, such as the American Colonies'
Pennsylvania Hospital.
Insight Guides: Philadelphia and Surroundings, pages 24 - 25 Due to Philadelphia's central location in the colonies, during the
American Revolution the city was used as the location for the
First Continental Congress before the war, the
Second Continental Congress, which signed the
United States Declaration of Independence, during the war, and the
Philadelphia Convention after the war. A Philadelphia campaign were fought in Philadelphia and its environs as well. Unsuccessful lobbying after the war to make Philadelphia the United States capital helped make the city the temporary U.S. capital in the 1790s.
Insight Guides: Philadelphia and Surroundings, pages 30 - 33
The state government left Philadelphia in 1799 and the federal government left soon after in 1800. However Philadelphia was still the largest city in the United States and a financial and cultural center. New York City soon surpassed Philadelphia in population, but construction of roads, canals, and
railroads helped turn Philadelphia into the United States' first major industrial city. Throughout the 19th century Philadelphia had a large variety of industries and businesses, the largest being
textiles. Major corporations in the 19th and early 20th centuries included the Baldwin Locomotive Works,
William Cramp and Sons, and the
Pennsylvania Railroad.
Philadelphia: A 300-Year History, pages 214, 218, 428 - 429 Industry, along with the United States Centennial, was celebrated in 1876 with the Centennial Exposition, the first official Expo (exhibition) in the United States.
Immigration, mostly
Germany and
Ireland, settled in Philadelphia and the surrounding districts. The rise in population of the surrounding districts helped lead to the
Act of Consolidation, 1854 which extended the city of Philadelphia to include all of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. In the later half of the century immigrants from
Russia,
Eastern Europe and
Italy and
African Americans from the Southern United States settled in the city.
Insight Guides: Philadelphia and Surroundings, pages 38 - 39
department store, 1910s.By the 20th century Philadelphia had become known as "corrupt and contented." Philadelphians were content with the city's lack of change or excitement, and single-party politics, centered around the city's entrenched Republican Party (United States)
political machine, allowed corruption to flourish. The machine and corruption permeated in all parts of city government and reformers had little success.
Philadelphia: A 300-Year History, pages 535, 537 The first major success in reform came in 1917 when outrage over the murder of a police officer during that year's election led to the shrinking of the
Philadelphia City Council from two houses to just one.
Philadelphia: A 300-Year History, pages 563 - 564 In the 1920s the public flouting of Prohibition in the United States laws,
Mafia violence, and police involvement in illegal activities led to the appointment of
Brigadier General Smedley Butler of the
United States Marine Corps as director of public safety, but political pressure prevented any long term success in fighting crime and corruption.
Philadelphia: A 300-Year History, pages 578 - 581
After struggling through the Great Depression, World War II created jobs and brought the city out of the Depression. However, after the war there was a severe housing shortage with about half the city's housing being built in the 19th century, many of which lacked proper facilities. Adding to housing problem was
white flight, as African Americans and Puerto Ricans moved into new neighborhoods resulting in racial tension.
Philadelphia: A 300-Year History, pages 669 - 670 After a population peak of over two million residents in 1950 the city's population declined while the suburban neighboring counties grew. After a five year investigation into corruption into city government, the outcry with what the investigation found led the drafting of a new city charter in 1950. The city charter strengthened the position of the mayor and weakened the city council among other changes to help prevent the corruption of the past. The first Democratic Party (United States) mayor since the first half of the 19th century was elected in 1951. However, after two early reform mayors, a Democratic political organization had established itself replacing the old Republican one.
A Concise History of Philadelphia, pages 75 - 76
Protests, riots and racial tensions were common in the 1960s and 70s. Mostly drug related gang violence plagued the city and crack houses invaded the city's slums. Confrontations between police and the radical group MOVE culminated when the police dropped a satchel bomb on their headquarters starting a fire that killed eleven MOVE members and destroyed sixty-two neighboring houses. Revitalization and gentrification of neighborhoods began in the 1960s and continues into the 21st century, with much of the development in the Center City, Philadelphia and
University City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania areas of the city. After many of the old manufacturers and businesses had left Philadelphia or shut down, the city started attracting service businesses and began to more aggressively market itself as a tourist destination. Glass and granite skyscrapers were built in Center City and historic areas such as
Independence National Historical Park were improved. This has slowed the city's forty-year population decline after losing nearly a quarter of its population.
Insight Guides: Philadelphia and Surroundings, pages 44 - 45
A Concise History of Philadelphia, page 78
Geography
Topography
's Landsat 7 satellite. The Delaware River is visible in this shot.
Philadelphia is located at 40° 00' north latitude and 75° 09' west longitude. According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 369.4
square kilometre (142.6 square mile), of which 349.9 km² (135.1 mi²) is land and 19.6 km² (7.6 mi², 5.29%) is water. Bodies of water include the
Delaware River and
Schuylkill Rivers, and Cobbs Creek,
Wissahickon Creek, and
Pennypack Creeks.
The lowest point lies above sea level near Fort Mifflin in
Southwest Philadelphia at the convergence of the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers. The highest points are in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at above sea level (one at the intersection of Germantown Avenue and Bethlehem Pike and the other nearby in a few backyards off Evergreen Place).
The city is the seat of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. The adjacent counties are Montgomery County, Pennsylvania to the north; Bucks County, Pennsylvania to the northeast; Burlington County, New Jersey to the east;
Camden County, New Jersey to the southeast; Gloucester County, New Jersey to the south; and Delaware County, Pennsylvania to the west.
Climate
Philadelphia falls in the
humid subtropical climate zone, although it is the northernmost U.S. city that falls in this classification. Because Philadelphia lies in the northern end of this zone, some of its outlying suburbs, especially to the north and west, fall in the
humid continental climate zone. Summers are typically hot and muggy, fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is cold. Snowfall is variable, with some winters bringing light snow and others bringing some significant snowstorms. It is common for the heavier snowfall to occur
north and
west of the city. Annual snowfall averages 21 in (534 mm). Precipitation is generally spread throughout the year, with eight to eleven wet days per month, at an average annual rate of 42 in (1068 mm).
January lows average 23 °F (–5 °C) and highs average 38 °F (3 °C). The lowest officially recorded temperature was –11 °F (–24 °C) on February 9,
1934, but temperatures below 14 °F (–10 °C) occur only a few times a year. July lows average 67 °F (20 °C) and highs average 86 °F (30 °C), although heat waves see highs above 95 °F (35 °C) with the heat index running as high as 110 °F (43 °C). The highest recorded temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on August 7
1918. Early fall and late winter are generally driest, with February being the driest month, averaging only 2.74 in (69.8 mm) of precipitation.
{| class="wikitable" "text-align:center;font-size:90%;"||-! style="background: #99CCCC; color: #000000" height="17" | Month! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Jan! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Feb! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Mar! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Apr! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | May! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Jun! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Jul! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Aug! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Sep! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Oct! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Nov! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Dec! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Year|-! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Rec high °F(°C)| style="text-align:center; background: #EECCBB; color:#000000;" | 74(23)| style="text-align:center; background: #EECCBB; color:#000000;" | 74(23)| style="text-align:center; background: #F97901; color:#000000;" | 85(29)| style="text-align:center; background: #F95901; color:#000000;" | 94(34)| style="text-align:center; background: #F95901; color:#000000;" | 97(36)| style="text-align:center; background: #F95901; color:#000000;" | 100(38)| style="text-align:center; background: #F95901; color:#000000;" | 104(40)| style="text-align:center; background: #F95901; color:#000000;" | 101(38)| style="text-align:center; background: #F95901; color:#000000;" | 100(38)| style="text-align:center; background: #F98901; color:#000000;" | 89(32)| style="text-align:center; background: #EECCBB; color:#000000;" | 84(29)| style="text-align:center; background: #EECCBB; color:#000000;" | 72(22)| style="text-align:center; background: #F95901; color:#000000;" | 104(40)|-! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Avg high °F(°C)| style="text-align:center; background: #DDCCEE; color:#000000;" | 39(4)| style="text-align:center; background: #DDCCEE; color:#000000;" | 42(6)| style="text-align:center; background: #E0CCBB; color:#000000;" | 51(11)| style="text-align:center; background: #EECCBB; color:#000000;" | 63(17)| style="text-align:center; background: #EECCBB; color:#000000;" | 73(23)| style="text-align:center; background: #EECCBB; color:#000000;" | 82(28)| style="text-align:center; background: #EECCBB; color:#000000;" | 87(31)| style="text-align:center; background: #EECCBB; color:#000000;" | 85(29)| style="text-align:center; background: #EECCBB; color:#000000;" | 78(26)| style="text-align:center; background: #EECCBB; color:#000000;" | 67(19)| style="text-align:center; background: #E0CCBB; color:#000000;" | 55(13)| style="text-align:center; background: #DDCCDD; color:#000000;" | 44(7)| style="text-align:center; background: #EECCBB; color:#000000;" | 64(18)|-! style="text-align:center; background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Avg low °F(°C)| style="text-align:center; background: #66FFFF;" | 24(–4)| style="text-align:center; background: #66FFFF;" | 26(–3)| style="text-align:center; background: #66FFFF;" | 33(1)| style="text-align:center; background: #66FFFF;" | 43(6)| style="text-align:center; background: #66FFFF;" | 53(12)| style="text-align:center; background: #66FFFF;" | 62(17)| style="text-align:center; background: #66FFFF;" | 68(20)| style="text-align:center; background: #66FFFF;" | 66(19)| style="text-align:center; background: #66FFFF;" | 59(15)| style="text-align:center; background: #66FFFF;" | 47(8)| style="text-align:center; background: #66FFFF;" | 38(3)| style="text-align:center; background: #66FFFF;" | 29(–2)| style="text-align:center; background: #66FFFF;" | 46(8)|-! style="text-align:center; background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Rec low °F(°C)| style="text-align:center; background: #54CCF8;" | –7(–22)| style="text-align:center; background: #54CCF8;" | –4(–20)| style="text-align:center; background: #54CCF8;" | 7(–14)| style="text-align:center; background: #54CCF8;" | 19(–7)| style="text-align:center; background: #54CCF8;" | 28(–2)| style="text-align:center; background: #54CCF8;" | 44(7)| style="text-align:center; background: #54CCF8;" | 51(11)| style="text-align:center; background: #54CCF8;" | 44(7)| style="text-align:center; background: #54CCF8;" | 35(2)| style="text-align:center; background: #54CCF8;" | 25(–4)| style="text-align:center; background: #54CCF8;" | 15(–9)| style="text-align:center; background: #54CCF8;" | 1(–17)| style="text-align:center; background: #54CCF8;" | –7(–22)|-! style="text-align:center; background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Precipitation in.(mm)| style="text-align:center; background: #C0C0C0;" | 3.2(81.3)| style="text-align:center; background: #C0C0C0;" | 2.8(71.1)| style="text-align:center; background: #C0C0C0;" | 3.7(94.0)| style="text-align:center; background: #C0C0C0;" | 3.4(86.4)| style="text-align:center; background: #C0C0C0;" | 3.6(91.4)| style="text-align:center; background: #C0C0C0;" | 3.4(86.4)| style="text-align:center; background: #C0C0C0;" | 4.2(106.7)| style="text-align:center; background: #C0C0C0;" | 3.9(99.1)| style="text-align:center; background: #C0C0C0;" | 3.3(83.8)| style="text-align:center; background: #C0C0C0;" | 2.7(68.6)| style="text-align:center; background: #C0C0C0;" | 3.3(83.8)| style="text-align:center; background: #C0C0C0;" | 3.3(83.8)| style="text-align:center; background: #C0C0C0;" | 40.9(1038.9)|-| colspan="14" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;"|
Source: Weatherbase{{cite web| url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=80427&refer=&units=us |title=Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America | publisher=Weatherbase | year=2007 | accessdate=2007-03-23 | language= English -->|}
Cityscape
Neighborhoods
neighborhood.
Philadelphia has many neighborhoods, each with its own identity. The large Philadelphia sections, North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Northeast Philadelphia, Northwest Philadelphia,
West Philadelphia,
South Philadelphia and Southwest Philadelphia surround Center City, Philadelphia, which falls within the original city limits prior to consolidation in 1854. Numerous smaller neighborhoods within the areas coincide with the boroughs, townships, and other communities that made up Philadelphia County before their absorption by the city. Other neighborhoods formed based on ethnicity, religion, culture, and commercial reasons.
Insight Guides: Philadelphia and Surroundings, page 58
Architecture
Philadelphia's architectural history dates back to Colonial America times and has included a wide range of styles that, in certain areas, are showcased within a range of several blocks. The earliest structures were constructed with Log home, but by 1700 brick structures were common. Georgian architecture dominated the cityscape during the 18th century with the most notable Georgian structure being
Independence Hall (United States). In the first decades of the 19th century
Federal architecture and Greek Revival architecture were popular.
Philadelphia: A 300-Year History, page 11, 41, 174 - 175, 252 - 253 In the second half of the 19th century Victorian architecture was common. In 1871 construction began on the Second Empire style, Philadelphia City Hall. Even with the construction of steel and concrete skyscrapers in the 1910s, 20s and 30s, the City Hall remained the tallest building in the city until 1987 when One Liberty Place was constructed. Numerous glass and granite skyscrapers were built from the late 1980s onwards with the largest being the
Comcast Center (office building). In 2007 the Comcast Center surpassed One Liberty Place and officially became the tallest building in Philadelphia.
For much of Philadelphia's history the typical Philadelphia home has been the Terraced house. The row house was introduced to the United States via Philadelphia in the early 1800s and, for a time, row houses built elsewhere in the United States were known as "Philadelphia rows".
Philadelphia: A 300-Year History, page 251 There is a variety of row houses throughout the city from Victorian style homes in North Philadelphia to twin row houses in West Philadelphia. While newer homes are scattered throughout the city, much of Philadelphia's housing is from the early 20th century or older. The age of the city's homes has created numerous problems which has led to blight and vacant lots in many parts of the city, while other neighborhoods such as
Society Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which has the largest concentration of original 18th century architecture in the United States, have been rehabilitated and gentrified.
Culture
Philadelphia has become notable in various arts and in culture. Philadelphia has had a prominent role in
Music of Philadelphia — including, starting in the 1970s, Philadelphia soul, which had a major impact in the music of that and later eras. On July 13 1985, Philadelphia hosted the American end of the Live Aid concert at John F. Kennedy Stadium. On
July 2 2005, Bob Geldof, who organized the Live Aid concert, chose Philadelphia as the American host of the
Live 8 concert. This time the show was held as a free concert on the Ben Franklin Parkway, where an estimated 600 000 - 800 000 people showed up for the global supershow. The city is home to many art galleries, many of which participate in the First Friday event. The first Friday of every month galleries in Old City are open late and for free. Annual events include film festivals and parades, the most famous being
New Year's Day Mummers Parade. In
Cuisine of Philadelphia the city is well known for its hoagies,
soft pretzels, water ice, and is home to the cheesesteak.
Tourism
Philadelphia contains many National Historical Park that relate to the founding of the United States. Independence National Historical Park is the center of these historical landmarks.
Independence Hall (United States), where the
United States Declaration of Independence was signed, and the Liberty Bell are the city's most famous attractions. Other historic sites include homes for
Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site and Betsy Ross House and early government buildings like the
First Bank of the United States and Second Bank of the United States.
The city contains many museums such as the
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the
Rodin Museum, the largest collection of work by Auguste Rodin outside of France. The city’s major art museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, is one of the largest art museums in the United States and features the Rocky Steps made popular by the film
Rocky. Philadelphia's major science museums include the
Franklin Institute, which contains the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial, the
Academy of Natural Sciences, and the
University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. History museums include the National Constitution Center, the
Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia History, the National Museum of American Jewish History, the
Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons in the state of Pennsylvania and Masonic Museum and
Eastern State Penitentiary. Philadelphia is home to the United States' first Philadelphia Zoo and Pennsylvania Hospital.
Areas such as South Street and Old City have a vibrant night life. The
Avenue of the Arts, Philadelphia in Center City contains many restaurants and Theatre, such as the
Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, which is home to the
Philadelphia Orchestra, and the
Academy of Music, the nation's oldest continually operating venue, home to the
Opera Company of Philadelphia.
Media
Philadelphia's two major
Newspaper are
The Philadelphia Inquirer and the
Philadelphia Daily News, both of which are owned by Philadelphia Media Holdings L.L.C.
The Philadelphia Inquirer, founded in 1829, is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the United States.
The Bulletin, another newspaper that operates in Philadelphia, traces its history back to
The Philadelphia Bulletin that went defunct in 1982.
The Bulletin is locally owned by The Bulletin, Inc.
The first experimental
radio license was issued in Philadelphia in August, 1912 to
Saint Joseph's University. The first commercial radio stations appeared in 1922. WIP-AM, then owned by
Gimbel's, became the first on March 17 of that year. Also launched that year were
WFIL,
WOO, WPHT and WDAS. The highest-rated stations in Philadelphia include soft rock WBEB,
KYW (AM), and urban adult contemporary WDAS-FM.
During the 1930s, the experimental station W3XE, which was owned by Philco Corp, became the first
television station in Philadelphia. The station, which would later become
KYW-TV (
CBS), became
NBC's first affiliate in 1939. By the 1970s
WCAU,
WPVI-TV,
WHYY-TV, WPHL-TV, and WTXF-TV were founded. In 1952 WFIL (now WPVI), premiered the television show
Bandstand, which later became the nationally broadcast show
American Bandstand hosted by Dick Clark (entertainer). Today, as in many large metropolitan areas, each of the commercial networks has an affiliate, and call letters have been replaced by corporate IDs: CBS3, 6ABC, NBC10, FOX29, plus ME-TV and CW. On the public media side, the Philadelphia region is served by WYBE (Philadelphia), WHYY (Wilmington, Delaware and Philadelphia), WLVT (Lehigh Valley), and New Jersey Network. In September, 2007, Philadelphia approved a public access cable channel. On the radio side, Philadelphia is served by three large public radio stations, plus several smaller ones; the larger ones are WHYY (NPR), WRTI (jazz, classical), and WXPN (adult alternative music).
Philadelphia has a competitive rock radio market, especially between
WMMR and
WYSP, which both specialize in playing modern and classic rock. The two stations enjoy a very intense rivalry with each station's listeners being faithfully loyal to their favorite station in most cases. Since 2005, WMMR now plays more music due to a shift in WYSP's programming from a rock station (which also carried controversial shock jock Howard Stern) to a Free FM station (which now carries the syndicated Opie and Anthony morning show and The Kidd Chris afternoon show). WYSP also carries live radio broadcasts of all
Philadelphia Eagles home and road games. WMMR has the top rated morning show in the Philadelphia area, The Preston and Steve Show, which has been at the top of the ratings since leaving former rock station
Y100.
Philadelphia's four
Urban music stations (WUSL ("Power 99"),
WPHI ("100.3 The Beat"),
WDAS-FM and
WRNB) are popular choices on the FM dial.
WJJZ is the city's smooth jazz station. When WJJZ was discontinued in August 2006, it caused an uproar among listeners, but it was revived three months later, under new ownership (Greater Media) and with a new frequency (97.5). The former WJJZ is now
WISX, "Philly's 106.1".
Sports
{| class="wikitable"|-! scope="col" | Club! scope="col" | League! scope="col" | Sport! scope="col" | Venue! scope="col" | Established! scope="col" | Championships|-! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;" | Philadelphia Eagles| American Football| [Lincoln Financial Field, [1949 NFL season,
1960 NFL season|-! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;" | Philadelphia Flyers| Hockey| [Wachovia Center, [1974-75 NHL season|-! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;" |
Philadelphia Phillies| Baseball| [Citizens Bank Park| [National Basketball Association| Basketball| Wachovia Center, [1982-83 NBA season|-! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;" | Philadelphia Wings| Lacrosse (Indoor)| [Wachovia Center| [American Hockey League| Hockey|
Wachovia Spectrum| [Arena Football League| Arena Football| Wachovia Center &
Wachovia Spectrum| 2004| none|-! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;" | Philadelphia Barrage| Lacrosse (Outdoor)| [United Sports Training Center| [Major Indoor Soccer League| Soccer (Indoor)| Wachovia Spectrum: the [Philadelphia Eagles of the
National Football League, the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League, the
Philadelphia Phillies in the National League of Major League Baseball, and the Philadelphia 76ers in the
National Basketball Association. The last major professional sport team to win a championship was the 76ers, which won the
1982-83 NBA season. The failure of Philadelphia's major professional sports teams to win championships since that date is sometimes attributed, in jest, to the so-called "Curse of Billy Penn". The
Oakland Athletics and
Golden State Warriors were originally from
Philadelphia Athletics (1860-1876).
Philadelphia also is home to professional, semi-professional and elite amateur teams in other sports, including cricket. Philadelphia also hosts major amateurism events, including the
Penn Relays,
Stotesbury Cup, Philadelphia Marathon, and
Philadelphia International Championship Bicycle racing.
Economy
, Philadelphia's newest office building, under constructionPhiladelphia's economy is heavily based upon manufacturing, refining, food, and financial services.
The city is home to the Philadelphia Stock Exchange and a few Fortune 500 Fortune 500 companies, including
cable television and internet provider
Comcast,
insurance companies
CIGNA and
Lincoln Financial Group, energy company
Sunoco, food services company
Aramark,
Crown Holdings Incorporated, chemical makers Rohm and Haas Company and FMC Corporation, the pharmaceutical company
GlaxoSmithKline,
Boeing helicopters division, and automotive parts retailer Pep Boys.
The federal government has several facilities in Philadelphia as well. The city served as the capital city of the United States, before the construction of Washington, D.C. Today, 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. Philadelphia is also home to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Partly because of the historical presence of the
Pennsylvania Railroad, and the large ridership at 30th Street Station,
Amtrak also maintains a significant presence in the city. These jobs include customer service representatives and ticket processing and other behind-the-scenes personnel, in addition to the normal functions of the railroad.
The city is also a national center of law because of the prestigious
University of Pennsylvania Law School,
Temple University Beasley School of Law, Villanova University School of Law,
Widener University School of Law, and Drexel University College of Law. Additionally, the headquarters of the
American Law Institute is located in the city.
Philadelphia is also an important center for medicine, a distinction that it has held since the colonial period, when
Pennsylvania Hospital was North America's first hospital. The
University of Pennsylvania, the city's largest private employer, runs an extensive medical system. There are also major hospitals affiliated with
Temple University,
Drexel University College of Medicine, and Thomas Jefferson University. Philadelphia also has three distinguished children's hospitals:
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (located adjacent to the Hospitals of the University of Pennsylvania), St. Christopher's Hospital, and the Shriners' Hospital. In the city's northeast section are Albert Einstein Hospital and the Fox Chase Cancer Center. Together, health care is the largest sector of employment in the city. Several medical professional associations are headquartered in Philadelphia.
In part because of Philadelphia's long-running importance as a center for medical research, the region is a major center for the pharmaceutical industry. GlaxoSmithKline,
AstraZeneca, Wyeth, Merck & Co.,
GE Healthcare, Johnson and Johnson and Siemens Medical Solutions are just some of the large pharmaceutical companies with operations in the region.
See also: List of companies based in the Philadelphia area, List of foreign consulates in Philadelphia.
Shopping
Center City, Philadelphia is home to
The Gallery at Market East, The Shops at Liberty Place and The Shops at the Bellevue, and a variety of standalone retail stores. Rittenhouse Row, a section of Walnut Street (Philadelphia) in Center City, has higher-end stores and boutiques. Old City and Society Hill, as well, feature upscale boutiques and retailers from local and international merchandisers. Philadelphia also has several neighborhood shopping districts, including
Manayunk, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Also noteworthy is
South Street with blocks of inexpensive boutiques.
The
Italian Market (Philadelphia) in South Philadelphia offers groceries, meats, cheeses and housewares from Italy and other countries.
Geno's Steaks and Pat's King of Steaks, two famed cheesesteak outlets, are located here. The Reading Terminal Market in Center City includes dozens of restaurants, farm stalls, and shops, many run by Amish farmers from Lancaster County. There are also neighborhood farmers' markets throughout the city.
The Philadelphia metropolitan area has many malls, including the
King of Prussia Mall, the second-largest mall in the United States and the
Cherry Hill Mall in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, the first enclosed mall on the East Coast. The region was also the home to the first Ikea in the United States. There are also several large outlet malls in the area, including
Franklin Mills in
Northeast Philadelphia, which saw over 18 million visitors in 2006, and the Lancaster Outlets of
Lancaster County.
Philadelphia is the birthplace of the secondary ticket marketplace. Wanamaker Ticket Office, located in Center City, is among the Nation's oldest ticket agencies.
Innovation
Philadelphia is home to many "first-in-America" institutions, including: Philadelphia Firsts 1681-1899, ushistory.org Philadelphia Firsts, about.com
Demographics
]As of the
censusGeographic references#2 of 2000, there were 1,517,550 people, 590,071 households, and 352,272 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,337.3/km² (11,233.6/mi²). There were 661,958 housing units at an average density of 1,891.9/km² (4,900.1/mi²). As of the 2004 Census estimations, there were 1,463,281 people, 658,799 housing units, and the racial makeup of the city was 45.0% White (U.S. Census), 43.2% African American (U.S. Census), 5.5%
Asian (U.S. Census), 0.3%
Native American (U.S. Census), 0.1% Pacific Islander (U.S. Census), 5.8% from
Race (United States Census), and 2.2% from two or more races.
Hispanic (U.S. Census) or
Latino (U.S. Census) of any race were 8.5% of the population.
Of the 590,071 households, 27.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.1% were Marriage living together, 22.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the city the population was 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 were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,746, and the median income for a family was $37,036. Males had a median income of $34,199 versus $28,477 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,509. About 18.4% of families and 22.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.3% of those under age 18 and 16.9% of those age 65 or over.
Philadelphia has the second largest Irish people,
Italian people, and
Jamaican populations and the fourth largest African American population in the nation. In recent years, the
Hispanic and Asian American populations have significantly increased. Hispanics, mostly
Puerto Ricans, have settled throughout the city, especially around El Centro de Oro, and the city now has the third largest Puerto Rican population in the continental United States. The Asian people population was once concentrated in the city's thriving Chinatown, but now Korean Americans have come to Olney, and Vietnamese have forged bazaars next to the Italian Market (Philadelphia) in
South Philadelphia. Indians and
Arabs have come to Northeast Philadelphia along with Russian and Ukrainian immigrants. This large influx of Asians has given Philadelphia one of the largest populations of Vietnamese, Chinese, and Koreans in
United States. The Philadelphia region also has the fourth largest population of Indian Americans. The West Indies population is concentrated in
Cedar Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Germans, Greeks,
Han Chinese,
Japanese people,
English people, Pakistanis,
Iranians, and other ethnic groups can be found throughout the city.
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.
The city is headed by an elected
mayor who is limited to two consecutive four-year terms but can run for the position again after an intervening term. The incumbent is former
Philadelphia City Council President John F. Street, elected in 1999 and re-elected by a larger majority in 2003. He is a United States Democratic Party, as all Philadelphia mayors have been since 1952.
The legislative branch, the Philadelphia City Council, consists of ten council members representing individual districts and seven members elected at large. The current council president is Anna C. Verna.
The Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas (United States), 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, preliminary examinations for felony-level offenses, and the like.
Traffic Court is a court of special jurisdiction that hears violations of traffic laws.
Pennsylvania's three
appellate courts also have sittings in Philadelphia. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 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 these courts are elected at large. Each court has a prothonotary's office in Philadelphia as well.
The Philadelphia Housing Authority is the biggest landlord in Pennsylvania. It was established in 1937 and is the nation’s fourth largest housing authority. It houses approximately 84,000 people in Philadelphia and employs 1,250 people. In 2006, its budget totaled $313 million. Philadelphia Housing Authority
Politics
{| align="right" border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"|+
Presidential election results |- bgcolor=#D3D3D3! Year!
Republican Party (United States)!
Democratic Party (United States)|-|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|U.S. presidential election, 2004|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|19.3%
130,099|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'80.4%
542,205|-|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|U.S. presidential election, 2000|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|18.0% 100,959|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|80.0%
449,182|-|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|U.S. presidential election, 1996|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|16.0% 85,345|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|77.5%
412,988|-|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|U.S. presidential election, 1992|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|20.9% 133,328|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|68.2%
434,904|-|align="center" bgcol
{{Infobox City|official_name = City of Philadelphia
|image_skyline = Philadelphia_skyline_August_2007.jpg|imagesize = 250px|image_caption = Philadelphia skyline August 2007
|motto = "Philadelphia maneto" - "Let brotherly love endure"|nickname = "City of Brotherly Love", "The City that Loves you Back", "Cradle of Liberty", "The Quaker City", "The Birthplace of America", "Philly".|image_flag = Flag of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.png|image_seal = Philadelphia City Seal Color.jpg|image_map = Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Philadelphia County.svg|mapsize = 250px|map_caption = Location in Pennsylvania|subdivision_type1 = [Political divisions of the United States|subdivision_type2 = List of counties in Pennsylvania|subdivision_name = United States|subdivision_name2 = [Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania|leader_title = Mayor of Philadelphia|leader_name = John F. Street (United States Democratic Party)|established_title = Founded|established_title2 = Municipal Corporation|established_date = October 27 1682 [1701|utc_offset = -5|timezone_DST = [Eastern Daylight Time|utc_offset_DST = -4|area_code = Area code 215, Area code 267|latd=39 |latm=57 |lats=12 |latNS=N|longd=75 |longm=10 |longs=12 |longEW=W|elevation_m = 12|elevation_ft = 39|website = http://www.phila.gov|footnotes =-->The city of Philadelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population city in the United States. It is conterminous with Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, and serves as the county seat. It is colloquially referred to as "the City of Brotherly Love" (from Greek language: Φιλαδέλφεια, , Modern Greek: , "brotherly love" from philos "love" and adelphos "brother"). The city is commonly and informally referred to as "Philly" by residents.
In 2006 the United States Census Bureau estimated the population of the city proper to be over 1.4 million. Listing of population estimates of U.S. cities. Retrieved on October 8, 2006. Philadelphia is a commercial, educational, and cultural center. As of the 2006 population estimate, the metropolitan area was the fifth-largest in the United States with a population of 5.8 million. United States Census Bureau - " Estimates of Population Change for Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Rankings: July 1, 2005 to July 1, 2006." Retrieved on 8 April 2007.
The city was once the second largest in the British Empire and most populous city of the United States. It was one of the first List of capitals in the United States. During the 18th Century, it briefly eclipsed Boston, Massachusetts and New York City in political and social importance, with Benjamin Franklin taking a large role in Philadelphia's early rise to prominence. It was the social and geographical center of the 13 Colonies. It was in this city that some of the ideas, and subsequent actions, gave birth to the American Revolution and American independence.
History
Prior to the arrival of Europeans the Philadelphia area was inhabited by the Lenape Native Americans in the United States. Europeans arrived in the Delaware Valley in the early 1600s, with the first settlements being founded by the Netherlands, United Kingdom and Sweden. In 1681, as part of a repayment of a debt, Charles II of England granted William Penn a charter for what would become the Province of Pennsylvania. Part of Penn's plan for the colony was to create a city on the Delaware River to serve as a port and place for government. Despite already having been given the land by Charles II, Penn bought the land from the local Lenape to be on good terms with the Native Americans and ensure peace for his colony. According to legend Penn made a treaty of friendship with Lenape chief Tamanend under an elm tree at Shackamaxon, in what is now the city's Kensington, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Having been a Religious Society of Friends, Penn had experienced religious persecution and wanted his colony to be a place where anyone could worship freely despite their religion. Penn named the city Philadelphia, which is Greek language for brotherly love (philos, "love" or "friendship", and adelphos, "brother").
.Penn's plan was that Philadelphia would be like an English rural town instead of a city. The city's roads were designed with a grid plan with the idea that houses and businesses would be spread far apart and surrounded by gardens and orchards. The city's inhabitants didn't follow Penn's plans and crowded by the Delaware River and subdivided and resold their lots.Philadelphia: A 300-Year History, pages 7, 14 - 16 Before Penn left Philadelphia for the last time, he issued the Charter of 1701 establishing Philadelphia as a city. The city soon grew and established itself as an important trading center. Conditions in the city were poor at first, but by the 1750s living conditions had improved. A significant contributor to Philadelphia at the time was Benjamin Franklin. Franklin helped improve city services and found new ones, such as the American Colonies' Pennsylvania Hospital.Insight Guides: Philadelphia and Surroundings, pages 24 - 25 Due to Philadelphia's central location in the colonies, during the American Revolution the city was used as the location for the First Continental Congress before the war, the Second Continental Congress, which signed the United States Declaration of Independence, during the war, and the Philadelphia Convention after the war. A Philadelphia campaign were fought in Philadelphia and its environs as well. Unsuccessful lobbying after the war to make Philadelphia the United States capital helped make the city the temporary U.S. capital in the 1790s.Insight Guides: Philadelphia and Surroundings, pages 30 - 33
The state government left Philadelphia in 1799 and the federal government left soon after in 1800. However Philadelphia was still the largest city in the United States and a financial and cultural center. New York City soon surpassed Philadelphia in population, but construction of roads, canals, and railroads helped turn Philadelphia into the United States' first major industrial city. Throughout the 19th century Philadelphia had a large variety of industries and businesses, the largest being textiles. Major corporations in the 19th and early 20th centuries included the Baldwin Locomotive Works, William Cramp and Sons, and the Pennsylvania Railroad.Philadelphia: A 300-Year History, pages 214, 218, 428 - 429 Industry, along with the United States Centennial, was celebrated in 1876 with the Centennial Exposition, the first official Expo (exhibition) in the United States. Immigration, mostly Germany and Ireland, settled in Philadelphia and the surrounding districts. The rise in population of the surrounding districts helped lead to the Act of Consolidation, 1854 which extended the city of Philadelphia to include all of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. In the later half of the century immigrants from Russia, Eastern Europe and Italy and African Americans from the Southern United States settled in the city.Insight Guides: Philadelphia and Surroundings, pages 38 - 39
department store, 1910s.By the 20th century Philadelphia had become known as "corrupt and contented." Philadelphians were content with the city's lack of change or excitement, and single-party politics, centered around the city's entrenched Republican Party (United States) political machine, allowed corruption to flourish. The machine and corruption permeated in all parts of city government and reformers had little success.Philadelphia: A 300-Year History, pages 535, 537 The first major success in reform came in 1917 when outrage over the murder of a police officer during that year's election led to the shrinking of the Philadelphia City Council from two houses to just one.Philadelphia: A 300-Year History, pages 563 - 564 In the 1920s the public flouting of Prohibition in the United States laws, Mafia violence, and police involvement in illegal activities led to the appointment of Brigadier General Smedley Butler of the United States Marine Corps as director of public safety, but political pressure prevented any long term success in fighting crime and corruption.Philadelphia: A 300-Year History, pages 578 - 581
After struggling through the Great Depression, World War II created jobs and brought the city out of the Depression. However, after the war there was a severe housing shortage with about half the city's housing being built in the 19th century, many of which lacked proper facilities. Adding to housing problem was white flight, as African Americans and Puerto Ricans moved into new neighborhoods resulting in racial tension.Philadelphia: A 300-Year History, pages 669 - 670 After a population peak of over two million residents in 1950 the city's population declined while the suburban neighboring counties grew. After a five year investigation into corruption into city government, the outcry with what the investigation found led the drafting of a new city charter in 1950. The city charter strengthened the position of the mayor and weakened the city council among other changes to help prevent the corruption of the past. The first Democratic Party (United States) mayor since the first half of the 19th century was elected in 1951. However, after two early reform mayors, a Democratic political organization had established itself replacing the old Republican one.A Concise History of Philadelphia, pages 75 - 76
Protests, riots and racial tensions were common in the 1960s and 70s. Mostly drug related gang violence plagued the city and crack houses invaded the city's slums. Confrontations between police and the radical group MOVE culminated when the police dropped a satchel bomb on their headquarters starting a fire that killed eleven MOVE members and destroyed sixty-two neighboring houses. Revitalization and gentrification of neighborhoods began in the 1960s and continues into the 21st century, with much of the development in the Center City, Philadelphia and University City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania areas of the city. After many of the old manufacturers and businesses had left Philadelphia or shut down, the city started attracting service businesses and began to more aggressively market itself as a tourist destination. Glass and granite skyscrapers were built in Center City and historic areas such as Independence National Historical Park were improved. This has slowed the city's forty-year population decline after losing nearly a quarter of its population.Insight Guides: Philadelphia and Surroundings, pages 44 - 45A Concise History of Philadelphia, page 78
Geography
Topography
's Landsat 7 satellite. The Delaware River is visible in this shot.
Philadelphia is located at 40° 00' north latitude and 75° 09' west longitude. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 369.4 square kilometre (142.6 square mile), of which 349.9 km² (135.1 mi²) is land and 19.6 km² (7.6 mi², 5.29%) is water. Bodies of water include the Delaware River and Schuylkill Rivers, and Cobbs Creek, Wissahickon Creek, and Pennypack Creeks.
The lowest point lies above sea level near Fort Mifflin in Southwest Philadelphia at the convergence of the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers. The highest points are in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at above sea level (one at the intersection of Germantown Avenue and Bethlehem Pike and the other nearby in a few backyards off Evergreen Place).
The city is the seat of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. The adjacent counties are Montgomery County, Pennsylvania to the north; Bucks County, Pennsylvania to the northeast; Burlington County, New Jersey to the east; Camden County, New Jersey to the southeast; Gloucester County, New Jersey to the south; and Delaware County, Pennsylvania to the west.
Climate
Philadelphia falls in the humid subtropical climate zone, although it is the northernmost U.S. city that falls in this classification. Because Philadelphia lies in the northern end of this zone, some of its outlying suburbs, especially to the north and west, fall in the humid continental climate zone. Summers are typically hot and muggy, fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is cold. Snowfall is variable, with some winters bringing light snow and others bringing some significant snowstorms. It is common for the heavier snowfall to occur north and west of the city. Annual snowfall averages 21 in (534 mm). Precipitation is generally spread throughout the year, with eight to eleven wet days per month, at an average annual rate of 42 in (1068 mm).
January lows average 23 °F (–5 °C) and highs average 38 °F (3 °C). The lowest officially recorded temperature was –11 °F (–24 °C) on February 9, 1934, but temperatures below 14 °F (–10 °C) occur only a few times a year. July lows average 67 °F (20 °C) and highs average 86 °F (30 °C), although heat waves see highs above 95 °F (35 °C) with the heat index running as high as 110 °F (43 °C). The highest recorded temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on August 7 1918. Early fall and late winter are generally driest, with February being the driest month, averaging only 2.74 in (69.8 mm) of precipitation.
{| class="wikitable" "text-align:center;font-size:90%;"||-! style="background: #99CCCC; color: #000000" height="17" | Month! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Jan! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Feb! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Mar! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Apr! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | May! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Jun! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Jul! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Aug! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Sep! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Oct! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Nov! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Dec! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Year|-! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Rec high °F(°C)| style="text-align:center; background: #EECCBB; color:#000000;" | 74(23)| style="text-align:center; background: #EECCBB; color:#000000;" | 74(23)| style="text-align:center; background: #F97901; color:#000000;" | 85(29)| style="text-align:center; background: #F95901; color:#000000;" | 94(34)| style="text-align:center; background: #F95901; color:#000000;" | 97(36)| style="text-align:center; background: #F95901; color:#000000;" | 100(38)| style="text-align:center; background: #F95901; color:#000000;" | 104(40)| style="text-align:center; background: #F95901; color:#000000;" | 101(38)| style="text-align:center; background: #F95901; color:#000000;" | 100(38)| style="text-align:center; background: #F98901; color:#000000;" | 89(32)| style="text-align:center; background: #EECCBB; color:#000000;" | 84(29)| style="text-align:center; background: #EECCBB; color:#000000;" | 72(22)| style="text-align:center; background: #F95901; color:#000000;" | 104(40)|-! style="background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Avg high °F(°C)| style="text-align:center; background: #DDCCEE; color:#000000;" | 39(4)| style="text-align:center; background: #DDCCEE; color:#000000;" | 42(6)| style="text-align:center; background: #E0CCBB; color:#000000;" | 51(11)| style="text-align:center; background: #EECCBB; color:#000000;" | 63(17)| style="text-align:center; background: #EECCBB; color:#000000;" | 73(23)| style="text-align:center; background: #EECCBB; color:#000000;" | 82(28)| style="text-align:center; background: #EECCBB; color:#000000;" | 87(31)| style="text-align:center; background: #EECCBB; color:#000000;" | 85(29)| style="text-align:center; background: #EECCBB; color:#000000;" | 78(26)| style="text-align:center; background: #EECCBB; color:#000000;" | 67(19)| style="text-align:center; background: #E0CCBB; color:#000000;" | 55(13)| style="text-align:center; background: #DDCCDD; color:#000000;" | 44(7)| style="text-align:center; background: #EECCBB; color:#000000;" | 64(18)|-! style="text-align:center; background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Avg low °F(°C)| style="text-align:center; background: #66FFFF;" | 24(–4)| style="text-align:center; background: #66FFFF;" | 26(–3)| style="text-align:center; background: #66FFFF;" | 33(1)| style="text-align:center; background: #66FFFF;" | 43(6)| style="text-align:center; background: #66FFFF;" | 53(12)| style="text-align:center; background: #66FFFF;" | 62(17)| style="text-align:center; background: #66FFFF;" | 68(20)| style="text-align:center; background: #66FFFF;" | 66(19)| style="text-align:center; background: #66FFFF;" | 59(15)| style="text-align:center; background: #66FFFF;" | 47(8)| style="text-align:center; background: #66FFFF;" | 38(3)| style="text-align:center; background: #66FFFF;" | 29(–2)| style="text-align:center; background: #66FFFF;" | 46(8)|-! style="text-align:center; background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Rec low °F(°C)| style="text-align:center; background: #54CCF8;" | –7(–22)| style="text-align:center; background: #54CCF8;" | –4(–20)| style="text-align:center; background: #54CCF8;" | 7(–14)| style="text-align:center; background: #54CCF8;" | 19(–7)| style="text-align:center; background: #54CCF8;" | 28(–2)| style="text-align:center; background: #54CCF8;" | 44(7)| style="text-align:center; background: #54CCF8;" | 51(11)| style="text-align:center; background: #54CCF8;" | 44(7)| style="text-align:center; background: #54CCF8;" | 35(2)| style="text-align:center; background: #54CCF8;" | 25(–4)| style="text-align:center; background: #54CCF8;" | 15(–9)| style="text-align:center; background: #54CCF8;" | 1(–17)| style="text-align:center; background: #54CCF8;" | –7(–22)|-! style="text-align:center; background: #99CCCC; color:#000000;" | Precipitation in.(mm)| style="text-align:center; background: #C0C0C0;" | 3.2(81.3)| style="text-align:center; background: #C0C0C0;" | 2.8(71.1)| style="text-align:center; background: #C0C0C0;" | 3.7(94.0)| style="text-align:center; background: #C0C0C0;" | 3.4(86.4)| style="text-align:center; background: #C0C0C0;" | 3.6(91.4)| style="text-align:center; background: #C0C0C0;" | 3.4(86.4)| style="text-align:center; background: #C0C0C0;" | 4.2(106.7)| style="text-align:center; background: #C0C0C0;" | 3.9(99.1)| style="text-align:center; background: #C0C0C0;" | 3.3(83.8)| style="text-align:center; background: #C0C0C0;" | 2.7(68.6)| style="text-align:center; background: #C0C0C0;" | 3.3(83.8)| style="text-align:center; background: #C0C0C0;" | 3.3(83.8)| style="text-align:center; background: #C0C0C0;" | 40.9(1038.9)|-| colspan="14" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;"|Source: Weatherbase{{cite web| url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=80427&refer=&units=us |title=Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America | publisher=Weatherbase | year=2007 | accessdate=2007-03-23 | language= English -->|}
Cityscape
Neighborhoods
neighborhood.
Philadelphia has many neighborhoods, each with its own identity. The large Philadelphia sections, North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Northeast Philadelphia, Northwest Philadelphia, West Philadelphia, South Philadelphia and Southwest Philadelphia surround Center City, Philadelphia, which falls within the original city limits prior to consolidation in 1854. Numerous smaller neighborhoods within the areas coincide with the boroughs, townships, and other communities that made up Philadelphia County before their absorption by the city. Other neighborhoods formed based on ethnicity, religion, culture, and commercial reasons.Insight Guides: Philadelphia and Surroundings, page 58
Architecture
Philadelphia's architectural history dates back to Colonial America times and has included a wide range of styles that, in certain areas, are showcased within a range of several blocks. The earliest structures were constructed with Log home, but by 1700 brick structures were common. Georgian architecture dominated the cityscape during the 18th century with the most notable Georgian structure being Independence Hall (United States). In the first decades of the 19th century Federal architecture and Greek Revival architecture were popular.Philadelphia: A 300-Year History, page 11, 41, 174 - 175, 252 - 253 In the second half of the 19th century Victorian architecture was common. In 1871 construction began on the Second Empire style, Philadelphia City Hall. Even with the construction of steel and concrete skyscrapers in the 1910s, 20s and 30s, the City Hall remained the tallest building in the city until 1987 when One Liberty Place was constructed. Numerous glass and granite skyscrapers were built from the late 1980s onwards with the largest being the Comcast Center (office building). In 2007 the Comcast Center surpassed One Liberty Place and officially became the tallest building in Philadelphia.
For much of Philadelphia's history the typical Philadelphia home has been the Terraced house. The row house was introduced to the United States via Philadelphia in the early 1800s and, for a time, row houses built elsewhere in the United States were known as "Philadelphia rows".Philadelphia: A 300-Year History, page 251 There is a variety of row houses throughout the city from Victorian style homes in North Philadelphia to twin row houses in West Philadelphia. While newer homes are scattered throughout the city, much of Philadelphia's housing is from the early 20th century or older. The age of the city's homes has created numerous problems which has led to blight and vacant lots in many parts of the city, while other neighborhoods such as Society Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which has the largest concentration of original 18th century architecture in the United States, have been rehabilitated and gentrified.
Culture
Philadelphia has become notable in various arts and in culture. Philadelphia has had a prominent role in Music of Philadelphia — including, starting in the 1970s, Philadelphia soul, which had a major impact in the music of that and later eras. On July 13 1985, Philadelphia hosted the American end of the Live Aid concert at John F. Kennedy Stadium. On July 2 2005, Bob Geldof, who organized the Live Aid concert, chose Philadelphia as the American host of the Live 8 concert. This time the show was held as a free concert on the Ben Franklin Parkway, where an estimated 600 000 - 800 000 people showed up for the global supershow. The city is home to many art galleries, many of which participate in the First Friday event. The first Friday of every month galleries in Old City are open late and for free. Annual events include film festivals and parades, the most famous being New Year's Day Mummers Parade. In Cuisine of Philadelphia the city is well known for its hoagies, soft pretzels, water ice, and is home to the cheesesteak.
Tourism
Philadelphia contains many National Historical Park that relate to the founding of the United States. Independence National Historical Park is the center of these historical landmarks. Independence Hall (United States), where the United States Declaration of Independence was signed, and the Liberty Bell are the city's most famous attractions. Other historic sites include homes for Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site and Betsy Ross House and early government buildings like the First Bank of the United States and Second Bank of the United States.
The city contains many museums such as the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Rodin Museum, the largest collection of work by Auguste Rodin outside of France. The city’s major art museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, is one of the largest art museums in the United States and features the Rocky Steps made popular by the film Rocky. Philadelphia's major science museums include the Franklin Institute, which contains the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial, the Academy of Natural Sciences, and the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. History museums include the National Constitution Center, the Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia History, the National Museum of American Jewish History, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons in the state of Pennsylvania and Masonic Museum and Eastern State Penitentiary. Philadelphia is home to the United States' first Philadelphia Zoo and Pennsylvania Hospital.
Areas such as South Street and Old City have a vibrant night life. The Avenue of the Arts, Philadelphia in Center City contains many restaurants and Theatre, such as the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, which is home to the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Academy of Music, the nation's oldest continually operating venue, home to the Opera Company of Philadelphia.
Media
Philadelphia's two major Newspaper are The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News, both of which are owned by Philadelphia Media Holdings L.L.C. The Philadelphia Inquirer, founded in 1829, is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the United States. The Bulletin, another newspaper that operates in Philadelphia, traces its history back to The Philadelphia Bulletin that went defunct in 1982. The Bulletin is locally owned by The Bulletin, Inc.
The first experimental radio license was issued in Philadelphia in August, 1912 to Saint Joseph's University. The first commercial radio stations appeared in 1922. WIP-AM, then owned by Gimbel's, became the first on March 17 of that year. Also launched that year were WFIL, WOO, WPHT and WDAS. The highest-rated stations in Philadelphia include soft rock WBEB, KYW (AM), and urban adult contemporary WDAS-FM.
During the 1930s, the experimental station W3XE, which was owned by Philco Corp, became the first television station in Philadelphia. The station, which would later become KYW-TV (CBS), became NBC's first affiliate in 1939. By the 1970s WCAU, WPVI-TV, WHYY-TV, WPHL-TV, and WTXF-TV were founded. In 1952 WFIL (now WPVI), premiered the television show Bandstand, which later became the nationally broadcast show American Bandstand hosted by Dick Clark (entertainer). Today, as in many large metropolitan areas, each of the commercial networks has an affiliate, and call letters have been replaced by corporate IDs: CBS3, 6ABC, NBC10, FOX29, plus ME-TV and CW. On the public media side, the Philadelphia region is served by WYBE (Philadelphia), WHYY (Wilmington, Delaware and Philadelphia), WLVT (Lehigh Valley), and New Jersey Network. In September, 2007, Philadelphia approved a public access cable channel. On the radio side, Philadelphia is served by three large public radio stations, plus several smaller ones; the larger ones are WHYY (NPR), WRTI (jazz, classical), and WXPN (adult alternative music).
Philadelphia has a competitive rock radio market, especially between WMMR and WYSP, which both specialize in playing modern and classic rock. The two stations enjoy a very intense rivalry with each station's listeners being faithfully loyal to their favorite station in most cases. Since 2005, WMMR now plays more music due to a shift in WYSP's programming from a rock station (which also carried controversial shock jock Howard Stern) to a Free FM station (which now carries the syndicated Opie and Anthony morning show and The Kidd Chris afternoon show). WYSP also carries live radio broadcasts of all Philadelphia Eagles home and road games. WMMR has the top rated morning show in the Philadelphia area, The Preston and Steve Show, which has been at the top of the ratings since leaving former rock station Y100.
Philadelphia's four Urban music stations (WUSL ("Power 99"), WPHI ("100.3 The Beat"), WDAS-FM and WRNB) are popular choices on the FM dial. WJJZ is the city's smooth jazz station. When WJJZ was discontinued in August 2006, it caused an uproar among listeners, but it was revived three months later, under new ownership (Greater Media) and with a new frequency (97.5). The former WJJZ is now WISX, "Philly's 106.1".
Sports
{| class="wikitable"|-! scope="col" | Club! scope="col" | League! scope="col" | Sport! scope="col" | Venue! scope="col" | Established! scope="col" | Championships|-! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;" | Philadelphia Eagles| American Football| [Lincoln Financial Field, [1949 NFL season, 1960 NFL season|-! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;" | Philadelphia Flyers| Hockey| [Wachovia Center, [1974-75 NHL season|-! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;" | Philadelphia Phillies| Baseball| [Citizens Bank Park| [National Basketball Association| Basketball| Wachovia Center, [1982-83 NBA season|-! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;" | Philadelphia Wings| Lacrosse (Indoor)| [Wachovia Center| [American Hockey League| Hockey| Wachovia Spectrum| [Arena Football League| Arena Football| Wachovia Center & Wachovia Spectrum| 2004| none|-! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;" | Philadelphia Barrage| Lacrosse (Outdoor)| [United Sports Training Center| [Major Indoor Soccer League| Soccer (Indoor)| Wachovia Spectrum: the [Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League, the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League, the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League of Major League Baseball, and the Philadelphia 76ers in the National Basketball Association. The last major professional sport team to win a championship was the 76ers, which won the 1982-83 NBA season. The failure of Philadelphia's major professional sports teams to win championships since that date is sometimes attributed, in jest, to the so-called "Curse of Billy Penn". The Oakland Athletics and Golden State Warriors were originally from Philadelphia Athletics (1860-1876).
Philadelphia also is home to professional, semi-professional and elite amateur teams in other sports, including cricket. Philadelphia also hosts major amateurism events, including the Penn Relays, Stotesbury Cup, Philadelphia Marathon, and Philadelphia International Championship Bicycle racing.
Economy
, Philadelphia's newest office building, under constructionPhiladelphia's economy is heavily based upon manufacturing, refining, food, and financial services.
The city is home to the Philadelphia Stock Exchange and a few Fortune 500 Fortune 500 companies, including cable television and internet provider Comcast, insurance companies CIGNA and Lincoln Financial Group, energy company Sunoco, food services company Aramark, Crown Holdings Incorporated, chemical makers Rohm and Haas Company and FMC Corporation, the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, Boeing helicopters division, and automotive parts retailer Pep Boys.
The federal government has several facilities in Philadelphia as well. The city served as the capital city of the United States, before the construction of Washington, D.C. Today, 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. Philadelphia is also home to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Partly because of the historical presence of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and the large ridership at 30th Street Station, Amtrak also maintains a significant presence in the city. These jobs include customer service representatives and ticket processing and other behind-the-scenes personnel, in addition to the normal functions of the railroad.
The city is also a national center of law because of the prestigious University of Pennsylvania Law School, Temple University Beasley School of Law, Villanova University School of Law, Widener University School of Law, and Drexel University College of Law. Additionally, the headquarters of the American Law Institute is located in the city.
Philadelphia is also an important center for medicine, a distinction that it has held since the colonial period, when Pennsylvania Hospital was North America's first hospital. The University of Pennsylvania, the city's largest private employer, runs an extensive medical system. There are also major hospitals affiliated with Temple University, Drexel University College of Medicine, and Thomas Jefferson University. Philadelphia also has three distinguished children's hospitals: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (located adjacent to the Hospitals of the University of Pennsylvania), St. Christopher's Hospital, and the Shriners' Hospital. In the city's northeast section are Albert Einstein Hospital and the Fox Chase Cancer Center. Together, health care is the largest sector of employment in the city. Several medical professional associations are headquartered in Philadelphia.
In part because of Philadelphia's long-running importance as a center for medical research, the region is a major center for the pharmaceutical industry. GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Wyeth, Merck & Co., GE Healthcare, Johnson and Johnson and Siemens Medical Solutions are just some of the large pharmaceutical companies with operations in the region.
See also: List of companies based in the Philadelphia area, List of foreign consulates in Philadelphia.
Shopping
Center City, Philadelphia is home to The Gallery at Market East, The Shops at Liberty Place and The Shops at the Bellevue, and a variety of standalone retail stores. Rittenhouse Row, a section of Walnut Street (Philadelphia) in Center City, has higher-end stores and boutiques. Old City and Society Hill, as well, feature upscale boutiques and retailers from local and international merchandisers. Philadelphia also has several neighborhood shopping districts, including Manayunk, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Also noteworthy is South Street with blocks of inexpensive boutiques.
The Italian Market (Philadelphia) in South Philadelphia offers groceries, meats, cheeses and housewares from Italy and other countries. Geno's Steaks and Pat's King of Steaks, two famed cheesesteak outlets, are located here. The Reading Terminal Market in Center City includes dozens of restaurants, farm stalls, and shops, many run by Amish farmers from Lancaster County. There are also neighborhood farmers' markets throughout the city.
The Philadelphia metropolitan area has many malls, including the King of Prussia Mall, the second-largest mall in the United States and the Cherry Hill Mall in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, the first enclosed mall on the East Coast. The region was also the home to the first Ikea in the United States. There are also several large outlet malls in the area, including Franklin Mills in Northeast Philadelphia, which saw over 18 million visitors in 2006, and the Lancaster Outlets of Lancaster County.
Philadelphia is the birthplace of the secondary ticket marketplace. Wanamaker Ticket Office, located in Center City, is among the Nation's oldest ticket agencies.
Innovation
Philadelphia is home to many "first-in-America" institutions, including: Philadelphia Firsts 1681-1899, ushistory.org Philadelphia Firsts, about.com
Demographics
]As of the censusGeographic references#2 of 2000, there were 1,517,550 people, 590,071 households, and 352,272 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,337.3/km² (11,233.6/mi²). There were 661,958 housing units at an average density of 1,891.9/km² (4,900.1/mi²). As of the 2004 Census estimations, there were 1,463,281 people, 658,799 housing units, and the racial makeup of the city was 45.0% White (U.S. Census), 43.2% African American (U.S. Census), 5.5% Asian (U.S. Census), 0.3% Native American (U.S. Census), 0.1% Pacific Islander (U.S. Census), 5.8% from Race (United States Census), and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanic (U.S. Census) or Latino (U.S. Census) of any race were 8.5% of the population.
Of the 590,071 households, 27.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.1% were Marriage living together, 22.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the city the population was 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 were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,746, and the median income for a family was $37,036. Males had a median income of $34,199 versus $28,477 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,509. About 18.4% of families and 22.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.3% of those under age 18 and 16.9% of those age 65 or over.
Philadelphia has the second largest Irish people, Italian people, and Jamaican populations and the fourth largest African American population in the nation. In recent years, the Hispanic and Asian American populations have significantly increased. Hispanics, mostly Puerto Ricans, have settled throughout the city, especially around El Centro de Oro, and the city now has the third largest Puerto Rican population in the continental United States. The Asian people population was once concentrated in the city's thriving Chinatown, but now Korean Americans have come to Olney, and Vietnamese have forged bazaars next to the Italian Market (Philadelphia) in South Philadelphia. Indians and Arabs have come to Northeast Philadelphia along with Russian and Ukrainian immigrants. This large influx of Asians has given Philadelphia one of the largest populations of Vietnamese, Chinese, and Koreans in United States. The Philadelphia region also has the fourth largest population of Indian Americans. The West Indies population is concentrated in Cedar Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Germans, Greeks, Han Chinese, Japanese people, English people, Pakistanis, Iranians, and other ethnic groups can be found throughout the city.
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.
The city is headed by an elected mayor who is limited to two consecutive four-year terms but can run for the position again after an intervening term. The incumbent is former Philadelphia City Council President John F. Street, elected in 1999 and re-elected by a larger majority in 2003. He is a United States Democratic Party, as all Philadelphia mayors have been since 1952.
The legislative branch, the Philadelphia City Council, consists of ten council members representing individual districts and seven members elected at large. The current council president is Anna C. Verna.
The Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas (United States), 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, preliminary examinations for felony-level offenses, and the like. Traffic Court is a court of special jurisdiction that hears violations of traffic laws.
Pennsylvania's three appellate courts also have sittings in Philadelphia. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 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 these courts are elected at large. Each court has a prothonotary's office in Philadelphia as well.
The Philadelphia Housing Authority is the biggest landlord in Pennsylvania. It was established in 1937 and is the nation’s fourth largest housing authority. It houses approximately 84,000 people in Philadelphia and employs 1,250 people. In 2006, its budget totaled $313 million. Philadelphia Housing Authority
Politics
{| align="right" border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"|+ Presidential election results |- bgcolor=#D3D3D3! Year! Republican Party (United States)! Democratic Party (United States)|-|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|U.S. presidential election, 2004|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|19.3% 130,099|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'80.4% 542,205|-|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|U.S. presidential election, 2000|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|18.0% 100,959|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|80.0% 449,182|-|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|U.S. presidential election, 1996|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|16.0% 85,345|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|77.5% 412,988|-|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|U.S. presidential election, 1992|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|20.9% 133,328|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|68.2% 434,904|-|align="center" bgcol
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