Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
|
| Nickname: "City of Brotherly Love" | |
| Motto: "N/A" | |
| Official website: http://www.phila.gov | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
|
|
|
| Government | |
| Country State Counties |
United States Pennsylvania Philadelphia |
| Mayor | John F. Street (D) |
| Geographical characteristics | |
| Area | |
| Total | 349.9 km² |
| Land | 330.3 km² |
| Water | 19.6 km² |
| Population | |
| Total (2004) | 1,470,151 |
| Metro area | 5,751,803 |
| Density | 4,337.3/km² |
| Latitude | {{{latitude}}} |
| Longitude | {{{longitude}}} |
| Coordinates | |
| Elevation | m |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
Philadelphia (often referred to simply as "Philly" and sometimes as the "the City of Brotherly Love") is the fifth most populous city in the United States and the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, both in area and population. Since 1854, the city has been coterminous with Philadelphia CountyGR6. Since 1952, the city and the county have shared a common government, yet the county still exists as a separate entity within Pennsylvania. As of July 1, 2004, the population estimate for the city was 1,470,151. Philadelphia has the third largest downtown residential population in the United States, behind New York and Chicago.
The Philadelphia metropolitan area is the fourth largest in the United States by the current official definition, with some 6.2 million people, though some other definitions place it sixth behind the San Francisco Bay Area and Washington-Baltimore. Philadelphia is the central city for the Delaware Valley metropolitan area.
Philadelphia is one of the oldest and most historically significant cities in the United States. It has played a critical role in American history. During part of the 18th century, the city was the second capital and most populous city of the United States. 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.
The city limits have been coterminous with Philadelphia County since The Act of Consolidation in 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's expansion incorporated the neighborhoods of West Philadelphia, South Philadelphia, North Philadelphia, and Northeast Philadelphia, as well as Germantown and smaller communities such as Roxborough, Manayunk, Mount Airy and Chestnut Hill.
Philadelphia is also one of the largest college towns in the United States with over 120,000 students studying within the city limits alone and nearly 300,000 total college and university students in the metropolitan area.
Before Europeans arrived, the Delaware (Lenape) Indian town of Shackamaxon was located where Philadelphia now stands, specifically, the Germantown neighborhood. Although the area was within the bounds described in the 1632 Charter of Maryland, the Calvert family's actual reach never came this far, and Swedish colonists became the first Europeans to settle the area (see New Sweden), calling it Wiccacoa. A congregation was formed in 1646 on Tinicum Island by Swedish missionary Johannes Campanius. In 1700, the group built the Gloria Dei Church, also known as Old Swedes.
Philadelphia is a planned city founded and developed by William Penn, a Quaker. The city's name means "city of 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, when immigrants purchased land in the city, they also received farm land outside of the city. This was intended to allow the city's population to leave the city easily. Penn also required lots of alleyways and open spaces in hopes of controlling fires and disease, which were then common problems in London and other major cities.
Independence Hall, 18th CenturyPhiladelphia was a major center of the independence movement during the American Revolutionary War. The Declaration of Independence and US Constitution were drafted in Philadelphia and signed in the city's Independence Hall. The United States Marine Corps also began here on Nov. 10, 1775 when Samuel Nicholas began recruiting men at Tun Tavern.
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).
In 1790, as the result of a compromise between a number of Southern congressmen and Alexander Hamilton, then serving as 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 taking its current residence in Washington, DC. In exchange for locating a permanent capital on the banks of the Potomac River, the congressmen agreed to support Hamilton's financial proposals. Philadelphia served as the capital for a decade, until 1800, when the Capitol building in the new Federal city of Washington, DC was opened.
1888 German map of Philadelphia. The two most noticeable streets are Broad Street (north and south) and Market Street (west and east). There are two rivers surrounding Philadelphia, which, for a time, acted as the city boundaries. To the left, the Schuylkill River and to the right is the Delaware River, separating Pennsylvania from New Jersey.An early railroad center, 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.
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.
Center City Philadelphia panorama, from 1913.Philadelphia is located at 39°59′53″N, 75°8′41″W.
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 is water. The total area is 5.29% water. Bodies of water include the Delaware River, Schuylkill River, Cobbs Creek, Wissahickon Creek, and Pennypack Creek.
The lowest point in the city is 10 feet above sea level near Fort Mifflin in Southwest Philadelphia at the convergence of the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers. The highest point in the city is Chestnut Hill, with an elevation of 432 feet above sea level located near Evergreen Place, just north and west of Evergreen Avenue.
The climate in Philadelphia is temperate, with four seasons. Summers tend to be hot and often muggy, with the humidity tending to be high during July and August. Fall and spring are mild. The rainfall pattern is generally spread throughout the year, with between six and nine wet days per month. Winters are cold, but only a few days every winter does the temperature drop below -10° C. Snowfall is unpredictable, with some winters experiencing little and others characterised by more frequent snowstorms. The city center and inner New Jersey suburbs generally have light snow, with heavier falls being experienced to the north and west of the metropole. January lows average -4° C (25° F) and highs average 4° C (39° F). July lows average 21° C (70° F) and highs average 30° C (86° F) although during heat waves, summer highs can cross 35° C (95° F) with the heat index due to the humidity making it seem as high as 43* C (110° F). The lowest temperature ever officially recorded for the city was -22° C (-7° F) in 1984, and the highest temperature ever recorded was 40° C (104° F) in 1966. Philadelphia receives ample precipitation year round with an average of 1068 mm (42 in) of annual precipitation. Early fall and late winter are generally the driest times of the year, with February being the driest month with 69.8 mm (2.74 in) of precipitation. Summers are usually humid and rainy and July receives the most average precipitation at 111.5 mm (4.39 in) of rainfall.
Penn's surveyor, Thomas Holme, laid out the city in a strict grid, with all streets running either north-south or east-west. 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).
The numbered streets then resume, continuing in the original plan to 28th at the Schuylkill River. The east-west streets, many of them named for trees, e.g., Chestnut, Walnut, Locust, and Spruce (laid out in increasing hardness from softwood Pine in the South to hardwood 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 Market is South Street, noted in recent decades for its night life and the subject of the 1963 hit single of the same name by The Orlons, was the original southern boundary of the city. Vine Street, located three blocks north of Market, served as the original northern boundry.
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 center 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.
The post World War II era would see further changes in the cityscape. 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 Center 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 most enduring innovations was a collection 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 Center City Rail Connector, Vine Street Expressway, Delaware Expressway, and improvements to the Schykull 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 today.
Philadelphia is home to a number of skyscrapers. The city's tallest buildings are as follows:
There are also several other major skyscrapers under construction and in the final planning stages:
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 Andorra, Fairmount, Bella Vista, Belmont, Brewerytown, Bustleton, Center City, Chestnut Hill, Chinatown,East Falls, East Oak Lane, West Oak Lane, Feltonville, Fishtown, Fitler's Square, Fox Chase, Frankford, Germantown, Graduate Hospital/Southwest Center City, Grays Ferry, Hawthorne, Holmesburg, Juniata Park, Kensington, Kingsessing, Lawncrest, Logan, Manayunk, Mayfair, Mount Airy, North Philadelphia, Northern Liberties, Old City, Olney, Overbrook, Oxford Circle, Pennsport, Pennypack, Point Breeze, Port Richmond, Powelton Village, Queen Village, Rittenhouse, Roxborough, Society Hill, Somerton, South Philadelphia, Southwark, Strawberry Mansion, University City, Tacony, Washington Square West, Wister, Wynnefield, and many others.
Further information: Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, and Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia also has a significant immediate suburban area which depend on its economy and public transportation, such as Ambler, Yeadon, Upper Darby, Lansdowne, Ardmore, King Of Prussia, Abington, Jenkintown, Cheltenham, Willow Grove, Bala Cynwyd, Bensalem, Bristol, Glenside, and Norristown.
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, Rohm and Haas Company, 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 first 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.
Due in part to 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 center of law due to the prestigious University of Pennsylvania Law School and the Temple University Beasley School of Law.
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there are 1,517,550 people, 590,071 households, and 352,272 families residing in the city. The population density is 4,337.3/km² (11,233.6/mi²). There are 661,958 housing units at an average density of 1,891.9/km² (4,900.1/mi²). 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. 8.50% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. The ethnic makeup of the city is 32.5% African American, 13.6% Irish, 9.2% Italian, 6.6% Puerto Rican, 6.4% German, and 4.3% Polish.
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. 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. The average household size is 2.48 and the average family size is 3.22.
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. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 81.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $30,746, and the median income for a family is $37,036. Males have a median income of $34,199 versus $28,477 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,509. 22.9% of the population and 18.4% of families are below the poverty line. 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.
Philadelphia has long been a Black and White city, with hardly any Asians or Hispanics to speak of. However, the number of Asians and Hispanics has increased over the past 20 years, and continues to accelerate. The African-American population also increased, but at a slower rate. Non-Hispanic whites decreased both absolutely and relatively. US Census estimates predict by 2010 that the population of the city will have a growth rate of zero, or an increase instead of the yearly decrease of residents. This will occur due to immigration, and recently net migration from across the country, mostly non-whites. They come to Philadelphia for the culture, safer conditions than in cities such as Camden or Baltimore, a lower cost of living than in cities like New York or Boston, and job growth.
The city has the second largest Irish, Italian, and Jamaican populations in America. Increases in Latino immigration have created a diverse Hispanic community centered around El Centro de Oro in West Kensington. Puerto Ricans comprise over 76% of the Latino population in the city.. The Asian community has long been established in the city's bustling Chinatown district, but recent Vietnamese immigrants have also forged neighborhoods and bazaars alongside the venerable Italian market. Numerous Korean immigrants have come to the melting-pot of Olney. Many other cultures can also be found throughout the city, including Subsaharan Africans and West Indians in the Cedar Park neighborhood, Poles in the Port Richmond neighborhood, and many Russian, Greek and Ukrainian immigrants in the Near Northeast. While African-American populations live throughout the city, the largest concentrations are in the Northwest, North Central, West, Southwest, and South "Philly" sections. Non-Hispanic Whites have their largest concentrations, perhaps a majority, living in an increasingly diverse Northeast section of this city. According to the US Census, this group decreased from an absolute majority in 1990 to 39% of Philadelphia's population in 2004(the latest estimate).
Recent immigrants from Asia are of mainly Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Thai backgrounds. Also, the Latino population continues to grow as Mexican, Dominican, Colombian, Guatemalan immigrants and Puerto Rican citizens move to the city. Philadelphia also has growing populations of Ethiopians, Somalians, Jamaicans, Haitians, Sudanese, and Nigerians.
European immigration is also growing, but at a slower rate, with continuing Italian, Polish, Greek, Russian and Ukrainian immigrants. But growing numbers include Spanish, Portuguese, Slovak, German, Croatian and many others.
The city's Middle Eastern population has tripled since 1990. With people of Turkish, Iranian, Iraqi, Saudi, Syrian, Lebanese, Pakistani, and Afghani backgrounds residing in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia has great diversity, depth, and quality among its restaurants. Notable restaurants include Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto's self-named Morimoto; other venerable restaurants include Rouge, Old Original Bookbinder's, Vetri, Lacroix at the Rittenhouse, City Tavern, Suzanna Foo, Brasserie Perrier, and Le Bec-Fin.
Little known facts:
Distinctive Philadelphian dishes include:
Further information: List of people from Philadelphia
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. Later as a temporary Capital of the United States, it was home to President George Washington for several years.
Its cultural diversity is reflected in the music and musicians who have come from or through Philadelphia: the R&B styles of Jill Scott, Patti LaBelle, and Boyz II Men; the jazz of John Coltrane, Grover Washington, Jr., Stan Getz, and Sun Ra; the '50s rock 'n' roll of Fabian, Bobby Rydell, and Chubby Checker; the rock of Todd Rundgren, Hall & Oates, and Pink; the hip hop of The Roots and Eve; Neo Soul and electronic sounds of King Britt and the electronic-funk of Josh Wink; and the opera of Marian Anderson. Up and coming artists to watch for: DJ Dozia and filmmaker music producer Justin Paul.
Famed comedian Bill Cosby was born and raised in Philadelphia as well as actors Grace Kelly, Will Smith, Seth Green, John Barrymore, Peter Boyle, and Kevin Bacon. Others, like Richard Gere, were born in Philadelphia, but moved elsewhere in their youths. Kathryn Morris (of TV's Cold Case, set in Philly), was born in Ohio but attended Philadelphia's Temple University.
Film director M. Night Shyamalan sets just about all of his movies in or around Philadelphia with Wide Awake, The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, The Village and Signs.
Philadelphia is home to some of the country's most prominent radio stations, including one of the nation's leading rock stations, WMMR at 93.3FM. The station has been a breakthrough station for many contemporary rock bands, and is widely known in the rock music community for its influence in impacting the country's rock music trends.
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 the city's other major rock station, 94.1FM WYSP. In late 2005, WYSP was replaced by Free-FM, a talk-rock hybrid based upon the listening hour. WPLY Y100 had formerly been a purely Philadelphia-based alternative rock station, but its format was changed to hip hop in early 2005 by parent company Radio One. Ex-Y100 Program Director and others have since started Y100rocks.com and broadcast, air and sponsor Philadelphia concerts, local bands and host private recordings with major artists on a regular basis.
Philadelphia is home to WHYY-FM (90.9 FM), the Delaware Valley's premier public radio station and NPR affiliate. WHYY-FM produces Fresh Air, and is affiliated with WHYY-TV, which serves Philadelphia but is licensed in Wilmington, DE, a city 25 miles SW of Philadelphia.
WXPN (88.5 FM), operated by the University of Pennsylvania, is responsible for launching the careers of many famous artists who couldn't get airplay from the major stations at first. The station is funded to a large extent by listeners who become members. WXPN sponsors a music festival each summer, and they now broadcast worldwide via their website: [3].
WEXP, La Salle University Radio, is one of Philadelphia's most popular college radio stations. WEXP, established in 1972, is the city's only true freeform radio station, putting the format of any radio show in the hands of the DJ. The station is well known for its sports coverage, which is widely considered as the most extensive of any college radio station in the United States. WEXP airs nearly 100 live sports broadcasts every year for six Explorer teams, in four sports (soccer, football, basketball, and baseball). They broadcast worldwide via their website. [4]
La salle 56 is only one of two local college television stations distributed throughout Philadelphia. La Salle 56, established in 1991, is carried within city limits on both the Comcast Cable and Urban CableWorks systems. The station reaches over 300,000 homes and attempts to serve the La Salle University community and its neighbors with educational and entertaining programs. [5]
WXTU (92.5 FM) is the most listened-to country music station in the northeast, and second most east of the Mississippi, behind only Nashville's WSM.
WOGL (98.1 FM) is a popular station for oldies.
Philadelphia's current sports talk radio station, WIP 610AM, became the city's "Pioneer Radio Voice" on March 17, 1922. The station, which was owned and operated by the Gimbel Brothers Department Store, was the city's first radio station.
WUSL (98.9) and WDAS (105.3) are Philadelphia's leading stations for R&B, quiet storm and hip-hop audiences.
Philadelphia has a long and proud history of professional sports teams. Philadelphia sports fans have a reputation of being devoted to their teams in good times and bad. Of late Philadelphia teams have been performing well, but frequently missing championships by failing during the crucial stages. Some locals half-jokingly attribute this to the Curse of Billy Penn. The city's last major championship came in 1983, when the 76ers swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. The Philadelphia Wings, the local National Lacrosse League team, have won six championships between 1989 and 2001.
The Eagles, Phillies, Flyers and 76ers have each recently had new venues built for them. The Eagles currently play at Lincoln Financial Field (informally known as "The Linc") which was built in 2003. The Phillies now play at Citizens Bank Park (2004). The Sixers and Flyers share the Wachovia Center (1996) with the Wings and the Philadelphia Soul (Arena Football League) arena football team. The Wachovia Spectrum (1967) is now home to the Flyers' top farm team, the Philadelphia Phantoms (American Hockey League), and the Philadelphia Kixx (Major Indoor Soccer League), an Indoor soccer team.
The Philadelphia Barrage (Major League Lacrosse) play at the stadium of Villanova University, which is located in Villanova, Pennsylvania (Delaware County) which is just outside of Philadelphia to the west. Philadelphia is also the place where the Army-Navy Game is held every year, now played at Lincoln Financial Field.
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). The city's original NFL team was the Frankford Yellow Jackets (Frankford being a neighborhood located in Northeast Philadelphia); the club disbanded during the 1931 football season, then re-emerged under the same ownership two years later as the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Manayunk area is also home to the annual USPRO bicycle race, which is the US road racing national championship race. The main feature of the race is the "Manayunk Wall", an inclined street including all of Levering Avenue and a few blocks of Lyceum Avenue. The race has been largely credited with the economic revival of the neighborhood, and cycling is a prominent theme of many of the shops and restaurants in the area.
Philadelphia is also home to the Big Five, a unique rivalry consisting of Temple University, St. Joseph's University, University of Pennsylvania, Villanova University, and La Salle University's basketball teams. Originating in 1955, the Big Five plays their games at the Palestra, a venerable brick building housed on the campus of Penn. In the past, fans would throw streamers of their school's colors onto the court when their team scored their first points. Often games come down to the final shot, giving their school bragging rights for the rest of the year.
Philadelphia is considering a bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
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 sixth-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, Washington, DC and Baltimore were ranked second- and third- most dangerous, while New York City was ranked fourth-safest; Camden, New Jersey, across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, was ranked most-dangerous overall.
See also:
The city area code has been 215 since 1947.
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 Street (D), who was elected in 1999, and re-elected by a larger majority in 2003. Philadelphia's mayors have been Democrats since 1952.
The legislative branch of Philadelphia is the Philadelphia City Council, which consists of seven council members elected at-large and ten council members from individual districts. 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, conducts preliminary examinations for felony-level offenses, and the like. Traffic Court is a court of special jurisdiction which hears violations of traffic laws.
Pennsylvania's three appellate courts also have sittings in Philadelphia. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, which is 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 Great Depression, Philadelphia was a bastion of the Republican Party, which came from the extreme pro-northern views of Philadelphia residents during and after the war. After the Great Depression, the city swung Democratic, although it was not won by Franklin D. Roosevelt during his first landslide victory in 1932 (which helped make Pennsylvania one of the few states Herbert Hoover carried that year.)Since then, the city has never voted for a Republican in a Presidential Election, despite Republicans being elected to statewide offices very often since the 1930's and in 2004, Democrat John Kerry won 80% of the vote in Philadelphia despite only narrowly winning Pennsylvania.
As of November 2004, 16.5% of registered voters in Philadelphia are Republicans, 74.9% are Democrats, and 8.6% are other or unaffiliated.
All of Philadelphia is served by the School District of Philadelphia. All schools in the district are required to have a school uniform or a similar dress code.
Philadelphia is home to the most extensive Catholic education system in the nation. Along with hundreds of parish-driven elementary schools, there are also twelve Catholic high schools within the city ranging from Archdiocesan high schools to private Catholic high schools.
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.
Philadelphia lies directly on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. Amtrak's 30th Street Station is a major railroad facility which offers access to Amtrak, SEPTA, and NJ Transit rail lines.
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.
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). Philadelphia International Airport provides domestic and international scheduled air service, while Northeast Philadelphia Airport serves general and corporate aviation.
Interstate 95 (I-95) runs through the city along the Delaware River, providing transportation from Florida to Maine.
The city is also served by Interstate 76, the Schuylkill Expressway, which runs along the Schuylkill River. It meets the Pennsylvania Turnpike at King of Prussia and provides access to Harrisburg and points west.
Interstate 676, the Vine Street Expressway, was completed in 1991 after years of planning. 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.
Roosevelt Boulevard and the Roosevelt Expressway (US 1) connect Northeast Philadelphia with Center 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 most deadly intersections in the country about a mile from each other, according to a study by State Farm Insurance.
The Woodhaven Expressway (PA 63), was built in 1966 to serve the neighborhoods of Northeast Philadelphia, and runs between Interstate 95 and Roosevelt Boulevard (US 1). Plans to extend the highway west into the suburbs were killed by community opposition when the highway was first built. The subsequent severe traffic congestion over the past four decades on adjoining Byberry Road has led to renewed plans for some sort of extension and expansion. Several plans have been suggested that would expand different roads using different design 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 over 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 (NJ 90), and the Commodore Barry Bridge (US 322). The Tacony-Palmyra Bridge connects PA 73 with NJ 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 and a freeway upgrade of Roosevelt Boulevard.
Since the early days rail transport in the United States, Philadelphia has acted as hub for several rail companies. The two most notable companies to have major operations in Philadelphia were the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) and the Reading Railroad (Reading), with both operating hubs out of Philadelphia, the PRR operating first Broad Street Station then 30th Street Station and Suburban Station, and Reading operating out of Reading Terminal, now part of the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The two companies also operated separate competing commuter rail systems in the Philadelphia area, known collectively as the Regional Rail system. The two systems today, for the most part still intact, now operate as one whole system under the control of SEPTA, the regional transit authority.
Philadelphia is also notable for being one of the few North American cities to maintain some of its streetcar lines. In addition to the "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 which also ran in the subway). The city has recently reintroduced the Girard Avenue Line, Route 15. Thought by some to be a "heritage" line, its use of rebuilt 1947 streetcars was done primarily for budgetary reasons, and not necessarily as an historic tribute.
Today Philadelphia serves as a major rail transportation hub for the nationalized Amtrak system, with 30th Street Station serving as its main station. As well as serving as a major station on Amtrak services running on the Northeast and Keystone Corridor's it also services as a major station for services PRR's former Pennsylvania Main Line to points west such as Harrisburg, Pittsburgh and Chicago, Illinois. 30th Street Station currently is the 3rd busiest station in terms of passengers in the Amtrak system.
Philadelphia has ten sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):
Logan Square, found only a few blocks south-west of City Hall on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, is home to the Sister Cities Plaza, which commemorates Philadelphia's special relationship with Tel-Aviv and Florence. The plaza occupies the southeast corner of the square.
|
The plaza occupies the southeast corner of the square. This allows them to be trained to behave in a way that is not specifically the most natural to their breed; nevertheless, the accumulated experience of thousands of years shows that some combinations of nature and nurture are quite daunting, for instance, training whippets to guard flocks of sheep. Logan Square, found only a few blocks south-west of City Hall on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, is home to the Sister Cities Plaza, which commemorates Philadelphia's special relationship with Tel-Aviv and Florence. Of course, dogs in general possess a significant ability to modify their behavior according to experience, including adapting to the behavior of their "pack leaders"—again, humans. (SCI):. The example of canine neoteny goes even further, in that the various breeds are differently neotenized according to the type of behavior that was selected. Philadelphia has ten sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. Compared to wolves, many adult dog breeds retain such juvenile characteristics as soft fuzzy fur, round torsos, large heads and eyes, ears that hang down rather than stand erect, etc.; characteristics which are shared by most juvenile mammals, and therefore generally elicit some degree of protective and nurturing behavior cross-species from most adult mammals, including humans, who term such characteristics "cute" or "appealing". 30th Street Station currently is the 3rd busiest station in terms of passengers in the Amtrak system. This paedomorphic selection naturally results in a retention of juvenile physical characteristics as well. As well as serving as a major station on Amtrak services running on the Northeast and Keystone Corridor's it also services as a major station for services PRR's former Pennsylvania Main Line to points west such as Harrisburg, Pittsburgh and Chicago, Illinois. This is true of many domesticated animals, including human beings themselves, who have many characteristics similar to young bonobo. Today Philadelphia serves as a major rail transportation hub for the nationalized Amtrak system, with 30th Street Station serving as its main station. As with many species, the young wolves are more social and less dominant than adults; therefore, the selection for these characteristics, whether deliberate or inadvertent, is more likely to result in a simple retention of juvenile characteristics into adulthood than to generate a complex of independent new changes in behavior. Thought by some to be a "heritage" line, its use of rebuilt 1947 streetcars was done primarily for budgetary reasons, and not necessarily as an historic tribute. This rapid evolution of dogs from wolves is an example of neoteny or paedomorphism. The city has recently reintroduced the Girard Avenue Line, Route 15. Deliberately crossing two or more breeds is also a manner of establishing new breeds. In addition to the "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 which also ran in the subway). However, without genetic testing of the parents, the crosses can sometimes end up inheriting genetic defects that occur in both parental breeds. Philadelphia is also notable for being one of the few North American cities to maintain some of its streetcar lines. Such deliberate crosses may display hybrid vigor and other desirable traits, but can also lack one or more of the desired traits of their parents, such as temperament or a particular color or coat. The two systems today, for the most part still intact, now operate as one whole system under the control of SEPTA, the regional transit authority. Sometimes mixed-breed dogs are deliberately bred, for example, the Cockapoo, a mixture of Cocker Spaniel and Miniature Poodle. The two companies also operated separate competing commuter rail systems in the Philadelphia area, known collectively as the Regional Rail system. Mixed breeds, or dogs with no purebred ancestry, are not inherently "better" or "worse" than purebred dogs as companions, pets, working dogs, or competitors in dog sports. The two most notable companies to have major operations in Philadelphia were the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) and the Reading Railroad (Reading), with both operating hubs out of Philadelphia, the PRR operating first Broad Street Station then 30th Street Station and Suburban Station, and Reading operating out of Reading Terminal, now part of the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Mixed-breed dogs or Mongrels are dogs that do not belong to specific breeds, being mixtures of two or more in variant percentages. Since the early days rail transport in the United States, Philadelphia has acted as hub for several rail companies. In February 2004, the Canine Studies Institute in Aurora, Ohio, arranged recognized breeds of dogs into ten categories. Other planned freeways have been cancelled, such as an Interstate 695 running southwest from downtown and a freeway upgrade of Roosevelt Boulevard. The behavior and appearance of a dog of a particular breed can be predicted fairly accurately, while mixed-breed dogs show a broader range of innovative appearance and behavior. The Tacony-Palmyra Bridge connects PA 73 with NJ 73, and is maintained by the Burlington County Bridge Commission. These problems are not limited to purebred dogs and can affect mixed-breed populations. The Delaware River Port Authority operates four bridges in the Philadelphia area over 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 (NJ 90), and the Commodore Barry Bridge (US 322). Even prize-winning purebred dogs sometimes possess crippling genetic defects due to inbreeding. A final decision has not yet been reached, and undoubtedly the construction phase will continue for several years after the planning stage is completed. These considerations come into play among breeders who enter their dogs in dog shows. Several plans have been suggested that would expand different roads using different design methods to connect to the highway. Other organizations define a breed more loosely, such that an individual may be considered of one breed as long as 75% of its parentage is of that breed. The subsequent severe traffic congestion over the past four decades on adjoining Byberry Road has led to renewed plans for some sort of extension and expansion. Dogs that are bred in this manner often end up with severe health or behavioural problems. Plans to extend the highway west into the suburbs were killed by community opposition when the highway was first built. Some groups use a definition that ultimately requires extreme inbreeding to qualify due to the low gene pool. The Woodhaven Expressway (PA 63), was built in 1966 to serve the neighborhoods of Northeast Philadelphia, and runs between Interstate 95 and Roosevelt Boulevard (US 1). The definition of a dog breed is a matter of some controversy. In recent years, it has become a traffic bottleneck and includes the second and third most deadly intersections in the country about a mile from each other, according to a study by State Farm Insurance. Despite these differences, dogs are able to distinguish dogs from other kinds of animal. The boulevard was built for the Lincoln Highway as part of the City Beautiful movement. Because of this, some breeds are highly specialized, and there is extraordinary morphological diversity across different breeds. Roosevelt Boulevard and the Roosevelt Expressway (US 1) connect Northeast Philadelphia with Center City. Many of these are the product of a deliberate process of artificial selection. 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. A few basic breed types have evolved gradually during the domesticated dog's relationship with man over the last 10,000 or more years, but most modern breeds are of relatively recent derivation. Interstate 676, the Vine Street Expressway, was completed in 1991 after years of planning. Many dogs, especially outside the United States and Western Europe, belong to no recognized breed. It meets the Pennsylvania Turnpike at King of Prussia and provides access to Harrisburg and points west. As all dog breeds have been derived from mixed-breed dog populations, the term "purebred" has meaning only with respect to a certain number of generations. The city is also served by Interstate 76, the Schuylkill Expressway, which runs along the Schuylkill River. There are numerous dog breeds, over 800 being recognized by various kennel clubs worldwide. Interstate 95 (I-95) runs through the city along the Delaware River, providing transportation from Florida to Maine. In a number of countries around the world, apart from being kept as pets, certain breeds of dogs are slaughtered as a source of meat and specifically raised on farms for that purpose. Philadelphia International Airport provides domestic and international scheduled air service, while Northeast Philadelphia Airport serves general and corporate aviation. The relationship is theorized to have developed in this way. 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). With their sharp senses, they would also be valuable as an alarm against marauding predators. 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. Canines would have been beneficial by chasing away other vermin or scavengers. Amtrak's 30th Street Station is a major railroad facility which offers access to Amtrak, SEPTA, and NJ Transit rail lines. Canines who attacked people or their children were likely killed or driven away, while those more friendly animals survived. Philadelphia lies directly on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. Wild canines who scavenged around human habitations received more food than their more skittish or fearful counterparts. SEPTA runs buses, trains, subways, trolleys, and trackless trolleys around Philadelphia and into the suburbs. It is also now generally believed that initial domestication was through mutual desire. Philadelphia is served by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, or SEPTA. Domestication of a wild dog may occur within one or two human generations with deliberate selective breeding. Along with hundreds of parish-driven elementary schools, there are also twelve Catholic high schools within the city ranging from Archdiocesan high schools to private Catholic high schools. Current research indicates that domestication, or the attributes of a domesticated animal, can occur much more quickly than previously believed. Philadelphia is home to the most extensive Catholic education system in the nation. While some dog breeds possess one of these characteristics, they rarely possess both. All schools in the district are required to have a school uniform or a similar dress code. Wolves typically have a "brush tail" and erect ears. All of Philadelphia is served by the School District of Philadelphia. The phenotypic characteristic that distinguish a wolf from a dog are tenuous. As of November 2004, 16.5% of registered voters in Philadelphia are Republicans, 74.9% are Democrats, and 8.6% are other or unaffiliated. The general reproductive isolation which is required to define dogs and wolves as separate species is purely a result of lack of opportunity, stemming from a general mutual unfamiliarity, suspicion, mistrust, and fear. Roosevelt during his first landslide victory in 1932 (which helped make Pennsylvania one of the few states Herbert Hoover carried that year.)Since then, the city has never voted for a Republican in a Presidential Election, despite Republicans being elected to statewide offices very often since the 1930's and in 2004, Democrat John Kerry won 80% of the vote in Philadelphia despite only narrowly winning Pennsylvania. Additionally, unintentional crossbreeding occurs simply because dogs and wolves live in the same environment. After the Great Depression, the city swung Democratic, although it was not won by Franklin D. This interbreeding still occurs with dogs living in the Arctic region, where the attributes of the wolf that enable survival in a hostile environment are valued by humans. From the American Civil War until the Great Depression, Philadelphia was a bastion of the Republican Party, which came from the extreme pro-northern views of Philadelphia residents during and after the war. The Eastern Timber Wolf is a direct ancestor to most, if not all, of the North American northern sled dog types. Each court has a prothonotary's office in Philadelphia as well. The Chinese wolf is probably ancestor to the Pekingese and toy spaniels, although it is also probable that descendants of the Chinese and European wolves encountered each other over the millennia, contributing to many of the oriental toy breeds. Judges for these courts are elected at large. The European wolf, in turn, may have contributed many of its attributes to the Spitz dog types, most terriers, and many of today's sheepdogs. Also, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania and the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania sit in Philadelphia several times a year. The Tibetan Mastiff is an example of an ancient breed. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, which is the court of last resort in the state, regularly hears arguments in Philadelphia City Hall. The Indian wolf is also thought to have bred with descendants of the European wolf to create the Mastiffs and eventually leading to the development of such diverse breeds as the Pug, the Saint Bernard, and the Bloodhound. Pennsylvania's three appellate courts also have sittings in Philadelphia. Many of today's wild dogs, such as the dingo, the dhole and pariah dogs, are descended from this wolf. Traffic Court is a court of special jurisdiction which hears violations of traffic laws. The Indian Wolf is thought to have contributed to the development of more breeds of dogs than other subspecies. 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. For example, the Japanese wolf and the Eastern Timber Wolf posses different distinctive colouration, hunting and social structures. It is funded and operated largely by city resources and employees. Although all wolves belong to the species Canis lupus, there are (or were) many subspecies that had developed a distinctive appearance, social structure, and other traits. 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. The detailed history remains unexplored and until further evidence is available, the following section on wolf ancestors must be considered purely speculative. Verna. Their results indicate multiple independent origins of dogs and/or of frequent interbreeding between early proto-dogs and wolves throughout a vast geographic range. The current council president is Anna C. Verginelli examined ancient DNA evidence from five prehistoric Italian canids carbon-dated to between 15,000 and 3,000 years old, 341 wolves from several populations worldwide, and 547 purebred dogs. The legislative branch of Philadelphia is the Philadelphia City Council, which consists of seven council members elected at-large and ten council members from individual districts. On balance, and in agreement with the archaeological evidence, 15,000 years ago is the most likely time for the wolf-dog divergence. Philadelphia's mayors have been Democrats since 1952. (2005), however, suggest both sets of dates must be reevaluated in light of recent findings showing that poorly calibrated molecular clocks have systematically overestimated the age of geologically recent events. The incumbent is former Philadelphia City Council President John Street (D), who was elected in 1999, and re-elected by a larger majority in 2003. Verginelli et al. 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. (2002) indicated a "common origin from a single gene pool for all dog populations" between 40,000 and 15,000 years ago in East Asia. 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. Vilà, Savolainen, and colleagues (1997) concluded that dogs split off from wolves between 75,000 and 135,000 years ago, while a subsequent analysis by Savolainen et al. The city area code has been 215 since 1947. Genetic analyses have so far yielded divergent results. See also:. Dog burials at the Mesolithic cemetery of Svaerdborg in Denmark suggest that in ancient Europe dogs were valued companions. Among its neighboring Northeastern cities in the same population group, Washington, DC and Baltimore were ranked second- and third- most dangerous, while New York City was ranked fourth-safest; Camden, New Jersey, across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, was ranked most-dangerous overall. Rock art and skeletal remains indicate that by 14,000 years ago, dogs were present from North Africa across Eurasia to North America. In 2005, going by these statistics, Philadelphia was ranked by Morgan Quitno as the sixth-most dangerous American city with a population of over 500,000, out of a total of 32 such cities. Remains of smaller dogs from Mesolithic (Natufian) cave deposits in the Middle East, dated to around 12,000 years ago, have been interpreted as descendants of a lighter Southwest Asian wolf, Canis lupus arabs. According to statistics from 2004, there were 5,513.5 crimes per 100,000 people in Philadelphia. Their likely ancestor is the large northern Holarctic wolf, Canis lupus lupus. 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. The earliest dog fossils, two crania from Russia and a mandible from Germany, date from 13,000 to 17,000 years ago. 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. Domesticated dogs may have interbred with local populations of wild wolves on several occasions (so-called introgression). Like many American cities, Philadelphia saw a gradual, yet pronounced, rise in crime in the years following World War II. Fossil bone morphologies and genetic analysis of current and ancient dog and wolf populations have not yet been able to conclusively determine whether all dogs descend from a single domestication event, or whether dogs were domesticated independently in more than one location. Philadelphia is considering a bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Converging archaeological and genetic evidence indicate a time of domestication in the late Upper Paleolithic close to the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary, between 17,000 and 14,000 years ago. Often games come down to the final shot, giving their school bragging rights for the rest of the year. Wolf remains have been found in association with hominid remains dating from 400,000 years ago. In the past, fans would throw streamers of their school's colors onto the court when their team scored their first points. The relationship between man and canine has deep roots. Originating in 1955, the Big Five plays their games at the Palestra, a venerable brick building housed on the campus of Penn. As reflected in the nomenclature, dogs are a subspecies of wolf and are thus still able to interbreed. Joseph's University, University of Pennsylvania, Villanova University, and La Salle University's basketball teams. Molecular systematics indicate that the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) descends from one or more populations of wild wolves (Canis lupus). Philadelphia is also home to the Big Five, a unique rivalry consisting of Temple University, St. In the UK, it is illegal to kill dogs, even if they are on your private land; you are required to contact your local Police Force, DogsTrust, or the local branch of the RSPCA, who will arrange its collection. The race has been largely credited with the economic revival of the neighborhood, and cycling is a prominent theme of many of the shops and restaurants in the area. Feral dogs often form predatory packs that attack livestock and occasionally also prove dangerous to humans. The main feature of the race is the "Manayunk Wall", an inclined street including all of Levering Avenue and a few blocks of Lyceum Avenue. Abandoned domestic dogs who become feral are particularly dangerous; they lack the survival skills of wild canines, as well as the genetic and learned fear of the humans' world. The Manayunk area is also home to the annual USPRO bicycle race, which is the US road racing national championship race. Bodies are sometimes tied to fences as warning to other dogs, especially in rural United States and Canada. The city's original NFL team was the Frankford Yellow Jackets (Frankford being a neighborhood located in Northeast Philadelphia); the club disbanded during the 1931 football season, then re-emerged under the same ownership two years later as the Philadelphia Eagles. Wild dogs are shot by farmers in an effort to protect livestock. 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). The same creatures that wolves, coyotes, and foxes attack as prey, especially sheep and poultry, are similarly attractive prey to dogs. Philadelphia is also the place where the Army-Navy Game is held every year, now played at Lincoln Financial Field. In most jurisdictions, dogs are destroyed for killing other creatures, so dogs should be prevented from any encounter with livestock or wildlife that might lead to a predatory response. The Philadelphia Barrage (Major League Lacrosse) play at the stadium of Villanova University, which is located in Villanova, Pennsylvania (Delaware County) which is just outside of Philadelphia to the west. With formidable skills and weapons as hunters as well as large and unfussy appetites, dogs often menace livestock and wildlife. The Wachovia Spectrum (1967) is now home to the Flyers' top farm team, the Philadelphia Phantoms (American Hockey League), and the Philadelphia Kixx (Major Indoor Soccer League), an Indoor soccer team. Canine aggression upon humans is ordinarily not tolerated, but any human aggression against an animal having formidable means of self-defense is foolhardy in the extreme. The Sixers and Flyers share the Wachovia Center (1996) with the Wings and the Philadelphia Soul (Arena Football League) arena football team. There are hundreds of shades of provocation that may or may not lead to an attack upon a human. The Phillies now play at Citizens Bank Park (2004). Provocation can range from something as seemingly innocuous as a toddler pulling a dog's tail, in which case the dog might nip to discourage the behavior, to something completely inobvious to humans, such as an odor or a movement that sets a dog off, to blatant human aggression or violence towards a dog, causing it to defend itself. The Eagles currently play at Lincoln Financial Field (informally known as "The Linc") which was built in 2003. However, their sharp teeth and claws can inflict injury in an attack; a large dog can knock a human down. The Eagles, Phillies, Flyers and 76ers have each recently had new venues built for them. After thousands of years of domestication and selective breeding for dogs whose aggression towards humans goes no further than a ferocious bark that strongly indicates dislike of a human behavior, most dogs are unlikely to attack people. The Philadelphia Wings, the local National Lacrosse League team, have won six championships between 1989 and 2001. Animals are often given attributes such as "loyal", "cute", and "guardian", but these all have the potential to lure people into a false sense of security. The city's last major championship came in 1983, when the 76ers swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. Humans have a tendency to anthropomorphize animals, particularly pets such as dogs, which are generally portrayed as being "man's best friend". Some locals half-jokingly attribute this to the Curse of Billy Penn. More research is needed to determine the intelligence level of dogs, and the motivations behind their responses to their masters. Of late Philadelphia teams have been performing well, but frequently missing championships by failing during the crucial stages. Despite understandably positive interpretations by dog owners, it is questionable whether these animals are truly capable of feeling emotions on a human level. Philadelphia sports fans have a reputation of being devoted to their teams in good times and bad. Nevertheless, it is often unwise to anthropomorphize the responses of dogs. Philadelphia has a long and proud history of professional sports teams. Some research demonstrates that dogs are able to convey a depth of emotion not seen to the same extent in any other animal; this is purportedly due to their closely-knit development with modern man, and the survival-benefits of such communication as dogs became more dependent on humans for sustenance. WUSL (98.9) and WDAS (105.3) are Philadelphia's leading stations for R&B, quiet storm and hip-hop audiences. Many dogs are reported to have separation anxiety if their owner is away for an extended period of time. The station, which was owned and operated by the Gimbel Brothers Department Store, was the city's first radio station. Empirically, dogs are quite dependent on human companionship and may suffer poor health in its absence. Philadelphia's current sports talk radio station, WIP 610AM, became the city's "Pioneer Radio Voice" on March 17, 1922. Many dog owners consider having unconditional acceptance from a friend who is always happy to see them to be quite utilitarian, particularly if the dog also leads them to regular exercise. WOGL (98.1 FM) is a popular station for oldies. Consequently, dogs are popular as pets and companions, independent of any utilitarian considerations. WXTU (92.5 FM) is the most listened-to country music station in the northeast, and second most east of the Mississippi, behind only Nashville's WSM. Relationships between humans and dogs are often characterized by strong emotional bonds. [5]. Excitement is evident as they see the hunters load weapons, take to the field, and begin the hunt. The station reaches over 300,000 homes and attempts to serve the La Salle University community and its neighbors with educational and entertaining programs. Hunters with dogs report the satisfaction that the dogs seem to exhibit. La Salle 56, established in 1991, is carried within city limits on both the Comcast Cable and Urban CableWorks systems. Many hound breeds are excellent at treeing raccoons during hunting season. La salle 56 is only one of two local college television stations distributed throughout Philadelphia. When trained, beagles are particularly adept at chasing through thick briars and brush after rabbits. [4]. They typically have large, gentle muzzles to mitigate any potential damage to the game. They broadcast worldwide via their website. They can follow hand, verbal, and whistle commands at great distance as the hunter directs them to the downed bird. WEXP airs nearly 100 live sports broadcasts every year for six Explorer teams, in four sports (soccer, football, basketball, and baseball). At command, they dive into the icy water, swim out and retrieve the birds one by one. The station is well known for its sports coverage, which is widely considered as the most extensive of any college radio station in the United States. They can spend long hours in a duck blind and, after the hunter has fired at multiple ducks or geese, they can visually spot and remember the location of downed birds. WEXP, established in 1972, is the city's only true freeform radio station, putting the format of any radio show in the hands of the DJ. As water dogs, the retrievers are unsurpassed. WEXP, La Salle University Radio, is one of Philadelphia's most popular college radio stations. Once the hunter approaches, at his command they will flush the birds to fly and for the hunter to shoot at. WXPN sponsors a music festival each summer, and they now broadcast worldwide via their website: [3]. They have a native ability to discover and "hold" upland game birds; to freeze them momentarily on the ground with their silent, elongated pointing stance. The station is funded to a large extent by listeners who become members. Setters in particular have a long history as upland gun dogs. WXPN (88.5 FM), operated by the University of Pennsylvania, is responsible for launching the careers of many famous artists who couldn't get airplay from the major stations at first. This often strengthens the bond between human and dog, since they must trust one another in a variety of environments and must learn how the other works and thinks. WHYY-FM produces Fresh Air, and is affiliated with WHYY-TV, which serves Philadelphia but is licensed in Wilmington, DE, a city 25 miles SW of Philadelphia. Many people compete with their dogs in a variety of dog sports, including agility, flyball, and many others. Philadelphia is home to WHYY-FM (90.9 FM), the Delaware Valley's premier public radio station and NPR affiliate. Dogs are also used for searching for or rescuing people and animals, such as in avalanches, at disaster sites, and for missing people or pets. Ex-Y100 Program Director and others have since started Y100rocks.com and broadcast, air and sponsor Philadelphia concerts, local bands and host private recordings with major artists on a regular basis. Most modern working dogs are put in positions which capitalize on their sensory or strength and endurance advantages over normal humans. WPLY Y100 had formerly been a purely Philadelphia-based alternative rock station, but its format was changed to hip hop in early 2005 by parent company Radio One. Dogs have served as guides for the blind, as commandos, and have flown into outer space. In late 2005, WYSP was replaced by Free-FM, a talk-rock hybrid based upon the listening hour. There are service dogs, guard dogs, hunting dogs, and herding dogs. 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 the city's other major rock station, 94.1FM WYSP. Many breeds of dogs, but not least German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever, and Border Collie are commonly used as working dogs. The station has been a breakthrough station for many contemporary rock bands, and is widely known in the rock music community for its influence in impacting the country's rock music trends. An assertive dog may consider itself the alpha animal, considering its human master to be subordinate. Philadelphia is home to some of the country's most prominent radio stations, including one of the nation's leading rock stations, WMMR at 93.3FM. The dog is always aware of its rank relative to other individuals in the group. Night Shyamalan sets just about all of his movies in or around Philadelphia with Wide Awake, The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, The Village and Signs. Dogs thrive in human society because their relationships with humans mimic their natural social patterns. Film director M. Dog society can be thought of as dog packs characterized by a companionate hierarchy, in which each individual has a rank, and in which there is intense loyalty within the group. Kathryn Morris (of TV's Cold Case, set in Philly), was born in Ohio but attended Philadelphia's Temple University. Dogs thrive in small social groups or packs which, from their viewpoint, can include humans. Others, like Richard Gere, were born in Philadelphia, but moved elsewhere in their youths. The relationship between dogs and humans is rooted in history and dogs coexist with humans in a variety of ways. Famed comedian Bill Cosby was born and raised in Philadelphia as well as actors Grace Kelly, Will Smith, Seth Green, John Barrymore, Peter Boyle, and Kevin Bacon. Most dog owners have a large collection of stories about their dogs recognizing individuals by their footsteps outside the door, and so on. Up and coming artists to watch for: DJ Dozia and filmmaker music producer Justin Paul. This ability to read and deliver nonverbal cues makes dogs expert at reading human beings, as well, often even more so than other humans are, who rely on language. Its cultural diversity is reflected in the music and musicians who have come from or through Philadelphia: the R&B styles of Jill Scott, Patti LaBelle, and Boyz II Men; the jazz of John Coltrane, Grover Washington, Jr., Stan Getz, and Sun Ra; the '50s rock 'n' roll of Fabian, Bobby Rydell, and Chubby Checker; the rock of Todd Rundgren, Hall & Oates, and Pink; the hip hop of The Roots and Eve; Neo Soul and electronic sounds of King Britt and the electronic-funk of Josh Wink; and the opera of Marian Anderson. Physiologically, this correlates with such features as a large number of nerves innervating the facial muscles of dogs, allowing subtle control of a wide variety of facial expressions; in contrast to cats, for instance, who have many fewer nerves governing their facial muscles, resulting in a smaller repertoire or "vocabulary" of expressions. Later as a temporary Capital of the United States, it was home to President George Washington for several years. The requirements of coordinating complex social behavior requires that canines have the ability to sense and deliver a wide variety of cues via body language, more so than for even humans, who can use language for the same purpose. 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. All dogs have a tremendous capacity to learn complex social behavior and to interpret varied body language and sounds, and, like many predators, can react to and learn from novel situations. Distinctive Philadelphian dishes include:. Gastric torsion and bloat is a dangerous problem in some large-chested breeds. Little known facts:. Dogs are also susceptible to the same ailments that humans are, including diabetes, epilepsy, cancer, and arthritis. Notable restaurants include Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto's self-named Morimoto; other venerable restaurants include Rouge, Old Original Bookbinder's, Vetri, Lacroix at the Rittenhouse, City Tavern, Suzanna Foo, Brasserie Perrier, and Le Bec-Fin. Some breeds of dogs are also prone to certain genetic ailments, such as hip dysplasia, luxating patellas, cleft palate, blindness, or deafness. Philadelphia has great diversity, depth, and quality among its restaurants. Internal parasites include hookworms, tapeworms, roundworms, and heartworms. With people of Turkish, Iranian, Iraqi, Saudi, Syrian, Lebanese, Pakistani, and Afghani backgrounds residing in Philadelphia. Common external parasites are various species of fleas, ticks, and mites. The city's Middle Eastern population has tripled since 1990. Diseases commonly associated with dogs include rabies (hydrophobia), canine parvovirus, and canine distemper, and pulmonic stenosis, although there are many others. But growing numbers include Spanish, Portuguese, Slovak, German, Croatian and many others. Dogs are susceptible to various diseases, ailments, and poisons, some of which affect humans in the same way, others of which are unique to dogs. European immigration is also growing, but at a slower rate, with continuing Italian, Polish, Greek, Russian and Ukrainian immigrants. It is said that the animals, not just dogs, could sense the tsunami and could therefore flee for life. Philadelphia also has growing populations of Ethiopians, Somalians, Jamaicans, Haitians, Sudanese, and Nigerians. For example, during the tsunami in Southern Asia recently, many animals were seen days before fleeing to the hills. Also, the Latino population continues to grow as Mexican, Dominican, Colombian, Guatemalan immigrants and Puerto Rican citizens move to the city. The evolutionary ability of sensing weather can be traced back to when wolves used it to move the pack into proper shelter before a dangerous storm. Recent immigrants from Asia are of mainly Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Thai backgrounds. This is due to their keen ability to detect fluctuations in barometric pressure and can explain a dog's anxiety before and during a storm. According to the US Census, this group decreased from an absolute majority in 1990 to 39% of Philadelphia's population in 2004(the latest estimate). Dogs also have the ability to sense inclement weather (mainly thunderstorms) many miles away. Non-Hispanic Whites have their largest concentrations, perhaps a majority, living in an increasingly diverse Northeast section of this city. It has been observed that a lost dog can often find its way home, sometimes traveling over long distances. While African-American populations live throughout the city, the largest concentrations are in the Northwest, North Central, West, Southwest, and South "Philly" sections. An intensive search for a scent, for instance searching a ship for contraband, can actually be very fatiguing for a dog, and the dog must be motivated to continue this hard work for a long period of time. Many other cultures can also be found throughout the city, including Subsaharan Africans and West Indians in the Cedar Park neighborhood, Poles in the Port Richmond neighborhood, and many Russian, Greek and Ukrainian immigrants in the Near Northeast. In any event, it is established by those who train tracking dogs that it is impossible to teach the dog how to track any better than it does naturally; the object instead is to motivate it properly, and teach it to maintain focus on a single track and ignore any others that might otherwise seem of greater interest to an untrained dog. Numerous Korean immigrants have come to the melting-pot of Olney. The characteristics and behavior of these two types of scent trail would seem, after some thought, to be quite different, the air scent being intermittent but perhaps less obscured by competing scents, whereas the ground scent would be relatively permanent with respect to careful and repetitive search by the dog, but would seem to be much more contaminated with other scents. The Asian community has long been established in the city's bustling Chinatown district, but recent Vietnamese immigrants have also forged neighborhoods and bazaars alongside the venerable Italian market. What information a dog actually detects when he is scenting is not perfectly understood; although once a matter of debate, it now seems to be well established that dogs can distinguish two different types of scents when trailing, an air scent from some person or thing that has recently passed by, as well as a ground scent that remains detectable for a much longer period. Puerto Ricans comprise over 76% of the Latino population in the city. Some breeds have been selectively bred for excellence in detecting scents, even compared to their canine brethren. Increases in Latino immigration have created a diverse Hispanic community centered around El Centro de Oro in West Kensington. Dogs have nearly 220 million smell-sensitive cells over an area about the size of a pocket handkerchief (compared to 5 million over an area the size of a postage stamp for humans). The city has the second largest Irish, Italian, and Jamaican populations in America. They can identify a sound's location much faster than a human can, and they can hear sounds up to four times the distance that humans can. They come to Philadelphia for the culture, safer conditions than in cities such as Camden or Baltimore, a lower cost of living than in cities like New York or Boston, and job growth. Dogs detect sounds as low as the 16 to 20 Hz frequency range (compared to 20 to 70 Hz for humans) and as high as 70,000 to 100,000 Hz (compared to 20,000 Hz for humans)2, and in addition have a degree of ear mobility that helps them to rapidly pinpoint the exact location of a sound. This will occur due to immigration, and recently net migration from across the country, mostly non-whites. Some breeds, particularly the best sighthounds, have a field of vision up to 270° (compared to 100° to 120° for humans), although broad-headed breeds with their eyes set forward have a much narrower field of vision, as low as 180°.1, 2. US Census estimates predict by 2010 that the population of the city will have a growth rate of zero, or an increase instead of the yearly decrease of residents. Because the lenses of dogs' eyes are flatter than humans', they cannot see as much detail; on the other hand, their eyes are more sensitive to light and motion than humans' eyes. Non-Hispanic whites decreased both absolutely and relatively. It has also been suggested that dogs see in varieties of purple/violet and yellow shades. The African-American population also increased, but at a slower rate. Dogs were thought to be dichromats and thus, by human standards, color blind.1, 2 New research is now being explored that suggests that dogs may actually see some colour, but not to the extent that humans do. However, the number of Asians and Hispanics has increased over the past 20 years, and continues to accelerate. Dogs are predators and scavengers, possessing sharp teeth and strong jaws for attacking, holding, and tearing their food. Philadelphia has long been a Black and White city, with hardly any Asians or Hispanics to speak of. Within the range of extremes, dogs generally share attributes with their wild ancestors, the wolves. 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. Modern dog breeds show more variation in size, appearance, and behavior than any other domestic animal. 22.9% of the population and 18.4% of families are below the poverty line. Many veterinarians recommend that owners neuter/spay their pets around the age of 5 months. The per capita income for the city is $16,509. A female dog can become pregnant on her first heat cycle (which can take place as early as six months), and should be kept away from intact male dogs, including littermates, over the age of 4 months. Males have a median income of $34,199 versus $28,477 for females. Contrary to myth, it is not required for a female dog to either experience a heat cycle or have puppies before spaying, and likewise, a male dog does not need the experience of mating before neutering; these myths are responsible for numerous unnecessary health problems and unwanted puppies. The median income for a household in the city is $30,746, and the median income for a family is $37,036. The hormonal changes involved are sure to change the animal's personality somewhat, and some object to this angle as the sterilization in itself could be carried out without the excision of organs. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 81.8 males. Spaying and neutering can also help prevent hormone-driven diseases such as breast cancer and prostate cancer, as well as undesired hormone-driven behaviors. For every 100 females there are 86.8 males. It is also common for adult stray dogs who are placed in animal shelters to be euthanized due to lack of space and resources. The median age is 34 years. Unwanted puppies are abandoned, eaten, or sometimes disposed of in an inhumane fashion. 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. Dog experts advise that dogs not intended for further breeding should be spayed or neutered so that they do not have undesired puppies. The average household size is 2.48 and the average family size is 3.22. Spaying or neutering refers to the removal of the male testicles or the female ovaries and uterus, in order to remove the capability to procreate, and to kill the libido. 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. For example, the Bulldog often requires artificial insemination and almost always requires cesarean section for giving birth. 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. Some breeds have been developed to emphasize certain physical traits beyond the point at which they can safely bear litters on their own. The ethnic makeup of the city is 32.5% African American, 13.6% Irish, 9.2% Italian, 6.6% Puerto Rican, 6.4% German, and 4.3% Polish. Since a mother can only provide nutrients and care to a limited number of offspring, humans must assist in the care and feeding when the litter exceeds approximately eight puppies. 8.50% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. An average litter consists of about six puppies, though this number may vary widely based on the breed of dog. 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. Dogs bear their litters roughly 9 weeks after fertilization. There are 661,958 housing units at an average density of 1,891.9/km² (4,900.1/mi²). This rule is altered in domesticated animals since larger litters are often favoured for economic reasons. The population density is 4,337.3/km² (11,233.6/mi²). A general rule of thumb is that a mammal will produce half as many offspring as the number of teats on the mother. As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there are 1,517,550 people, 590,071 households, and 352,272 families residing in the city. The different rates of maturation are responsible for the menarche, not the chronological age. The city is also a national center of law due to the prestigious University of Pennsylvania Law School and the Temple University Beasley School of Law. Like most mammals, the age that a bitch first comes into season is mostly a function of her current body weight as a proportion of her body weight when fully mature. Because of the presence of the federal government, the city has a large contingent of law firms. Most bitches come into season for the first time between 6 and 12 months, although some larger breeds delay until as late as 2 years. These jobs include customer service representatives and ticket processing and other behind the scenes personnel, in addition to the normal functions of the railroad. Conversely, undomesticated canine species experience estrus once a year, typically in late winter. Due in part to the historical presence of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and the large ridership at 30th Street Station, Amtrak also maintains a significant presence in the city. This is also called in season or in heat. 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. The amount of time between cycles varies greatly among different dogs, but a particular dog's cycle tends to be consistent through her life. The city served as the first capital city of the United States, before the construction of Washington, D.C. The ability of female domestic dog to come into estrus at any time of the year and usually twice a year is also valued. The Federal government plays a large role in Philadelphia as well. In domestic dogs, one of the behaviours that is noted is the abolition of the pair bond seen in wild canines. 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, Rohm and Haas Company, the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, Boeing helicopters division, and automotive parts retailer Pep Boys. As with most domesticated species, one of the first and strongest effects seen from selective breeding is selection for cooperation with the breeding process as directed by humans. The city also has its own stock exchange. Dog owners may accidentally allow their pets to breed without regard to bloodlines. Philadelphia's economy is heavily based upon manufacturing, refining, food, and financial services. Dog breeders also have accurate information on the complexities of the reproductive process for the breed of dog that they are accustomed to handling. Philadelphia also has a significant immediate suburban area which depend on its economy and public transportation, such as Ambler, Yeadon, Upper Darby, Lansdowne, Ardmore, King Of Prussia, Abington, Jenkintown, Cheltenham, Willow Grove, Bala Cynwyd, Bensalem, Bristol, Glenside, and Norristown. Dog breeders have access to records which allow them to accurately guess which characteristics will "breed true" in a particular dog. These include Andorra, Fairmount, Bella Vista, Belmont, Brewerytown, Bustleton, Center City, Chestnut Hill, Chinatown,East Falls, East Oak Lane, West Oak Lane, Feltonville, Fishtown, Fitler's Square, Fox Chase, Frankford, Germantown, Graduate Hospital/Southwest Center City, Grays Ferry, Hawthorne, Holmesburg, Juniata Park, Kensington, Kingsessing, Lawncrest, Logan, Manayunk, Mayfair, Mount Airy, North Philadelphia, Northern Liberties, Old City, Olney, Overbrook, Oxford Circle, Pennsport, Pennypack, Point Breeze, Port Richmond, Powelton Village, Queen Village, Rittenhouse, Roxborough, Society Hill, Somerton, South Philadelphia, Southwark, Strawberry Mansion, University City, Tacony, Washington Square West, Wister, Wynnefield, and many others. Breeders who do this are usually experienced in this process. Many of these neighborhoods coincide with the borough and townships that made up Philadelphia County before their absorption by the city. Sometimes dogs are bred to create puppies to sell, or sometimes to carry on an award-winning purebred line. Philadelphia has many neighborhoods, each of which has its own identity. Among professional breeders, dogs are only allowed to mate for a specific purpose. There are also several other major skyscrapers under construction and in the final planning stages:. Dogs also may find some poisons attractive, including antifreeze and snail bait. The city's tallest buildings are as follows:. Alcoholic beverages pose much the same temptation and hazard to dogs as to humans. Philadelphia is home to a number of skyscrapers. Some human medications, such as acetaminophen/paracetamol (Tylenol), are highly toxic to dogs. 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 today. Some foods commonly enjoyed by humans are dangerous to dogs, including chocolate (Theobromine poisoning), onions, grapes and raisins, Macadamia nuts, and hops. Bacon's efforts would also see changes in the transportation of the city, with the inclusion of the Center City Rail Connector, Vine Street Expressway, Delaware Expressway, and improvements to the Schykull Expressway. For a discussion on one use of treats in training, see clicker training. One of his most enduring innovations was a collection of small, semi-enclosed parks in the Society Hill residential area, connected by brick footpaths. Such dogs might consider anything dropped by humans, including small but indigestible objects (such as marbles, coins, rings, etc.), to be treats as well, which could be dangerous to the dogs when ingested. Projects that were headed by the new master plan were major redevelopment of Center City, including the Penn Center 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. Many dogs consider anything given to them directly by hand to be a treat, even the food they are accustomed to at meal time. 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. Eating grass might make the dog vomit, so one explanation is that dogs eat grass to remove unwanted content from their stomachs. Under the leadership of Edmund N. Explanations abound, but rationales such as that it neutralizes acid are just guesses. The post World War II era would see further changes in the cityscape. Dogs sometimes eat grass, a harmless activity. 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. This research is also true of other mammals. Both are the same distance south of City Hall. It has also been noted that extremely stressful conditions, such as the Iditarod race and scientific studies of similar conditions, suggest that high-protein diets including meat help prevent damage to muscle tissue. 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. In the wild these diets are typically pursued in the absence of available meat. Holme also planned five public parks, one at the intersection of High and Broad Streets in the very center of the city, now occupied by City Hall, and four others surrounding it now called Washington Square, Rittenhouse Square, Logan Square and Franklin Square. Some sources suggest that a dog fed on a stict vegetarian diet may develop dilated cardiomyopathy since it lacks L-carnitine.[3]. Vine Street, located three blocks north of Market, served as the original northern boundry. Domestic dogs can survive healthily on a reasonable and carefully designed vegetarian diet, particularly if eggs and milk products are included. Six blocks south of Market is South Street, noted in recent decades for its night life and the subject of the 1963 hit single of the same name by The Orlons, was the original southern boundary of the city. Wild canines not only eat available plants to obtain key amino acids, but may also obtain nutrients from vegetable matter from the stomach contents of their herbivorous prey. The east-west streets, many of them named for trees, e.g., Chestnut, Walnut, Locust, and Spruce (laid out in increasing hardness from softwood Pine in the South to hardwood Chestnut in the North) parallel the main thoroughfare named High Street by Penn, but called Market Street since at least the early 18th century. Dogs are able to healthily digest a variety of foods including vegetables and grains, and in fact can consume a large proportion of these in their diet. The numbered streets then resume, continuing in the original plan to 28th at the Schuylkill River. Unlike an obligate carnivore, such as a cat, a dog is not dependent on meat protein in order to fulfill its dietary requirements. 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). The classification in the Order Carnivora does not necessarily mean that a dog's diet must be restricted to meat. Penn's surveyor, Thomas Holme, laid out the city in a strict grid, with all streets running either north-south or east-west. Presently, there is academic discussion as to whether domestic dogs are omnivores or carnivores. Summers are usually humid and rainy and July receives the most average precipitation at 111.5 mm (4.39 in) of rainfall. For a detailed discussion on what dog intelligence is, see dog intelligence. Early fall and late winter are generally the driest times of the year, with February being the driest month with 69.8 mm (2.74 in) of precipitation. Anecdotal evidence suggests that dogs have a reasonably high intelligence. Philadelphia receives ample precipitation year round with an average of 1068 mm (42 in) of annual precipitation. Among dog lovers, dogs are generally valued for their intelligence. The lowest temperature ever officially recorded for the city was -22° C (-7° F) in 1984, and the highest temperature ever recorded was 40° C (104° F) in 1966. They have small, tight feet, and walk on their toes. July lows average 21° C (70° F) and highs average 30° C (86° F) although during heat waves, summer highs can cross 35° C (95° F) with the heat index due to the humidity making it seem as high as 43* C (110° F). Its skeleton provides the ability to run and leap. January lows average -4° C (25° F) and highs average 4° C (39° F). Like most other predatory mammals, the dog has powerful muscles, a cardiovascular system that supports both sprinting and endurance, and teeth for catching, holding, and tearing. The city center and inner New Jersey suburbs generally have light snow, with heavier falls being experienced to the north and west of the metropole. Although selective breeding has changed the appearance of many breeds, all dogs retain the basic ingredients from their distant ancestors. Snowfall is unpredictable, with some winters experiencing little and others characterised by more frequent snowstorms. Many additional terms are used for dogs that are not purebred; see Terms for mixed-breed dogs. Winters are cold, but only a few days every winter does the temperature drop below -10° C. The word is sometimes used to refer collectively to any mammal belonging to the family Canidae (as in "the dog family"), such as wolves, foxes and coyotes. The rainfall pattern is generally spread throughout the year, with between six and nine wet days per month. Dog, in common usage, refers to the domestic pet dog, Canis lupus familiaris (originally classified as Canis familiaris by Linnaeus in 1758, but reclassified as a subspecies of the wolf, Canis lupus, by the Smithsonian Institution and the American Society of Mammalogists in 1993). Fall and spring are mild. . Summers tend to be hot and often muggy, with the humidity tending to be high during July and August. In other cultures, some dogs are used as food. The climate in Philadelphia is temperate, with four seasons. Dogs have lived with and worked with humans in so many roles that their loyalty has earned them the sobriquet "man's best friend." Conversely, some cultures consider dogs to be unclean. The highest point in the city is Chestnut Hill, with an elevation of 432 feet above sea level located near Evergreen Place, just north and west of Evergreen Avenue. In many countries, the most common and perhaps most important role of dogs is as companions. The lowest point in the city is 10 feet above sea level near Fort Mifflin in Southwest Philadelphia at the convergence of the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers. For dogs that do not have traditional jobs, a wide range of dog sports provide the opportunity to exhibit their natural skills. Bodies of water include the Delaware River, Schuylkill River, Cobbs Creek, Wissahickon Creek, and Pennypack Creek. Dogs fill a variety of roles in human society and are often trained as working dogs. The total area is 5.29% water. Dogs, like humans, are highly social animals and pack hunters; this similarity in their overall behavioral pattern accounts for their trainability, playfulness, and ability to fit into human households and social situations. 349.9 km² (135.1 mi²) of it is land and 19.6 km² (7.6 mi²) of it is water. For example, heights at the withers range from just a few inches (such as the Chihuahua) to roughly three feet (such as the Irish Wolfhound), and colors range from white to black, with reds, grays (usually called blue), and browns occurring in a tremendous variation of patterns. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 369.4 km² (142.6 mi²). In this time, the dog has developed into hundreds of breeds with a great degree of variation. Philadelphia is located at 39°59′53″N, 75°8′41″W. Dogs were first domesticated from wolves at least 15000 years ago[1] but perhaps as long as 150,000 years ago based on recent genetic fossil evidence and DNA evidence[2]. In 1976, Philadelphia was one of the participating cities in the United States Bicentennial observances that took place nationwide. The dog is a canine mammal of the Order Carnivora. In 1926, the city held the Sesquicentennial Exposition to celebrate the nation's 150th birthday. It too has the body plan of an adult canine predator. Memorial Hall and the expansive mall in front of it are remnants of this fair. The least paedomorphic behavior pattern may be that of the basenji, bred in Africa to hunt alongside humans almost on a peer basis; this breed is often described as highly independent, neither needing nor appreciating a great deal of human attention or nurturing, often described as "catlike" in its behavior. In 1876 Philadelphia hosted the World's Fair, known as the Centennial Exposition. Terriers similarly have adult aggressive behavior, famously coupled with a lack of juvenile submission, and display correspondingly adult physical features such as erect ears, although many breeds have also been selected for size and sometimes dwarfed legs to enable them to pursue prey in their burrows. 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. This contrasts with sighthounds, who pursue and attack perceived prey on sight, and who maintain the mature canine body type with erect ears, lean bodies, and adult coats. An early railroad center, 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). Scenthounds maintain an intermediate body type and behavior pattern that causes them to actually pursue prey by tracking their scent, but tend to refrain from actual individual attacks in favor of vocally summoning the pack leaders (in this case, humans) to do the job. Philadelphia served as the capital for a decade, until 1800, when the Capitol building in the new Federal city of Washington, DC was opened. Their physical characteristics are closer to that of the mature wild canine than the sheepdog breeds, but they typically do not have erect ears, etc. In exchange for locating a permanent capital on the banks of the Potomac River, the congressmen agreed to support Hamilton's financial proposals. Similarly, they seize dead or wounded prey and bring it back to the "pack", even though they did not attack it themselves, that is, "retrieving" behavior. In 1790, as the result of a compromise between a number of Southern congressmen and Alexander Hamilton, then serving as 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 taking its current residence in Washington, DC. They identify potential prey and freeze into immobility, for instance, but refrain from then stalking the prey as an adult predator would do next; this results in the "pointing" behavior for which such dogs are bred. 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). Gun dog breeds used in hunting—that is, pointers, setters, spaniels, and retrievers—have an intermediate degree of paedomorphism; they are at the point where they share in the pack's hunting behavior, but are still in a junior role, not participating in the actual attack. 10, 1775 when Samuel Nicholas began recruiting men at Tun Tavern. (Compare to the physical appearance of the border collie, a sheep herding dog, whose physical configuration is closer to that of an adult wild canine and who therefore has a greater capacity to frighten sheep into a desired pattern of movement, along with the more adult aggressive temperament to do so). The United States Marine Corps also began here on Nov. In addition, they retain very juvenile physical characteristics such as round bodies and heads, soft coats, ears that hang down, and so on, which do not elicit fear responses from the sheep in the way that an appearance similar to that of an adult wolf would. The Declaration of Independence and US Constitution were drafted in Philadelphia and signed in the city's Independence Hall. Livestock guardian dogs retain the most juvenile characteristics: they stay close to home with their foster "litter" (which might include a flock of sheep), rather than going out hunting, they have almost no predatory behavior (which would be disastrous in the vicinity of such a natural prey stimulus as sheep), they respond to perceived threats with a lot of vocalization and attempts to alert and engage the dominant individuals in their "pack" (i.e. humans) whenever possible, engaging in actual combat only as a last resort. Philadelphia was a major center of the independence movement during the American Revolutionary War. Canine in common usage is a synonym for dog or an adjective meaning dog; for example, in the common expression "canine companion". Penn also required lots of alleyways and open spaces in hopes of controlling fires and disease, which were then common problems in London and other major cities. Pooch, Poochie, Pup, Puppy, Doggy, Doggie are all informal and affectionate terms for a dog often used by children. This was intended to allow the city's population to leave the city easily. Puppy is a juvenile dog. During early immigration by Quakers and others, when immigrants purchased land in the city, they also received farm land outside of the city. Pack is used to denote a group of dogs. 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. Bitch is a female dog. The city's name means "city of brotherly love" in Greek (Φιλαδέλφια). Dog is also a term used by breeders to specifically denote a male domestic dog. 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. Although the area was within the bounds described in the 1632 Charter of Maryland, the Calvert family's actual reach never came this far, and Swedish colonists became the first Europeans to settle the area (see New Sweden), calling it Wiccacoa. Before Europeans arrived, the Delaware (Lenape) Indian town of Shackamaxon was located where Philadelphia now stands, specifically, the Germantown neighborhood. . Philadelphia is also one of the largest college towns in the United States with over 120,000 students studying within the city limits alone and nearly 300,000 total college and university students in the metropolitan area. The city's expansion incorporated the neighborhoods of West Philadelphia, South Philadelphia, North Philadelphia, and Northeast Philadelphia, as well as Germantown and smaller communities such as Roxborough, Manayunk, Mount Airy and Chestnut Hill. 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 The Act of Consolidation in 1854. 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 most populous city of the United States. It has played a critical role in American history. Philadelphia is one of the oldest and most historically significant cities in the United States. Philadelphia is the central city for the Delaware Valley metropolitan area. The Philadelphia metropolitan area is the fourth largest in the United States by the current official definition, with some 6.2 million people, though some other definitions place it sixth behind the San Francisco Bay Area and Washington-Baltimore. Philadelphia has the third largest downtown residential population in the United States, behind New York and Chicago. As of July 1, 2004, the population estimate for the city was 1,470,151. Since 1952, the city and the county have shared a common government, yet the county still exists as a separate entity within Pennsylvania. Since 1854, the city has been coterminous with Philadelphia CountyGR6. Philadelphia (often referred to simply as "Philly" and sometimes as the "the City of Brotherly Love") is the fifth most populous city in the United States and the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, both in area and population.
The 215 / 267 area code covers the following areas: Ambler, Bristol, Churchville, Doylestown, Hatboro, Kulpsville, Langhorne, New Hope, Philadelphia, Quakertown, Warrington, Willow Grove. Philadelphia Police Department. Article detailing the rise in homicides in 2005. Wanamaker organ, second largest operating pipe organ in the world. Walnut Street Theatre, the oldest operating theatre in America. Wagner Free Institute of Science. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. South Street. SEPTA Museum. Rosenbach Museum & Library. Rodin Museum (largest collection of Auguste Rodin's works outside France). Rittenhouse Square. Reading Terminal Market. Please Touch Museum. Philadelphia Zoo. Philadelphia Museum of Art houses outstanding collections of European and Asian art. Italian market. Philadelphia Doll Musuem. Philadelphia City Hall. Penn's Landing. One Liberty Place. National Constitution Center. Mütter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia (museum of medical and pathological oddities and curiosities). Mummers Museum. LOVE Park. Liberty Bell & Independence Hall. Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, home of The Philadelphia Orchestra, one of America's "Big Five" orchestras and reputed to be one of the best symphonic orchestras in the world. Gloria Dei National Historic Site, built in 1700, is the oldest church in the state. Gazela Primero Philadelphia's historic Tall Ship. Franklin Institute. Fort Mifflin. Fairmount Water Works and its interpretive center. Fairmount Park. Elfreth's Alley. Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site. Eastern State Penitentiary. Curtis Arboretum located in Elkins Park. Clark Park In West Philadelphia, features the only known statue of Johnathan Swift in the world. Peter and Paul. Cathedral-Basilica of Sts. Betsy Ross House. Barnes Foundation. Atwater-Kent Municipal Museum. Afro-American Historical and Cultural Museum. Academy of Natural Sciences. 30th Street Station. Today, a handful of small breweries operate in and around the city, including Yards and Nodding Head. At one point, the city had more than 100 breweries, though most closed after Prohibition. America's first lager brewery was established in the city's Northern Liberties section in the 1840s. Philadelphia-style porter was known throughout the world. Beer -- Colonials brewed it in Philadelphia from its very start. Tastykake -- Brand name synonymous with pre-packaged baked goods, and a Philadelphia institution for over 90 years; best known varieties include Krimpets (jelly or butterscotch), Kandy Kakes (cream or peanut butter), Krimpies (shaped like Krimpets, but with "Kreme" filling and chocolate cake and icing), Tasty (fruit) Pies (unlike many competitors, these are not fried and sugar glazed). Name "wishniak," while not exclusive, is generally associated with popular regional soft drink brand Frank's. Black Cherry Wishniak -- Old fashioned black cherry soda, made with actual black cherry flavoring. Stromboli -- similar to a calzone, invented in Philadelphia. They are sold all over the city at Wawa mini-markets, and pretzel vendors who often set up stands at the intersections of streets with concrete medians, such as Cottman Avenue and Bustleton Avenue in the northeast section of the city. Best eaten fresh, they generally don't keep well, becoming rather rock-like after several hours. Unlike soft pretzels of other cities, which are the same shape as hard pretzels, Philadelphia soft pretzels have a long, thin, block-like shape (like rectangular figure-8). Soft pretzel -- thick, doughy pretzels, generally coarse-salted, often served with mustard. Gelati-- A mix of water ice and soft ice cream. Polish ice -- A much looser, creamier form of Italian Ice, usually coming only in chocolate and vanilla. Irish ice -- Water Ice served through a soft-serve ice cream machine, giving it a unique texture. Italian ice (locally called 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. Sandwich is so-named because of its popularity among Italian-immigrants employed at the former shipyards on Hog Island, with the sandwich originally being called a "hoggie". Hoagies -- a sandwich made with cold cuts and veggies on an Italian roll, similar to the submarine sandwich. This is also true of "Italian hoagies" outside the local area. "Philly cheesesteaks" served in other areas of the country generally suffer from a lack of the firm-crusted Italian bread (usually Amoroso's rolls), that can't be duplicated without special, very high-temperature ovens. Both being triangular shaped buildings, they stare at each other like opposing battleships facing an impasse while splitting clientele fairly evenly.) Cheesesteaks (be it of lower or higher quality than the aforementioned restaurants) can also be obtained at thousands of neighborhood delis and restaurants through the Philadelphia, South Jersey, and Delaware area. Both are 24-hour operations, with trademark south-Philly Italian market awnings and tables on the sidewalks. (Easiest place to get one is at 9th and Passyunk, where both Pat's Steaks and Geno's Steaks are located. There tends to be some fairly fierce competition over the coveted "Best Cheesesteak" title, and many will often share their opinions vigorously on this topic. Cheesesteaks, a kind of humble culinary masterpiece, made of paper-thin chipped ribeye steak fried on a griddle, cheese (usually either Cheez Whiz™, provolone, or American) and fried onions on an Italian hoagie roll. Philadelphia routinely finishes first in food service industry surveys for the best tipping cities. In the 2005 Zagat Restaurant Guide, Philadelphia had more restaurants score 29 than any other city in the United States. The Philadelphia Antiques Show, generally regarded as the best Americana antiques show in the nation, is held in early April. OutFest/PrideFest. Unity Day. Philadelphia Auto Show. Philadelphia Film Festival. Philadelphia Folk Festival. Philadelphia Fringe Festival |