__NOTOC__
Avenue of the Arts is a city-designated arts cultural district on a segment of
Broad Street in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
, United States that includes many of the city's cultural institutions, most notably the theater district south of
City Hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...
. The designation can be found as far south as
Washington Avenue Washington Avenue may refer to:
United States
* Washington Avenue (Miami Beach) in Miami Beach, Florida
* Washington Avenue in Portland, Maine, a part of Maine State Route 26
* Washington Avenue (Milford Mill, Maryland)
* Washington Avenue (Towso ...
and as far north as the
Cecil B. Moore neighborhood.
History
The name Avenue of the Arts originated in a strategy by mayor
Ed Rendell
Edward Gene Rendell (; born January 5, 1944) is an American politician, author, and former prosecutor who served as the 45th governor of Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2011. He previously served as chair of the national Democratic Party from 1999 to 2 ...
to redevelop South Broad Street in
Center City.
[Dobrin, Peter. '']The Philadelphia Inquirer
''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', often referred to simply as ''The Inquirer'', is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded on June 1, 1829, ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is the third-longest continuously operating da ...
'', May 11, 2015,
Will the city's arts scene get a mayor who cares?
. Avenue of the Arts originally ran along Broad Street from
Locust Street
Locust Street is a major historic street in Center City Philadelphia. The street is the location of several prominent Philadelphia-based buildings, historic sights, and high-rise residential locations. It is an east–west street throughout Ce ...
south to Lombard Street. The Avenue's definition was expanded to North Broad Street by city planners under mayor
John F. Street's administration to encourage further development in the area.
[http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/14446354.htm ] The Avenue of the Arts is overseen by the
non-profit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
Avenue of the Arts, Inc. led by Karen Lewis, the organization's executive director.
Features

Avenue of the Arts is the locale for many of the city's large theatres, including
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 ...
(home of the
Philadelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra, based in Philadelphia. One of the " Big Five" American orchestras, the orchestra is based at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, where it performs its subscription concerts, n ...
), the
Academy of Music,
Miller Theater
The Miller Theater is a former movie theater and vaudeville house in Augusta, Georgia. The Miller was built by architect Roy A. Benjamin utilizing the Arte Moderne style of architecture and was owned by Frank Miller. Due to an economic downturn i ...
,
Wilma Theater,
Liacouras Center
The Liacouras Center is a 10,206-seat multi-purpose venue which opened in 1997 and was originally named "''The Apollo of Temple''". The arena was renamed in 2000 for Temple University President, Peter J. Liacouras. It is part of a $107 mil ...
, and
Suzanne Roberts Theatre
The Suzanne Roberts Theatre is a theatre on Philadelphia's Avenue of the Arts. The theater opened in October 2007 and is home to the Philadelphia Theatre Company. The theater was designed by KieranTimberlake, using the principles of Universal ...
. Buildings for the
University of the Arts are located just south and east of the
Kimmel Center
The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts is a large performing arts venue at 300 South Broad Street (Philadelphia), Broad Street and the corner of Spruce Street, along the stretch known as the Avenue of the Arts, Philadelphia, Avenue of the Ar ...
; the Miller Theatre is often used for high-end productions involving the school.
The
Wanamaker Organ
The Wanamaker Grand Court Organ, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the largest fully functioning pipe organ in the world, based on the number of playing pipes, the number of ranks and its weight. The Wanamaker Organ is located within a ...
, the world's largest playing pipe organ famed for its daily recitals, is located in the Grand Court of Macy's, just where Broad Street traffic circles Penn Square.
Philadelphia International Records
Philadelphia International Records was an American record label based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1971 by songwriting and production duo Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, along with their longtime collaborator Thom Bell. The ...
' offices and gift shop is also located along this strip. Just south of the strip is the
Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts, and on Broad Street in this vicinity, just north of
City Hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...
, is the
Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is a museum and private art school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1805, it is the longest continuously operating art museum and art school in the United States.
The academy's museum ...
, which, founded in 1805, is America's oldest art school and museum and boasts a distinguished collection of American art.
Several parking garages and public transportation services provided by
SEPTA
SEPTA, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly four million people througho ...
and
DRPA at the
Walnut–Locust,
12-13th Street, and
15-16th Street stations, served by the
Broad Street Line
The B, formerly known as the Broad Street Line (BSL), is a rapid transit line in the SEPTA Metro network in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The line runs primarily north-south from the Fern Rock Transit Center in North Philadelphi ...
and the
Lindenwold Line. The availability of public transportation makes Avenue of the Arts highly accessible to visitors.
See also
*
Broad Street (Philadelphia)
Broad Street is a major arterial street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The street runs for approximately , beginning at the intersection of Cheltenham Avenue on the border of Cheltenham Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Cheltenham Towns ...
*
Broad Street Historic District (Philadelphia)
*
Avenue of Technology (Philadelphia)
References
Notes
Bibliography
*Bounds, Anna Maria. "Philadelphia's Avenue of the Arts: the Challenges of a Cultural District Initinative" in Tourism, Culture and Regeneration, Melanie K. Smith, editor. pp 132–142. CABI, 2006.
*Brooks, Arthur C. and Roland J. Kishner. ''International Journal of Arts Management'', Vol. 3, No. 2 (WINTER 2001), "Cultural Districts and Urban Development". pp. 4–15.
*Campoa, Daniel and Brent D. Ryanb. ''Journal of Urban Design'', Volume 13, Issue 3, 2008, "The Entertainment Zone: Unplanned Nightlife and the Revitalization of the American Downtown", pp. 291–315, DOI: 10.1080/13574800802319543.
*Carrabc, James H. and Lisa J. Servond. ''Journal of the American Planning Association'', Volume 75, Issue 1, 2008, "Vernacular Culture and Urban Economic Development: Thinking Outside the (Big) Box", pp. 28–40. DOI: 10.1080/01944360802539226.
*McGovern, Stephen J. ''Policy & Politics'', Volume 25, Number 2, April 1997, "Mayoral leadership and economic development policy: the case of Ed Rendell's Philadelphia", pp. 153–172(20).
*Strom, Elizabeth. ''International Journal of Cultural Policy'', Volume 9, Issue 3, 2003, "Cultural policy as development policy: evidence from the United States". pp. 247–263.
External links
Official website
{{authority control
Arts districts
Arts organizations based in Pennsylvania
Broad Street (Philadelphia)
Center City, Philadelphia
Culture of Philadelphia
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
Tourist attractions in Philadelphia