Philadelphia, or Philly’, is the largest city in Pennsylvania and the sixth largest in the United States. Located on the New Jersey and Delaware borders, the city was once our nation’s capital and is now home to 1.5 million people with the wider metro area being home to over 6 million.
The region was originally home to the Delaware Indians who were gradually evicted by the move west. The city was founded by William Penn in 1682 when he was awarded land in repayment of a debt by the British Crown. Penn sailed to America and set up the Pennsylvania General Assembly before moving in to the area that would become Philadelphia.
Penn and a group of Quakers bought more land from the Delaware Indians and set up home. Both groups of people lived peacefully and traded and cooperated with each other. The town prospered as a port and trading post. It became part of the Triangle Trade between Africa and Britain and dealt a lot with the West Indies.
The region grew and survived rivalries, battles and the American Revolution where it would be the nation’s capital from 1790 until 1800. The capital left the city but its legacy remained, with a strong industrial base. Over the next hundred years, Philadelphia grew steadily but was referred to as ‘corrupt and complacent’. This forced reforms to clean up the city, reforms that would last decades.
The 20th century saw racial tension, political upheaval, almost bankruptcy and serious revitalization. The shift from manufacturing to service industries has resulted in gentrification and an upswing in the city’s fortunes.
Philadelphia was once an industrial powerhouse that made products and shipped them across the world. The shifting fortunes of the city saw this shift from manufacturing to service industries. The modern Philadelphia has a wide economic base that includes financial services, health care, biotechnology, IT, manufacturing, oil refining, food processing and tourism.
Some of the many major employers in Philadelphia include; Comcast, Aramark, Crown Holdings, Urban Outfitters, GlaxoSmithKline, Boeing Rotorcraft Systems and the Philadelphia Stock Exchange.
Given the pivotal role Philadelphia has played in our history, the sheer number of museums and historical venues is huge. Culture is also rich with music and the arts having a lot of influence over local way of life.
Some of the many highlights include; Philadelphia Museum of Art, Barnes Foundation, Academy of Natural Sciences, Franklin Institute Science Museum, Mutter Museum, Rosenbach Museum & Library and Rodin Museum. African American Museum, and Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia History.
Independence National Historic Park is home to the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Constitution Hall and other significant buildings from history.
Philadelphia’s character can be summed up in a single word, diverse. Comprised of the legacy of mass immigration from across Europe, there are strong Irish, Swedish, Dutch and Italian influences across the city. There is also a colorful Asian community that have thrived. This gives Philadelphia a real mix of language, style, culture and flavor making it one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the country.
Philadelphia is made up of distinct districts all with their own character. They are Center City East, Center City West, Old City, South Philly, North Philly, West Philly, Northwest and Northeast.