Difference between revisions of "Philadelphia" - New World Encyclopedia

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{{Infobox Settlement
 
{{Infobox Settlement
 
|name = City of Philadelphia
 
|name = City of Philadelphia
 +
|settlement_type        = [[Consolidated city-county]]
 
|image_skyline          = philly_skyline.jpg
 
|image_skyline          = philly_skyline.jpg
 
|imagesize              = 250px
 
|imagesize              = 250px
|image_caption          =
+
|image_caption          =  
 
|motto                  = "Philadelphia maneto" ("Let brotherly love endure")
 
|motto                  = "Philadelphia maneto" ("Let brotherly love endure")
|nickname              = "City of Brotherly Love","The City that Loves you Back," "Cradle of Liberty," "The Quaker City," "The Birthplace of America","The City of Neighborhoods," "Philly"|image_flag            = Flag of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.svg
+
|Founded by            = William Penn
 +
|image_flag            = Flag of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.svg
 
|image_seal            = Philadelphia City Seal Color.jpg
 
|image_seal            = Philadelphia City Seal Color.jpg
 
|image_map              = Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Philadelphia County.svg
 
|image_map              = Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Philadelphia County.svg
|mapsize                = 250px
 
 
|image_map1            = Map of USA PA.svg
 
|image_map1            = Map of USA PA.svg
<!-- pushpin map is broken - pin is in New Jersey
+
|pushpin_map            =
|pushpin_map            =Pennsylvania
+
|pushpin_map_caption    = Location in the United States
|pushpin_map_caption    = Location in Pennsylvania
+
|pushpin_label_position = left —>
|pushpin_label_position = left
+
|coordinates_region    = US-PA
—>
+
|subdivision_type      = Country
 
+
|subdivision_type1      = [[Political divisions of the United States|Commonwealth]]
+
|subdivision_type2      = [[List of counties in Pennsylvania|County]]
|subdivision_type      = Country  
+
|subdivision_name      = [[:United States]]
|subdivision_type1      = Commonwealth  
+
|subdivision_name1      = [[Pennsylvania]]
|subdivision_type2      = County  
+
|subdivision_name2      = [[Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]]
|subdivision_name      = {{USA}}
+
|leader_title          = [[Mayor of Philadelphia|Mayor]]
|subdivision_name1      = [[Image:Flag of Pennsylvania.svg‎|22px]] Pennsylvania
+
|leader_name            = [[Michael Nutter]] ([[United States Democratic Party|D]])
|subdivision_name2      = Philadelphia
 
|leader_title          = Mayor
 
|leader_name            = Michael Nutter (D)  
 
 
|established_title      = Founded
 
|established_title      = Founded
|established_title1    = Incorporated
+
|established_title1    = [[Municipal Corporation|Incorporated]]
 
|established_date      = October 27, 1682
 
|established_date      = October 27, 1682
 
|established_date1      = October 25, 1701
 
|established_date1      = October 25, 1701
 
|area_magnitude        = 1 E8
 
|area_magnitude        = 1 E8
|area_total_sq_mi      = 135
+
|unit_pref              =  Imperial
|area_land_sq_mi        = 127.4
+
|area_total_sq_mi      = 142.6
 +
|area_land_sq_mi        = 135.1
 
|area_land_km2          = 326.144
 
|area_land_km2          = 326.144
 
|area_total_mi2        = 349.65
 
|area_total_mi2        = 349.65
|area_water_sq_mi      = 7.6
+
|area_water_sq_mi      = 7.5
 
|area_water_km2        = 19.6
 
|area_water_km2        = 19.6
 
|area_urban_sq_mi      = 1799.5
 
|area_urban_sq_mi      = 1799.5
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|area_metro_sq_mi      = 4629
 
|area_metro_sq_mi      = 4629
 
|area_metro_km2        = 11989
 
|area_metro_km2        = 11989
|population_as_of      = July 1st, 2007
+
|population_as_of      = 2010 census
 
|population_note        =
 
|population_note        =
|population_total      = 1449634 (6th)
+
|population_total      = 1,526,006 ([[List of United States cities by population|5th]])
|population_metro      = 5823233
+
|population_metro      = 5,965,343
 
|population_urban      = 5325000
 
|population_urban      = 5325000
|population_density_km2     = 4201.8
+
|population_density_km2   = 4,405.4
|population_density_sq_mi = 10882.8
+
|population_density_sq_mi = 11,457
|timezone              = EST
+
|population_blank1_title  = [[Combined statistical area|CSA]]
 +
|population_blank1        = 6,385,461
 +
|population_blank2_title  = [[Demonym]]
 +
|population_blank2        = Philadelphian
 +
|timezone              = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
 
|utc_offset            = -5
 
|utc_offset            = -5
|timezone_DST          = EDT
+
|timezone_DST          = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
 
|utc_offset_DST        = -4
 
|utc_offset_DST        = -4
|area_code  = 215, 267
+
|postal_code_type        = ZIP code
 +
|postal_code              = 191xx
 +
|area_code  = [[Area code 215|215]], [[Area code 267|267]]
 
|latd=39 |latm=57 |lats=12 |latNS=N
 
|latd=39 |latm=57 |lats=12 |latNS=N
 
|longd=75 |longm=10 |longs=12 |longEW=W
 
|longd=75 |longm=10 |longs=12 |longEW=W
|elevation_m             = 12
+
|elevation_m           = 12
 
|elevation_ft          = 39
 
|elevation_ft          = 39
 
|website                = http://www.phila.gov
 
|website                = http://www.phila.gov
 
|footnotes              =
 
|footnotes              =
 
}}
 
}}
'''Philadelphia''' is the largest [[city]] in [[Pennsylvania]] and ranks sixth in population among cities in the [[United States]]. In 2007, the population of the city proper was estimated to be nearly 1.5 million, while the {{nowrap|Greater Philadelphia}} metropolitan area was the fifth-largest in the United States. A commercial, educational, and cultural center, the city was once the second-largest in the [[British Empire]] (after [[London]]) and the social and geographical center of the original 13 American colonies.
 
  
The city's founder was [[William Penn]], who named it Philadelphia, which is [[Greek language|Greek]] for brotherly love. As a [[Religious Society of Friends|Quaker]], Penn had experienced religious persecution and wanted his colony to be a place where anyone could [[freedom of religion|worship freely]]. To this day, a popular nickname for Philadelphia is the City of Brotherly Love, though it is often informally referred to as Philly.
 
  
During the eighteenth century, Philadelphia eclipsed [[New York City]] in political and social importance. It was in this city that some of the ideas, and subsequent actions, gave birth to the [[American Revolution]] and [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]]. It was the most populous city of the young United States and served as the nation's first capital.  
+
'''Philadelphia''' is the largest [[city]] in [[Pennsylvania]] and ranks sixth in population among cities in the [[United States]]. In 2007, the [[population]] of the city proper was estimated to be nearly 1.5 million, while the {{nowrap|Greater Philadelphia}} metropolitan area was the fifth-largest in the United States. A commercial, [[education]]al, and [[culture|cultural]] center, the city was once the second-largest in the [[British Empire]] (after [[London]]) and the social and geographical center of the original 13 American colonies.
 +
 
 +
The city's founder [[William Penn]] named it Philadelphia, which is [[Greek language|Greek]] for brotherly love. As a [[Religious Society of Friends|Quaker]], Penn had experienced religious persecution and wanted his colony to be a place where anyone could fully experience [[freedom of religion]]. To this day, a popular nickname for Philadelphia is the City of Brotherly Love, though it is often informally referred to as Philly.
 +
 
 +
During the eighteenth century, Philadelphia eclipsed [[New York City]] in political and social importance. It was in this city that some of the ideas, and subsequent actions, gave birth to the [[American Revolution]] and [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]] and the [[United States Constitution]]. It was once the most populous city of the young United States and served as the nation's first capital.  
  
 
==Geography and cityscape==
 
==Geography and cityscape==
 
[[Image:Large Philadelphia Landsat.jpg|thumb|225px|A simulated-color satellite image of Philadelphia taken on [[NASA]]'s Landsat 7 satellite. The [[Delaware River]] is visible in this shot.]]
 
[[Image:Large Philadelphia Landsat.jpg|thumb|225px|A simulated-color satellite image of Philadelphia taken on [[NASA]]'s Landsat 7 satellite. The [[Delaware River]] is visible in this shot.]]
  
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|142.6|sqmi|1}}. Bodies of water include the [[Delaware River|Delaware]] and [[Schuylkill River]]s, and Cobbs, Wissahickon, and Pennypack Creeks. The lowest point is [[sea level]], while the highest point is in Chestnut Hill, at approximately {{convert|445|ft|m|0}} above sea level. Philadelphia is located on the [[fall line]] separating the Atlantic Coastal Plain from the Piedmont.
+
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|142.6|sqmi|1}}. Bodies of water in and around Philadelphia include the [[Delaware River]] and [[Schuylkill River]], and the Cobbs, Wissahickon, and Pennypack Creeks. The lowest point is at [[sea level]], while the highest point is in Chestnut Hill, rising approximately {{convert|445|ft|m|0}} above sea level. Philadelphia is located on the [[fall line]] separating the Atlantic Coastal Plain from the Piedmont.
  
Philadelphia lies at the northern periphery of the humid subtropical [[climate]] zone. Summers are typically hot and muggy, fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is cold. Snowfall is variable, with some winters bringing moderate [[snow]] and others snowstorms. Annual snowfall averages 21 inches (534 mm). Precipitation is generally spread throughout the year, with eight to eleven wet days per month, at an average annual rate of 42 inches (1,068 mm).
+
Philadelphia lies at the northern periphery of the temperate [[climate]] zone. Summers are typically hot and muggy, fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is cold. Snowfall is variable, with some winters bringing moderate [[snow]] and others snowstorms. Annual snowfall averages {{convert|21|in|mm|0}} Precipitation is generally spread throughout the year, with eight to 11 wet days per month, at an average annual rate of {{convert|42|in|mm|0}}.
  
 
===Neighborhoods===
 
===Neighborhoods===
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Philadelphia's [[architecture|architectural]] history dates back to Colonial times and includes a wide range of styles. The earliest structures were constructed with logs, but [[brick]] structures were common by 1700. During the eighteenth century, the cityscape was dominated by [[Georgian architecture]], including [[Independence Hall (United States)|Independence Hall]]. In the first decades of the nineteenth century, [[Federal architecture]] and [[Greek Revival architecture]] were popular. In the second half of the nineteenth century, [[Victorian architecture]] was common. Numerous [[glass]] and [[granite]] skyscrapers were built from the late 1980s onwards. In 2007, the Comcast Center became the city's tallest building.
 
Philadelphia's [[architecture|architectural]] history dates back to Colonial times and includes a wide range of styles. The earliest structures were constructed with logs, but [[brick]] structures were common by 1700. During the eighteenth century, the cityscape was dominated by [[Georgian architecture]], including [[Independence Hall (United States)|Independence Hall]]. In the first decades of the nineteenth century, [[Federal architecture]] and [[Greek Revival architecture]] were popular. In the second half of the nineteenth century, [[Victorian architecture]] was common. Numerous [[glass]] and [[granite]] skyscrapers were built from the late 1980s onwards. In 2007, the Comcast Center became the city's tallest building.
  
For much of Philadelphia's history, the typical home has been the row house. For a time, row houses built elsewhere in the [[United States]] were known as "Philadelphia rows". There is a variety of row houses throughout the city, from Victorian-style homes in North Philadelphia to twin row houses in West Philadelphia. While newer homes are scattered throughout the city, much of Philadelphia's housing is from the early twentieth century or older. The age of the city's homes has created numerous problems, which has led to blight and vacant lots in many parts of the city. Other neighborhoods, such as Society Hill, which has the largest concentration of eighteenth-century architecture in the United States, have been rehabilitated and gentrified.
+
For much of Philadelphia's history, the typical home has been the row house. For a time, row houses built elsewhere in the [[United States]] were known as "Philadelphia rows." There is a variety of row houses throughout the city, from Victorian-style homes in North Philadelphia to twin row houses in West Philadelphia. While newer homes are scattered throughout the city, much of Philadelphia's housing is from the early twentieth century or older. The age of the city's homes has created numerous problems, which has led to blight and vacant lots in many parts of the city. Other neighborhoods, such as Society Hill, which has the largest concentration of eighteenth-century architecture in the United States, have been rehabilitated and gentrified.
 
<center>
 
<center>
 
{|
 
{|
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===Nineteenth century===
 
===Nineteenth century===
The state government left Philadelphia in 1799 and the federal government left soon after, in 1800. Philadelphia was still the largest city in the [[United States]] and a [[finance|financial]] and [[culture|cultural]] center. [[New York City]] soon surpassed Philadelphia in population, but construction of [[road]]s, [[canal]]s, and [[railroad]]s helped turn Philadelphia into the United States' first major [[industry|industrial]] city. Throughout the nineteenth century Philadelphia was home to a variety of industries and businesses, the largest being [[textile]]s. Major corporations included the Baldwin Locomotive Works, William Cramp and Sons Ship and Engine Building Company, and the Pennsylvania Railroad.
+
The state government left Philadelphia in 1799 and the federal government left soon after, in 1800. Philadelphia was still the largest city in the [[United States]] and a [[finance|financial]] and [[culture|cultural]] center. [[New York City]] soon surpassed Philadelphia in population, but construction of [[road]]s, [[canal]]s, and [[railroad]]s helped turn Philadelphia into the United States' first major [[industry|industrial]] city. Throughout the nineteenth century, Philadelphia was home to a variety of industries and businesses, the largest being [[textile]]s. Major corporations included the Baldwin Locomotive Works, William Cramp and Sons Ship and Engine Building Company, and the Pennsylvania Railroad.
  
Industry, along with the U.S. Centennial, was celebrated in 1876 with the Centennial Exposition, the first official [[World's Fair]] in the United States. [[Immigration|Immigrants]], mostly [[Germany|German]] and [[Ireland|Irish]], settled in Philadelphia and the surrounding districts. The rise in population of the surrounding districts helped lead to the Act of Consolidation of 1854 which extended the city of Philadelphia to include all of Philadelphia County. In the latter half of the century immigrants from [[Russia]], [[Eastern Europe]], and [[Italy]] and [[African American]]s from the [[Southern United States|southern U.S.]] settled in the city.
+
Industry, along with the United States Centennial, was celebrated in 1876 with the Centennial Exposition, the first official [[World's Fair]] in the United States. [[Immigration|Immigrants]], mostly [[Germany|German]] and [[Ireland|Irish]], settled in Philadelphia and the surrounding districts. The rise in population of the surrounding districts helped lead to the Act of Consolidation of 1854 which extended the city of Philadelphia to include all of Philadelphia County. In the latter half of the century immigrants from [[Russia]], [[Eastern Europe]], and [[Italy]] and [[African American]]s from the [[Southern United States|southern U.S.]] settled in the city.
  
 
===Twentieth century===
 
===Twentieth century===
 
[[Image:Phila8thMarket.jpg|thumb|right|8th and Market Street, showing the Strawbridge and Clothier department store, 1910s.]]
 
[[Image:Phila8thMarket.jpg|thumb|right|8th and Market Street, showing the Strawbridge and Clothier department store, 1910s.]]
By the twentieth century, Philadelphians were seemingly content with the city's lack of change or excitement, and single-party [[politics]], centered on the city's entrenched [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] political machine, allowed [[corruption]] to flourish in all parts of city government. The first reform came in 1917, when outrage over the [[murder]] of a police officer during that year's election led to the shrinking of the Philadelphia City Council. In the 1920s the public flouting of Prohibition laws, [[Mafia|mob]] violence, and police involvement in illegal activities led to the appointment of a brigadier general of the [[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine Corps]] as director of public safety, but political pressure prevented any long-term success in fighting [[crime]] and corruption.
+
By the twentieth century, Philadelphians were seemingly content with the city's lack of change or excitement, and single-party [[politics]], centered on the city's entrenched [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] political machine, allowed [[corruption]] to flourish in all parts of city government. The first reform came in 1917, when outrage over the [[murder]] of a police officer during that year's election led to the shrinking of the Philadelphia City Council. In the 1920s the public flouting of Prohibition laws, [[Mafia|mob]] violence, and police involvement in illegal activities led to the appointment of a brigadier general of the [[United States Marine Corps|United States Marine Corps]] as director of public safety, but political pressure prevented any long-term success in fighting [[crime]] and corruption.
  
 
After struggling through the [[Great Depression]], [[World War II]] created jobs and brought the city out of the Depression. However, after the war there was a severe housing shortage. About half the city's housing had been built in the nineteenth century, and many lacked proper facilities. Adding to housing problems was white flight, as [[African American]]s and [[Puerto Rico|Puerto Ricans]] moved into new neighborhoods, resulting in racial tension. After a population peak of over two million residents in 1950 the city's population declined while that of the neighboring suburban counties grew.  
 
After struggling through the [[Great Depression]], [[World War II]] created jobs and brought the city out of the Depression. However, after the war there was a severe housing shortage. About half the city's housing had been built in the nineteenth century, and many lacked proper facilities. Adding to housing problems was white flight, as [[African American]]s and [[Puerto Rico|Puerto Ricans]] moved into new neighborhoods, resulting in racial tension. After a population peak of over two million residents in 1950 the city's population declined while that of the neighboring suburban counties grew.  
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After a five-year investigation into corruption in city government, a new city charter was drafted in 1950 that strengthened the position of the mayor and weakened the city council. The first [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] mayor since the early nineteenth century was elected in 1951. After two early reform mayors, a Democratic political organization had established itself, replacing the Republican one.
 
After a five-year investigation into corruption in city government, a new city charter was drafted in 1950 that strengthened the position of the mayor and weakened the city council. The first [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] mayor since the early nineteenth century was elected in 1951. After two early reform mayors, a Democratic political organization had established itself, replacing the Republican one.
  
Protests, [[riot]]s, and racial tensions were common in the 1960s and 1970s. [[Gang]] violence plagued the city, most of it [[drug]]-related . In the mid 1980s, crack houses invaded the city's [[slum]]s. Confrontations between police and the radical group MOVE culminated when the police dropped a satchel bomb on their headquarters, starting a fire that killed eleven MOVE members and destroyed sixty-two neighboring houses.
+
Protests, [[riot]]s, and racial tensions were common in the 1960s and 1970s. [[Gang]] violence plagued the city, most of it [[drug]]-related . In the mid 1980s, crack houses invaded the city's [[slum]]s. Confrontations between police and the radical group MOVE culminated when the police dropped a satchel bomb on their headquarters, starting a fire that killed eleven MOVE members and destroyed 62 neighboring houses.
  
Revitalization and gentrification of neighborhoods began in the 1960s and continues, with much of the development in the Center City and University City areas of the city. After many of the old manufacturers and businesses had left Philadelphia or shut down, the city started attracting service businesses and to aggressively market itself as a [[tourism|tourist]] destination. [[Glass]] and [[granite]] skyscrapers were built in Center City. Historic areas such as Independence National Historical Park are now among the most desirable living areas of Center City. This has slowed the city's forty-year population decline after losing nearly a quarter of its population.
+
Revitalization and gentrification of neighborhoods began in the 1960s and continued with much of the development in the Center City and University City areas of the city. After many of the old manufacturers and businesses had left Philadelphia or shut down, the city started attracting service businesses and to aggressively market itself as a [[tourism|tourist]] destination. [[Glass]] and [[granite]] skyscrapers were built in Center City. Historic areas such as Independence National Historical Park are now among the most desirable living areas of Center City. This has slowed the city's 40-year population decline after losing nearly a quarter of its population.
  
==Government and politics==
+
==Law, government, and politics==
[[Image:City Hall holiday.jpg|thumb|left|City Hall decorated.]]
+
[[Image:City Hall holiday.jpg|thumb|City Hall decorated for the holidays.]]
 
The city is the seat of its own county. All county functions were assumed by the city in 1952, which has been coterminous with the county since 1854.  
 
The city is the seat of its own county. All county functions were assumed by the city in 1952, which has been coterminous with the county since 1854.  
  
The city uses the "strong-mayor" version of the mayor-council form of government, which is headed by one [[mayor]], in whom executive authority is vested. The mayor is limited to two consecutive four-year terms under the city's [[home rule]] charter, but can run for the position again after an intervening term. The current mayor, having taken office in January 2008, is Michael Nutter. Nutter, as all Philadelphia mayors have been since 1952, is a member of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]], which tends to dominate local politics so thoroughly that the Democratic primary for mayor is often more noticeable than the general mayoral election. The legislative branch, the Philadelphia City Council, consists of ten council members representing individual districts and seven members elected at large.  
+
The city uses the "strong-mayor" version of the mayor-council form of government, which is headed by one [[mayor]], in whom executive authority is vested. The mayor is limited to two consecutive four-year terms under the city's [[home rule]] charter, but can run for the position again after an intervening term. The [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] tends to dominate local politics so thoroughly that the Democratic primary for mayor is often more noticeable than the general mayoral election. The legislative branch, the Philadelphia City Council, consists of ten council members representing individual districts and seven members elected at large.  
  
 
===Politics===
 
===Politics===
{| align="right" border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"
+
From the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] until the mid-twentieth century, Philadelphia was a bastion of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], which arose from the staunch pro-Northern views of Philadelphia residents during and after the war. After the [[Great Depression]], [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] registrations increased, but the city was not carried by Democrat [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] in his landslide victory of 1932 (in which [[Pennsylvania]] was one of the few states won by Republican [[Herbert Hoover]]). While other Northern industrial cities were electing Democratic mayors in the 1930s and 1940s, Philadelphia did not follow suit until 1951. The city is now one of the most Democratic in the country, despite the frequent election of Republicans to statewide offices.  
|+ '''Presidential election results'''
 
|- bgcolor=#D3D3D3
 
! Year
 
! [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
 
! [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
 
|-
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[U.S. presidential election, 2004|2004]]
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|19.3% ''130,099
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''80.4%''' ''542,205
 
|-
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[U.S. presidential election, 2000|2000]]
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|18.0% ''100,959
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''80.0%''' ''449,182
 
|-
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1996|1996]]
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|16.0% ''85,345
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''77.5%''' ''412,988
 
|-
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1992|1992]]
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|20.9% ''133,328
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''68.2%''' ''434,904
 
|-
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1988|1988]]
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|32.5% ''219,053
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''66.6%''' ''449,566
 
|-
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1984|1984]]
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|34.6% ''267,178
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''64.9%''' ''501,369
 
|-
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1980|1980]]
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|34.0% ''244,108
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''58.7%''' ''421,253
 
|-
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1976|1976]]
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|32.0% ''239,000
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''66.3%''' ''494,579
 
|-
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1972|1972]]
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|43.4% ''340,096
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''55.1%''' ''431,736
 
|-
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1968|1968]]
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|30.0% ''254,153
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''61.8%''' ''525,768
 
|-
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1964|1964]]
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|26.2% ''239,733
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''73.4%''' ''670,645
 
|-
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1960|1960]]
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|31.8% ''291,000
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''68.0%''' ''622,544
 
|-
 
|}
 
From the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] until the mid-twentieth century, Philadelphia was a bastion of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], which arose from the staunch pro-Northern views of Philadelphia residents during and after the war. After the [[Great Depression]], [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] registrations increased, but the city was not carried by Democrat [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] in his landslide victory of 1932 (in which Pennsylvania was one of the few states won by Republican [[Herbert Hoover]]). While other Northern industrial cities were electing Democratic mayors in the 1930s and 1940s, Philadelphia did not follow suit until 1951. The city is now one of the most Democratic in the country, despite the frequent election of Republicans to statewide offices.  
 
  
 
Philadelphia once comprised six congressional districts. As a result of the city's declining population, it now has four.
 
Philadelphia once comprised six congressional districts. As a result of the city's declining population, it now has four.
  
 
===Crime===
 
===Crime===
Like many American cities, Philadelphia saw a gradual yet pronounced rise in [[crime]] in the years following [[World War II]]. Murders peaked in 1990 at 525. There were an average of about 400 murders a year for most of the 1990s. The murder count dropped in 2002 to 288, then surged four years later to 406. Out of the ten most populous cities in the United States in 2006, Philadelphia had the highest homicide rate at 28 per 100,000 people, though the number of murders decreased to 369 in 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://inquirer.philly.com/graphics/homicide_map_2007/ |title=Philadelphia Homicides in 2007}}</ref>
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Like many American cities, Philadelphia saw a gradual yet pronounced rise in [[crime]] in the years following [[World War II]]. [[Murder]]s peaked in 1990 at 525. There were an average of about 400 murders a year for most of the 1990s. The murder count dropped in 2002 to 288, then surged four years later to 406. Out of the ten most populous cities in the United States in 2006, Philadelphia had the highest homicide rate at 28 per 100,000 people, though the number of murders decreased to 369 in 2007.<ref>''Philadelphia Inquirer''. [http://inquirer.philly.com/graphics/homicide_map_2007/ Philadelphia Homicides in 2007] Retrieved January 12, 2009.</ref>
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In 2006, there were 4,479.3 crimes per 100,000 people in Philadelphia.<ref>''AreaConnect''. [http://philadelphia.areaconnect.com/crime1.htm Philadelphia PA Crime Statistics (2006 Crime Data)] Retrieved January 12, 2009.</ref> In 2008, Philadelphia was ranked as the 22nd most dangerous American city. <ref>''CQ Press''. [http://os.cqpress.com/citycrime/CityCrime2008_Rank_Rev.pdf 2008 Crime Rankings] Retrieved December 29, 2008.</ref>
  
In 2004, there were 5,513.5 crimes per 100,000 people in Philadelphia.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://philadelphia.areaconnect.com/crime1.htm |title=Philadelphia PA Crime Statistics (2005 Crime Data) |accessdate=December 11,2006 |work=AreaConnect LLC }}</ref> In 2008, Philadelphia was ranked as the 22nd most dangerous American city. <ref>http://os.cqpress.com/citycrime/CityCrime2008_Rank_Rev.pdf Retrieved December 29, 2008</ref>
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On September 12, 2007, police commissioner Sylvester Johnson called on 10,000 [[African American]] men to patrol the streets to reduce crime. Johnson set up "Call to Action: 10,000 Men, It's a New Day" in response to the city's disproportionate [[homicide]] rate of young African Americans. About 11,000 men showed up to demonstrate their support.
  
On September 12, 2007, police commissioner Sylvester Johnson called on 10,000 [[African American]] men to patrol the streets to lessen crime. Johnson set up "Call to Action: 10,000 Men, It's a New Day" in response to the city's disproportionate [[homicide]] rate of young African Americans. About 11,000 men showed up to demonstrate their support.
 
 
====Mob activity====
 
====Mob activity====
The Philadelphia crime family, also known as the Scarfo crime family and the Bruno crime family is an Italian [[organized crime|criminal organization]] based in South Philadelphia. It is one of the most powerful [[Cosa Nostra]] families after the Five Families of New York and the Chicago Outfit. The family has been known to hold turf or influence in other nearby areas outside of Philadelphia, including [[Atlantic City, New Jersey]], areas of South Jersey, Trenton, Camden, Chester, [[Delaware]], [[Baltimore, Maryland|Baltimore]], and Newark. The Philadelphia family is notorious for their violence and for being a particularly dysfunctional family, partially due to having a succession of very violent bosses. The Stanfa-Merlino conflict throughout the 1990s is considered one of the bloodiest mob wars of recent years.
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The Philadelphia [[crime family]], also known as the Scarfo crime family and the Bruno crime family is an Italian [[organized crime|criminal organization]] based in South Philadelphia. It is one of the most powerful [[Cosa Nostra]] families after the [[Five Families of New York]] and the [[Chicago Outfit]]. The family has been known to hold turf or influence in other nearby areas outside of Philadelphia, including [[Atlantic City, New Jersey]], areas of South Jersey, Trenton, Camden, Chester, [[Delaware]], [[Baltimore, Maryland|Baltimore]], and Newark. The Philadelphia family is notorious for their violence and for being a particularly dysfunctional family, partially due to having a succession of very violent bosses. The Stanfa-Merlino conflict throughout the 1990s is considered one of the bloodiest mob wars of recent years.
  
 
==Economy==
 
==Economy==
[[Image:Comcastcenter vertical.jpg|thumb|[[Comcast Center (office building)|Comcast Center]], Philadelphia's newest office building.]]
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[[Image:Comcastcenter vertical.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Comcast Center (office building)|Comcast Center]], Philadelphia's newest office building.]]
 
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[[Image:Philly Vista.jpg|thumb|200px|Baltimore Avenue towards Center City.]]
Philadelphia's economy is relatively diversified, with meaningful portions of its total output derived from manufacturing, oil refining, food processing, health care and biotechnology, tourism and financial services. According to a study prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers, Philadelphia and its surrounding region had the fourth highest GDP among American cities, with a total GDP of $312 billion in 2005.<ref name=cityGDP>{{cite web |url=http://www.citymayors.com/statistics/richest-cities-2005.html |title=The 150 richest cities in the world by GDP in 2005 |date=2007-03-11 |accessdate=November 10, 2008 |publisher=City Mayors |work=PricewaterhouseCoopers}}</ref> Only [[New York City]] ($1,133 billion), [[Los Angeles, California]] ($693 billion), and [[Chicago]] ($460 billion) had higher total economic output levels among American cities.<ref name=cityGDP/>  
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[[Image:Suburban Station Facade.jpg|thumb|200px|Suburban Station]]
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[[Image:Inquirerbldgfull.jpg|thumb|200px|The Inquirer Building on North Broad Street.]]
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[[Image:Philly 30th St. Station.jpg|thumb|200px|30th Street Station, with Cira Centre in the background and statues on the Market Street Bridge over Schuylkill River in the foreground]]
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Philadelphia's economy is relatively diversified, with meaningful portions of its total output derived from manufacturing, oil refining, food processing, health care and [[biotechnology]], [[tourism]] and [[financial services]]. According to a study prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers, Philadelphia and its surrounding region had the fourth highest GDP among American cities, with a total GDP of $312 billion in 2005.<ref name=cityGDP>''City Mayors Statistics''. [http://www.citymayors.com/statistics/richest-cities-2005.html The 150 richest cities in the world by GDP in 2005] Retrieved January 12, 2009.</ref> Only [[New York City]] ($1,133 billion), [[Los Angeles, California]] ($693 billion), and [[Chicago]] ($460 billion) had higher total economic output levels among American cities.<ref name=cityGDP/>  
  
The city is home to the Philadelphia Stock Exchange and several Fortune 500 companies, including cable television and [[Internet]] provider Comcast, [[insurance]] companies CIGNA and Lincoln Financial Group, energy company Sunoco, food services company Aramark, Crown Holdings Incorporated, chemical makers Rohm and Haas Company and FMC Corporation, pharmaceutical companies Wyeth and GlaxoSmithKline, Boeing helicopters division, and automotive parts retailer Pep Boys. Early in the 20th Century, it was also home to the pioneering brass era [[automobile]] company Biddle.
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The city is home to the Philadelphia Stock Exchange and several Fortune 500 companies, including cable television and [[Internet]] provider Comcast, [[insurance]] companies CIGNA and Lincoln Financial Group, energy company Sunoco, food services company Aramark, Crown Holdings Incorporated, chemical makers Rohm and Haas Company and FMC Corporation, pharmaceutical companies Wyeth and GlaxoSmithKline, Boeing helicopters division, and automotive parts retailer Pep Boys. Early in the twentieth century, it was also home to the pioneering brass era [[automobile]] company Biddle.
  
 
The federal government has several facilities in Philadelphia as well. 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 federal government has several facilities in Philadelphia as well. 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.  
  
[[Image:Philly Vista.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Baltimore Avenue towards Center City.]]
 
 
===Medicine===
 
===Medicine===
Philadelphia is also an important center for [[medicine]], a distinction that it has held since the colonial period. The city is home to the first [[hospital]] in the British North American colonies, Pennsylvania Hospital, and the first medical school in what is now the [[United States]], at the [[University of Pennsylvania]]. The university, the city's largest private employer, also runs a large teaching hospital and extensive medical system. There are also major hospitals affiliated with Temple University School of Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Philadelphia also has three distinguished children's hospitals: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the nation's first pediatric hospital (located adjacent to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania), St. Christopher's Hospital, and the Shriners' Hospital. Together, health care is the largest sector of employment in the city.  
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Philadelphia is an important center for [[medicine]], a distinction that it has held since the colonial period. The city is home to the first [[hospital]] in the British North American colonies, Pennsylvania Hospital, and the first [[medical school]] in what is now the [[United States]], at the [[University of Pennsylvania]]. The university, the city's largest private employer, also runs a large teaching hospital and extensive medical system. There are also major hospitals affiliated with Temple University School of Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Philadelphia also has three distinguished children's hospitals: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, (the nation's first pediatric hospital located adjacent to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania), St. Christopher's Hospital, and the Shriners' Hospital. Together, health care is the largest sector of employment in the city.  
  
 
In part because of Philadelphia's long-running importance as a center for medical [[research]], the region is a major center for the [[pharmaceutical]] industry. GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Wyeth, Merck, GE Healthcare, Johnson and Johnson and Siemens Medical Solutions are just some of the large pharmaceutical companies with operations in the region. The city is also home to the nation's first school of [[pharmacy]], the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, now called the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.
 
In part because of Philadelphia's long-running importance as a center for medical [[research]], the region is a major center for the [[pharmaceutical]] industry. GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Wyeth, Merck, GE Healthcare, Johnson and Johnson and Siemens Medical Solutions are just some of the large pharmaceutical companies with operations in the region. The city is also home to the nation's first school of [[pharmacy]], the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, now called the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.
[[Image:Italian Market Vegetable Stand 3000px.jpg|thumb|Italian Market, South Philadelphia]]
 
  
 
===Media===
 
===Media===
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Philadelphia's two major [[newspaper]]s are the ''Philadelphia Inquirer'' and the ''Philadelphia Daily News'', both of which are owned by Philadelphia Media Holdings LLC. The ''Inquirer'', founded in 1829, is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the United States.
 
Philadelphia's two major [[newspaper]]s are the ''Philadelphia Inquirer'' and the ''Philadelphia Daily News'', both of which are owned by Philadelphia Media Holdings LLC. The ''Inquirer'', founded in 1829, is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the United States.
  
[[Image:Inquirerbldgfull.jpg|thumb|right|The Inquirer Building on North Broad Street.]]
 
 
The first experimental [[radio]] license was issued in Philadelphia in August 1912 to St. Joseph's College. The first commercial radio stations appeared in 1922.  
 
The first experimental [[radio]] license was issued in Philadelphia in August 1912 to St. Joseph's College. The first commercial radio stations appeared in 1922.  
  
 
During the 1930s, the experimental station W3XE, which was owned by Philco Corp, became the first [[television]] station in Philadelphia. The station became [[NBC]]'s first affiliate in 1939.
 
During the 1930s, the experimental station W3XE, which was owned by Philco Corp, became the first [[television]] station in Philadelphia. The station became [[NBC]]'s first affiliate in 1939.
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===Infrastructure===
 
===Infrastructure===
[[Image:Philly 30th St. Station.jpg|thumb|right|30th Street Station, with Cira Centre in the background and statues on the Market Street Bridge over Schuylkill River in the foreground]]
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Philadelphia is served by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), which operates buses, trains, rapid transit, trolleys, and trackless trolleys throughout Philadelphia, the four Pennsylvania suburban counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery, in addition to service to Mercer County, New Jersey and New Castle County, Delaware. The city's subway, opened in 1907, is the third-oldest in America. Philadelphia's 30th Street Station is a major [[railroad]] station on [[Amtrak]]'s Northeast Corridor, which offers access to Amtrak, SEPTA, and New Jersey Transit lines.
Philadelphia is served by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), which operates buses, trains, rapid transit, trolleys, and trackless trolleys throughout Philadelphia, the four Pennsylvania suburban counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery, in addition to service to Mercer County, New Jersey and New Castle County, Delaware. The city's subway, opened in 1907, is the third-oldest in America.
 
  
Philadelphia's 30th Street Station is a major [[railroad]] station on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, which offers access to Amtrak, SEPTA, and New Jersey Transit lines.
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Since the early days of rail transport in the United States, Philadelphia has served as hub for several major rail companies, particularly the [[Pennsylvania Railroad]] and the [[Reading Railroad]].  
  
===Airports===
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Philadelphia, once home to more than 4,000 trolleys on 65 lines, is one of the few [[North America]]n cities to maintain [[streetcar]] lines. Today, SEPTA operates five "subway-surface" trolleys that run on street-level tracks in West Philadelphia and subway tunnels in Center City.  
Two airports serve Philadelphia: the Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), straddling the southern boundary of the city, and the Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE), a general aviation reliever airport in Northeast Philadelphia. As of March 2006, Philadelphia International Airport was the 10th largest airport measured by "traffic movements" (i.e., takeoffs and landings), and was also a primary hub for US Airways.
 
  
===Buses===
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Two [[airport]]s serve Philadelphia: the Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), straddling the southern boundary of the city, and the Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE), a general aviation reliever airport in Northeast Philadelphia. As of March 2006, Philadelphia International Airport was the tenth largest airport measured by "traffic movements" (takeoffs and landings), and was also a primary hub for US Airways.
  
Philadelphia is a major hub for Greyhound Lines, which operates 24-hour service to points east of the [[Mississippi River]]. In 2006, the Philadelphia Greyhound Terminal was the second busiest Greyhound terminal in the United States, after the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York.  
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Philadelphia is a major hub for Greyhound Lines, which operates 24-hour service to points east of the [[Mississippi River]]. In 2006, the Philadelphia Greyhound Terminal was the second busiest Greyhound terminal in the United States, after the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York.
[[Image:Suburban Station Facade.jpg|thumb|Suburban Station]]
 
[[Image:PhiladelphiaSubwayStationMarketFrankford.jpg|thumb|140px|Market-Frankford Line entrance in Old City]]
 
  
===Rail===
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==Demographics==
Since the early days of rail transport in the United States, Philadelphia has served as hub for several major rail companies, particularly the [[Pennsylvania Railroad]] and the [[Reading Railroad]]. 
 
 
 
Philadelphia, once home to more than 4,000 trolleys on 65 lines, is one of the few North American cities to maintain [[streetcar]] lines. Today, SEPTA operates five "subway-surface" trolleys that run on street-level tracks in West Philadelphia and subway tunnels in Center City.
 
 
 
[[Image:Philadelphia skyline from south street bridge.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Philadelphia skyline as seen from the South Street Bridge]]
 
  
==Demographics==
 
 
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,517,550 people, with 590,071 households and 352,272 families residing in the city. The 2007 population estimate indicated a drop to 1,449,634. The [[population density]] was 11,233 per square mile (4,337.3/km²).  
 
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,517,550 people, with 590,071 households and 352,272 families residing in the city. The 2007 population estimate indicated a drop to 1,449,634. The [[population density]] was 11,233 per square mile (4,337.3/km²).  
  
Of the 590,071 households, 27.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.1% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 22.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.22.
 
 
The median income for a household in the city was $30,746, and the median income for a family was $37,036. Males had a median income of $34,199 versus $28,477 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,509. About 18.4% of families and 22.9% of the population were below the [[poverty]] line, including 31.3% of those under age 18 and 16.9% of those age 65 or over.
 
 
===Immigration===
 
===Immigration===
As of 2008 more than 500,000 immigrants call the Philadelphia metropolitan area home. More than one-fifth of them have arrived since 2000, and immigrants comprise 9% of the city's population. As reported by the Brookings Institution, the Philadelphia area is poised to re-emerge as a destination for immigrants, a longtime characteristic that stalled in the mid-twentieth century.
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[[Image:Italian Market Vegetable Stand 3000px.jpg|thumb|200px|Italian Market, South Philadelphia]]
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[[Image:Philadelphia skyline from south street bridge.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Philadelphia skyline as seen from the South Street Bridge]]
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As of 2008 more than 500,000 immigrants called the Philadelphia metropolitan area home. More than one-fifth of them have arrived since 2000, and immigrants comprise 9 percent of the city's population. As reported by the Brookings Institution, the Philadelphia area is poised to re-emerge as a destination for immigrants, a longtime characteristic that stalled in the mid-twentieth century.
  
 
Philadelphia has the second largest [[Ireland|Irish]], [[Italy|Italian]], and [[Jamaica]]n populations and the fourth largest [[African American]] population in the nation. Philadelphia also has the fourth largest population of [[Poland|Polish]] residents. In recent years, the Hispanic and Asian American populations have significantly increased. Hispanics have settled throughout the city. Philadelphia is home to the third largest [[Puerto Rico|Puerto Rican]] population in the United States. Many [[Mexico|Mexican]] immigrants have settled in areas around the Italian Market. There are an estimated 10,000 Mexicans living in South Philadelphia. Mexicans and [[Guatemala]]ns also have settled in small communities in North Philadelphia. [[Colombia|Colombian]] immigrants have come to the Olney neighborhood.
 
Philadelphia has the second largest [[Ireland|Irish]], [[Italy|Italian]], and [[Jamaica]]n populations and the fourth largest [[African American]] population in the nation. Philadelphia also has the fourth largest population of [[Poland|Polish]] residents. In recent years, the Hispanic and Asian American populations have significantly increased. Hispanics have settled throughout the city. Philadelphia is home to the third largest [[Puerto Rico|Puerto Rican]] population in the United States. Many [[Mexico|Mexican]] immigrants have settled in areas around the Italian Market. There are an estimated 10,000 Mexicans living in South Philadelphia. Mexicans and [[Guatemala]]ns also have settled in small communities in North Philadelphia. [[Colombia|Colombian]] immigrants have come to the Olney neighborhood.
Line 265: Line 207:
 
The [[Asia]]n population was once concentrated in the city's thriving Chinatown, but now [[Korea]]n Americans have come to Olney, and [[Vietnam]]ese have forged bazaars next to the Italian Market in South Philadelphia. Concentrations of [[Cambodia]]n-American neighborhoods can be found in North and South Philadelphia. [[India]]ns and [[Arab]]s have come to Northeast Philadelphia, joining [[Russia]]n and [[Ukraine|Ukrainian]] immigrants. This large influx of Asians has given Philadelphia one of the largest populations of Vietnamese, Cambodians, [[China|Chinese]], and Koreans in [[United States]]. The Philadelphia region also has the fourth largest population of Indian Americans. The [[West Indies|West Indian]] population is concentrated in Cedar Park. [[Germany|Germans]], [[Greece|Greeks]], Chinese, [[Japan|Japanese]], [[England|English]], [[Pakistan]]is, [[Iran]]ians, and also immigrants from the former [[Yugoslavia]] along with other ethnic groups can be found throughout the city.
 
The [[Asia]]n population was once concentrated in the city's thriving Chinatown, but now [[Korea]]n Americans have come to Olney, and [[Vietnam]]ese have forged bazaars next to the Italian Market in South Philadelphia. Concentrations of [[Cambodia]]n-American neighborhoods can be found in North and South Philadelphia. [[India]]ns and [[Arab]]s have come to Northeast Philadelphia, joining [[Russia]]n and [[Ukraine|Ukrainian]] immigrants. This large influx of Asians has given Philadelphia one of the largest populations of Vietnamese, Cambodians, [[China|Chinese]], and Koreans in [[United States]]. The Philadelphia region also has the fourth largest population of Indian Americans. The [[West Indies|West Indian]] population is concentrated in Cedar Park. [[Germany|Germans]], [[Greece|Greeks]], Chinese, [[Japan|Japanese]], [[England|English]], [[Pakistan]]is, [[Iran]]ians, and also immigrants from the former [[Yugoslavia]] along with other ethnic groups can be found throughout the city.
  
In the 2007 U.S. census estimates, the city's population was 43.9% white (39.4% non-Hispanic white), 44.9% black or African American (43.0% non-Hispanic black or African American), 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 5.7% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 6.7% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Of the total population 10.3% were Hispanic or Latino of any race (most of them Puerto Ricans).<ref>http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-context=adp&-qr_name=ACS_2007_3YR_G00_DP3YR5&-ds_name=ACS_2007_3YR_G00_&-tree_id=3307&-redoLog=true&-_caller=geoselect&-geo_id=16000US4260000&-format=&-_lang=en</ref>
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In the 2007 United States census estimates, the city's population was 43.9 percent white (39.4 percent non-Hispanic white), 44.9 percent black or African American (43.0 percent non-Hispanic black or African American), 0.7 percent American Indian and Alaska Native, 5.7 percent Asian, 0.1 percent Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 6.7 percent from other races, and 1.6 percent from two or more races. Of the total population 10.3 percent were Hispanic or Latino of any race (most of them Puerto Ricans).<ref>''US Census Bureau''. [http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-context=adp&-qr_name=ACS_2007_3YR_G00_DP3YR5&-ds_name=ACS_2007_3YR_G00_&-tree_id=3307&-redoLog=true&-_caller=geoselect&-geo_id=16000US4260000&-format=&-_lang=en Philadelphia city, Pennsylvania] Retrieved January 12, 2009.</ref>
  
 
==Education==
 
==Education==
[[Image:Penn campus 2.jpg|thumb|[[University of Pennsylvania]]]]
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{| align="right" width="360"
[[Image:BarbelinWalkway.jpg|150px|thumb|left|Walkway at Saint Joseph's University]]
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| [[Image:Penn campus 2.jpg|thumb|225px|[[University of Pennsylvania]]]]
===Elementary and secondary===
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| [[Image:BarbelinWalkway.jpg|150px|thumb|Walkway at Saint Joseph's University]]
[[Education]] in Philadelphia is provided by many private and public institutions. The School District of Philadelphia runs the city's public schools. The Philadelphia School District is the eighth largest school district in the United States with 210,432 students in 346 public and charter schools.
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|}
===Colleges and universities===
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[[Education]] in Philadelphia is provided by many private and public institutions. The School District of Philadelphia runs the city's [[public school]]s. The Philadelphia School District is the eighth largest school district in the United States with 210,432 students in 346 public and charter schools.
Philadelphia is one of the largest college towns in the United States and has the second-largest student concentration on the [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]], with over 120,000 college and university students enrolled within the city and nearly 300,000 in the metropolitan area. There are over 80 colleges, universities, trade, and specialty schools in the Philadelphia region. The city contains three major research universities: the [[University of Pennsylvania]], [[Drexel University]], and [[Temple University]].
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===Higher education===
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Philadelphia is one of the largest [[college]] towns in the United States and has the second-largest student concentration on the [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]], with over 120,000 college and university students enrolled within the city and nearly 300,000 in the metropolitan area. There are over 80 colleges, [[university|universities]], trade, and specialty schools in the Philadelphia region. The city contains three major research universities: the [[University of Pennsylvania]], [[Drexel University]], and [[Temple University]].
  
 
==Culture==
 
==Culture==
 
[[Image:Independence Hall.jpg|thumb|right|[[Independence Hall (United States)|Independence Hall]] in Philadelphia]]
 
[[Image:Independence Hall.jpg|thumb|right|[[Independence Hall (United States)|Independence Hall]] in Philadelphia]]
Philadelphia contains many national historical sites that relate to the founding of the United States. Independence National Historical Park is the center of these historical landmarks. [[Independence Hall (United States)|Independence Hall]], where the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]] was signed, and the [[Liberty Bell]] are the city's most famous attractions. Other historic sites include homes for [[Edgar Allan Poe]], [[Betsy Ross]], and [[Thaddeus Kosciuszko]].
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Philadelphia contains many national historical sites that relate to the founding of the [[United States]]. Independence National Historical Park is the center of these historical landmarks. [[Independence Hall (United States)|Independence Hall]], where the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]] was signed, and the [[Liberty Bell]] are the city's most famous attractions. Other historic sites include homes for [[Edgar Allan Poe]], [[Betsy Ross]], and [[Thaddeus Kosciuszko]].
  
Philadelphia's major science [[museum]]s include the Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, and the [[University of Pennsylvania]] Museum of [[Archaeology]] and [[Anthropology]]. History museums include the National Constitution Center, the National Museum of American [[Jewish]] History, the [[African American]] Museum, and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia is home to the United States' first [[zoo]] and [[hospital]].
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Philadelphia's major [[science]] [[museum]]s include the Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, and the [[University of Pennsylvania]] Museum of [[Archaeology]] and [[Anthropology]]. [[History]] museums include the National Constitution Center, the National Museum of American Jewish History, the African American Museum, and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia is home to the United States' first [[zoo]] and [[hospital]].
  
 
===Arts===
 
===Arts===
[[Image:Philly042107-014-RockyStatue.jpg|thumb|left|Two statues, ''The Amazon'' and ''Rocky'', outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art.]]
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[[Image:Philly042107-014-RockyStatue.jpg|thumb|Two statues, ''The Amazon'' and ''Rocky'', outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art.]]
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The city contains many [[art]] [[museum]]s such as the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the Barnes Foundation, and the Rodin Museum, the largest collection of work by [[Auguste Rodin]] outside France. The Philadelphia Museum of Art is one of the largest art museums in the United States. The city is also home to a profusion of art galleries.
 
The city contains many [[art]] [[museum]]s such as the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the Barnes Foundation, and the Rodin Museum, the largest collection of work by [[Auguste Rodin]] outside France. The Philadelphia Museum of Art is one of the largest art museums in the United States. The city is also home to a profusion of art galleries.
  
Annual events include film festivals and parades, the most famous being the New Year's Day Mummers Parade.  
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Areas such as South Street and Old City have a vibrant night life. The Avenue of the Arts in Center City contains many restaurants and [[Theater|theaters]], such as the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, which is home to the [[Philadelphia Orchestra]], and the Academy of Music, the nation's oldest continually operating venue, home to the Opera Company of Philadelphia.
  
Areas such as South Street and Old City have a vibrant night life. The Avenue of the Arts in Center City contains many restaurants and [[Theater|theaters]], such as the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, which is home to the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Academy of Music, the nation's oldest continually operating venue, home to the Opera Company of Philadelphia.
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Philadelphia has more public art than any other American city. In 1872, the Fairmount Park Art Association was created, the first private association in the United States dedicated to integrating public art and [[urban planning]]. In 1959, lobbying by the Artists Equity Association helped create the Percent for Art ordinance, the first for a United States city. The program, which has funded more than 200 pieces of public art, is administered by the Philadelphia Office of Arts and Culture, the city's art agency.
  
[[Image:KeysToCommunity.jpg|right|thumbnail|Philadelphia sculptor James Peniston's ''Keys To Community'' in the Old City neighborhood, one of the city's many public artworks featuring images of [[Benjamin Franklin]]]]
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Philadelphia has more [[mural]]s than any other United States city, thanks in part to the 1984 creation of the Department of Recreation's Mural Arts Program, which seeks to beautify neighborhoods and provide an outlet for [[graffiti]] artists. The program has funded more than 2,700 murals by professional, staff, and volunteer artists.
  
Philadelphia has more public art than any other American city. In 1872, the Fairmount Park Art Association was created, the first private association in the United States dedicated to integrating public art and [[urban planning]]. In 1959, lobbying by the Artists Equity Association helped create the Percent for Art ordinance, the first for a U.S. city. The program, which has funded more than 200 pieces of public art, is administered by the Philadelphia Office of Arts and Culture, the city's art agency.
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Philadelphia has had a prominent role in [[music]]. In the 1970s, Philadelphia soul influenced the music of that and later eras.
 
 
In particular, Philadelphia has more [[mural]]s than any other U.S. city, thanks in part to the 1984 creation of the Department of Recreation's Mural Arts Program, which seeks to beautify neighborhoods and provide an outlet for [[graffiti]] artists. The program has funded more than 2,700 murals by professional, staff, and volunteer artists.
 
 
 
Philadelphia has had a prominent role in music. In the 1970s, Philadelphia soul influenced the music of that and later eras.
 
  
 
===Sports===
 
===Sports===
  
Philadelphia has a long history of professional sports teams, and is one of thirteen U.S. cities to have all four major sports: the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League, the Philadelphia Flyers of the [[National Hockey League]], the Philadelphia Phillies in the [[National League]] of [[Major League Baseball]], and the Philadelphia 76ers in the [[National Basketball Association]].  
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Philadelphia has a long history of professional sports teams, and is one of thirteen United States cities to have all four major sports: the Philadelphia Eagles of the [[National Football League]], the Philadelphia Flyers of the [[National Hockey League]], the Philadelphia Phillies in the [[National League]] of [[Major League Baseball]], and the Philadelphia 76ers in the [[National Basketball Association]].  
  
Philadelphia is also known for the Philadelphia Big 5, a group of five Division I college basketball programs: [[Saint Joseph's University]], [[University of Pennsylvania]], [[La Salle University]], [[Temple University]], and [[Villanova University]]. The sixth NCAA Division I school in Philadelphia is [[Drexel University]]. At least one of the teams is competitive nearly every year and at least one team has made the NCAA tournament for the past four decades.
+
Philadelphia is also known for the Philadelphia Big 5, a group of five Division I college [[basketball]] programs: [[Saint Joseph's University]], [[University of Pennsylvania]], [[La Salle University]], [[Temple University]], and [[Villanova University]]. The sixth NCAA Division I school in Philadelphia is [[Drexel University]]. At least one of the teams is competitive nearly every year and at least one team has made the NCAA tournament for the past four decades.
  
 
In February 2008, Philadelphia beat out competition to be awarded the 16th Major League [[Soccer]] franchise. It will enter the league in 2010.
 
In February 2008, Philadelphia beat out competition to be awarded the 16th Major League [[Soccer]] franchise. It will enter the league in 2010.
  
 
==Looking to the future==
 
==Looking to the future==
 +
[[Image:KeysToCommunity.jpg|right|175px|thumb|Philadelphia sculptor James Peniston's ''Keys To Community'' in the Old City neighborhood, one of the city's many public artworks featuring images of [[Benjamin Franklin]]]]
 
The administration of Mayor Michael Nutter has set forth the following goals:  
 
The administration of Mayor Michael Nutter has set forth the following goals:  
 
*Becoming the safest large city in the country (as opposed to its 2008 ranking as the 22nd most dangerous city) by increasing feelings of safety and reducing the city’s [[homicide]] rate by 25 percent
 
*Becoming the safest large city in the country (as opposed to its 2008 ranking as the 22nd most dangerous city) by increasing feelings of safety and reducing the city’s [[homicide]] rate by 25 percent
* Improving the education level by reducing the high school dropout rate by 50 percent and doubling the number of residents with a 4-year bachelor's degree
+
* Improving the [[education]] level by reducing the high school dropout rate by 50 percent and doubling the number of residents with a bachelor's degree
* Promoting economic development by changing the tax structure to encourage job creation and income growth and adding 75,000 people to Philadelphia’s population
+
* Promoting economic development by changing the tax structure to encourage job creation and income growth  
 
* Demonstrating the highest standards for ethics and accountability
 
* Demonstrating the highest standards for ethics and accountability
  
Each year, the largest contributor (41 percent) to filling hotel rooms in Philadelphia is people visiting for conventions and other group-related events. In 2009, meetings and conventions will fill 440,000 hotel room nights, with an economic impact of nearly $700 million. Overall, these visitors spend money in the local economy, generate tax revenue, and support more than 128,000 jobs in the Philadelphia region, with 58,000 in Philadelphia proper.
+
The city's budget, however, suffered from national recession. After making budget cuts in November 2008 to cope with a projected $1 billion shortfall, continued weakness in the economy led the mayor to announce in January 2009 that an additional billion-dollar gap loomed in the next five years. He attributed the ballooning deficits to a huge drop in revenue from real estate transfer taxes, weakening business tax collections, and vast new payment requirements to the city’s Pension Fund because of stock market losses. The shortfalls "will require drastic choices to be made throughout our city government," Nutter said.<ref>''City of Philadelphia''. 2009 . [http://www.phila.gov/budgetUpdate/index.html Strong Leadership in Challenging Times] Retrieved January 21, 2009.</ref> He announced a private-sector panel that would make recommendations for ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
 
 
In an effort to support jobs in the hospitality industry during a down-trending economy, the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau has launched a campaign aimed at encouraging meeting planners, show organizers, and local business leaders to bring, or keep, more meetings and conventions in the local area. "In this time of counting every penny and the overall uncertainty of the economy, we believe it just makes sense for Philadelphia’s business leaders and regional planners to keep or bring their meetings, events, and conventions here," said Nutter.<ref>http://www.philadelphiausa.travel/press_items.php?id=920&type=1&cat=0 Retrieved January 2, 2009</ref>
 
  
 
==Notes==
 
==Notes==
Line 326: Line 266:
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
All Links Retrieved January 12, 2009.
+
All links retrieved January 12, 2009.
 
*[http://www.phila.gov Official Philadelphia government website]
 
*[http://www.phila.gov Official Philadelphia government website]
 
*[http://www.phillyhistory.org/PhotoArchive Philadelphia history at Philly History]
 
*[http://www.phillyhistory.org/PhotoArchive Philadelphia history at Philly History]

Revision as of 19:29, 23 May 2012

City of Philadelphia
—  Consolidated city-county  —
Philly skyline.jpg
Flag of City of Philadelphia
Flag
Official seal of City of Philadelphia
Seal
Motto: "Philadelphia maneto" ("Let brotherly love endure")
Location of City of Philadelphia
Location of City of Philadelphia
Coordinates: {{#invoke:Coordinates|coord}}{{#coordinates:39|57|12|N|75|10|12|W|type:city
name= }}
Country United States
Commonwealth Pennsylvania
County Philadelphia
Founded October 27, 1682
Incorporated October 25, 1701
Government
 - Mayor Michael Nutter (D)
Area
 - Consolidated city-county 142.6 sq mi (369.3 km²)
 - Land 135.1 sq mi (326.144 km²)
 - Water 7.5 sq mi (19.6 km²)
 - Urban 1,799.5 sq mi (4,660.7 km²)
 - Metro 4,629 sq mi (11,989 km²)
Elevation 39 ft (12 m)
Population (2010 census)
 - Consolidated city-county 1,526,006 (5th)
 - Density 11,457/sq mi (4,405.4/km²)
 - Urban 5,325,000
 - Metro 5,965,343
 - CSA 6,385,461
 - Demonym Philadelphian
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 191xx
Area code(s) 215, 267
Website: http://www.phila.gov


Philadelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania and ranks sixth in population among cities in the United States. In 2007, the population of the city proper was estimated to be nearly 1.5 million, while the Greater Philadelphia metropolitan area was the fifth-largest in the United States. A commercial, educational, and cultural center, the city was once the second-largest in the British Empire (after London) and the social and geographical center of the original 13 American colonies.

The city's founder William Penn named it Philadelphia, which is Greek for brotherly love. As a Quaker, Penn had experienced religious persecution and wanted his colony to be a place where anyone could fully experience freedom of religion. To this day, a popular nickname for Philadelphia is the City of Brotherly Love, though it is often informally referred to as Philly.

During the eighteenth century, Philadelphia eclipsed New York City in political and social importance. It was in this city that some of the ideas, and subsequent actions, gave birth to the American Revolution and Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. It was once the most populous city of the young United States and served as the nation's first capital.

Geography and cityscape

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

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 142.6 square miles (369.3 km²). Bodies of water in and around Philadelphia include the Delaware River and Schuylkill River, and the Cobbs, Wissahickon, and Pennypack Creeks. The lowest point is at sea level, while the highest point is in Chestnut Hill, rising approximately 445 feet (136 m) above sea level. Philadelphia is located on the fall line separating the Atlantic Coastal Plain from the Piedmont.

Philadelphia lies at the northern periphery of the temperate climate zone. Summers are typically hot and muggy, fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is cold. Snowfall is variable, with some winters bringing moderate snow and others snowstorms. Annual snowfall averages 21 inches (533 mm) Precipitation is generally spread throughout the year, with eight to 11 wet days per month, at an average annual rate of 42 inches (1,067 mm).

Neighborhoods

Philadelphia has many neighborhoods, each with its own identity. The large Philadelphia sections, North, Northeast, Northwest, West, South, and Southwest Philadelphia surround Center City, which falls within the original city limits prior to consolidation in 1854. Numerous smaller neighborhoods within the areas coincide with the boroughs, townships, and other communities that made up Philadelphia County before their absorption by the city. Other neighborhoods formed based on ethnicity, religion, culture, and commercial reasons.

Architecture

Philadelphia's architectural history dates back to Colonial times and includes a wide range of styles. The earliest structures were constructed with logs, but brick structures were common by 1700. During the eighteenth century, the cityscape was dominated by Georgian architecture, including Independence Hall. In the first decades of the nineteenth century, Federal architecture and Greek Revival architecture were popular. In the second half of the nineteenth century, Victorian architecture was common. Numerous glass and granite skyscrapers were built from the late 1980s onwards. In 2007, the Comcast Center became the city's tallest building.

For much of Philadelphia's history, the typical home has been the row house. For a time, row houses built elsewhere in the United States were known as "Philadelphia rows." There is a variety of row houses throughout the city, from Victorian-style homes in North Philadelphia to twin row houses in West Philadelphia. While newer homes are scattered throughout the city, much of Philadelphia's housing is from the early twentieth century or older. The age of the city's homes has created numerous problems, which has led to blight and vacant lots in many parts of the city. Other neighborhoods, such as Society Hill, which has the largest concentration of eighteenth-century architecture in the United States, have been rehabilitated and gentrified.

File:Downtownphilly.jpg
Center City Philadelphia from City Hall showing the Comcast Center and other buildings
File:Philly Street.jpg
A street in the Washington Square West neighborhood.
Row houses in West Philadelphia.

History

The Philadelphia area was the location of the Lenape (Delaware) Indian village Shackamaxon. Europeans arrived in the Delaware Valley in the early 1600s, with the first settlements founded by the Dutch, British, and Swedish.

The Swedes sought to expand their influence by creating an agricultural (tobacco) and fur-trading colony to bypass French and British merchants. The New Sweden Company included Swedish, Dutch, and German stockholders. The first Swedish expedition to North America embarked from the port of Gothenburg in late 1637. Part of this colony, called New Sweden or Nya Sverige, eventually included land on the west side of the Delaware River from just below the Schuylkill River: in other words, today's Philadelphia, southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland.

In 1644, New Sweden supported the Susquehannocks in their victory in a war against the English province of Maryland. A series of events led the Dutch—led by governor Peter Stuyvesant—to move an army to the Delaware River in 1655. Though New Netherland now nominally controlled the colony, the Swedish and Finnish settlers continued to enjoy a degree of local autonomy, having their own militia, religion, court, and lands. This status lasted officially until the English conquest of the New Netherland colony in 1663-1664 and continued unofficially until the area was included in William Penn's charter for Pennsylvania.

William Penn's colony

File:Westpenntreaty.jpg
"Penn's Treaty with the Indians" by Benjamin West.

In 1681, as part of a repayment of a debt, Charles II of England granted Penn a charter for what would become the Pennsylvania colony. Part of Penn's plan was to create a city on the Delaware River to serve as a port and place for government. Despite already having been given the land, Penn bought the land from the local Lenape to be on good terms with the Native Americans and ensure peace for his colony. As a Quaker, Penn had experienced religious persecution and wanted his colony to be a place where anyone could worship freely despite their religion. Penn named the city Philadelphia, which is Greek for brotherly love (philos, "love" or "friendship," and adelphos, "brother").

Penn's plan was that Philadelphia would be like an English rural town instead of a city. The city's roads were designed with a grid plan, with the idea that houses and businesses would be spread out and surrounded by gardens and orchards. Instead, the inhabitants crowded by the Delaware River and subdivided and resold their lots. Before Penn left Philadelphia for the last time, he issued the Charter of 1701 establishing Philadelphia as a city. The city soon established itself as an important trading center. A significant contributor to Philadelphia at the time was Benjamin Franklin, who helped improve city services and founded new ones, such as the American colonies' first hospital.

Due to Philadelphia's central location, during the American Revolution the city was used as the location for the First Continental Congress before the war, the Second Continental Congress, which signed the United States Declaration of Independence, during the war, and the Constitutional Convention after the war. A number of battles during the war were fought in Philadelphia and its environs. The city served as the United States capital in the 1790s.

Nineteenth century

The state government left Philadelphia in 1799 and the federal government left soon after, in 1800. Philadelphia was still the largest city in the United States and a financial and cultural center. New York City soon surpassed Philadelphia in population, but construction of roads, canals, and railroads helped turn Philadelphia into the United States' first major industrial city. Throughout the nineteenth century, Philadelphia was home to a variety of industries and businesses, the largest being textiles. Major corporations included the Baldwin Locomotive Works, William Cramp and Sons Ship and Engine Building Company, and the Pennsylvania Railroad.

Industry, along with the United States Centennial, was celebrated in 1876 with the Centennial Exposition, the first official World's Fair in the United States. Immigrants, mostly German and Irish, settled in Philadelphia and the surrounding districts. The rise in population of the surrounding districts helped lead to the Act of Consolidation of 1854 which extended the city of Philadelphia to include all of Philadelphia County. In the latter half of the century immigrants from Russia, Eastern Europe, and Italy and African Americans from the southern U.S. settled in the city.

Twentieth century

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

By the twentieth century, Philadelphians were seemingly content with the city's lack of change or excitement, and single-party politics, centered on the city's entrenched Republican political machine, allowed corruption to flourish in all parts of city government. The first reform came in 1917, when outrage over the murder of a police officer during that year's election led to the shrinking of the Philadelphia City Council. In the 1920s the public flouting of Prohibition laws, mob violence, and police involvement in illegal activities led to the appointment of a brigadier general of the United States Marine Corps as director of public safety, but political pressure prevented any long-term success in fighting crime and corruption.

After struggling through the Great Depression, World War II created jobs and brought the city out of the Depression. However, after the war there was a severe housing shortage. About half the city's housing had been built in the nineteenth century, and many lacked proper facilities. Adding to housing problems was white flight, as African Americans and Puerto Ricans moved into new neighborhoods, resulting in racial tension. After a population peak of over two million residents in 1950 the city's population declined while that of the neighboring suburban counties grew.

After a five-year investigation into corruption in city government, a new city charter was drafted in 1950 that strengthened the position of the mayor and weakened the city council. The first Democratic mayor since the early nineteenth century was elected in 1951. After two early reform mayors, a Democratic political organization had established itself, replacing the Republican one.

Protests, riots, and racial tensions were common in the 1960s and 1970s. Gang violence plagued the city, most of it drug-related . In the mid 1980s, crack houses invaded the city's slums. Confrontations between police and the radical group MOVE culminated when the police dropped a satchel bomb on their headquarters, starting a fire that killed eleven MOVE members and destroyed 62 neighboring houses.

Revitalization and gentrification of neighborhoods began in the 1960s and continued with much of the development in the Center City and University City areas of the city. After many of the old manufacturers and businesses had left Philadelphia or shut down, the city started attracting service businesses and to aggressively market itself as a tourist destination. Glass and granite skyscrapers were built in Center City. Historic areas such as Independence National Historical Park are now among the most desirable living areas of Center City. This has slowed the city's 40-year population decline after losing nearly a quarter of its population.

Law, government, and politics

City Hall decorated for the holidays.

The city is the seat of its own county. All county functions were assumed by the city in 1952, which has been coterminous with the county since 1854.

The city uses the "strong-mayor" version of the mayor-council form of government, which is headed by one mayor, in whom executive authority is vested. The mayor is limited to two consecutive four-year terms under the city's home rule charter, but can run for the position again after an intervening term. The Democratic Party tends to dominate local politics so thoroughly that the Democratic primary for mayor is often more noticeable than the general mayoral election. The legislative branch, the Philadelphia City Council, consists of ten council members representing individual districts and seven members elected at large.

Politics

From the Civil War until the mid-twentieth century, Philadelphia was a bastion of the Republican Party, which arose from the staunch pro-Northern views of Philadelphia residents during and after the war. After the Great Depression, Democratic registrations increased, but the city was not carried by Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt in his landslide victory of 1932 (in which Pennsylvania was one of the few states won by Republican Herbert Hoover). While other Northern industrial cities were electing Democratic mayors in the 1930s and 1940s, Philadelphia did not follow suit until 1951. The city is now one of the most Democratic in the country, despite the frequent election of Republicans to statewide offices.

Philadelphia once comprised six congressional districts. As a result of the city's declining population, it now has four.

Crime

Like many American cities, Philadelphia saw a gradual yet pronounced rise in crime in the years following World War II. Murders peaked in 1990 at 525. There were an average of about 400 murders a year for most of the 1990s. The murder count dropped in 2002 to 288, then surged four years later to 406. Out of the ten most populous cities in the United States in 2006, Philadelphia had the highest homicide rate at 28 per 100,000 people, though the number of murders decreased to 369 in 2007.[1]

In 2006, there were 4,479.3 crimes per 100,000 people in Philadelphia.[2] In 2008, Philadelphia was ranked as the 22nd most dangerous American city. [3]

On September 12, 2007, police commissioner Sylvester Johnson called on 10,000 African American men to patrol the streets to reduce crime. Johnson set up "Call to Action: 10,000 Men, It's a New Day" in response to the city's disproportionate homicide rate of young African Americans. About 11,000 men showed up to demonstrate their support.

Mob activity

The Philadelphia crime family, also known as the Scarfo crime family and the Bruno crime family is an Italian criminal organization based in South Philadelphia. It is one of the most powerful Cosa Nostra families after the Five Families of New York and the Chicago Outfit. The family has been known to hold turf or influence in other nearby areas outside of Philadelphia, including Atlantic City, New Jersey, areas of South Jersey, Trenton, Camden, Chester, Delaware, Baltimore, and Newark. The Philadelphia family is notorious for their violence and for being a particularly dysfunctional family, partially due to having a succession of very violent bosses. The Stanfa-Merlino conflict throughout the 1990s is considered one of the bloodiest mob wars of recent years.

Economy

Comcast Center, Philadelphia's newest office building.
Baltimore Avenue towards Center City.
Suburban Station
The Inquirer Building on North Broad Street.
30th Street Station, with Cira Centre in the background and statues on the Market Street Bridge over Schuylkill River in the foreground

Philadelphia's economy is relatively diversified, with meaningful portions of its total output derived from manufacturing, oil refining, food processing, health care and biotechnology, tourism and financial services. According to a study prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers, Philadelphia and its surrounding region had the fourth highest GDP among American cities, with a total GDP of $312 billion in 2005.[4] Only New York City ($1,133 billion), Los Angeles, California ($693 billion), and Chicago ($460 billion) had higher total economic output levels among American cities.[4]

The city is home to the Philadelphia Stock Exchange and several Fortune 500 companies, including cable television and Internet provider Comcast, insurance companies CIGNA and Lincoln Financial Group, energy company Sunoco, food services company Aramark, Crown Holdings Incorporated, chemical makers Rohm and Haas Company and FMC Corporation, pharmaceutical companies Wyeth and GlaxoSmithKline, Boeing helicopters division, and automotive parts retailer Pep Boys. Early in the twentieth century, it was also home to the pioneering brass era automobile company Biddle.

The federal government has several facilities in Philadelphia as well. 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.

Medicine

Philadelphia is an important center for medicine, a distinction that it has held since the colonial period. The city is home to the first hospital in the British North American colonies, Pennsylvania Hospital, and the first medical school in what is now the United States, at the University of Pennsylvania. The university, the city's largest private employer, also runs a large teaching hospital and extensive medical system. There are also major hospitals affiliated with Temple University School of Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Philadelphia also has three distinguished children's hospitals: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, (the nation's first pediatric hospital located adjacent to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania), St. Christopher's Hospital, and the Shriners' Hospital. Together, health care is the largest sector of employment in the city.

In part because of Philadelphia's long-running importance as a center for medical research, the region is a major center for the pharmaceutical industry. GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Wyeth, Merck, GE Healthcare, Johnson and Johnson and Siemens Medical Solutions are just some of the large pharmaceutical companies with operations in the region. The city is also home to the nation's first school of pharmacy, the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, now called the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.

Media

Philadelphia's two major newspapers are the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News, both of which are owned by Philadelphia Media Holdings LLC. The Inquirer, founded in 1829, is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the United States.

The first experimental radio license was issued in Philadelphia in August 1912 to St. Joseph's College. The first commercial radio stations appeared in 1922.

During the 1930s, the experimental station W3XE, which was owned by Philco Corp, became the first television station in Philadelphia. The station became NBC's first affiliate in 1939.

Infrastructure

Philadelphia is served by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), which operates buses, trains, rapid transit, trolleys, and trackless trolleys throughout Philadelphia, the four Pennsylvania suburban counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery, in addition to service to Mercer County, New Jersey and New Castle County, Delaware. The city's subway, opened in 1907, is the third-oldest in America. Philadelphia's 30th Street Station is a major railroad station on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, which offers access to Amtrak, SEPTA, and New Jersey Transit lines.

Since the early days of rail transport in the United States, Philadelphia has served as hub for several major rail companies, particularly the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Reading Railroad.

Philadelphia, once home to more than 4,000 trolleys on 65 lines, is one of the few North American cities to maintain streetcar lines. Today, SEPTA operates five "subway-surface" trolleys that run on street-level tracks in West Philadelphia and subway tunnels in Center City.

Two airports serve Philadelphia: the Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), straddling the southern boundary of the city, and the Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE), a general aviation reliever airport in Northeast Philadelphia. As of March 2006, Philadelphia International Airport was the tenth largest airport measured by "traffic movements" (takeoffs and landings), and was also a primary hub for US Airways.

Philadelphia is a major hub for Greyhound Lines, which operates 24-hour service to points east of the Mississippi River. In 2006, the Philadelphia Greyhound Terminal was the second busiest Greyhound terminal in the United States, after the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,517,550 people, with 590,071 households and 352,272 families residing in the city. The 2007 population estimate indicated a drop to 1,449,634. The population density was 11,233 per square mile (4,337.3/km²).

Immigration

Italian Market, South Philadelphia
Philadelphia skyline as seen from the South Street Bridge

As of 2008 more than 500,000 immigrants called the Philadelphia metropolitan area home. More than one-fifth of them have arrived since 2000, and immigrants comprise 9 percent of the city's population. As reported by the Brookings Institution, the Philadelphia area is poised to re-emerge as a destination for immigrants, a longtime characteristic that stalled in the mid-twentieth century.

Philadelphia has the second largest Irish, Italian, and Jamaican populations and the fourth largest African American population in the nation. Philadelphia also has the fourth largest population of Polish residents. In recent years, the Hispanic and Asian American populations have significantly increased. Hispanics have settled throughout the city. Philadelphia is home to the third largest Puerto Rican population in the United States. Many Mexican immigrants have settled in areas around the Italian Market. There are an estimated 10,000 Mexicans living in South Philadelphia. Mexicans and Guatemalans also have settled in small communities in North Philadelphia. Colombian immigrants have come to the Olney neighborhood.

The Asian population was once concentrated in the city's thriving Chinatown, but now Korean Americans have come to Olney, and Vietnamese have forged bazaars next to the Italian Market in South Philadelphia. Concentrations of Cambodian-American neighborhoods can be found in North and South Philadelphia. Indians and Arabs have come to Northeast Philadelphia, joining Russian and Ukrainian immigrants. This large influx of Asians has given Philadelphia one of the largest populations of Vietnamese, Cambodians, Chinese, and Koreans in United States. The Philadelphia region also has the fourth largest population of Indian Americans. The West Indian population is concentrated in Cedar Park. Germans, Greeks, Chinese, Japanese, English, Pakistanis, Iranians, and also immigrants from the former Yugoslavia along with other ethnic groups can be found throughout the city.

In the 2007 United States census estimates, the city's population was 43.9 percent white (39.4 percent non-Hispanic white), 44.9 percent black or African American (43.0 percent non-Hispanic black or African American), 0.7 percent American Indian and Alaska Native, 5.7 percent Asian, 0.1 percent Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 6.7 percent from other races, and 1.6 percent from two or more races. Of the total population 10.3 percent were Hispanic or Latino of any race (most of them Puerto Ricans).[5]

Education

File:BarbelinWalkway.jpg
Walkway at Saint Joseph's University

Education in Philadelphia is provided by many private and public institutions. The School District of Philadelphia runs the city's public schools. The Philadelphia School District is the eighth largest school district in the United States with 210,432 students in 346 public and charter schools.

Higher education

Philadelphia is one of the largest college towns in the United States and has the second-largest student concentration on the East Coast, with over 120,000 college and university students enrolled within the city and nearly 300,000 in the metropolitan area. There are over 80 colleges, universities, trade, and specialty schools in the Philadelphia region. The city contains three major research universities: the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, and Temple University.

Culture

Independence Hall in Philadelphia

Philadelphia contains many national historical sites that relate to the founding of the United States. Independence National Historical Park is the center of these historical landmarks. Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed, and the Liberty Bell are the city's most famous attractions. Other historic sites include homes for Edgar Allan Poe, Betsy Ross, and Thaddeus Kosciuszko.

Philadelphia's major science museums include the Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, and the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. History museums include the National Constitution Center, the National Museum of American Jewish History, the African American Museum, and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia is home to the United States' first zoo and hospital.

Arts

Two statues, The Amazon and Rocky, outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The city contains many art museums such as the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the Barnes Foundation, and the Rodin Museum, the largest collection of work by Auguste Rodin outside France. The Philadelphia Museum of Art is one of the largest art museums in the United States. The city is also home to a profusion of art galleries.

Areas such as South Street and Old City have a vibrant night life. The Avenue of the Arts in Center City contains many restaurants and theaters, such as the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, which is home to the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Academy of Music, the nation's oldest continually operating venue, home to the Opera Company of Philadelphia.

Philadelphia has more public art than any other American city. In 1872, the Fairmount Park Art Association was created, the first private association in the United States dedicated to integrating public art and urban planning. In 1959, lobbying by the Artists Equity Association helped create the Percent for Art ordinance, the first for a United States city. The program, which has funded more than 200 pieces of public art, is administered by the Philadelphia Office of Arts and Culture, the city's art agency.

Philadelphia has more murals than any other United States city, thanks in part to the 1984 creation of the Department of Recreation's Mural Arts Program, which seeks to beautify neighborhoods and provide an outlet for graffiti artists. The program has funded more than 2,700 murals by professional, staff, and volunteer artists.

Philadelphia has had a prominent role in music. In the 1970s, Philadelphia soul influenced the music of that and later eras.

Sports

Philadelphia has a long history of professional sports teams, and is one of thirteen United States cities to have all four major sports: the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League, the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League, the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League of Major League Baseball, and the Philadelphia 76ers in the National Basketball Association.

Philadelphia is also known for the Philadelphia Big 5, a group of five Division I college basketball programs: Saint Joseph's University, University of Pennsylvania, La Salle University, Temple University, and Villanova University. The sixth NCAA Division I school in Philadelphia is Drexel University. At least one of the teams is competitive nearly every year and at least one team has made the NCAA tournament for the past four decades.

In February 2008, Philadelphia beat out competition to be awarded the 16th Major League Soccer franchise. It will enter the league in 2010.

Looking to the future

Philadelphia sculptor James Peniston's Keys To Community in the Old City neighborhood, one of the city's many public artworks featuring images of Benjamin Franklin

The administration of Mayor Michael Nutter has set forth the following goals:

  • Becoming the safest large city in the country (as opposed to its 2008 ranking as the 22nd most dangerous city) by increasing feelings of safety and reducing the city’s homicide rate by 25 percent
  • Improving the education level by reducing the high school dropout rate by 50 percent and doubling the number of residents with a bachelor's degree
  • Promoting economic development by changing the tax structure to encourage job creation and income growth
  • Demonstrating the highest standards for ethics and accountability

The city's budget, however, suffered from national recession. After making budget cuts in November 2008 to cope with a projected $1 billion shortfall, continued weakness in the economy led the mayor to announce in January 2009 that an additional billion-dollar gap loomed in the next five years. He attributed the ballooning deficits to a huge drop in revenue from real estate transfer taxes, weakening business tax collections, and vast new payment requirements to the city’s Pension Fund because of stock market losses. The shortfalls "will require drastic choices to be made throughout our city government," Nutter said.[6] He announced a private-sector panel that would make recommendations for ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

Notes

  1. Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia Homicides in 2007 Retrieved January 12, 2009.
  2. AreaConnect. Philadelphia PA Crime Statistics (2006 Crime Data) Retrieved January 12, 2009.
  3. CQ Press. 2008 Crime Rankings Retrieved December 29, 2008.
  4. 4.0 4.1 City Mayors Statistics. The 150 richest cities in the world by GDP in 2005 Retrieved January 12, 2009.
  5. US Census Bureau. Philadelphia city, Pennsylvania Retrieved January 12, 2009.
  6. City of Philadelphia. 2009 . Strong Leadership in Challenging Times Retrieved January 21, 2009.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Bowen, Catherine Drinker. 1966. Miracle at Philadelphia: the story of the Constitutional Convention, May to September 1787. Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316103985
  • Countryman, Matthew. 2006. Up south: civil rights and Black power in Philadelphia. Politics and culture in modern America. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 9780812220025
  • Philadelphia Police Department. Crime Statistics Retrieved January 12, 2009.
  • Wolfinger, James. 2007. Philadelphia divided: race & politics in the City of Brotherly Love. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 0807831492

External links

All links retrieved January 12, 2009.

Credits

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