Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See also:Philadelphia in film and television. None (the Raider organization does not retire the jersey numbers of former players). cities with teams from four major sports. They did this by issuing "personal seating licenses", without which fans cannot buy tickets to the games. See also: U.S. In this lawsuit, the Raiders agreed that they would sell out all of their home games, in exchange for the city helping to renovate their stadium. The Wachovia Spectrum is now home to the Flyers' top farm team, the Phantoms and the Major League Indoor soccer team, the Kixx. Their most recent legal battle is with the city of Oakland.

The Sixers and Flyers share the Wachovia Center with the Soul and Wings. After moving back to Oakland, they were sued by the NFL for losing the Los Angeles television market, the second largest in the United States. "The Park," "The Zit," "The Vault" or in a Freudian error, "The Vet", from the Eagles' and Phillies' last home, Veterans Stadium). The Raiders sued the city of Los Angeles over the fact that the city backed out of a stadium deal for the team. The Phillies now play in Citizens Bank Park (a.k.a. Also, they were the only team that was not a defendant in the USFL's ultimately unsuccessful antitrust suit against the NFL; Davis was a witness for the USFL in that action. The Eagles now play at Lincoln Financial Field (informally known as "The Linc"). They have been involved in several lawsuits, most famously with the cities of Los Angeles and Oakland, as well as the NFL.

The Eagles, Phillies, Flyers and 76ers have each recently had a new stadium built for them. The Raiders are the most litigious team in the NFL. The city's original NFL team was the Frankford Yellow Jackets (Frankford being a section of the city located in the northeastern part of town); the club disbanded during the 1931 football season, then re-emerged under the same ownership two years later as the Philadelphia Eagles. In the 2004-2005 season, their first season under Turner, the Raiders continued to suffer on the field, posting their second consecutive losing record (5-11), heavy laden with turnovers and injuries. In the past Philadelphia has also been home to the Philadelphia Athletics (MLB, now the Oakland Athletics), and the Philadelphia Warriors (NBA, now the Golden State Warriors). After the end of the 2003 regular season, Callahan was fired, and ultimately replaced by current head coach Norv Turner. The Philadelphia Barrage (Major League Lacrosse, lacrosse) plays at the stadium of Villanova University, which is located in Villanova. In fact, in a press conference at the end of one game, then-coach Bill Callahan berated both his players and the media for the team's poor performance that season.

Some locals half-jokingly attribute this to the Curse of Billy Penn. They finished with a losing record of 4-12, tied with three other teams for the worst record in the NFL, and the worst record ever for a team who were Super Bowl contenders one season previously. Of late Philadelphia teams have been performing well, but frequently missing championships by failing during the crucial stages. The 2003 season was a 180-degree turnaround for the Raiders. Philadelphia sports fans have a reputation of being devoted to their teams in good times and bad. Gannon was named MVP of the league, and the Raiders made their fifth Super Bowl appearance following the season, only to lose to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Philadelphia has a long and proud history of professional sports teams. The Raiders finished the 2002 season with an 11-5 record and clinched the top seed in the playoffs.

The Free Library of Philadelphia. They finished 10-6, but lost their divisional playoff game to the eventual Super Bowl champion New England Patriots in the controversial "tuck" game, in which an apparent fumble by the Patriots (that was recovered by the Raiders) was reviewed and determined to be an incomplete pass. Colleges and universities near Philadelphia include. The Raiders acquired all-time leading receiver Jerry Rice prior to the 2001 season. All schools in the district are required to have a school uniform or a similar dress code. By 2000, the Raiders began to reclaim their position among the NFL's greatest teams, highlighted by the emergence of veteran quarterback Rich Gannon as one of the best all-around quarterbacks in Raiders history. All of Philadelphia is served by the School District of Philadelphia. After the following season, the Raiders moved back to Oakland.

WPLY 100.3FM had formerly been a purely Philadelphia-based alternative rock station, but its format was changed to hip hop in early 2005. This period was marked by the career-ending injury of Bo Jackson in 1990, the failure of troubled quarterback Todd Marinovich, and the departure of Marcus Allen in 1993. In 2005, Philadelphia became the largest city in the United States without a modern rock-format radio station, in part because of the difficulty such a station has in gaining market share from WMMR and WYSP. This also marked a somewhat down period in Raider franchise history, both on the field and, more importantly, off the field. Philadelphia is home to some of the country's most prominent radio stations, including two of the nation's leading rock stations, WMMR at 93.3FM and WYSP at 94.1FM. Both stations have been breakthrough stations for many contemporary rock bands, and both are widely known in the rock music community for their influence in impacting the country's rock music trends. Al Davis's perceived infatuation with Jackson caused a major rift between Davis and star running back Marcus Allen, who eventually left to play for the Kansas City Chiefs. Famed comedian Bill Cosby was born and raised in Philadelphia. In 1987, the Raiders drafted dual-sport athlete Bo Jackson after he originally decided to not play professional football in 1986 (when drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round).

Its cultural diversity is reflected in the music and musicians that have come from or through Philadelphia: the R&B styles of Jill Scott and Patti LaBelle, the jazz of Grover Washington Jr., Stan Getz, and Sun Ra, the rock of Pink, the rap of Will Smith, and the opera of Marian Anderson. This was momentous as it made Shell the first ever African American Head Coach in the history of the NFL. Philadelphia has been home to many people of note, the most famous of whom is probably Ben Franklin, who along with the others in the Continental Congresses helped shape the city along with the country and the world. Shell held that position until 1988 when he was made the team's Head Coach. For a list of famous past and present resident of Philadelphia, see: List of people from Philadelphia. Also that year Al Davis hired future hall of famer Art Shell to coach the Offensive Line. The "Italian Market" section of South Philadelphia is home to an increasing number of Vietnamese residents. In 1982, the Oakland Raiders moved to Los Angeles, California to play their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum; they won the championship the following year.

Philadelphia has a large Italian American population along with Irish-Americans, Asian-Americans, African Americans, and growing numbers of Hispanic residents and émigrés from Russia and Asian countries. In spite of his success, Madden left coaching in 1979 to pursue a career as a television football commentator. Distinctive Philadelphian dishes include:. In 1969, John Madden became the team's head coach, and during the 1970s he helped start the Raiders' ascent towards their current status as one of the most successful franchises in NFL history, starting with their 1977 Super Bowl XI win over the Minnesota Vikings. The following railroads, almost all radiating from downtown, were built in the mid-19th century:. In 1970, the AFL-NFL merger took place, and the Raiders joined the West Division of the American Football Conference in the newly merged National Football League. Philadelphia was an early railroad hub. The Raiders appeared in Super Bowl II (the first of five Super Bowls) in 1968 but lost to the NFL champion Green Bay Packers.

Other planned freeways have been cancelled, such as an Interstate 695 running southwest from downtown and a freeway upgrade of Roosevelt Boulevard. In 1966, Davis became Commissioner of the AFL and is considered a driving force in raising the AFL to competitive levels that forced the NFL to merge with the younger league. Shortly after it was completed, though, it became one of the busiest corridors in the region. Clem Daniels, Billy Cannon, Hoot Gibson, Art Powell and Daryle Lamonica were among many great players to wear the "silver and black", to be joined in 1967 by AFL legend George Blanda at the start of his nine-year career with the Raiders. The construction of 476 between 76 and 95 took much longer than expected due to community opposition and stubborn landowners. Four years later, the club captured the 1967 AFL Championship. The stretch of 476 between 95 and the toll portion of 476 (running North from the Mid-County Interchange at Plymouth Meeting) is referred to locally as "The Blue Route," because regional planners drew a blue line right through Montgomery and Delaware Counties to suggest where a road ought to be built. He reorganized the Raiders, and the team improved to a 10-4 won-loss record.

Opened in the early 1990s, the Northeast Extension (276 & 476) connects highways south of Philly International Airport to ones north of the city. Al Davis, a former assistant coach for the San Diego Chargers, was hired as head coach and general manager in 1963. The Tacony-Palmyra Bridge connects PA 73 with NJ 73, and is maintained by the Burlington County Bridge Commission. The team spent its first three seasons changing stadiums and losing more games than it won. The Delaware River Port Authority operates three bridges in Philadelphia over the Delaware River to New Jersey: the Walt Whitman Bridge (I-76), the Benjamin Franklin Bridge (I-676 and US 30), and the Betsy Ross Bridge (NJ 90). The franchise is tied with the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs for the most post-season games played as an AFL team, six. Plans to extend the highway west into the suburbs were killed by community opposition. Starting out as a poor franchise with a weak team playing in Frank Youell Field, towards the end of the 1960s it became an AFL powerhouse and one of professional football's most consistent teams.

The Woodhaven Expressway (PA 63), serving the neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia, runs between Interstate 95 and Roosevelt Boulevard (US 1). The Raiders' image was synonymous with the AFL's: brash and bold. In recent years, it has become a traffic bottleneck and includes the #2 and #3 worst intersections in the country about a mile from each other, according to a study by State Farm Insurance. The Oakland Raiders were a charter member of the American Football League in 1960. The boulevard was built for the Lincoln Highway as part of the City Beautiful movement. Football, Inc. Roosevelt Boulevard and the Roosevelt Expressway (US 1) connects Northeast Philadelphia with Center City. Legally, the team is a limited partnership operated by Al Davis, who serves as President of the team's general partner, A.D.

A link between I-95 and I-76, it runs beneath street level through Center City, and connects to the Ben Franklin Bridge at its east end. The Oakland Raiders are a National Football League team based in Oakland, California. Interstate 676, the Vine Street Expressway, was completed in 1991 after years of planning. Rod Woodson. It meets the Pennsylvania Turnpike at King of Prussia and provides access to Harrisburg and points west. Jack Tatum. The city is also served by Interstate 76 (the Schuylkill Expressway), which runs along the Schuylkill River. Ken Stabler.

Interstate 95 runs through the city along the Delaware River, providing transportation from Florida to Maine. Otis Sistrunk. Philadelphia International Airport provides domestic and international scheduled air service, while Northeast Philadelphia Airport serves general and corporate aviation. Jerry Rice. Two airports, Philadelphia International Airport and Northeast Philadelphia Airport, reside within the city limits (Philadelphia International also lies in the city limits of Tinicum Township, Delaware County). Jim Plunkett. PATCO provides subway service to Camden, Collingswood, Haddonfield, Cherry Hill, Ashland, 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. Art Powell.

Amtrak's 30th Street Station is a major railroad facility which offers access to Amtrak, SEPTA, and NJ Transit rail lines. Babe Parilli. Philadelphia lies directly on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. John Matuszak. Philadelphia is served by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, or SEPTA. SEPTA runs buses, trains, subways, trolleys, and trackless trolleys around Philadelphia and into the suburbs. Daryle Lamonica. Out of the total population, 31.3% of those under the age of 18 and 16.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. Sean Jones.

22.9% of the population and 18.4% of families are below the poverty line. Bo Jackson (also played Major League Baseball). The per capita income for the city is $16,509. Lester Hayes. Males have a median income of $34,199 versus $28,477 for females. Wayne Hawkins. The median income for a household in the city is $30,746, and the median income for a family is $37,036. Ray Guy.

For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 81.8 males. Dave Grayson. For every 100 females there are 86.8 males. Hoot Gibson. The median age is 34 years. Tom Flores. In the city the population is 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 are 65 years of age or older. Clem Daniels.

The average household size is 2.48 and the average family size is 3.22. Todd Christensen. 33.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. Billy Cannon (born 1937, made All-League as a halfback in 1961 and as a tight end in 1969). Of the 590,071 households, 27.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.1% are married couples living together, 22.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% are non-families. Tim Brown. The ethnic makeup of the city is 43.2% Black, 13.6% Irish, 9.2% Italian, 8.1% German, 6.4% Puerto Rican, and 4.3% Polish. Cliff Branch.

8.50% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. Lyle Alzado. The racial makeup of the city is 45.02% White, 43.22% African American, 0.27% Native American, 4.46% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.77% from other races, and 2.21% from two or more races. Marcus Allen. There are 661,958 housing units at an average density of 1,891.9/km² (4,900.1/mi²). Jerry Porter. The population density is 4,337.3/km² (11,233.6/mi²). Ted Washington.

As of the census² of 2000, there are 1,517,550 people, 590,071 households, and 352,272 families residing in the city. Charles Woodson. For a more extensive list of Philadelphia neighborhoods, see List of Philadelphia neighborhoods. Warren Sapp. These include Andorra, Roxborough, Northern Liberties, Old City, Bustleton, Oxford Circle, Somerton, Manayunk, Center City, Queen Village, Kensington, Frankford, University City, Strawberry Mansion, Chestnut Hill, Fishtown, Port Richmond, Germantown, Mount Airy, Wynnefield, Chinatown, Fox Chase, South Philly, Society Hill, the Museum District and many others. Randy Moss. Many of these neighborhoods coincide with the borough and townships that made up Philadelphia County before their absorbtion by the city. LaMont Jordan.

Like every big city, Philadelphia has many neighborhoods, each of which has its own identity. Rich Gannon. Bodies of water include the Schuylkill River, Cobbs Creek, Wissahickon Creek, and Pennypack Creek. Robert Gallery. The total area is 5.29% water. Kerry Collins. 349.9 km² (135.1 mi²) of it is land and 19.6 km² (7.6 mi²) of it is water. Gene Upshaw (1987) - 1967-1981.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 369.4 km² (142.6 mi²). Art Shell (1989) - 1968-1982. Philadelphia is located at 39°59'53" North, 75°8'41" West (39.998012, -75.144793)¹. Jim Otto (1980) - 1960-1974. The city is also a national center of law due to the University of Pennsylvania's prestigious law school. Ron Mix (1979) - 1971. Because of the large presence of the federal government, the city has a large contingent of law firms including the head quarters of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP-- a world-wide firm and federal contractor. Ronnie Lott (2000) - 1991-1992.

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. Howie Long (2000) - 1981-1993. The Federal government plays a large role in Philadelphia as well. James Lofton (2003) - 1987-1988. The list of major companies in Philadelphia includes Aramark, GlaxoSmithKline, Sunoco, Comcast, and Pep Boys. Ted Hendricks (1990) - 1975-1983. Philadelphia has its own stock exchange. Mike Haynes (1997) - 1983-1989.

Philadelphia's economy is heavily based upon manufacturing, refining, food, and financial services. Eric Dickerson (1999) - 1992. Judges for all of the above courts are elected at large. Al Davis (1992) - 1963-1965, 1966-Present. Also, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania and the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania sit in Philadelphia several times a year. Dave Casper (2002) - 1974-1980, 1984. Pennsylvania's three appellate courts also sit in Philadelphia. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, which is the court of last resort in the state, regularly hears arguments in Philadelphia City Hall. Willie Brown (1984) - 1967-1978.

Traffic Court is a court of special jurisdiction which hears violations of traffic laws. Bob Brown (2004) - 1971-1973. The Philadelphia Municipal Court handles matters of limited jurisdiction as well as landlord-tenant disputes, appeals from traffic court, conducts preliminary examinations for felony-level offenses, and the like. George Blanda (1981) - 1967-1975. It is funded and operated largely by City resources and employees. Fred Biletnikoff (1988) - 1965-1978. 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. Marcus Allen (2003) - 1982-1992.

Verna. The current council president is Anna C. Philadelphia has seven council members at large, and ten council members from districts. The legislative branch of Philadelphia is the Philadelphia City Council.

See also: List of mayors of Philadelphia. He was re-elected by a larger majority in 2003. The incumbent is former Philadelphia City Council President John Street (D), who was first elected in 1999. 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.

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. Prior to that, the city of Philadelphia consisted only of those areas between South Street, Vine Street, the Delaware River, and the Schuylkill River. The city limits have been coterminous with Philadelphia County since 1854. The term "Downtown" refers to South Philadelphia.

The Central Business District is known as Center City, and is the third largest of its kind in America. David Rittenhouse was a clockmaker and friend of the American Revolution. William Rittenhouse's original paper mill site is known as Rittenhousetown, and is a delightful rural setting in Fairmount Park. Rittenhouse Square is named after David Rittenhouse, a descendent of the first paper-maker in Philadelphia, the German immigrant William Rittenhouse.

Since the completion of One Liberty Place, no Philadelphia sporting team has won a world championship event in its discipline, a phenomenon locally - and increasingly nationally - known as the "Curse of Billy Penn." There is also a Masonic Temple located only across the street from the City Hall, a legacy of the Founding Fathers and signers of the Declaration of Independence, many of whom were Freemasons. One Liberty Place is the tallest building not only in Philadelphia but in the entire state of Pennsylvania, however in 2005 construction began on the Comcast Center which, when completed in 2007, will be 30 feet taller than One Liberty Place. Since then, seven other skyscrapers have been completed exceeding the statue, including One Liberty Place's little sister, Two Liberty Place. However in March of 1987, One Liberty Place broke the gentlemen's agreement not to exceed the height of the statue of William Penn on the top of the City Hall.

City Hall is the tallest masonry building in the world; and through the late 1980s, City Hall used to be locally known as the tallest building in Philadelphia. Both are the same distance south of City Hall. 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. He also planned five public parks, one at the intersection of High and Broad Streets in the very center of the city (now occupied by the City Hall) and four others (now called Washington Square, Rittenhouse Square, Logan Square and Franklin Square) surrounding it.

The east-west streets, many of them named for trees, e.g., Chestnut, Walnut, Locust, and Spruce (These are laid out in increasing Hardness from the Soft-wood Pine in the South to the Hard-wood Chestnut in the North) parallel the main thoroughfare named High Street by Penn, but called Market Street since at least the early 18th century (six blocks south of the latter is South Street, noted in recent decades for its raucous night life and the subject of the 1963 hit single by The Orlons of the same name). The numbered streets then resume, continuing in the original plan to 28th at the Schuylkill River. The north-south streets are numbered sequentially from Front (instead of First), along the Delaware River, to 13th, followed by the main north-south thoroughfare, Broad Street (instead of 14th). Penn's surveyor, Thomas Holme, laid out the city in a strict grid, with all streets running either north-south or east-west.

In 1926, the city held the Sesquicentennial Exposition, but Philadelphia was not the central focus of the Bicentennial observances that took place nationwide in the United States in 1976 (New York City held this distinction, as thousands of "tall ships" gathered in New York Harbor on July 4, 1976, the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence). Memorial Hall and the expansive mall in front of it are remnants of this fair. In 1876 Philadelphia hosted the World's Fair known as the Centennial Exposition. 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 on Broad Street, as was its merger successor, the Penn Central.

An early railroad center, Philadelphia was the original home of the Baldwin Locomotive Works, the world's largest builder of steam locomotives (which relocated to nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania). Philadelphia served as the temporary capital for a decade, until 1800, when the Capitol building in the new Federal city of Washington, DC was opened. In exchange for locating a permanent capital on the banks of the Potomac River, the congressmen agreed to support Hamilton's financial proposals. In 1790, the seat of the United States Government was moved from Federal Hall in New York to Congress Hall in Philadelphia as the result of a compromise between a number of Southern congressmen and United States Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton.

For a time in the 18th century, Philadelphia was the largest city in the Americas north of Mexico City, and was the fourth largest city under Crown rule (after London, Bristol, and Dublin). The Declaration of Independence and US Constitution were signed in the city's Independence Hall. Philadelphia was a major center of the independence movement during the American Revolutionary War. Penn also required lots of alleyways and open spaces in hopes of controlling fires and disease (which were then common problems in London).

This was intended to allow the city's population to leave the city easily. During early immigration by Quakers and others, when immigrants purchased land in the city, they also received farm land outside of the city. 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. The city's name means "city of brotherly love" in ancient Greek.

Philadelphia is a planned city founded and developed by William Penn, a Quaker. In 1700, the group built the Gloria Dei Church, also known as Old Swedes. A congregation was formed in 1646 on Tinicum Island by Swedish missionary Johannes Campanius. In 1669, Swedish colonists became the first Europeans to settle the area (see New Sweden), calling it Wicoca.

Before Europeans arrived, the Delaware (Lenape) Indian town of Shackamaxon was located where Philadelphia now stands. At that time, it eclipsed Boston and New York City in political and social importance, with Benjamin Franklin playing an extraordinary role in Philadelphia's rise.
. During part of the 18th century, the city was the second capital and then-most populous city of the United States. It has played a critical role in American history and the birth of American independence and democracy.

Philadelphia is one of the oldest cities in the United States. Philadelphia is the central city for the Delaware Valley metropolitan area. The Philadelphia metropolitan area is the fourth largest nationally, with some 5.7 million people. However, later estimates showed that Philadelphia's population loss and Phoenix's population growth had both slowed, leaving the rankings unchanged for the present.

A July 1, 2002 census estimate showed the population dropping modestly to 1,492,231, with Phoenix, Arizona surpassing the city proper as the 5th largest city in the United States. Philadelphia (sometimes referred to as "Philly" or "the City of Brotherly Love") is the fifth most populous city in the United States and the most populous city in the state of Pennsylvania, occupying all of Philadelphia County.⁶ As of the 2000 census, the population was 1,517,550. Indoor soccer: Philadelphia Kixx (Major Indoor Soccer League). Indoor lacrosse: Philadelphia Wings (National Lacrosse League).

Arena football: Philadelphia Soul (Arena Football League). hockey: Philadelphia Flyers (National Hockey League), Philadelphia Phantoms (American Hockey League). Basketball: Philadelphia 76ers (National Basketball Association). Baseball: Philadelphia Phillies (Major League Baseball).

football: Philadelphia Eagles (National Football League). Delaware County Community College, Marple Township. West Chester University of Pennsylvania, West Chester. University of Delaware, located just outside Pennsylvania in Newark, Delaware.

Widener University, Chester. Swarthmore College, Swarthmore. Villanova University, Villanova. Neumann College, Aston.

Haverford College, Haverford. Rosemont College, Bryn Mawr. Davids. Eastern University, located in St.

Bryn Mawr College, located in Bryn Mawr. Arcadia University, located in Glenside, Pennsylvania. Manor College, located in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. Bryn Athyn College of the New Church, located in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania.

Temple University's Tyler School of Art, located in Elkin's Park, Pennsylvania. Temple University, located in Ambler, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania State University, located in Abington, Pennsylvania and Media, Pennsylvania. Montgomery County Community College, located in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania.

University of Pennsylvania. University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. University of the Arts. Thomas Jefferson University.

Temple University. Saint Joseph's University. Philadelphia University. Philadelphia Community College.

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. La Salle University. Holy Family University.

Drexel University. Curtis Institute of Music. Chestnut Hill College. The Art Institute of Philadelphia.

The Resturant School. Moore College of Art. Masterman high school. Central High School.

Philadelphia Auto Show. Philadelphia Flower Show. The Wing Bowl, a chicken wing eating competition. Patrick's Day Parade.

Philadelphia St. The Greek Picnic, a reunion and celebration of African-American college fraternities. The Mummers Parade, held every New Year's Day on Broad Street. For a traditional Philadelphia cheesesteak - Tony Luke's, Pat's Steaks, Geno's Steaks or Jim's Steaks (though cheesteaks can be found at most any corner pizza shop).

South Street. SEPTA Museum. Rittenhouse Square. Reading Terminal Market.

Philadelphia Zoo. Penn's Landing. One Liberty Place. LOVE Park.

Italian market. Gloria Dei National Historic Site, built in 1700, it is the oldest church in the state. Fairmount Park. Elfreth's Alley.

Eastern State Penitentiary. Philadelphia City Hall. Betsy Ross House. 30th Street Station.

University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Rosenbach Foundation & Rosenbach Museum. Rodin Museum (largest collection of Auguste Rodin's works outside France). Please Touch Museum.

Philadelphia Museum of Art. National Constitution Center. Mütter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia (museum of medical and pathological oddities and curiosities). Liberty Bell & Independence Hall.

Franklin Institute. Fort Mifflin. Fairmount Waterworks and its interpretive center. Edgar Allan Poe House.

Barnes Foundation. Atwater-Kent Municipal Museum. Unlike soft pretzels of other cities, which are the same shape as hard pretzels, Philadelphia soft pretzels have a long, thin block-like shape. Soft pretzel -- thick, doughy pretzels, generally salted, often served with mustard.

Polish ice -- A much looser, creamier form of Italian Ice, usually coming only in chocolate and vanilla. Irish ice -- Irish ice is a creamier, thicker form of water ice. Italian ice (Water Ice)-- a frozen dessert, similar to a slushie except stiffer. Scrapple -- corn meal mush cooked up with every part (scrap) of the pig from the Pennsylvania Dutch country of Lancaster County.

Hoagies -- a sandwich made with cold cuts on an Italian roll, a localised variant of the submarine sandwich. Cheesesteaks, a kind of humble culinary masterpiece, made of cheese (usually either Cheez Wiz(tm), provolone or American) and slices of fried ribeye steak on a hoagie (Italian) roll, sometimes combined with onions or mushrooms - recent innovations include a chicken and a vegetarian variant. 1854: West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad[11] (http://courses.wcupa.edu/jones/his480/notes/rr-1.htm). 1850: relocation of Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad (later Pennsylvania Railroad main line)[10] (http://www.railsandtrails.com/PRR/BOD1948/history.html).

1839: Camden and Woodbury Railroad[9] (http://www.earlpleasants.com/search_1.asp). 1837: Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad[8] (http://broadway.pennsyrr.com/Rail/Prr/Corphist/pb_w.html). 1835?: Philadelphia and Reading Railroad[7] (http://www.ushistory.org/philadelphia/special/railroad.htm). 1835: Southwark Railroad (only in downtown)[6] (http://broadway.pennsyrr.com/Rail/Prr/Corphist/pb_w.html).

1834: Camden and Amboy Railroad[5] (http://broadway.pennsyrr.com/Rail/Prr/Corphist/urrnj.html). 1834: Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad[4] (http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~wdstock/railroad.htm). 1834: Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad (later Pennsylvania Railroad main line)[3] (http://www.columbiahistoric.com/RAILROAD.HTM). 1834: Delaware and Schuylkill Railroad (only in downtown)[2] (http://www.ushistory.org/philadelphia/special/railroad.htm).

1832: Philadelphia, Germantown and Norristown Railroad[1] (http://www.ushistory.org/philadelphia/special/railroad.htm).