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The encyclopedic guide to the City of Brotherly Love — neighborhoods, restaurants, history, landmarks, and the people and places that make Philadelphia unique.
Featured Article
Rittenhouse Square is one of Philadelphia's five original squares laid out by William Penn in his 1682 plan for the city. Located in Center City, it has evolved from colonial-era "Goosetown" farmland into one of the most affluent urban neighborhoods in the United States.[1] The square is surrounded by restaurants including Parc, Friday Saturday Sunday, and Rouge, along with major cultural institutions like the Curtis Institute of Music and Rosenbach Museum, and historic high-rise residential buildings. Named for astronomer David Rittenhouse, the park hosts a weekly farmers market and remains the geographic and cultural center of Philadelphia's highest-density residential district.
In the News
- The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) board finalizes its comprehensive "Bus Revolution" network redesign, preparing to implement streamlined routes and adjusted service frequencies across the Center City district.[2]
- Heavy construction advances on the $329 million Penn's Landing park capping Interstate 95, as crews lay major steel infrastructure designed to physically reconnect historic Old City with the Delaware River waterfront ahead of upcoming municipal celebrations.[3]
- Philadelphia begins extensive public infrastructure preparations for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will host multiple international matches at Lincoln Financial Field in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex.[4]
- The Philadelphia Museum of Art unveils structural renovations to its early 20th-century galleries and inaugurates a rotating series of community programming focused on contemporary regional artists.[5]
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Did You Know?
- ...that Germantown was founded in 1683 and its Quaker residents issued the first organized anti-slavery protest in North American history five years later?[6]
- ...that Manayunk takes its name from the indigenous Lenape word manaiung, which translates to "where we go to drink"?
- ...that Eastern State Penitentiary was the most expensive public building in the United States upon its completion in 1829, and later housed mobster Al Capone?
- ...that Mount Airy organized a concerted community effort to become a national model for successful residential racial integration in the 1950s and 1960s?
- ...that the modern cheesesteak was purportedly invented by hot dog vendor Pat Olivieri at Pat's King of Steaks in South Philadelphia in 1930?
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Did You Know?
- ...that the Philadelphia Museum of Art's 72 stone entrance steps were heavily featured in the 1976 film Rocky and subsequently became an international tourist destination?
- ...that Philadelphia City Hall is the largest municipal building in the United States and features over 250 exterior sculptures designed by artist Alexander Milne Calder?
- ...that the Mütter Museum preserves a vast historical collection of medical specimens, including slides of Albert Einstein's brain and the shared liver of conjoined twins Chang and Eng Bunker?
- ...that Elfreth's Alley in Old City is the oldest continuously inhabited residential street in the United States, with homes dating back to 1728?
- ...that Philadelphia established the first circulating library and the first chartered hospital in the American colonies, both co-founded by Benjamin Franklin?
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On This Day: July 27
- 1776 — The Declaration of Independence was read publicly for the first time by Colonel John Nixon in the yard outside Independence Hall.
- 1777 — The first unified Fourth of July celebration took place in Philadelphia, featuring military demonstrations, fireworks, toasts, and the coordinated ringing of city church bells.
- 1933 — The Franklin Institute finalized its relocation from S. 7th Street to its current purpose-built museum facility on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Featured Picture
Nighttime lighting reveals Boathouse Row along the Schuylkill River
Boathouse Row illuminated at night along the eastern bank of the Schuylkill River. The historic 19th-century site consists of 15 functioning boathouses that serve as the headquarters for local rowing clubs, collectively designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
Recently Updated
- Germantown — Historic 1683 neighborhood
- Chestnut Hill — Upscale Northwest shopping
- Manayunk — Main Street dining & towpath recreation
- Fishtown — Commercial restaurants and arts venues
- Rittenhouse Square — Center City residential district
- Fairmount — Art Museum neighborhood
- University City — Penn & Drexel campus hub
- Passyunk Square — East Passyunk dining district
Explore Philadelphia
Neighborhoods
Center City: Rittenhouse Square · Old City · Society Hill · Chinatown
South Philly: Passyunk Square · Bella Vista · Queen Village · Point Breeze
River Wards: Fishtown · Northern Liberties · Kensington · Port Richmond
South Philly: Passyunk Square · Bella Vista · Queen Village · Point Breeze
River Wards: Fishtown · Northern Liberties · Kensington · Port Richmond
West Philly: University City · Cedar Park · Cobbs Creek
North Philly: Fairmount · Brewerytown · Temple Area
Northwest: Chestnut Hill · Germantown · Manayunk · Mount Airy
North Philly: Fairmount · Brewerytown · Temple Area
Northwest: Chestnut Hill · Germantown · Manayunk · Mount Airy
Welcome to Philadelphia.Wiki
Philadelphia.Wiki is a community-built encyclopedia dedicated to comprehensively documenting the history, neighborhoods, culture, transit, and architecture of the City of Brotherly Love. We need your help to expand our coverage of essential local topics!
- ↑ "Rittenhouse Square". 2024. Retrieved January 8, 2025
- ↑ Template:Cite news
- ↑ Template:Cite news
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- ↑ Template:Cite news
- ↑ "Historic Germantown". 2024. Retrieved January 8, 2025