Title: Philadelphia Content: Philadelphia is the sixth-largest city in the United States and the largest city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The city is sometimes called Philly. The population of the city was 1,517,550 people in 2000. In 2010 census, it was up to 1,526.006 people. Philadelphia was the capital of the United States from 1790 to 1800. It was replaced by Washington, D.C. in 1800 after the White House was built. Philadelphia has many tourist attractions. These include the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and Christ Church. == History== Before Europeans came to the area, Philadelphia was home to the Lenape people. The first Europeans to come were the Dutch. They built towns and a fort in the area. The English took over the city in 1664. In 1681, Charles II of England gave a large piece of land to William Penn. It was given to him to pay back some money that was owed to Penn's father. Penn had a dream of a land where people would be free to live and work no matter what religion they beleived. He built a city in the new land called Philadelphia. Soon Philadelphia was the largest city in North America. The first library and hospital in the country were built in Philadelphia. Many ships sailed in and out of the port of the city. People came to the city to buy and sell many types of things. One of the most famous people in Philadelphia was Benjamin Franklin. He started a newspaper and invented many things, such as bifocal glasses. Franklin started a library that was free for everyone to use. He also started a free hospital. He helped to write the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. In 1774, the Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to talk about their disputes with the United Kingdom. The British were not happy about this and soon the American Revolutionary War began. In 1776, the Americans again met in Philadelphia to sign the Declaration of Independence. In 1777, George Washington lost the Battle of Germantown and Philadelphia was occupied by British troops. They left in 1778. After the war was won, a Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia in 1787 to write the United States Constitution. It lists the most important laws of the United States. == Geography == Philadelphia is in the state of Pennsylvania. It is on the west bank of the Delaware River. New Jersey is on the other side of the river. Another large river, the Schuylkill, flows into the Delaware River at Philadelphia. The city has only a few small hills. Most of it is flat. Philadelphia normally has hot summers and cold winters. === City Landscape === William Penn planned the city in the 17th century. The roads of the city are formed in a grid between the Delaware and Schuykill rivers. The roads run north-south and west-east. Streets were spread out to prevent fires. Parks were a part of the original plan. There were five parks in the center city. They are Centre Square (Penn Square),Northeast Square (Franklin Square), Southeast Square (Washington Square), Southwest Square (Rittenhouse Square), and Northwest Square (Logan Circle/Square). left|thumb|Districts of Philadelphia Map === Sections/Neighborhoods === The city includes six major sections surrounding Center City. They are North, Northeast, Northwest, South, Southwest, and West. The City Planning Commission is in charge of growth and development. The largest landlord is the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA). Some boundaries between regions, boroughs and districts are not clear. There are 18 districts in the city. ==== Center City ==== This is where the skyscrapers are located. Center City is the second most densely populated downtown area in the United States, after Manhattan, New York.Maria Panaritis (April 22, 2015). "(Greater) Center City's population second only to Midtown Manhattan's". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved July 15, 2015. It includes the historic part of town, museums, a theatre district, retailers, office buildings and tourist attractions. Parts of Center City, include Penn's Landing, Old City, Society Hill, South Street, Washington Square West, Market East, Chinatown, Logan Square, the Museum District, Rittenhouse Square, Fitler Square, Jewelers' Row and Avenue of the Arts. Old City is near the Delaware River and includes historic sites like Independence Hall. There were 193,000 inhabitants in 2018. ==== South Philadelphia ==== The region holds a diverse working-class population. It is between the Schuykill and Delaware Rivers. The large sports stadiums are located here. They are Citizens Bank Park, Lincoln Financial Field and Wells Fargo Center. They form the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. The famous Geno's Steaks and Pat's King of Steaks is here. The FDR Park is just north of the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. There is also a vibrant Italian community with an Italian Market. South Philadelphia is also where the movie Rocky (1976) was filmed. The Walt Whitman Bridge connects to New Jersey in the east. The population was 168,782 in 2010. ==== Southwest Philadelphia ==== This area is south of West Philadelphia and north of the Delaware River. The Philadelphia International Airport and residential areas are located here. There are various industries and oil refineries here and in South Philadelphia. Iconic places are Bartram’s Garden, John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, the National Historic Landmark Fort Mifflin and Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum. The population was 123,829 in 2010. ==== West Philadelphia ==== The region is mostly residential. It is between Cobbs Creek and the Schuykill River. The eastern part is University City. This includes the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University and University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. Saint Joseph's University is in the northwest part of the region. Fairmount Park and the Philadelphia Museum of Art are located in West Philadelphia. The Please Touch Museum, Philadelphia Zoo, Memorial Hall and the Mann Center for the Performing Arts are in the Centennial District. The population in 2010 was 216,433. ==== Northwest Philadelphia ==== This region includes Germantown, Chestnut Hill, Roxborough and Manayunk. Germantown is an important historical neighborhood with the Colonial Germantown Historic District. It is the birthplace of the American antislavery movement and was an important site during the American Revolution. There are several colonial homes and battle re-enactments. The Wissahickon Valley Park is here. Other sites are the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania, Woodmere Art Museum and Awbury Arboretum. In 2010, the population was about 170,000. ==== North Philadelphia ==== This region is between the Northwest and Northeast regions. It is south of Cheltenham Township and north of Center City. It is residential with scattered industries. It includes Lower North and Upper North Philadelphia and Olney, Oak Lane. Temple University is found here. A well- known street is Broad Street. It starts in and cuts across North Philadelphia and travels down to Center City. The Eastern State Penitentiary is to the west. There are many historic homes like the Edgar Allen Poe House. Museums are the Wagner Free Institute of Science and the Philadelphia Doll Museum. There are historic churches. Northern Liberties and Fishtown are growing communities and centers for artists. Northern Liberties is home to the annual 2nd Street Festival. The population in 2010 was 240,781. ==== The Northeast ==== The region is home to a large working-class population. It includes the Far and Near Northeast, and Kensington. There are several parks, such as Benjamin Rush State Park and Pennypack Park and large malls such as Philadelphia Mills. There are many diverse ethnic groups. There is the Northeast Philadelphia Airport. The Philadelphia Insectarium and Butterfly Pavilion is a science museum. The region is highly populated. There were about 528,810 residents in 2010. === Architecture === The architecture of the city is very diverse. It is both modern and historic. It includes Georgian architecture, Federal-style, Palladian structure, Victorian-style, Greek Revival, Gothic, Italianate Second-Empire Style and International Style. The diverse buildings show the rich history of the city. The Philadelphia Historical Commission was formed in 1955. It preserves historical buildings. The Philadelphia Register of Historic Places includes historic buildings. The tallest building is the Comcast Technology Center. For a long time, City Hall was the tallest building. Notable architects who built in Philadelphia include William Strickland, John Haviland, Thomas U. Walter, Frank Furness, Napoleon Leburn, Julian Abele, Rafael Viñoly, César Pelli, Robert A. M. Stern, Louis Kahn and Robert Venturi. Philadelphia was the first major city in North America to introduce row houses. A row house is made of homes connected with a shared sidewall. In other areas, similar buildings were originally called "Philadelphian rows".Philadelphia: A 300-Year History. pp. 11, 41, 174–175, 251–253. Many homes in Philadelphia are row houses. === Parks === There are about of parks in Philadelphia."2014 City Park Facts" (PDF). tpl.org. The Trust for Public Land. pp. 9, 25, 28. Archived (PDF)from the original on September 20, 2016. Retrieved January 6, 2017. Notable parks in the city center are Logan Square, Franklin Square, JFK Plaza, Washington Square and Rittenhouse Square. Sorrounding parks are Fairmount Park, Wissahickon Valley Park, Pennypack Park and Cobbs Creek Park. Fairmount is the largest park. Wissahickon the second largest. Fairmount Park is along both sides of the Schuykill River. It includes the Philadelphia Zoo, Fairmount Water Works, Boathouse Row, Please Touch Museum, Centennial Arboretum and the Shofuso Japanese House and Garden. == Climate == Under the Köppen climate classification, Philadelphia is in a humid subtropical climate zone. Summers are humid and hot. Fall and spring are mild. Winters can range from moderate to cold. Snowfall is very variable. Some years there is only a small amount of snow. In other years there are large snowstorms. The average yearly snowfall is . The annual average precipitation is . There is precipitation throughout the year. Temperatures can range from to . A 2017-2019 report showed that Philadelphia is among the top 25 cities with the most air pollution. Philadelphia has significant particulate matter and ozone. This is due to the burning of fossil fuels. Another cause is high concentration of automobiles along I-95. == Demographics == The population of Philadelphia was about 560,000 in 1860 and 1,000,000 in 1890. The highest population in Philadelphia was in 1950, with about 2,071,605 people recorded. The population decreased from 1950 to 2000. The population has been gradually increasing since 2010. Between 2006 and 2017, there were 92,153 new residents. In 2022, the city had the following racial composition: 41.3% Black (non-Hispanic), 39.33% White (non-Hispanic), 14.1% Hispanic or Latino, 7.1% Asian, 0.4% Native American, 0.05% Pacific Islander, and 2.8% multiracial. The largest European ancestry groups were Irish (13.6%), Italian (9.2%), German (8.1%), Polish (4.3%) and English (2.9%) in 2010.  == Transportation == thumb|30th Street Station In Philadelphia, one of the busiest rail stations in the United States.Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) serves Philadelphia. It includes buses, trains, subways, and trolleys. The two subway lines are Market-Frankford Line and Broad Street Line. Broad Street line heads north and south, and Market- Frankford Line heads mainly west and east. SEPTA Regional Rail connects the city to the suburbs. The main railway station is 30th Street Station. There were 4.4 million passengers in 2017. It is the third busiest station in the country. The station connects trains from SEPTA, Amtrack, and NJ Transit. The PATCO Speedline connects the city with parts of New Jersey. Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is a busy airport with domestic and international flights. There are more than 30 million passengers on 25 different airlines each year."Philadelphia International Airport: About Us"Archived January 29, 2018, at the Wayback Machine. phl.org. Philadelphia International Airport. Retrieved January 29, 2018 Airplanes go to over 120 destinations. The Airport Line of the SEPTA Regional Rail connects the city to the airport. Another airport is the Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE). An important highway is Interstate-95. It travels along the eastern and southern edges of the cities and connects Philadelphia to Newark, NJ, New York City, Baltimore, and Washington D. C. Interstate 76 runs along the Schuykill River and intersects with the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The Pennsylvania Turnpike goes west and connects to Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. Interstate 676 (the Vine Street Expressway) links I-76 and I-95 through Center City. There are also regional roads. Roosevelt Boulevard is in North and Northeast Philadelphia and connects those regions with Center City. Broad Street is in North Philadelphia and connects to Center City. Fort Washington Expressway (Route 309) connects North Philadelphia to Montgomery and Bucks counties. U.S. Route 30 (Lancaster Avenue) connects West Philadelphia to Lancaster in the west. Interstate 476 (also known as the Blue Route) goes across Deleware County and is for the western suburbs and goes to the Poconos. Interstate 276 connects to New Jersey Turnkpike and New York City. There are four major bridges from Phladelphia to New Jersey. They are runned by the Delaware River Port Authority. They include Walt Whitman Bridge (I-76), the Benjamin Franklin Bridge (I-676 and U.S. 30) the Betsy Ross Bridge(New Jersey Route 90), and the Commodore Barry Bridge (U.S. 322 in Delaware County). Philadelphia has bus services for Greyhound Lines, Fullington Trailways, Martz Trailways, Peter Pan Bus Lines, NJ Transit buses. and Megabus. == In popular culture == The steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art are famous because the film Rocky (1976) was shot there. They are called the Rocky Steps. In the movie, Rocky runs up these steps. There is a statue of Rocky next to the museum. The two sites are popular tourist attractions. Rocky II (1979) and parts of Rocky III (1982), Rocky IV (1985) and Rocky V (1990) were also filmed in Philadelphia. The Sixth Sense (1999) by M. Night Shyamalan was filmed in Philadelphia at St. Augustine's Church and other locations. M. Night Shyamalan filmed all his movies in Philadelphia. The movie Silver Linings Playbook (2012) takes place in Philadelphia and stars Bradley Cooper from Philadelphia. High Society (1956) is a remake of The Philadelphia Story (1940) and stars the Philadelphian-born Grace Kelly. Other films shot in Philadelphia include The Blob (1958), Invincible (1976), Blow Out (1981), Trading Places (1983), Mannequin (1987), The Age of Innocence (1993), Philadelphia (1993), Twelve Monkeys (1995), Unbreakable (2000), Signs (2002), National Treasure (2004), Lady in the Water (2006), In Her Shoes (2005), Baby Mama (2008), The Happening (2008), Marley and Me (2008), Law Abiding Citizen (2009), Transformer 2: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) Creed (2015), Split (2017), Glass (2019), Shazam! (2019), The Upside (2019), Concrete Cowboy (2021). Several TV shows take place in Philadelphia. Examples are It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005-2013), How to Get Away With Murder (2014-2020), The Goldbergs (2013-2021), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-1996), Cold Case (2003-2010) and others. American Bandstand (1952-1989) was a music-performance TV show that was filmed in West Philadelphia. Several books take place in Philadelphia. A few include Third and Indiana by Steve Lopez, Fever, 1793 by Laurie Halse Andersen, Plum Bun: A Novel Without a Moral by Jesse Redmon Fauset, Birdy by William Wharton, and Philadelphia Fire by John Edgar Wideman, among others. ==Well-known people from Philadelphia== ;Born in Philadelphia * Benjamin Rush ( 1813), Founding Father, signer of Declaration of Independence , physician, reformer, humanitarian, educator * Louisa May Alcott (d. 1888), novelist, poet * Joseph McKenna (d. 1926), associate justice, U. S. Supreme Court, U.S. Attorney General * Simon Guggenheim (d. 1941), businessman, politician, philanthropist. * Billie Holiday (d. 1959), jazz singer * Larry Fine (d. 1975), actor, comedian * Samuel Barber (d. 1981), composer, conductor, pianist * Grace Kelly (d. 1982), princess of Monaco, American actress * Stan Getz (d. 1991), musician, saxophone player * Pete Conrad (d. 1999), astronaut * Lisa Lopes (1971 - 2002), singer * C. Delores Tucker (d. 2005), civil rights activist, politician * Arthur Penn (d. 2010), director of film and television * Sidney Lumet (d. 2011), director of film * Angelo Dundee (d. 2012), trainer of boxing * Herbert Scarf (d. 2015), mathematician * Vera Rubin (d. 2016), astronomer * Edith Windsor (d. 2017), lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights activist * Jimmy Heath (d. 2020), musician, jazzmusician * Kobe Bryant (1978–2020), basketball player * Noam Chomsky (1928–), linguist * Richard T. Schulze (1929–), politician * Bill Cosby (1937–), comedian * Joe Biden (1942–), 46th President of the United States * Patti LaBelle (1944–), singer * Richard Gere (1949–), actor * Bob Saget (1956–2022), actor, TV host * Kevin Bacon (1958–), actor * Will Smith (1968–), actor * Tina Fey (1970–), actress, writer, comedian * Bradley Cooper (1975–), actor * Rob McElhenny (1977–), actor * Kevin Hart (1979–), actor, comedian * Pink (1979–), singer * Sarah Chang (1980–), violinist * Tara Lipinski (1982–), figure skater, actress, sports commentator * Amber Rose (1983–), model, TV personality * Kat Dennings (1986–), actress * Victoria Pedretti (1995–), actress ==Images== File:Downtown Phili 1c.JPG|Philadelphia skyline as seen from the Historic District File:GardenStreetBridgeSchuylkillRiverSkylinePhiladelphiaPennsylvania.jpg|The Philadelphia skyline