The French Quarter is an official city-designated district of Philadelphia spanning the area between 17th and 19th Streets east and west and Walnut and Sansom Streets from north to south. The designation was made official in 1999. According to ''City Paper'', the Philadelphia French Quarter "... is one of the few places outside France that supports a thriving

French culture The culture of France has been shaped by Geography of France, geography, by History of France, historical events, and by foreign and internal forces and groups. France, and in particular Paris, has played an important role as a center of high ...

" even though "it remains largely unrecognized by both tourists and natives". The area is closely tied to the culture of

Rittenhouse Square Rittenhouse Square is a public park in Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that is the center of the eponymous Rittenhouse neighborhood. The square is one of the five original open-space parks planned by William Penn and his surveyor Thomas ...

History

Writer

Dan Rottenberg Dan Rottenberg (born June 10, 1942) is an author, editor and journalist. He has been the chief editor of seven publications, most recently ''Broad Street Review'', an independent cultural arts website he launched in December 2005 and edited for e ...

says he coined the term in the July 1998 issue of ''Philadelphia'' magazine. In 1999, in advance of the

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the Republican Party in the United States. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal o ...

the following year, the city added subtle orange signs saying "French Quarter" below the traditional green streets signs in the area. The designation is a tribute to the

that has shaped Philadelphia and is based on the establishment of three French restaurants and a creperie in the area in the 1990s. In 2023, '' Billy Penn'' reported skeptically on the designation, noting that the name of the quarter was unfamiliar to most residents and, other than a French hotel chain, few French-owned or influenced businesses remained in the area.

References

{{Ethnic enclaves Ethnic enclaves in Pennsylvania French-American culture in Philadelphia French communities Neighborhoods in Philadelphia Center City, Philadelphia Urban quarters in the United States