Center City includes the
central business district
A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...
and central neighborhoods of
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
. It comprises the area that made up the City of Philadelphia prior to the
Act of Consolidation, 1854
The Act of Consolidation, more formally known as the act of February 2, 1854 (P.L. 21, No. 16), is legislation of the Pennsylvania General Assembly that created the consolidated City and County of Philadelphia, expanding the city's territory t ...
, which extended the city borders to be coterminous with
Philadelphia County
Philadelphia County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the most populous county in Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, Philadelphia County had a population of 1,603,797. The county is the second smallest county in Pennsyl ...
.
Greater Center City (defined from
Girard Avenue
Girard Avenue is a major commercial and residential street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For most of its length it runs east–west, but at Frankford Avenue it makes a 135-degree turn north. Parts of the road are signed as U.S. Route 13 and U.S. ...
to Tasker Street) has grown into the second-most densely populated downtown area in the United States, after
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan and serves as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Buildin ...
in New York City, with an estimated 202,100 residents in 2020 and a population density of 26,284 per square mile.
Geography
Boundaries
Center City is bounded by
South Street to the south, the
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...
to the east, the
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River ( , ) is a river running northwest to southeast in eastern Pennsylvania. The river was improved by navigations into the Schuylkill Canal, and several of its tributaries drain major parts of Pennsylvania's Coal Region. It fl ...
to the west, and Vine Street to the north. The district occupies the old boundaries of the City of Philadelphia before
the city was made coterminous with Philadelphia County in 1854. The Center City District, which has special powers of taxation, has a complicated, irregularly shaped boundary that includes much but not all of this area, and also extends beyond it. The
Philadelphia Police Department
The Philadelphia Police Department (PPD or Philly PD) is the law enforcement agency, police agency responsible for law enforcement and investigations within the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The PPD is one of the oldest municipal police a ...
patrols four districts located within Center City – the 6th, 9th, 3rd and 17th districts.
Neighborhood features
![Philadelphia_Night_Skyline](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Philadelphia_Night_Skyline.jpg)
Among Center City's neighborhoods and districts are
Penn's Landing
Penn's Landing is a waterfront area of Center City Philadelphia along the Delaware River. Its name commemorates the landing of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania in 1682. The actual landing site is farther south in Chester, Pennsylvani ...
,
Old City Old City often refers to old town, the historic or original core of a city or town.
Old City may refer to several places:
Historical cities or regions of cities
''(by country)''
*Old City (Baku), Azerbaijan
* Old City (Dhaka), Bangladesh, also ca ...
,
Society Hill
Society Hill is a historic neighborhood in Center City Philadelphia, with a population of 6,215 . Settled in the early 1680s, Society Hill is one of the oldest residential neighborhoods in Philadelphia.The Center City District dates the Free Soc ...
,
South Street,
Washington Square West
Washington Square West is a neighborhood Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The neighborhood roughly corresponds to the area between 7th and Broad Streets and between Chestnut and South Streets, bordering on the Independence Mall tourist ar ...
,
Market East,
Chinatown
A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Austra ...
,
Logan Square Logan Square may refer to:
* Logan Square, Chicago, a neighborhood on the north side of the city
* Logan Circle (Philadelphia) or Logan Square, a park in Philadelphia
**Logan Square, Philadelphia
Logan Square is a neighborhood in Philadelphia. Bou ...
, the
Museum District (located along the
Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Benjamin Franklin Parkway, commonly abbreviated to Ben Franklin Parkway and colloquially called the Parkway, is a boulevard that runs through the cultural heart of Philadelphia. Named for founding father Benjamin Franklin, the mile-long Parkway c ...
),
Rittenhouse Square
Rittenhouse Square is a neighborhood, including a public park, in Center City Philadelphia. The park is one of the five original open-space parks planned by William Penn and his surveyor Thomas Holme during the late 17th century.
The neighborho ...
,
Fitler Square
Fitler Square is a 0.5 acre (0.20 ha) public park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States and a surrounding neighborhood of the same name. The square is bounded on the east by 23rd Street, on the west by 24th Street, on the north by Panama St ...
, the
Avenue of the Arts (South Broad Street), and
Jewelers' Row
Jewelers' Row, located in the Center City section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is composed of more than 300 retailers, wholesalers, and craftsmen located on Sansom Street between Seventh and Eighth Streets, and on Eighth Street between Chestnu ...
.
Center City is home to most of Philadelphia's tallest buildings, including
Philadelphia's City Hall, the second-tallest
masonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units, which are often laid in and bound together by mortar; the term ''masonry'' can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are bricks, building ...
building in the world and until 1987 the tallest in Philadelphia, as well as the tallest building in the world for seven years. In March 1987,
One Liberty Place
Liberty Place is a skyscraper complex in Philadelphia. The complex is composed of a 61-story, skyscraper called One Liberty Place, a 58-story, skyscraper called Two Liberty Place, a two-story shopping mall called the Shops at Liberty Place, a ...
broke the
gentlemen's agreement
A gentlemen's agreement, or gentleman's agreement, is an informal and legally non-binding agreement between two or more parties. It is typically oral, but it may be written or simply understood as part of an unspoken agreement by convention or th ...
not to exceed the height of the
statue of William Penn atop City Hall. Upon the completion of One Liberty Place, no Philadelphia major-league sports team won a world championship for the next two decades, a phenomenon known as the "
Curse of Billy Penn
The Curse of Billy Penn (1987–2008) was an urban legend and popular explanation for the failure of major professional sports teams based in Philadelphia to win championships since the March 1987 construction of the One Liberty Place sky ...
." In an effort to reverse the curse, a three-foot statue of Penn was affixed to the top of the
Comcast Center
Comcast Center, also known as the Comcast Tower, is a skyscraper in Center City, Philadelphia. The 58-story, tower is the second-tallest building in Philadelphia and in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania (after the Comcast Technology Center), a ...
upon its completion as the city's new tallest building in 2007. On October 29, 2008, the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
won the
2008 World Series
The 2008 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2008 season. The 104th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion Philadelphia Phillies and the Amer ...
, ending the "curse".
Seven other
skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ris ...
s now exceed the height of Penn's statue, including One Liberty Place's little sister,
Two Liberty Place
Liberty Place is a skyscraper complex in Philadelphia. The complex is composed of a 61-story, skyscraper called One Liberty Place, a 58-story, skyscraper called Two Liberty Place, a two-story shopping mall called the Shops at Liberty Place, a ...
. The Comcast Center, which was completed in 2007, became the
tallest building in Pennsylvania, 30 feet taller than One Liberty Place. In 2018, the
Comcast Technology Center
The Comcast Technology Center is a supertall skyscraper in Center City, Philadelphia. The 60-floor building, with a height of , is the tallest building in Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the fourteenth-tallest building in the ...
opened, which is now the tallest building in Philadelphia and the tallest building in the United States outside of
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
and Chicago. 1441 Chestnut, which is currently under construction, is also slated to be taller than City Hall. The first publicly accessible vantage point higher than City Hall opened at
One Liberty Observation Deck
One Liberty Observation Deck, also called Philly From The Top, was an high observation deck located on the 57th floor of One Liberty Place in Center City, Philadelphia. As of September 2021 the deck is closed permanently as a result of the COVID- ...
on the 57th floor of One Liberty Place in 2015.
Other Center City skyscrapers include the
BNY Mellon Center and the
Three Logan Square, which houses a traffic camera used by the Philadelphia branch of the
Westwood One
Westwood One is an American radio network
There are two types of radio network currently in use around the world: the one-to-many (simplex communication) broadcast network commonly used for public information and mass-media entertainment, and ...
MetroNetworks traffic service.
Across the street from City Hall is the
Masonic Temple
A Masonic Temple or Masonic Hall is, within Freemasonry, the room or edifice where a Masonic Lodge meets. Masonic Temple may also refer to an abstract spiritual goal and the conceptual ritualistic space of a meeting.
Development and history
In ...
, the headquarters of the
Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania
The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, officially The Right Worshipful Grand Lodge of the Most Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania and Masonic Jurisdictions Thereunto Belonging, is the premier masonic organizati ...
, a legacy of the
Founding Fathers
The following list of national founding figures is a record, by country, of people who were credited with establishing a state. National founders are typically those who played an influential role in setting up the systems of governance, (i.e. ...
and signers of the
Declaration of Independence
A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the ...
, many of whom were
Freemasons
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
; these include
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
and
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...
. While Philadelphia's population declined between 1990 and 2000, Center City's population increased by 10% over that same period.
In 2007, the city designated the area bound by 11th Street, Broad Street, Chestnut Street and Pine Street as the
Gayborhood
A gay village is a geographical area with generally recognized boundaries that is inhabited or frequented by many lesbian
A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in rel ...
.
Neighborhoods
*
Callowhill
*
Chinatown
A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Austra ...
*
Fitler Square
Fitler Square is a 0.5 acre (0.20 ha) public park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States and a surrounding neighborhood of the same name. The square is bounded on the east by 23rd Street, on the west by 24th Street, on the north by Panama St ...
*
French Quarter
The French Quarter, also known as the , is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. After New Orleans (french: La Nouvelle-Orléans) was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city developed around the ("Old Squ ...
*
Logan Square Logan Square may refer to:
* Logan Square, Chicago, a neighborhood on the north side of the city
* Logan Circle (Philadelphia) or Logan Square, a park in Philadelphia
**Logan Square, Philadelphia
Logan Square is a neighborhood in Philadelphia. Bou ...
*
Market East
*
Old City Old City often refers to old town, the historic or original core of a city or town.
Old City may refer to several places:
Historical cities or regions of cities
''(by country)''
*Old City (Baku), Azerbaijan
* Old City (Dhaka), Bangladesh, also ca ...
*
Penn Center
*
Penn's Landing
Penn's Landing is a waterfront area of Center City Philadelphia along the Delaware River. Its name commemorates the landing of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania in 1682. The actual landing site is farther south in Chester, Pennsylvani ...
*
Rittenhouse Square
Rittenhouse Square is a neighborhood, including a public park, in Center City Philadelphia. The park is one of the five original open-space parks planned by William Penn and his surveyor Thomas Holme during the late 17th century.
The neighborho ...
*
Society Hill
Society Hill is a historic neighborhood in Center City Philadelphia, with a population of 6,215 . Settled in the early 1680s, Society Hill is one of the oldest residential neighborhoods in Philadelphia.The Center City District dates the Free Soc ...
*
Washington Square West
Washington Square West is a neighborhood Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The neighborhood roughly corresponds to the area between 7th and Broad Streets and between Chestnut and South Streets, bordering on the Independence Mall tourist ar ...
Economy
Sunoco
Sunoco LP is an American master limited partnership organized under Delaware state laws and headquartered in Dallas, Texas, that is a wholesale distributor of motor fuels. It distributes fuel to more than 5,500 Sunoco-branded gas stations, ...
has its headquarters in the
BNY Mellon Center.
Cigna
Cigna is an American multinational managed healthcare and insurance company based in Bloomfield, Connecticut. Its insurance subsidiaries are major providers of medical, dental, disability, life and accident insurance and related products and se ...
has its corporate headquarters in
2 Liberty Place.
Aramark
Aramark Corporation, known commonly as Aramark, is an American food service, facilities, and uniform services provider to clients in areas including education, healthcare, business, prisons, and leisure. It operates in North America (United St ...
is headquartered in Center City.
Comcast
Comcast Corporation (formerly known as American Cable Systems and Comcast Holdings),Before the AT&T merger in 2001, the parent company was Comcast Holdings Corporation. Comcast Holdings Corporation now refers to a subsidiary of Comcast Corpora ...
is headquartered in the
Comcast Center
Comcast Center, also known as the Comcast Tower, is a skyscraper in Center City, Philadelphia. The 58-story, tower is the second-tallest building in Philadelphia and in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania (after the Comcast Technology Center), a ...
. The law firm
Cozen O'Connor
Cozen O'Connor P.C. is an international law firm based in Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The firm was ranked 74th on the AmLaw 100 Survey in 2021, 92nd on the Global 200, 1st in the nation in ''The American Lawyer'' in its Midlevel Asso ...
has its headquarters in Center City.
Kogan Page
Kogan Page is an independent publishing company founded in 1967 and headquartered in London, with branches in New York and New Delhi. Kogan Page specialises in business books and digital content, with over 1,000 titles published in key subject a ...
has its United States offices in Center City.
Lincoln National Corporation
Lincoln National Corporation is a ''Fortune'' 200 American holding company, which operates multiple insurance and investment management businesses through subsidiary companies. Lincoln Financial Group is the marketing name for LNC and its subsi ...
moved its headquarters from Indiana to Philadelphia in 1999.
[Blumenthal, Jeff.]
Lincoln sells Delaware Investments
" ''Philadelphia Business Journal
American City Business Journals, Inc. (ACBJ) is an American newspaper publisher based in Charlotte, North Carolina. ACBJ publishes The Business Journals, which contains local business news for 44 markets in the United States, Hemmings Motor News ...
''. Wednesday August 19, 2009. Modified Thursday August 20, 2009. Retrieved on August 24, 2009. In Philadelphia Lincoln was headquartered in the West Tower of
Centre Square in Center City. In 2007 the company moved 400 employees, including its top executives, to
Radnor Township from
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
.
Government and infrastructure
Buildings
Center City is home to some of the largest and most prominent buildings in the United States, including:
*
1818 Market Street
*
Centre Square
*
Comcast Center
Comcast Center, also known as the Comcast Tower, is a skyscraper in Center City, Philadelphia. The 58-story, tower is the second-tallest building in Philadelphia and in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania (after the Comcast Technology Center), a ...
, the 23rd tallest skyscraper in the nation
*
Liberty Place
Liberty Place is a skyscraper complex in Philadelphia. The complex is composed of a 61-story, skyscraper called One Liberty Place, a 58-story, skyscraper called Two Liberty Place, a two-story shopping mall called the Shops at Liberty Place, a ...
*
Philadelphia City Hall
Philadelphia City Hall is the seat of the municipal government of the City of Philadelphia. Built in the ornate Second Empire style, City Hall houses the chambers of the Philadelphia City Council and the offices of the Mayor of Philadelphia. It ...
, the world's largest free-standing masonry building
*
Three Logan Square
Infrastructure
![US Custom House](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/US_Custom_House.JPG)
The
Philadelphia Fire Department
The Philadelphia Fire Department provides fire protection and emergency medical services (EMS) to the city of Philadelphia. The PFD's official mission is to protect public safety by quick and professional response to emergencies and through the pro ...
operates five fire stations in Center City:
*Engine 1, Ladder 5, Medic 35, Battalion 1 - 711 S. Broad St.
*Snorkel 2, Medic 44B, Battalion 4, Field Comm. Unit 1 - 101 N. 4th St.
*Engine 11, Medic 21 - 601 South St.
*Pipeline 20, Ladder 23, Medic 1 - 133 N. 10th St.
*Squirt 43, Ladder 9, Medic 7 - 2108 Market St.
The
Federal Bureau of Prisons
The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Justice that is responsible for the care, custody, and control of incarcerated individuals who have committed federal crimes; that i ...
Northeast Region Office is in the U.S. Custom House, a part of the
Independence National Historical Park
Independence National Historical Park is a federally protected historic district in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that preserves several sites associated with the American Revolution and the nation's founding history. Administered by the National P ...
, in
Old City Old City often refers to old town, the historic or original core of a city or town.
Old City may refer to several places:
Historical cities or regions of cities
''(by country)''
*Old City (Baku), Azerbaijan
* Old City (Dhaka), Bangladesh, also ca ...
, Center City.
The William J. Green Jr. Federal Building houses the
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...
Philadelphia
Field Office.
Diplomatic offices and consulates
The
Consulate-General of Italy in Philadelphia is located in the 1026 Public Ledger Building at 150 South Independence Mall West. The
Consulate-General of Panama in Philadelphia is located in Suite 1 at 124 Chestnut Street. The
Consulate of Mexico in Philadelphia is located in Suite 310 of the
Bourse Building off of Independence Mall.
The
Consulate-General of the Dominican Republic in Philadelphia was located in Suite 216 in the Lafayette Building at 437 Chestnut Street. It closed on November 7, 2005. The Consulate-General of Israel in Philadelphia was located on the 18th Floor at 1880 John F. Kennedy Boulevard. Israel closed the Philadelphia consulate in 2016.
Education
Public schools
![Nebinger School Philly](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Nebinger_School_Philly.JPG)
Residents of Center City are included within the
School District of Philadelphia
The School District of Philadelphia (SDP) is the school district that includes all school district-operated public schools in Philadelphia. Established in 1818, it is the 8th largest school district in the nation, by enrollment, serving over 200 ...
. From the 1940s to the opening of what is now known as the Greenfield School in 1954, many residents attended public schools in other areas and private schools due to the low number of public schools in Center City.
[About Us]
" Albert M. Greenfield School. Retrieved on April 5, 2018.
In 2005, to prevent the flight of middle-class families, the school district and the Center City District, an economic development agency, started a program that promoted public schools in Center City (including
Rittenhouse Square
Rittenhouse Square is a neighborhood, including a public park, in Center City Philadelphia. The park is one of the five original open-space parks planned by William Penn and his surveyor Thomas Holme during the late 17th century.
The neighborho ...
and
Society Hill
Society Hill is a historic neighborhood in Center City Philadelphia, with a population of 6,215 . Settled in the early 1680s, Society Hill is one of the oldest residential neighborhoods in Philadelphia.The Center City District dates the Free Soc ...
) and adjacent areas in
Fairmount,
Northern Liberties
Northern Liberties is a neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Prior to its incorporation into Philadelphia in 1854, it was among the top 10 largest cities in the U.S. in every census from 1790 to 1850.
Boundaries
Northern Liberties is loc ...
, and
South Philadelphia
South Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south and the Schuylkill River to the west.[YWCA
The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries.
The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swi ...]
and later in the former Jerrold Electronics Building. In 1964 the school district bought the site for a permanent campus, which began construction in 1966 and opened in September 1970.
[
* Andrew Jackson School
* Bache-Martin
* Chester A. Arthur
* Edwin M. Stanton
* General Philip Kearny
* George A. McCall School
* George W. Nebinger School
* James R. Ludlow
* Laura Wheeler Waring
* ]Spring Garden School
Spring Garden School is a public K-8 school in the Poplar neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is a part of the School District of Philadelphia.
The historic school building originally housed Spring Garden School No. 2. It was designe ...
* William H. Harrison
* William M. Meredith School
William M. Meredith School is a public K-8 school located in the Queen Village neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is a part of the School District of Philadelphia.
Its historic school building was designed by Irwin T. Catharine and b ...
Neighborhood high schools for Center City and the Center City area, located outside of Center City, include:[A Directory of High Schools for 2009 Admissions]
." ''School District of Philadelphia
The School District of Philadelphia (SDP) is the school district that includes all school district-operated public schools in Philadelphia. Established in 1818, it is the 8th largest school district in the nation, by enrollment, serving over 200 ...
''. Accessed November 6, 2008.
* Benjamin Franklin High School
* Furness High School
Horace Howard Furness High School is a secondary (9th-12th) school in South Philadelphia. It is part of the School District of Philadelphia.
Portions of South Philadelphia (including Bella Vista, Passyunk Square, Pennsport, Queen Village, and ...
* South Philadelphia High School
South Philadelphia High School is a public secondary high school located in the Lower Moyamensing neighborhood of South Philadelphia, at the intersection of Broad Street and Snyder Avenue.
The school serves grades 9 through 12 and is part of th ...
Other high schools include:
* Bodine High School for International Affairs
William W. Bodine High School for International Affairs is an historic high school located in the Northern Liberties neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is part of the School District of Philadelphia.
History
The World Affairs Council ...
* Constitution High School for American Studies
* Franklin Learning Center High School
* Parkway Center City High School
Parkway Center City Middle College is a historic vocational school located in the Callowhill neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is part of the School District of Philadelphia. The building was built in 1925–1927 and is a brick build ...
* Philadelphia High School for Business and Technology
* Science Leadership Academy
The Science Leadership Academy is a magnet public high school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which opened in September 2006. SLA is a partnership between The Franklin Institute and the School District of Philadelphia. SLA is a 1:1 project-based l ...
Combined middle and high schools include:
* Julia R. Masterman School
The Julia Reynolds Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School is a middle and secondary school located in Philadelphia. It is a magnet school, ranked 10th in the nation, located in the Spring Garden neighborhood. Prior to 1958, the school bui ...
Charter schools
Charter schools not operated by the School District of Philadelphia include:
*Grades 1-12:
**Mathematics, Civics and Sciences Charter School
The Mathematics, Civics and Sciences Charter School (MCSCS) is a charter school serving students in grades 1–12 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1999, the school is located in the Center City, Philadelphia, Center City n ...
*Grades 7-12:
*The Mastery Charter Schools Mastery Schools is a network of 24 charter schools with over 14,000 students in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Camden, New Jersey. It is headquartered at the Mastery Charter Pickett Campus in Germantown, Philadelphia
Germantown (Pennsylvania Dutc ...
system operates the Mastery Charter Lenfest Campus (7-12) in Old City Old City often refers to old town, the historic or original core of a city or town.
Old City may refer to several places:
Historical cities or regions of cities
''(by country)''
*Old City (Baku), Azerbaijan
* Old City (Dhaka), Bangladesh, also ca ...
. It moved from North Philadelphia
North Philadelphia, nicknamed North Philly, is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is immediately north of Center City. Though the full extent of the region is somewhat vague, "North Philadelphia" is regarded as everything north of either ...
to Old City in 2002.
*Grades 5-8:
**Freire Charter Middle School
*Grades 6-12:
**World Communications Charter School
*Grades 9-12:
**Architecture and Design Charter School
**Freire Charter High School
**Mastery Charter High School
**Philadelphia Electrical and Technology Charter School
*Grades K-8:
**Laboratory Charter School of Communication and Languages
**Folk Arts-Cultural Treasures Charter School
*Grades 6-8:
**Wakisha Charter School
*Grades K-7:
**Christopher Columbus Charter School
**Independence Charter School grades K-8
**People for People Charter School
*Grades Pre-K-8:
**Russell Byers Charter School
*Grades K-6:
**Universal Institute Charter School
Private schools
Roman Catholic parochial schools
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia
The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Philadelphia is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in southeastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. It covers the City and County of Philadelphia as well as ...
operates the following Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
parochial schools in the Center City are
*Grades 9-12:
**J. W. Hallahan Catholic Girls High School
John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls' High School was an all-girls Roman Catholic high school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. It is the country's first all-girls diocesan Catholic high schoo ...
**Roman Catholic High School
, motto_translation = Faith and Knowledge
, accreditation = MSA
, nickname = The Cahillites
, conference = Philadelphia Catholic League
, colors = Purple & Gold
, yearbook ...
*Grades Pre-K-8:
**St. Francis Xavier School
**St. Peter the Apostle School
*Grades K-8:
**St. Mary's Interparochial School
*Grades 1-8:
**Holy Redeemer School
Other private schools
Other private schools in the Center City area include:
*Grades Pre-K-12:
**Friends Select School
Friends Select School (FSS) is a college-preparatory, Quaker school for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade located at 1651 Benjamin Franklin Parkway at the intersection of Cherry and N. 17th Streets in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Wit ...
*Grades 9-12:
**City Center Academy
*Grades Pre-K-8:
**St. Peter's School
**The Philadelphia School
Public libraries
The Free Library of Philadelphia
The Free Library of Philadelphia is the public library system that serves Philadelphia. It is the 13th-largest public library system in the United States. The Free Library of Philadelphia is a non-Mayoral agency of the City of Philadelphia gove ...
operates the Parkway Central Library
Parkway Central Library also known as Free Library or Central Library is the main public library building and administrative headquarters of the Free Library of Philadelphia system. It is the largest library, and only research library, of 54 lib ...
at 1901 Vine Street, the Independence Branch at 18 South 7th Street, the Philadelphia City Institute on the first floor and lower level of an apartment complex at 1905 Locust Street, and the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped at 919 Walnut Street.
Other institutions
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (Middle States Association or MSA) was a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association that performed peer evaluation and regional educational accreditation, accreditation of public and priva ...
is headquartered in Center City.
Culture
Music and theatre
Center City Philadelphia is home to some of the nation and world's leading cultural institutions. Avenue of the Arts, a city-designated cultural district, includes Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts is a large performing arts venue at 300 South Broad Street and the corner of Spruce Street, along the stretch known as the Avenue of the Arts in Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is owned an ...
, which houses the Philadelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of the " Big Five" American orchestras, the orchestra is based at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, where it performs its subscription ...
, a Big Five orchestras) and the Academy of Music, home of the Philadelphia Ballet and Opera Philadelphia
Opera Philadelphia (prior to 2013 Opera Company of Philadelphia (OCP)) is an American opera company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is the city's only company producing grand opera. The organization produces one festival in September (Festival O ...
. The avenue is home to multiple theatres, including the Miller
A miller is a person who operates a Gristmill, mill, a machine to grind a grain (for example corn or wheat) to make flour. Mill (grinding), Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surname ...
, Suzanne Roberts
Suzanne Roberts (born October 2, 1970) is an American poet, travel writer, and photographer.
Biography
Suzanne Roberts was born in New York City to a British mother and Jewish father. She grew up in Southern California and currently lives in Sou ...
, and Wilma theatres. Forrest Theatre
The Forrest Theatre is a live theatre venue at 1114 Walnut Street Center City area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It has a seating capacity of 1,851 and is managed by The Shubert Organization. is also located in center city, at 1114
Walnut Street.
Museums
Mütter Museum
The Mütter Museum is a medical museum located in the Center City area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It contains a collection of anatomical and pathological specimens, wax models, and antique medical equipment. The museum is part of The Coll ...
, a medical museum, is located in center city at 19 S. 22nd Street.
Recreation
Center City Philadelphia has a vast number of restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. McGillin's Olde Ale House
McGillin's Olde Ale House is a tavern in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Opened in 1860, McGillin's is the oldest drinking establishment in the city. It is located on Drury Street, an alley connecting 13th Street and South Juniper Street, between Ch ...
, at 1310 Drury Street, is one of the nation's oldest pubs (founded in 1860).
Transportation
![2012_Ben_Franklin_Bridge_and_Race_Street_Pier](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/2012_Ben_Franklin_Bridge_and_Race_Street_Pier.jpg)
Major highways
*Interstate 76
Interstate 76 may refer to:
Interstate Highways in the United States
* Interstate 76 (Colorado–Nebraska)
* Interstate 76 (Ohio–New Jersey), running through Pennsylvania
Video gaming
* ''Interstate '76
''Interstate '76'' is a vehicular ...
*Interstate 95
Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1, US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between M ...
*Interstate 676
Interstate 676 (I-676) is an Interstate Highway that serves as a major thoroughfare through Center City Philadelphia, where it is known as the Vine Street Expressway, and Camden, New Jersey, where it is known as the northern segment of the ...
/Benjamin Franklin Bridge
The Benjamin Franklin Bridge, originally named the Delaware River Bridge and known locally as the Ben Franklin Bridge, is a suspension bridge across the Delaware River connecting Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Camden, New Jersey. Owned and ...
*U.S. Route 30
U.S. Route 30 or U.S. Highway 30 (US 30) is an east–west main route in the system of the United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. With a length of , it is the third longest ...
* PA Route 3
* PA Route 611
Streets and bridges
Center city streets and bridges include Benjamin Franklin Bridge
The Benjamin Franklin Bridge, originally named the Delaware River Bridge and known locally as the Ben Franklin Bridge, is a suspension bridge across the Delaware River connecting Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Camden, New Jersey. Owned and ...
, which connects the city with Camden, New Jersey
Camden is a city in and the county seat of Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Camden is part of the Delaware Valley metropolitan area and is located directly across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the 2020 ...
, and Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Benjamin Franklin Parkway, commonly abbreviated to Ben Franklin Parkway and colloquially called the Parkway, is a boulevard that runs through the cultural heart of Philadelphia. Named for founding father Benjamin Franklin, the mile-long Parkway c ...
, a one-mile long parkway that runs from Philadelphia City Hall
Philadelphia City Hall is the seat of the municipal government of the City of Philadelphia. Built in the ornate Second Empire style, City Hall houses the chambers of the Philadelphia City Council and the offices of the Mayor of Philadelphia. It ...
to the Philadelphia Museum of Art
The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMoA) is an art museum originally chartered in 1876 for the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The main museum building was completed in 1928 on Fairmount, a hill located at the northwest end of the Benjamin Fr ...
. Three major center city streets are Broad
Broad(s) or The Broad(s) may refer to:
People
* A slang term for a woman.
* Broad (surname), a surname
Places
* Broad Peak, on the border between Pakistan and China, the 12th highest mountain on Earth
* The Broads, a network of mostly nav ...
, Market
Market is a term used to describe concepts such as:
*Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand
*Market economy
*Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market
Geography
*Märket, an ...
, and South
South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...
Streets.
Local public transit
* Center City Commuter Connection
250px, The ASCE plaque in Jefferson Station
250px, City plaque in Jefferson Station
The Center City Commuter Connection, (CCCC) commonly referred to as "the commuter tunnel", is a passenger railroad tunnel in Center City, Philadelphia, Penns ...
*SEPTA
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly 4 million people in five coun ...
** Jefferson Station (Regional Rail)
**Suburban Station
Suburban Station is an art deco office building and underground commuter rail station in Penn Center, Philadelphia. Its official SEPTA address is 16th Street and JFK Boulevard. The station is owned and operated by SEPTA and is one of the three ...
(Regional Rail)
** Market-Frankford Line ( 2nd Street, 5th Street/Independence Hall, 8th Street, 11th Street, 13th Street, and 15th Street stations)
**Broad Street Line
The Broad Street Line (BSL), also known as the Broad Street subway (BSS), Orange Line, or Broad Line, is a subway line owned by the city of Philadelphia and operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). The line r ...
( Spring Garden, Race-Vine, City Hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...
, Walnut-Locust, and Lombard-South stations on main line; Chinatown
A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Austra ...
and 8th Street stations on Broad-Ridge Spur)
** Subway-surface trolley lines ( 13th Street, 15th Street, 19th Street, and 22nd Street stations; all stations on Market Street)
**Various bus routes
*PATCO Speedline
The PATCO Speedline (signed in Philadelphia as the Lindenwold Line and also known colloquially as the PATCO High Speed Line) is a rapid transit route operated by the Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO), which runs between Philadelphia, Pe ...
(8th & Market, 9-10th & Locust, 12-13th & Locust, and 15-16th & Locust Street stations)
*New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bu ...
(various bus routes & stops)
There is a 500,000+ sq ft underground pedestrian concourse that connects many of the center city Septa stations to businesses and office buildings. Primarily running under Market Street Market Street may refer to:
*Market Street, Cambridge, England
*Market Street, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia
* Market Street, George Town, Penang, Malaysia
*Market Street, Manchester, England
*Market Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
...
and Broad Street, the concourse spans east to west from 8th street to 18th street and north to south from John F. Kennedy Boulevard to Spruce Street
Spruce Street is a three-block-long street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan, New York City. It starts at Park Row, near the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge, and runs east to Gold Street, intersecting with Nassau Street.
History
Spru ...
.
Intercity public transit
*Philadelphia Greyhound Terminal
The Philadelphia Greyhound Terminal is the primary intercity bus station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The station is located at 1001 Filbert Street in Center City Philadelphia near the SEPTA Regional Rail Jefferson Station and the Fashion Dis ...
(Greyhound, Peter Pan, and various Trailways buses)
*Megabus Megabus may refer to:
*Megabus (Europe), a low-cost coach service with services in Europe owned by ComfortDelGro.
*Megabus (North America)
Megabus, branded as megabus.com, is an intercity bus service of Coach USA/Coach Canada operating in the eas ...
(30th Street Station)
*Various Chinatown bus lines
Chinatown bus lines are discount intercity bus services, often operated by Chinese Americans. They have been established primarily in the Chinatown communities of the East Coast of the United States since 1998, and similar services operate on th ...
(various operators & stops; most stops near 11th & Arch Streets)
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
's primary Philadelphia station, 30th Street Station
3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...
, is located immediately west of Center City, just across the Schuylkill River. SEPTA Regional Rail trains, New Jersey Transit Atlantic City Line
The Atlantic City Line (ACL) is a commuter rail line operated by NJ Transit (NJT) in the United States between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Atlantic City, New Jersey, operating along the corridor of the White Horse Pike. It runs over trackage ...
trains, Market-Frankford Line trains, and subway-surface line trolleys also service 30th Street Station, and both Megabus and BoltBus
BoltBus was an intercity bus common carrier and a division of Greyhound Lines that operated from March 2008 until July 2021 in the northeast and western United States and British Columbia, Canada.
As least one ticket on every bus was randomly s ...
stop on streets adjacent to the station.
Taiwanese airline China Airlines
China Airlines (CAL; ) is the state-owned flag carrier of the Republic of China (Taiwan), and one of its two major airlines along with EVA Air. It is headquartered in Taoyuan International Airport and operates over 1,400 flights weekly (inclu ...
provides a private bus service to and from John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport (colloquially referred to as JFK Airport, Kennedy Airport, New York-JFK, or simply JFK) is the main international airport serving New York City. The airport is the busiest of the seven airports in the Ne ...
in New York City for customers based in the Philadelphia area. This service previously stopped in Center City in front of the Marriott Hotel.[Free Shuttle Service To/From JFK Airport]
." China Airlines
China Airlines (CAL; ) is the state-owned flag carrier of the Republic of China (Taiwan), and one of its two major airlines along with EVA Air. It is headquartered in Taoyuan International Airport and operates over 1,400 flights weekly (inclu ...
. September 15, 2015. Retrieved on February 29, 2016.
Center City Residents' Association
The Center City Residents' Association, originally formed in 1947 to prevent Rittenhouse Square
Rittenhouse Square is a neighborhood, including a public park, in Center City Philadelphia. The park is one of the five original open-space parks planned by William Penn and his surveyor Thomas Holme during the late 17th century.
The neighborho ...
from being turned into a parking lot, is a primary advocate for quality of life issues in Center City. Other community organizations of this type include Logan Square Neighborhood Association, Society Hill Civic Association, South of South Street Neighborhood Association, Washington Square West Civic Association, and the Queen Village Neighbors Association.
Gallery
File:Center City East from One Liberty Observation Deck.jpg, The eastern portion of Center City from the One Liberty Observation Deck
One Liberty Observation Deck, also called Philly From The Top, was an high observation deck located on the 57th floor of One Liberty Place in Center City, Philadelphia. As of September 2021 the deck is closed permanently as a result of the COVID- ...
image :CarpentersHall00.jpg, Carpenters' Hall
Carpenters' Hall is the official birthplace of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a key meeting place in the early history of the United States. Carpenters' Hall is located in Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ...
Image :LOVE Park Philly.JPG, LOVE Park
LOVE Park, officially known as John F. Kennedy Plaza, is a public park located in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The park is nicknamed LOVE Park for its reproduction of Robert Indiana's 1970 ''LOVE'' sculpture which overlooks the pla ...
with the Philadelphia Museum of Art
The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMoA) is an art museum originally chartered in 1876 for the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The main museum building was completed in 1928 on Fairmount, a hill located at the northwest end of the Benjamin Fr ...
in the distant background
Image :National Museum of American Jewish History.jpg, National Museum of American Jewish History
The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History (The Weitzman) is a Smithsonian-affiliated museum at 101 South Independence Mall East (S. 5th Street) at Market Street in Center City Philadelphia. It was founded in 1976.
History
With ...
Image :Friendship Gate Chinatown Philadelphia from east.jpg, Friendship Gate in Chinatown
Image:Jewelers Row.jpg, Jewelers' Row
Jewelers' Row, located in the Center City section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is composed of more than 300 retailers, wholesalers, and craftsmen located on Sansom Street between Seventh and Eighth Streets, and on Eighth Street between Chestnu ...
Image:Interior Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul crop.JPG, Interior of the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul
Image:Curtis_building.jpg, Curtis Center
Image:Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.jpg, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is a museum and private art school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[Mikveh Israel Cemetery
Mikveh Israel Cemetery is the oldest Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, giving evidence of a settled community as early as 1740. A number of outstanding patriots, pioneers, and other notables of the Jewish faith who made important con ...](_blank)
Image :The Grand Court.jpg, The Grand Court at Macys Department Store (in the Wanamaker's
John Wanamaker Department Store was one of the first department stores in the United States. Founded by John Wanamaker in Philadelphia, it was influential in the development of the retail industry including as the first store to use price tags. ...
building)
Image:Pennsylvania Hospital 2007.jpg, Pennsylvania Hospital
Pennsylvania Hospital is a private, non-profit, 515-bed teaching hospital located in Center City Philadelphia and is part of the University of Pennsylvania Health System. Founded on May 11, 1751, by Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Thomas Bond, Pennsylv ...
Image:Kimmel Center exterior-daytime.JPG, Kimmel Center
Image:Liberty Bell, Independence Hall.jpg, Independence Hall
Independence Hall is a historic civic building in Philadelphia, where both the United States Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were debated and adopted by America's Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Fa ...
as seen from the Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell, previously called the State House Bell or Old State House Bell, is an iconic symbol of American independence, located in Philadelphia. Originally placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House (now renamed Independence ...
Image:Inquirerbldgfull.jpg, Inquirer Building
Image:First national bank US HABS.jpg, First Bank of the United States
Image:Headhouse.jpg, Reading Terminal
The Reading Terminal ( ) is a complex of buildings that includes the former Reading Company main station located in the Market East section of Center City in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It comprises the Reading Terminal Headhou ...
Image:Center City Philadelphia 2018.jpg, Center City viewed from the PSFS Building
See also
*Curtis Publishing Company
The Curtis Publishing Company, founded in 1891 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, became one of the largest and most influential publishers in the United States during the early 20th century. The company's publications included the ''Ladies' Home Jour ...
*Independence National Historical Park
Independence National Historical Park is a federally protected historic district in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that preserves several sites associated with the American Revolution and the nation's founding history. Administered by the National P ...
*
References
External links
Center City District and Central Philadelphia Development Corporation
How the 700 block of Market Street evolved
Center City Residents' Association
{{Coord, 39.952, -75.164, region:US-PA_type:city_scale:10000, display=title
Center City
Philly
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
Economy of Philadelphia