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For other uses, see Philadelphia (disambiguation) and Philly.
| Philadelphia | |||
| — City — | |||
| City of Philadelphia | |||
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| Nickname: "City of Brotherly Love", "The City that Loves you Back", "Cradle of Liberty", "The Quaker City", "The Birthplace of America", "Philly". | |||
| Motto: "Philadelphia maneto" - "Let brotherly love endure" | |||
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Philadelphia Location in Pennsylvania |
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| Coordinates: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Country |  United States
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| Commonwealth |  Pennsylvania
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| County |  Philadelphia
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| Founded | October 27 1682 | ||
| Incorporated | October 25 1701 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Michael Nutter (D) | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 142.6 sq mi (369.4 km²) | ||
| - Land | 135.1 sq mi (349.9 km²) | ||
| - Water | 7.6 sq mi (19.6 km²) | ||
| - Urban | 1,799.5 sq mi (4,660.7 km²) | ||
| - Metro | 4,629 sq mi (11,989 km²) | ||
| Elevation | 39 ft (12 m) | ||
| Population (2006) | |||
| - City | 1,448,394 (6th) | ||
| - Density | 10,882.8/sq mi (4,201.8/km²) | ||
| - Urban | 5,325,000 | ||
| - Metro | 5,823,233 | ||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| Area code(s) | 215, 267 | ||
| Website: http://www.phila.gov | |||
Philadelphia (pronounced /ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə/) is the largest city in Pennsylvania and the sixth most populous city in the United States and seventh most densely populated city in the U.S. It is the county seat of Philadelphia County. It is colloquially referred to as "the City of Brotherly Love" (from Greek: Φιλαδέλφεια, [pʰi.la.ˈdel.pʰeː.a], Modern Greek: [fi.la\'ðɛl.fi.a], "brotherly love" from philos "love" and adelphos "brother"). Residents often informally call the city "Philly." The city is recognized as a strong candidate global city with strong evidence of world city formation.
In 2005, the population of the city proper was estimated to be over 1.4 million,2005 listing of population estimates of U.S. cities by the United States Census Bureau Retrieved on October 8, 2006. while the Delaware Valley metropolitan area, with a population of 5.8 million, was the fifth-largest in the United States and the 45 largest city in the world. A commercial, educational, and cultural center, the city was once the second-largest in the British Empire,Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. People and Places. National Geographic. Retrieved on September 21, 2007. (after London) and the social and geographical center of the original 13 American colonies. During the 18th century, it eclipsed New York City in political and social importance, with Benjamin Franklin taking a large role in Philadelphia\'s early rise to prominence. It was in this city that some of the ideas, and subsequent actions, gave birth to the American Revolution and American independence, making Philadelphia a centerpiece of early American history. It was the most populous city of the young United States and served as the the nation\'s first capital in the 1790s.
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Prior to the arrival of Europeans the Philadelphia area was the location of the Lenape (Delaware) Indians village Shackamaxon. Europeans arrived in the Delaware Valley in the early 1600s, with the first settlements being founded by the Dutch, British and Swedish.
The Swedes sought to expand their influence by creating an agricultural (tobacco) and fur-trading colony to bypass French and British merchants. The New Sweden Company was chartered and included Swedish, Dutch and German stockholders. The first Swedish expedition to North America embarked from the port of Gothenburg in late 1637. It was organized and overseen by Clas Fleming, a Swedish Admiral from Finland. Part of this colony, called New Sweden or Nya Sverige eventually included land on the west side of the Delaware River from just below the Schuylkill River; in other words, today\'s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland.
In 1644, New Sweden supported the Susquehannocks in their victory in a war against the English Province of Maryland. A series of events led the Dutch — led by governor Peter Stuyvesant — to move an army to the Delaware River in the late summer of 1655. Though New Netherland now nominally controlled the colony, the Swedish and Finnish settlers continued to enjoy a degree of local autonomy, having their own militia, religion, court, and lands. This status lasted officially until the English conquest of the New Netherland colony, in October 1663-1664, and continued unofficially until the area was included in William Penn\'s charter for Pennsylvania, in 1682.
In 1681, as part of a repayment of a debt, Charles II of England granted William Penn a charter for what would become the Pennsylvania colony. 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.Brookes, Karin; John Gattuso, Lou Harry, Edward Jardim, Donald Kraybill, Susan Lewis, Dave Nelson and Carol Turkington (2005). in Zoë Ross: Insight Guides: Philadelphia and Surroundings, Second Edition (Updated), APA Publications, page 21. ISBN 1585730262. According to legend Penn made a treaty of friendship with Lenape chief Tammany under an elm tree at Shackamaxon, in what is now the city\'s Kensington section.Weigley RF et al (eds) (1982). Philadelphia: A 300-Year History. New York and London: W. W. Norton & Company, pages 4 - 5. ISBN 0-393-01610-2. Having been a Quaker, 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 for brotherly love (philos, "love" or "friendship", and adelphos, "brother").Avery, Ron (1999). A Concise History of Philadelphia. Philadelphia: Otis Books, page 19. ISBN 0-9658825-1-9.
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 founded new ones, such as the American Colonies\' first 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 Constitutional Convention after the war. A number of battles during the war 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
Benjamin Franklin
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 Ship and Engine Building Company, and the Pennsylvania Railroad.Philadelphia: A 300-Year History, pages 214, 218, 428 - 429 Industry, along with the U.S. Centennial, was celebrated in 1876 with the Centennial Exposition, the first official World\'s Fair in the United States. Immigrants, mostly German and Irish, settled in Philadelphia and the surrounding districts. The rise in population of the surrounding districts helped lead to the Act of Consolidation of 1854 which extended the city of Philadelphia to include all of Philadelphia County.A Brief History of Philadelphia. Philadelphia History. ushistory.org. Retrieved on December 14, 2006. In the later half of the century immigrants from Russia, Eastern Europe and Italy and African Americans from the southern U.S. settled in the city.Insight Guides: Philadelphia and Surroundings, pages 38 - 39
8th and Market Street, showing the Strawbridge and Clothier 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 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 laws, mob violence, and police involvement in illegal activities led to the appointment of Brigadier General Smedley Butler of the U.S. 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 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 and University City 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
A simulated-color satellite image of Philadelphia taken on NASA\'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 142.6 square miles (369.4 km²), of which 135.1 square miles (349.9 km²) is land and 7.6 square miles (19.6 km², 5.29%) is water. Bodies of water include the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers, and Cobbs, Wissahickon, and Pennypack Creeks.
The lowest point is sea level, while the highest point is in Chestnut Hill, at approximately 445 feet (136 m) above sea level (near the intersection of Germantown Avenue and Bethlehem Pike).USGS Geography: The National Map. Retrieved on December 17, 2007. (Example coordinates of high point: Latitude: 40° 04\' 37, Longitude: -75° 12\' 29.)
Philadelphia is located on the Fall Line separating the Atlantic Coastal Plain from the Piedmont.[1] The rapids on the Schuylkill River at East Falls disappeared after the completion of the Fairmount Dam.[2]
The city is the seat of its own county. The adjacent counties are Montgomery to the north; Bucks 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 to the west.
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 zone. Summers are typically hot and muggy, fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is cold. Snowfall is variable, with some winters bringing moderate snow and others bringing some significant snowstorms. Annual snowfall averages 21 inches (534 mm). Precipitation is generally spread throughout the year, with eight to eleven wet days per month,Average Days of Precipitation, .01 Inches or more. Retrieved on 2006-07-28. at an average annual rate of 42 inches (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,Philadelphia Record Highs and Lows. Retrieved on 2007-04-03. but temperatures below 0 °F (−18 °C) occur only a few times a decade. July lows average 67 °F (20 °C) and highs average 86 °F (30 °C)Climate Information for Philadelphia – Pennsylvania – Mid-Atlantic – United States – Climate Zone:. Retrieved on 2007-04-03., 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.Philadelphia Record Highs and Lows. Retrieved on 2007-04-03. Early fall and late winter are generally driest, with February being the driest month, averaging only 2.74 inches (69.8 mm) of precipitation.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec high °F (°C) | 74 (23) | 74 (23) | 85 (29) | 94 (34) | 97 (36) | 100 (38) | 104 (40) | 101 (38) | 100 (38) | 89 (32) | 84 (29) | 72 (22) | 104 (40) |
| Avg high °F (°C) | 39 (4) | 42 (6) | 51 (11) | 63 (17) | 73 (23) | 82 (28) | 87 (31) | 85 (29) | 78 (26) | 67 (19) | 55 (13) | 44 (7) | 64 (18) |
| Avg low °F (°C) | 24 (−4) | 26 (−3) | 33 (1) | 43 (6) | 53 (12) | 62 (17) | 68 (20) | 66 (19) | 59 (15) | 47 (8) | 38 (3) | 29 (−2) | 46 (8) |
| Rec low °F (°C) | −7 (−22) | −4 (−20) | 7 (−14) | 19 (−7) | 28 (−2) | 44 (7) | 51 (11) | 44 (7) | 35 (2) | 25 (−4) | 15 (−9) | 1 (−17) | −7 (−22) |
| Precipitation in. (mm) | 3.2 (81.3) | 2.8 (71.1) | 3.7 (94.0) | 3.4 (86.4) | 3.6 (91.4) | 3.4 (86.4) | 4.2 (106.7) | 3.9 (99.1) | 3.3 (83.8) | 2.7 (68.6) | 3.3 (83.8) | 3.3 (83.8) | 40.9 (1038.9) |
| Source: WeatherbaseWeatherbase: Historical Weather for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America (English). Weatherbase (2007). Retrieved on 2007-03-23. | |||||||||||||
Philadelphia has many neighborhoods, each with its own identity. The large Philadelphia sections, North, Northeast, Northwest, West, South and Southwest Philadelphia surround Center City, 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
Philadelphia\'s architectural history dates back to Colonial times and includes a wide range of styles. The earliest structures were constructed with logs, but brick structures were common by 1700. During the 18th century, the cityscape was dominated by Georgian architecture, including Independence Hall. 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. Despite the construction of steel and concrete skyscrapers in the 1910s, \'20s and \'30s, the 548 ft (167 m) 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. In 2007, the Comcast Center surpassed One Liberty Place to become the city\'s tallest building.Holcomb, Henry J. (June 18 2007). "Comcast Center topped off". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
For much of Philadelphia\'s history, the typical Philadelphia home has been the row 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, which has the largest concentration of 18th-century architecture in the United States, have been rehabilitated and gentrified.Aitken, Joanne (June 3 - 19, 2004). "Breaking Ground". Philadelphia City Paper. Mark Alan Hughes (June 1,2000). Dirt Into Dollars; Converting Vacant Land Into Valuable Development. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
Independence Hall in Philadelphia
Philadelphia contains many national historical sites that relate to the founding of the United States. Independence National Historical Park is the center of these historical landmarks. Independence Hall, where the 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 and Betsy Ross and early government buildings like the First and Second Banks of the United States.Listing of National Historic Landmarks by State (Pennsylvania) (PDF). National Park Service (March 2004). Retrieved on August 8, 2006.
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 zoo and hospital.
Two statues, The Amazon and Rocky, outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
The city contains many art 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 steps made popular by the film Rocky.Weeks, Jerome (August 4 2006). Philly goes the distance. The Dallas Morning News.
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. Annual events include film festivals and parades, the most famous being the New Year\'s Day Mummers Parade.
Areas such as South Street and Old City have a vibrant night life. The Avenue of the Arts in Center City contains many restaurants and theaters, 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.
James Peniston\'s Keys To Community in the Old City neighborhood, one of the city\'s many public artworks featuring images of Benjamin Franklin. Location:
Philadelphia has more public art than any other American city.Public Art. Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation. Retrieved on 2007-10-16. In 1872, the Fairmount Park Art Association was created, the first private association in the United States dedicated to integrating public art and urban planning.Aitken, Joanne (September 2 - 8 2004). Forget Paris. City paper. . In 1959, lobbying by the Artists Equity Association helped create the Percent for Art ordinance, the first for a U.S. city.Wetenhall, John. About A Brief History of Percent-For-Art in America (PDF). Public Art Review. Retrieved on 2006-09-24. The program, which has funded more than 200 pieces of public art, is administered by the Philadelphia Office of Arts and Culture, the city\'s art agency.Office of Art and Culture. Phila.gov. Retrieved on 2006-09-24.
In particular, Philadelphia has more murals than any other U.S. city, thanks in part to the 1984 creation of the Department of Recreation\'s Mural Arts Program, which seeks to beautify neighborhoods and provide an outlet for graffiti artists. The program has funded more than 2,700 murals by professional, staff and volunteer artists. Mural Arts Program About page. Retrieved on 2007-11-27.
Philadelphia has had a prominent role in music. In the 1970s, Philadelphia soul influenced 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. The city reprised this role for the Live 8 concert, bringing some 700,000 people to the Ben Franklin Parkway on July 2 2005.Rodney Kim (July 2,2005). Live 8 Philadelphia Review. Retrieved on 2007-04-24.
While the rowdiness and passion of Philadelphia sports fans has become the thing of legend, the city also has been home to some of the most raucuous incidents in live rock music. Most prominently, on June 13, 1991, the rock band Guns n\' Roses stopped their song "Welcome to the Jungle" in the middle of it, prompting fights, fan evictions, and threats from Guns n\' Roses lead singer Axl Rose{{"Guns n\' Roses performance of "Welcome to the Jungle," Philadelphia Spectrum, June 13, 1991.
The city is known for its hoagies, soft pretzels, water ice, and is home to the cheesesteak. Its high-end restaurants include Morimoto, run by chef Masaharu Morimoto, who rose to prominence on the Iron Chef television show.
| Club | League | Sport | Venue | Established | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Eagles | NFL | American Football | Lincoln Financial Field | 1933 | 1948, 1949, 1960 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | Hockey | Wachovia Center | 1967 | 1973-74, 1974-75 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | MLB | Baseball | Citizens Bank Park | 1883 | 1980 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | NBA | Basketball | Wachovia Center | 1963 | 1966-67, 1982-83 |
| Philadelphia MLS team | MLS | Soccer | Chester Stadium | 2010 | none |
| Philadelphia Wings | NLL | Lacrosse (Indoor) | Wachovia Center | 1987 | 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1998, 2001 |
| Philadelphia Phantoms | AHL | Hockey | Wachovia Spectrum | 1996 | 1997-98, 2004-05 |
| Philadelphia Soul | AFL | Arena Football | Wachovia Center & Spectrum | 2004 | none |
| Philadelphia Barrage | MLL | Lacrosse (Outdoor) | United Sports Training Center | 2001 | 2004, 2006, 2007 |
| Philadelphia KiXX | MISL | Soccer (Indoor) | Wachovia Spectrum | 1995 | 2001-02, 2006-07 |
| Philadelphia Fight | AMNRL | Rugby League | Farrell Stadium (West Chester University) | 1998 | none |
Philadelphia has a long history of professional sports teams, and is one of thirteen U.S. cities to have all four major sports: 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 NBA Championship in 1983. 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.
Philadelphia also is home to professional, semi-professional and elite amateur teams in other sports, including cricket. Philadelphia also hosts major amateur sporting events, including the Penn Relays, Stotesbury Cup, Philadelphia Marathon, and Philadelphia International Championship bicycle race, and the Dad Vail Regatta.
Philadelphia Fight are a rugby league team, formed in 1998. They merged with Delaware Valley Mantarays in 2006. They have played in the AMNRL since 1998, the top-tier division of rugby league in America. In 1998 and 2000 they reached the Grand Final but lost in both occasions.
In February 2008, Philadelphia beat off competition many cities, namely St. Louis, to be awarded the 16th Major League Soccer franchise. They will enter the league in 2010 calling Chester Stadium their home (a soccer specific stadium) in Chester, PA.
Comcast Center, Philadelphia\'s newest office building, under construction
Philadelphia\'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 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, pharmaceutical companies Wyeth and 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 U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the U.S. 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 the first hospital in the British North American colonies. The University of Pennsylvania, the city\'s largest private employer, runs an extensive medical system. There are also major hospitals affiliated with Temple University School of Medicine, 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, GE Healthcare, Johnson and Johnson and Siemens Medical Solutions are just some of the large pharmaceutical companies with operations in the region. The city is also home to the nation\'s first school of pharmacy, the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, now called the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.
Italian Market, South Philadelphia
Center City 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 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 and Chestnut Hill. Also noteworthy is South Street with blocks of inexpensive boutiques.
The Italian Market in South Philadelphia offers groceries, meats, cheeses and housewares from Italy and other countries. Geno\'s and Pat\'s, 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. There are also several large outlet malls in the region, including Franklin Mills in Northeast Philadelphia.
Philadelphia is the birthplace of the secondary ticket marketplace. Wanamaker Ticket Office, located in Center City, is among the nation\'s oldest ticket agencies.
Philadelphia\'s two major daily newspapers 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.Wilkinson, Gerry. The History of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia Press Association. Retrieved on 2006-07-20. 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 Inquirer Building on North Broad Street.
The first experimental radio license was issued in Philadelphia in August, 1912 to St. Joseph\'s College. The first commercial radio stations appeared in 1922. WIP, then owned by Gimbel\'s department store, became the first on March 17 of that year. Also launched that year were WFIL, WOO, WCAU and WDAS.Bishop, Todd (January 7 2000). The Media: One revolution after another. Philadelphia Business Journal. The highest-rated stations in Philadelphia include soft rock WBEB, KYW Newsradio, 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-TV, 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.Ogden, Christopher (1999). Legacy: A Biography of Moses and Walter Annenberg. New York: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 0-316-63379-8. 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, Telefutura28, Telemundo62, Univision65, plus My PHL 17 and CW Philly 57. On the public media side, the Philadelphia region is served by WYBE-TV (Philadelphia), WHYY-TV (Wilmington, Delaware and Philadelphia), WLVT-TV (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-FM (NPR), WRTI (jazz, classical), and WXPN-FM (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 Kidd Chris morning 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 stations (WUSL ("Power 99"), WPHI ("100.3 The Beat"), WDAS 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) from Burlington, NJ radio station WJJZ, on a new frequency (97.5). The former WJJZ is now WISX, "Philly\'s 106.1".
Philadelphia is home to many "first-in-America" institutions, including:Philadelphia Firsts 1681-1899, ushistory.orgPhiladelphia Firsts, about.com
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Fire insurance company Botanical garden Public library Hospital Fire engine Fire company Medical school {col-3}} Pediatric hospital Cancer hospital Eye hospital University Art school & museum Municipal water system Post office {col-3}} Bank Stock exchange Mint Zoo Computer Modernist skyscraper in North America First Title Insurance Company in America |
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1790 | 28,522 | ||
| 1800 | 41,220 | 44.5% | |
| 1810 | 53,722 | 30.3% | |
| 1820 | 63,802 | 18.8% | |
| 1830 | 80,462 | 26.1% | |
| 1840 | 93,665 | 16.4% | |
| 1850 | 121,376 | 29.6% | |
| 1860 | 565,529 | 365.9% | |
| 1870 | 674,022 | 19.2% | |
| 1880 | 847,170 | 25.7% | |
| 1890 | 1,046,964 | 23.6% | |
| 1900 | 1,293,697 | 23.6% | |
| 1910 | 1,549,008 | 19.7% | |
| 1920 | 1,823,779 | 17.7% | |
| 1930 | 1,950,961 | 7.0% | |
| 1940 | 1,931,334 | -1.0% | |
| 1950 | 2,071,605 | 7.3% | |
| 1960 | 2,002,512 | -3.3% | |
| 1970 | 1,948,609 | -2.7% | |
| 1980 | 1,688,210 | -13.4% | |
| 1990 | 1,585,577 | -6.1% | |
| 2000 | 1,517,550 | -4.3% | |
| Est. 2006 | 1,448,394 | -4.6% | |
As of the census² of 2000, there were 1,517,550 people, 590,071 households, and 352,272 families residing in the city. The population density was 11,233.6/square mile (4,337.3/km²). There were 661,958 housing units at an average density of 4,900.1/sq mi (1,891.9/km²). 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, 43.2% African American, 5.5% Asian, 0.3% Native American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 5.8% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.5% of the population. The top 5 largest ancestries include Irish (13.6%), Italian (9.2%), German (8.1%), Polish (4.3%), and English (2.9%).[3]
Of the 590,071 households, 27.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.1% were married couples 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, Italian, and Jamaican populations and the fourth largest African American population in the nation. Philadelphia also has the fourth largest population of Polish residents. In recent years, the Hispanic and Asian American populations have significantly increased. Hispanics, mostly Puerto Ricans,[citation needed] have settled throughout the city, especially around El Centro de Oro</
