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Philadelphia

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: North American Geography

   City of Philadelphia
   Skyline of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
   Skyline of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

   Official flag of City of Philadelphia
                   Flag

                                        Official seal of City of Philadelphia
                                                        Seal

   Nickname: "City of Brotherly Love", "Philly", "the City That Loves You
   Back," "the Quaker City", "The Birthplace of America""
   Motto: "Philadelphia maneto" - "Let brotherly love continue"
   Location in Pennsylvania
   Location in Pennsylvania
   Coordinates: 39°57′12″N, 75°10′12″W
   Country United States
   State Pennsylvania
   County Philadelphia
   Founded October 27, 1682
   Incorporated October 25, 1701
   Mayor John F. Street ( D)
   Area
    - City 369.4 km²  (142.6  sq mi)
    - Land 349.9 km²  (135.1 sq mi)
    - Water 19.6 km² (7.6 sq mi)
    - Urban 4,660.7 km² (1,799.5 sq mi)
    - Metro 11,989 km² (4,629 sq mi)
   Elevation 12 m  (39 ft)
   Population
    - City (2005) 1,463,281
    - Density 4,201.8/km² (10,882.8/sq mi)
    - Urban 5,325,000
    - Metro 5,823,233
   Time zone EST ( UTC-5)
    - Summer ( DST) EDT ( UTC-4)
   Website: http://www.phila.gov

   Philadelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania. The city is
   colloquially referred to as Philly, and known as The City of Brotherly
   Love (from Greek: Φιλαδέλφεια, /fi.la.ˈdɛl.fɛj.a/, "brotherly love"
   from philos "loving" and adelphos "brother"). It is the fifth most
   populous city in the United States and the largest in population and
   area in Pennsylvania.

   The population of the city (at the 2000 census) was 1,517,550 though
   2005 U.S. Census estimates a population of 1,463,281. Philadelphia is
   the second-largest city on the U.S. East Coast, and a major commercial,
   educational, and cultural centre for the nation. Philadelphia is only
   46 miles from the southwestern fringe of New York City (while the
   downtowns are approximately 80 miles apart).

   The Philadelphia metropolitan area is the fourth largest in the U.S. by
   the current official definition, with some 5.8 million people.

   Philadelphia is one of the oldest and most historically significant
   cities in the United States. During part of the 18th century, the city
   was the first capital and most populous city of the United States, and
   the second largest English speaking city in the world after London. At
   that time, it eclipsed Boston and New York City in political and social
   importance, with Benjamin Franklin taking a large role in
   Philadelphia's rise.

History

Colonial

   Before Europeans arrived, the Delaware (Lenape) Indian town of
   Shackamaxon was located where Philadelphia now stands, specifically the
   Germantown neighbourhood. Although the area lay within the bounds
   described in the 1632 Charter of Maryland, the Calvert family's
   influence never reached this far north, and the first European settlers
   were mostly Swedes (see New Sweden), who called it Wiccacoa. A
   congregation was formed in 1646 on Tinicum Island by Swedish missionary
   Johannes Campanius; in 1700, the group built Gloria Dei Church, also
   known as Old Swedes'.

   Philadelphia is a planned city, founded and developed in 1682 by
   William Penn, a Quaker. The city's name means "brotherly love" in Greek
   (Φιλαδέλφια). Penn hoped that the city, as the capital of his new
   colony founded on principles of freedom and religious tolerance, would
   be a model of this philosophy. During early immigration by Quakers and
   others, immigrants who purchased land in the city also received
   farmland outside the city; this was intended to allow the population to
   leave the city easily. Penn also mandated the construction of alleyways
   and open spaces, in the hope of controlling fires and disease, which
   were then common problems in London and other major cities.

New Nation

   United States Declaration of Independence
   Enlarge
   United States Declaration of Independence

   Philadelphia was a major centre of the independence movement during the
   American Revolutionary War. The Declaration of Independence and US
   Constitution were drafted here and signed in the city's Independence
   Hall. Tun Tavern in the city is traditionally regarded as the location
   where, in 1775, the United States Marine Corps was founded.

   During the American Revolutionary War Philadelphia's population was
   split between Loyalists and Patriots. When the British Army took the
   city in 1777 many Loyalists lined the streets and sang 'God Save the
   King'. Upon the retaking of the city for the American cause in 1778 it
   was the turn of the Patriot population to line the streets in
   celebration, especially as the population had suffered through a bitter
   winter with many of the provisions going to the British Army. The
   British left a mess, says historian Allan Nevins:


   Philadelphia

    The enemy had left the neatest, cleanest, best-built town in America
       shockingly dirty and unkempt, had destroyed public and private
    buildings, had cut down trees and fences, and had filled the streets
   and gutters with obstructions. In the outskirts and in Germantown were
   the marks of battle. Most of the fine old country seats surrounding the
    city had been destroyed--the British had fired seventeen in one day.
      New-piled mounds in Washington Square showed where the bodies of
     Continental soldiers, maltreated and starved in their prison by the
             brutal jailer Cunningham, had been roughly buried".


   Philadelphia

   About 3000 Loyalists fled with the British; 45 Loyalists who remained
   behind were put on trial for treason for consorting with the enemy in
   wartime. Two were convicted, and hung.

   For a time in the 18th century, Philadelphia was the largest city north
   of Mexico City, and the fourth largest under the rule of the British
   crown (after London, Bristol, and Dublin).

   In 1790, as the result of a compromise between a number of Southern
   congressmen and Alexander Hamilton, then Secretary of the Treasury, the
   seat of the United States Government was moved from Federal Hall in New
   York to Congress Hall in Philadelphia, before assuming its current site
   in Washington, DC. In exchange for locating a permanent capital on the
   banks of the Potomac, the congressmen agreed to support Hamilton's
   financial proposals. Philadelphia served as capital for a decade, until
   1800, when the Capitol building in the new federal city of Washington,
   DC was opened.

19th century expansion

   The city limits have been coterminous with Philadelphia County since
   The Act of Consolidation, 1854. Until then, the city consisted only of
   the area bounded by South and Vine Streets and the Delaware and
   Schuylkill Rivers. The expansion incorporated present-day West
   Philadelphia, South Philadelphia, North Philadelphia, and Northeast
   Philadelphia, as well as Germantown and many smaller communities.

   An early railroad centre, Philadelphia was the original home of the
   Baldwin Locomotive Works, the world's largest builder of steam
   locomotives (which eventually relocated to nearby Eddystone,
   Pennsylvania). The Pennsylvania Railroad, once America's largest
   railroad by revenue and traffic volume and at one time the largest
   public corporation in the world, was headquartered in the city, as was
   its merger successor, the Penn Central, and in turn its freight
   railroad successor, Conrail.

   In 1876 Philadelphia hosted the World's Fair, known as the Centennial
   Exposition. Memorial Hall and the expansive mall in front of it are
   remnants of this fair.

The 20th Century

   In 1926, the city held the Sesquicentennial Exposition to celebrate the
   nation's 150th birthday.

   In 1976, Philadelphia was one of the participating cities in the United
   States Bicentennial observances that took place nationwide.

   In 1985 Philadelphia police bombed the Cobbs Creek section of West
   Philadelphia in order to combat a radical group known as MOVE. City
   officials allowed the fire to burn until it had consumed 62 area homes
   and left 11 dead.
   Center City Philadelphia panorama, from 1913.
   Enlarge

                Centre City Philadelphia panorama, from 1913.

Innovation

   Philadelphia has been the home of several notable innovations for
   modern American society. While there have been many more, the following
   is a list of some of the national firsts that have happened in this
   city:
     * fire insurance company
     * botanical garden
     * public library
     * hospital
     * fire engine
     * fire company
     * medical school

                               * pediatric hospital
                               * cancer hospital
                               * eye hospital
                               * non-secular university
                               * art school & museum
                               * municipal water system

                                                         * bank
                                                         * stock exchange
                                                         * mint
                                                         * zoo
                                                         * computer
                                                         * modern skyscraper

Geography

   A simulated-color satellite image of Philadelphia taken on NASA's
   Landsat 7 satellite. The Delaware River is visible in this shot.
   Enlarge
   A simulated-colour satellite image of Philadelphia taken on NASA's
   Landsat 7 satellite. The Delaware River is visible in this shot.

   According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area
   of 369.4 km² (142.6 mi²). 349.9 km² (135.1 mi²) of it is land and 19.6
   km² (7.6 mi²) of it (5.29%) is water. Bodies of water include the
   Delaware River, Schuylkill River, Cobbs Creek, Wissahickon Creek, and
   Pennypack Creek.

   The lowest point in the city lies 10 feet above sea level near Fort
   Mifflin in Southwest Philadelphia at the convergence of the Delaware
   and Schuylkill Rivers. The highest point is in Chestnut Hill, at 432
   feet above sea level, near Evergreen Place, just north and west of
   Evergreen Avenue.

   The counties adjacent to Philadelphia are Montgomery County to the
   north; Bucks County 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.

Climate

   Philadelphia's climate is considered to fall in the humid subtropical
   climate zone, although it is perhaps the northernmost city in the
   United States that meets this classification. Because Philadelphia is
   on the far northern end of this climate zone, some of its outlying
   suburbs, especially to the north and west, are considered to fall in
   the humid continental zone. Summers are typically hot and muggy, fall
   and spring are generally mild, and winter is cold, although
   infrequently very cold. Precipitation is almost uniformly distributed
   throughout the year.

   January lows average 25 °F (-4 °C) and highs average 39 °F (4 °C). The
   lowest officially recorded temperature was -11 °F (-24 °C) on February
   9, 1934, but temperatures below 14 °F are not common. July lows average
   70 °F (21 °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 temperature on record was 106 °F (41 °C) on August
   7, 1918. Early fall and late winter are generally driest, with February
   being the driest month with only 2.74 in (69.8 mm) of average
   precipitation.

   Snowfall is variable, with some winters bringing light snow and others
   bringing many significant snowstorms. It is common for the heavier
   snowfall to occur north and west of the city, where the climate is
   slightly colder. Rainfall is generally spread throughout the year, with
   eight to eleven wet days per month, at an average annual rate of 42 in
   (1068 mm).

Cityscape

   8th and Market Street, showing the Strawbridge and Clothier department
   store, 1910s.
   Enlarge
   8th and Market Street, showing the Strawbridge and Clothier department
   store, 1910s.

   Penn's surveyor, Thomas Holme, laid out the city in a strict grid, with
   streets running either north-south or east-west. The north-south
   streets are numbered in ascending order from Front (instead of First),
   along the Delaware River, with the main north-south thoroughfare, Broad
   Street (instead of 14th) running midway between the two rivers. The
   east-west streets, many of them named for trees, e.g., Chestnut,
   Walnut, Locust, and Spruce parallel the main thoroughfare named High
   Street by Penn, but called Market Street since at least the early 18th
   century. Six blocks south of Market is South Street, the original
   southern boundary of the city. Vine Street, three blocks north of
   Market, was the original northern boundary.
   5th and Market Street, today. Visible in this photo are the studios of
   KYW-TV (left) and the Bourse building.
   Enlarge
   5th and Market Street, today. Visible in this photo are the studios of
   KYW-TV (left) and the Bourse building.

   Holme also planned five public parks, one at the intersection of High
   and Broad Streets in the very centre of the city, now occupied by City
   Hall, and four others surrounding it now called Washington Square,
   Rittenhouse Square, Logan Square and Franklin Square. The eastern edge
   of Rittenhouse Square is on 18th St., four blocks west of City Hall,
   while the western edge of Washington Square is between 7th and 8th,
   about six and a half blocks east of City Hall. Both are the same
   distance south of City Hall. Both Logan Square and Franklin Square are
   located the same distances east and west of City Hall as Washington and
   Rittenhouse and two to three blocks north of Market Street, reflecting
   the southern squares. Fairmount Park is one of the largest municipal
   public parks in the world, at over 9,100 acres (37 km²). This figure
   includes all parkland within the city limits, as all 65 city parks are
   considered part of Fairmount Park and overseen by the Fairmount Park
   Commission, but the park proper, which runs north/south through the
   city, does occupy nearly half that area, at over 4,100 acres (17 km²)
   on both banks of the Schuylkill River and Wissahickon Creek.

   The post-World War II era would see further changes. Under the
   leadership of Edmund N. Bacon, the Philadelphia City Planning
   Commission organized a master plan for the city, creating a variety of
   special planning, redevelopment, development districts and areas to
   coordinate their efforts. Projects that were headed by the new master
   plan were major redevelopment of Center City, including the Penn Centre
   Area (replacing an immense, elevated railroad connector, locally known
   as the "Chinese Wall," located north of Market and West of Broad),
   Market East and Penn's Landing; new development and expansion in
   University City (focused mainly on the University of Pennsylvania); as
   well as the opening up of development on the fringes of the city, the
   Far Northeast and South Philadelphia Sports Complex. One of his
   enduring innovations is a group of small, semi-enclosed parks in the
   Society Hill residential area, connected by brick footpaths.

   Bacon's efforts would also see changes in the transportation of the
   city, with the inclusion of the Centre City Rail Connector, Vine Street
   Expressway, Delaware Expressway, and improvements to the Schuylkill
   Expressway. Many of Bacon's ideas, though not entirely as he had
   envisioned, can be seen today, with the basis of his master plan still
   influencing development in the city.

Buildings and architecture

   The Liberty Bell

   Philadelphia's architectural history dates back to Colonial times and
   has included a wide range of styles, sometimes showcased within a range
   of several blocks. Most of the city's historic landmarks are in Old
   City and the Historical District in the Society Hill neighborhood east
   of Centre City, including Independence National Historical Park, home
   of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.

   For almost a century, Philadelphia's most visible structure was its
   baroque City Hall building and William Penn tower. Begun in 1871, City
   Hall took 30 years to complete and is the tallest masonry load-bearing
   structure in the world at 548 feet, including the statue of William
   Penn at its crown.

   The former headquarters of the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society
   (PSFS), at the corner of 12th and Market Streets, erected in 1932, is
   widely considered the nation's first International Modernist
   skyscraper. The building was designed by Swiss-American architect
   William Lescaze and his partner George Howe. The building is a National
   Historic Landmark. In 1997, the building was purchased by the Loews
   Corporation, and in April 2000 it reopened as the Loews Philadelphia
   Hotel. The signature PSFS sign, however, is considered an integral part
   of the historic architectural design and remains atop the building.

   Notable historic structures demolished in recent years include the
   Philadelphia Civic Centre and Philadelphia Naval Hospital (both
   commonly regarded as masterpieces of 1930's Art Deco architecture), JFK
   Stadium, a historic 1920's era athletic venue, and the Philadelphia
   Commercial Museum, an 1890's neoclassical exhibit hall. Other important
   historic sites, including the Philadelphia Metropolitan Opera House,
   and even the famous Philadelphia Museum of Art and Philadelphia City
   Hall, have suffered from decades of neglect and poor upkeep. A complete
   exterior cleaning of City Hall is nearing completion, and renovations,
   expansion and repairs are planned at the Museum of Art.

   Urban abandonment in the central city and extensive sprawl in the
   suburbs has been a serious problem since the 1970's. By the 1990's
   there were an estimated 40,000 vacant properties in the city . Since
   then organizations and city agencies have been working to reverse this
   trend. Recently the city and several non-profit organizations put
   together an international competition, called LandVISIONS seeking
   solutions to the vacancy problem.

   Since the 1980s, modern skyscrapers have been erected west of City Hall
   eclipsing Penn's statue. As of 2006, the tallest structures are One and
   Two Liberty Place. In 2007, the Comcast Centre, upon its expected
   completion, will become the tallest building in Philadelphia.
   Currently, thirteen skyrises, residential and commercial, are under
   construction, six have begun prep work, and seventeen are still in
   planning. Also nine skyrises are currently under renovation, and seven
   more are still in planning. Many of these projects will include
   multiple skyrises, adding to the number of actual buildings. Another
   seven cultural and commercial projects have begun, which consist of a
   slot facility, turning the Philadelphia Naval Yard into a suburban
   style business park with urban amenities, new parks, educational
   towers, state of the art schools, and others. Another ten are in
   planning.

   Most of the city's residential neighborhoods are rowhouse communities,
   noted for streets lined with attached, single-family homes. Newer
   duplexes and single homes, as well as some older mansions and estates,
   are more common in the city's outskirts.

Neighborhoods

   Philadelphia has many neighborhoods, each of which has its own
   identity. Many of these neighborhoods coincide with the borough and
   townships that made up Philadelphia County before their absorption by
   the city. These include Chestnut Hill, East Falls, Fishtown, Lawncrest,
   Fox Chase, Frankford, Germantown, Grays Ferry, Kensington, Manayunk,
   Mount Airy, North Philadelphia, Northern Liberties, Olney, Overbrook,
   Parkside, Parkwood, Port Richmond, Powelton Village, Queen Village,
   Roxborough, South Philadelphia, University City, West Oak Lane, and
   many others. Prominent neighborhoods in Centre City include Chinatown,
   Fairmount, Old City, Rittenhouse Square, Washington Square West and
   Society Hill.

Suburbs

   Philadelphia has a significant suburban area which depends on its
   economy and public transportation (provided by SEPTA), including areas
   of southeastern Pennsylvania (including the historic Main Line),
   southern New Jersey, and northern Delaware. Various Philadelphia area
   television stations sometimes consider a wide range of areas as suburbs
   of Philadelphia, including the New Jersey shore as far north as
   Monmouth County and as far south as Cape May, as well as southern
   Delaware. Pennsylvania areas which are sometimes considered as distant
   suburbs or " exurbs" of Philadelphia include Berks County, the Lehigh
   Valley ( Lehigh County and Northampton County), Lancaster County, and
   even the southern most region of the Poconos, including parts of Monroe
   County and Carbon County. Cecil County, Maryland, which I-95 runs
   through, is also sometimes included as a Philadelphia exurb. The
   Philadelphia suburbs are home to some of the most affluent counties in
   the United States.

Demographics

   City of Philadelphia population by year [1]
   Enlarge
   City of Philadelphia population by year

   As of the census 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, 43.2% African
   American, 4.5% Asian, 0.3% Native American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, from
   5.8% other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino
   of any race were 10.5% of the population.

   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.

   The ethnic makeup of the city is 43.2% African American, 13.5% Irish,
   9.2% Italian, 8.1% German, 7.8% Puerto Rican, and 4.3% Polish.

   Philadelphia has the second largest Irish, Italian, and Jamaican
   populations, the third largest Puerto Rican population, 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. The Asian 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 in South Philadelphia. Indians and Arabs have come to
   Northeast Philadelphia along with Russian and Ukrainian immigrants. The
   West Indian population is concentrated in Cedar Park. Germans, Greeks,
   Chinese, Japanese, English, Pakistanis, Iranians, and other ethnic
   groups can be found throughout the city.

Crime

   Like many American cities, Philadelphia saw a gradual, yet pronounced,
   rise in crime in the years following World War II. Murders peaked at
   503 in 1990, for a rate of 31.5 per 100,000, and they averaged around
   400 a year for most of the nineties. In 2002 the murder count hit a low
   of 288, but by 2005 the annual total had surged to 380, for a rate of
   25.85 per 100,000.

   According to statistics from 2004, there were 5,513.5 crimes per
   100,000 people in Philadelphia. In 2005, going by these statistics,
   Philadelphia was ranked by Morgan Quitno as the 6th most-dangerous
   American city with a population of over 500,000, out of a total of 32
   such cities. Among its neighboring Northeastern cities in the same
   population group, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. were ranked second-
   and third- most dangerous cities in the U.S. respectively, and Camden,
   New Jersey, across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, was ranked as
   the number one most dangerous city in the U.S. New York City made the
   safest-city list, coming in at number four. In 2006, the Philadelphia
   crime rate, especially murder, has increased to the point where local
   television stations are having special reports on the issue, and the
   police are attempting to stop the trend with special programs. The
   Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper now reports the 2006 homicide count
   relative to the same date in 2005 in every day's issue.

Government and politics

                                    CAPTION: Presidential election results

                                          Year    Republican    Democratic
                                          2004 19.3% 130,099 80.4% 542,205
                                          2000 18.0% 100,959 80.0% 449,182
                                          1996 16.0% 85,345  77.5% 412,988
                                          1992 20.9% 133,328 68.2% 434,904
                                          1988 32.5% 219,053 66.6% 449,566
                                          1984 34.6% 267,178 64.9% 501,369
                                          1980 34.0% 244,108 58.7% 421,253
                                          1976 32.0% 239,000 66.3% 494,579
                                          1972 43.4% 340,096 55.1% 431,736
                                          1968 30.0% 254,153 61.8% 525,768
                                          1964 26.2% 239,733 73.4% 670,645
                                          1960 31.8% 291,000 68.0% 622,544

   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 Democrat, as have been all Philadelphia
   mayors 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, 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.

   From the American Civil War until the mid-20th Century, Philadelphia
   was a bastion of the Republican Party, which arose from the staunch
   pro-Northern views of Philadelphia residents during and after the war.
   After the Great Depression, Democratic registrations increased, but the
   city was not carried by Franklin D. Roosevelt in his landslide victory
   of 1932 (in which Pennsylvania was one of the few states won by Herbert
   Hoover). While other Northern industrial cities were electing
   Democratic mayors in the 1930s and 1940s, Philadelphia did not follow
   suit until 1951. That is, Philadelphia never had a "New Deal"
   coalition.

   The city has voted for a Democrat in every presidential election since
   1936, despite the frequent election of Republicans to statewide offices
   since the 1930s; in 2004, Democrat John Kerry drew 80% of the city's
   vote, and it is generally believed that his margin of victory in
   Philadelphia was enough for him to carry Pennsylvania.

   Philadelphia was once split between six congressional districts.
   However, as a result of the city's declining population, it is now
   split between four--the 1st, represented by Democrat Bob Brady, the
   2nd, represented by Democrat Chaka Fattah, the 8th, represented by
   Republican Michael Fitzpatrick, and the 16th, represented by Democrat
   Allyson Schwartz. A Republican has not represented a significant
   portion of Philadelphia since the 1950s; Fitzpatrick only represented a
   small portion of the city until his defeat in the 2006 elections by
   Democrat Patrick Murphy.

   As of November 2006, there are 1,016,187 registered voters in
   Philadelphia .
     * Major Parties
          + Democratic: 761,184 (74.91%)
          + Republican: 160,677 (15.81%)

     * Third Parties
          + Constitution: 12 (0.001%)
          + Green: 2,382 (0.23%)
          + Libertarian: 3,168 (0.31%)
          + Other: 88,764 (8.74%)

Economy

   Philadelphia's economy is heavily based upon manufacturing, refining,
   food, and financial services. The city also has its own stock exchange.

   The city is home to many major 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 plays a large role 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.

   Because of the presence of the federal government, the city has a large
   contingent of law firms. The city is also a national centre of law
   because of the prestigious University of Pennsylvania Law School,
   Villanova University School of Law, Temple University Beasley School of
   Law, and the Drexel University College of Law. Additionally, the
   headquarters of the American Law Institute is located in the city.

People and culture

   Philadelphia has become notable in various arts and in culture.
   Philadelphia has had a prominent role in music including a Philadelphia
   own sound known as Philadelphia soul. On July 13, 1985, Philadelphia
   hosted the American end of the Live Aid concert at JFK Stadium. On July
   2, 2005, Bob Geldof, who organized the Live Aid concert, chose
   Philadelphia as the American host of his huge Live 8 concert. This time
   the show was held as a free concert on the Ben Franklin Parkway, where
   over 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 the city is well known for its hoagies, soft pretzels, and
   Italian ice, and is home to the cheesesteak.

Sites of interest

   Independence Hall
   Enlarge
   Independence Hall

   Philadelphia contains many national historical sites that relate to the
   founding of the United States. Independence National Historical Park is
   the centre 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.

   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 steps made popular by the film Rocky.
   Philadelphia's major science museums include the Franklin Institute,
   which contains the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial, and the
   University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.
   History museums include the National Constitution Centre and Eastern
   State Penitentiary. Philadelphia is home to the United States' first
   zoo and hospital.

   Areas such as South Street and Old City have a vibrant night life. The
   Avenue of the Arts in Centre City contains many restaurants and
   theaters, such as the Kimmel Centre for the Performing Arts which is
   home to the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Shopping

   Philadelphia has a strong retail community reflected by both small
   scale local selections and large malls. Centre City is home to The
   Gallery at Market East, one of the largest downtown shopping centers in
   the country, The Shops at Liberty Place, an upscale boutique mall, and
   The Philadelphia Bourse, which orients its offerings towards tourists
   and visitors. Rittenhouse Row, a section of Walnut Street in Centre
   City, is home to some of the most high end stores and boutiques in the
   region.

   The Italian Market in South Philadelphia offers a wide assortment of
   groceries, meats, cheeses and housewares from a diverse array of
   countries in addition to its Italian flavor. Geno's and Pat's, two
   famed cheesesteak outlets, are located here.

   The city and its suburbs contain a high concentration of large malls
   including the King of Prussia Mall, the largest on the East Coast and
   the Cherry Hill Mall in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, the first enclosed
   mall on the East Coast.

Sports

   Philadelphia has a long and proud history of professional sports teams,
   and is one of thirteen United States cities to have all four major
   sports. Specifically, Philadelphia is home to the Philadelphia Eagles
   of the National Football League, the Philadelphia Phillies in the
   National League of Major League Baseball, the Philadelphia Flyers of
   the National Hockey League 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". Philadelphia also is home to
   professional, semi-professional and elite amateur teams in other
   sports. Philadelphia also hosts major amateur sporting events,
   including the Penn Relays, Stotesbury Cup, Philadelphia Marathon, and
   Philadelphia International Championship bicycle race.

Education

          University of Pennsylvania

          Enlarge
          University of Pennsylvania

   Education in Philadelphia is provided by many private and public
   institutions. The School District of Philadelphia runs the city's
   public schools. The Philadelphia School District is the seventh largest
   school district in the United States with 217,405 students in 273
   schools.

   Philadelphia is one of the largest college towns in the United States
   with over 120,000 college and university students enrolled within the
   city and nearly 300,000 in the metropolitan area. Temple University's
   main campus is two miles north of City Hall and has campuses in
   Philadelphia's central business district and the suburb of Ambler. A
   western section of the city, known as University City, is home to two
   of the city's universities. The University of Pennsylvania, a member of
   the Ivy League. Adjacent to the University of Pennsylvania campus
   resides Drexel University. West Philadelphia is also home to Saint
   Joseph's University.

Infrastructure

   30th Street Station, with Cira Centre in the background and statues on
   the Market Street Bridge over Schuylkill River in the foreground.
   Enlarge
   30th Street Station, with Cira Centre in the background and statues on
   the Market Street Bridge over Schuylkill River in the foreground.

   Philadelphia is served by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation
   Authority (SEPTA), which operates buses, trains, rapid transit,
   trolleys, and trackless trolleys throughout Philadelphia and the four
   Pennsylvania suburban counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and
   Montgomery. The city's subway system, first opened in 1907, is the
   third oldest in America.

   One of the seven SEPTA Regional Rail lines (the R1) offers direct
   service to the Philadelphia International Airport.

   Philadelphia's 30th Street Station is a major railroad station on
   Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, which offers access to Amtrak, SEPTA, and
   New Jersey Transit lines.

   PATCO provides rapid transit service to Camden, Collingswood, Westmont,
   Haddonfield, Woodcrest (Cherry Hill), Ashland (Voorhees), and
   Lindenwold, New Jersey, from stations on Locust Street between 16th and
   15th, 13th and 12th, and 10th and 9th Streets, and on Market Street at
   8th Street.

Airports

   Two airports serve Philadelphia: Philadelphia International Airport
   (PHL), straddling the southern boundary of the city, and Northeast
   Philadelphia Airport (PNE), a general aviation reliever airport in
   Northeast Philadelphia. Philadelphia International Airport provides
   scheduled domestic and international air service, while Northeast
   Philadelphia Airport serves general and corporate aviation.

Roads

   Interstate 95 (I-95), which runs through the city along the Delaware
   River, is the main north-south artery.

   The city is also served by the Schuylkill Expressway, a portion of
   Interstate 76 that runs along the Schuylkill River. It meets the
   Pennsylvania Turnpike at King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, providing
   access to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and points west. The Turnpike's
   Northeastern Extension provides access to points north, including
   Allentown, Pennsylvania, the Lehigh Valley, and The Poconos.

   Interstate 676, the Vine Street Expressway, was completed in 1991 after
   years of planning. A link between I-95 and I-76, it runs below street
   level through Centre City, connecting to the Ben Franklin Bridge at its
   eastern end.

   Roosevelt Boulevard and the Roosevelt Expressway ( U.S. Route 1)
   connect Northeast Philadelphia with Centre City. The boulevard was
   built for the Lincoln Highway as part of the City Beautiful movement.
   In recent years, it has become a traffic bottleneck, and includes the
   second and third deadliest intersections in the U.S. within a single
   mile, according to a study by State Farm Insurance.

   The Woodhaven Road ( PA Route 63), built in 1966, serves the
   neighborhoods of Northeast Philadelphia, running between Interstate 95
   and the Roosevelt Boulevard ( U.S. Route 1). Plans to extend it
   westward into the suburbs were quashed by community opposition when the
   highway was first built. Severe traffic congestion over the past four
   decades on adjoining Byberry Road has led to renewed plans for
   extension and expansion. Several suggested plans would expand different
   roads using different methods to connect to the highway. A final
   decision has not yet been reached, and undoubtedly the construction
   phase will continue for several years after the planning stage is
   completed.

   The Delaware River Port Authority operates four bridges in the
   Philadelphia area across the Delaware River to New Jersey: the Walt
   Whitman Bridge (I-76), the Benjamin Franklin Bridge (I-676 and US 30),
   the Betsy Ross Bridge ( Route 90), and the Commodore Barry Bridge ( US
   322). The Tacony-Palmyra Bridge connects PA Route 73 with New Jersey's
   Route 73, and is maintained by the Burlington County Bridge Commission.

   Other planned freeways have been cancelled, such as an Interstate 695
   running southwest from downtown, two freeways connecting Interstate 95
   to Interstate 76 that would have replaced Girard Avenue and South
   Street and a freeway upgrade of Roosevelt Boulevard.

   Not all highways important to Philadelphia cross into the city limits.
   The Pennsylvania Turnpike bypasses the city a third of a mile to the
   north, and the New Jersey Turnpike, the main highway connection to New
   York City and points beyond, bypasses the city to the east and south.
   Interstate 476, locally known as "The Blue Route" (from its designation
   as an alternative on original PennDoT planning proposals in the 1960's)
   opened in 1991 after years of delays and contention. It connects I-95
   to the turnpike and Northeast Extension at the Mid County Interchange
   in Plymouth Meeting, providing a bypass to the west of the city.

   Philadelphia is also a major hub for Greyhound Bus Lines, which
   operates 24-hour service to points east of the Mississippi River. The
   city is the third busiest terminal in the country for Greyhound, after
   New York and Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Rail

   Suburban Station
   Enlarge
   Suburban Station

   Since the early days of rail transport in the United States,
   Philadelphia has served as hub for several major rail companies,
   especially the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Reading Railroad. The
   Pennsylvania Railroad first operated Broad Street Station, then 30th
   Street Station and Suburban Station, and the Reading Railroad operated
   out of Reading Terminal, now part of the Pennsylvania Convention
   Centre. The two companies also operated competing commuter rail systems
   in the area, known collectively as the Regional Rail system. The two
   systems today, for the most part still intact but now connected,
   operate as a single system under the control of Southeastern
   Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, the regional transit authority.

   Philadelphia is also notable as one of the few North American cities to
   maintain streetcar lines. In addition to "subway-surface" trolleys (so
   called because during the years when the city was served by over 2000
   trolleys and more than 65 lines, these were the "surface" cars that ran
   also in the streetcar subway), the city recently reintroduced trolley
   service to the Girard Avenue Line, Route 15, considered by some a
   "heritage" line; although the use of rebuilt 1947 PCC streetcars was
   primarily for budgetary reasons, rather than as an historic tribute.

   Today Philadelphia is a hub of the semi-nationalized Amtrak system,
   with 30th Street Station being the primary local stop on the
   Washington-Boston Northeast Corridor and the Keystone Corridor to
   Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 30th Street also serves as a
   major station for services via the Pennsylvania Railroad's former
   Pennsylvania Main Line to Chicago. 30th Street is Amtrak's
   third-busiest station in terms of passengers as of fiscal year 2003. It
   is also a terminus of New Jersey Transit's Atlantic City Line.

Telecommunications

   Southeastern Pennsylvania has been served the 215 area code since 1947
   when the North American Numbering Plan went into effect. The area
   covered by the code was severely truncated when area code 610 was split
   from 215. Today only the city and its northern suburbs are covered by
   215. Overlay code 267 was added to the 215 service area in 1997.

Sister cities

   Philadelphia has fifteen sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities
   International, Inc. (SCI):
     * Douala, Littoral, Cameroon (1986)
     * Tianjin, China (1980)
     * Aix-en-Provence, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France
     * Mosul, Ninawa, Iraq
     * Tel Aviv, Israel (1966)

     * Florence, Toscana, Italy (1964)
     * Kobe, Japan
     * Toruń, Poland (1976)
     * Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhegorodskaya, Russia (1992)
     * Incheon, South Korea (1984)

   Philadelphia has dedicated landmarks to its sister cities. Dedicated in
   June 1976, the Sister Cities Plaza, a one-half-acre site located at
   18th and Benjamin Franklin Parkway, honours Philadelphia's
   relationships with Tel-Aviv, Israel and Florence, Italy, which were its
   first Sister Cities. Another landmark, the Torun Triangle, honoring the
   Sister City relationship with Toruń, Poland, was constructed in 1976,
   west of the United Fund building at 18th Street and the Benjamin
   Franklin Parkway. The Triangle contains the Copernicus monument. The
   Chinatown Gate, erected in 1984 and crafted by artisans of Tianjin,
   China, stands astride the intersection of 10th and Arch Streets as an
   elaborate and colorful symbol of the Sister City relationship.

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