A plan for Philadelphia

Philadelphia, often called the "Birthplace of America", is the birthplace of the country's modern democracy. Philly was founded by William Penn in 1681, and assumed its present-day shape and size in 1784 when Montgomery County was split off from Philadelphia. The city's name translates to "City of Brotherly Love" and it has been a seat of freedom since its inception; founded by Quakers, the colony promoted religious freedom among its residents in stark contrast to the England of the time.

The definition of "Philadelphia" changed in 1854. Prior to that time, the term "Philadelphia" referred to what is today called "Center City", and what we today call "Philadelphia" was referred to as "Philadelphia County" (that term is still used today in legal and administrative contexts). For clarity's sake we will use modern terminology, though many people will refer to Center City as "Philadelphia" when referring to pre-1854 periods.

The city is the largest in Pennsylvania, the second-largest in the Northeast megalopolis behind New York City, and the sixth-largest city in the United States. Philadelphia sits adjacent to New Jersey, on the west side of the Delaware River, and is only 15 miles from Delaware. The Philadelphia Region, a metropolitan area known as the Delaware Valley with a population exceeding six million, is the nation's sixth and world's 67th largest metropolitan region. It encompasses counties in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and even Maryland.

Travelers planning to visit multiple attractions may benefit from Philadelphia CityPASS, which grants admission to 6 Philadelphia attractions within 9 days of first use for a much reduced rate and includes expedited entry in some cases. The included attractions are: THE Franklin Institute; Adventure Aquarium; Phila Trolley & the Big Bus Company, 24 hours of on-off privileges; Philadelphia Zoo; Option Ticket One with choice of either the Academy of Natural Sciences or the National Constitution Center and Option Ticket Two with choice of Please Touch Museum or Eastern State Penitentiary. A Weekend in Philly offers a detailed itinerary that includes several of these attractions.

Public art

Thanks to Philadelphia's innovative Mural Arts Program, the city has a truly massive amount of art that can be seen without paying a dime or entering a single building. Originally designed to help stop graffiti and enliven the city's buildings, the Mural Arts Program has led to Philadelphia now having the largest collection of public art in the world, with over 3500 murals completed since its inception. There are tours offered as well, from trolley or train tours to the mural-mile walking tour. Other public art of note includes the many glass mosaics found throughout the city; a sampling of this great public art can be seen on South St. east of Broad.

Events

The Philadelphia Marathon is also another annual event. This marathon race is held every 3rd Sunday in November. There are three races: the full marathon, half marathon and the "Rothman Institute 8k".

Every year in the beginning of July, an All-You-Can-Eat Ice Cream Festival is held down Penns Landing. $5, children under 6 free.

The Philadelphia Flower Show, one of the largest indoor flower shows in the world, is held every spring at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

AIDS Walk Philly occurs every October. It is an 8.2-mi (13-km) walk that begins and ends at Eakins Oval (in front of the stairs of the Philadelphia Art Museum). The first walk started in 1987 and raised $33,000 that year. Since then, the event became annual.

The Mummers Parade is held each New Years Day. The first official parade took place on January 1, 1901. Local clubs (usually called New Years Associations) compete in one of four categories (Comics, Fancies, String Bands, and Fancy Brigades). They prepare elaborate costumes and moveable scenery, which take months to complete. The parade of over 10,000 marchers travels approximately 3 miles northward on Broad Street, beginning in South Philadelphia and concluding near City Hall in Center City.

The Made In America Festival is an annual music festival taking place during Labor Day weekend on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. While rappers draw the biggest attention, bands from musical genres as diverse as free-jazz, metalcore, and pop are featured.

West Philly Porchfest is a beloved annual do-it-yourself music festival featuring free shows on porches all over West Philadelphia.

The Odunde festival takes over a dozen-block radius in the Graduate Hospital neighborhood on one Sunday every year in June. Hundreds of stalls and several musical stages celebrate Africa and the African diaspora.

See the Districts articles for specific listings.

Cheesesteaks

No trip to Philadelphia is complete without trying the cheesesteak, Philly's most famous homegrown food, a sandwich made of a fresh roll filled with grilled shaved beef and cheese (as well as onions, mushrooms, and other optional sides). The spiritual homes of the cheesesteak are Pat's King of Steaks, where the cheesesteak was invented, and Geno's Steaks, where they claim to have improved on Pat's version. They are across from each other in South Philly at the intersection of 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue.

There are many ways to order a cheesesteak. Some cheesesteaks are made with chopped steak (Pat's and Geno's), while others are made with sliced top-round (Steve's). While Cheez-Wiz is a local favorite, many people also enjoy American or Provolone cheese on their cheesesteaks. The way the cheese is served makes a huge difference. Some cheesesteak joints simply place the cheese on top to melt (Pat's and Geno's), while others, such as Steve's, ladle hot melted cheese on top, adding to the delicious grease from the meat. Any local will tell you as well that the most important part of the cheesesteak (or hoagie, for that matter) is the roll, which is why many have found it difficult to replicate the cheesesteak outside of the Philadelphia region. Many displaced Philadelphians who have started their own restaurants elsewhere have encountered trouble making authentic cheesesteaks, and import their rolls from the Philly area.

Because of the state of Pennsylvania's complicated liquor laws, most supermarkets are not able to sell beer or spirits, although some neighborhood stores might and certain locations of grocery stores sell beer and have limited-selections of wine. State-run liquor stores called Fine Wine and Good Spirits are all over the place but don't sell beer, and beer distributors sell beer only in bulk and are scattered in inconvenient locations, and neither will be open late. In part because of this complicated setup, Philadelphia has a visibly strong, public beer culture, celebrated in events such as the annual summertime Philly Beer Week or the Philly Craft Beer Festival in March.

Local beers include Yuengling, Yards, or Troegs. Many bars will have a varied selection of beers you already know and love alongside ones you've never heard of. If you're ever stuck on a choice but don't want to look out of place, just ask for a "lager", which in Philly specifically means the Yuengling Traditional Lager, a pre-Prohibition style amber lager rather different from the mass-market pale lager you find elsewhere. You can also order a "Citywide Special", which is a shot of house whiskey with a can or bottle of light lager usually Pabst Blue Ribbon or Miller Lite.

Primarily, most of the nightlife scene takes place in Center City (West and East) and in Old City. The areas around Rittenhouse Square in Center City, and Headhouse Square and Penn's Landing in Old City, are popular destinations that have a large concentration of bars and clubs, many of them attracting the hip, young, pretty people of the suburbs or the universities. Slightly further out, the rapidly-gentrifying Northern Liberties district is another solid nightlife destination with more of a "yuppie" or "hipster" vibe. Yet another area that has a vibrant nightlife is the Manayunk neighborhood .

There are plenty of public transportation options to get around the downtown core of Philadelphia. Buses, trains, and trolleys gather at 30th St. Station and the 69th St. Transportation Center. Most services are operated by SEPTA, see Fares below for their ticket system.

Absolutely no smoking is allowed in any SEPTA Transit Station. SEPTA Staff, transit police officers, and even fellow riders will ask you to extinguish/dispose of tobacco before entering. Violators may be subject to fines, arrest, or even community service.

Walking or biking are also viable options for getting around.

By foot

Philadelphia is one of America's most walkable cities. This has been taken advantage of and the city is marked extremely well by "Walk! Philadelphia" signs that are placed on each block, sometimes only several feet apart, that guide visitors toward shopping, dining, gallery perusing, cultural enjoyment, local must-sees and public transportation should it need to be taken. The city has two very walkable shopping districts as well as the walkable Benjamin Franklin Parkway, which is home to many museums, including the Franklin Institute and the Museum of Art that was made famous in the "Rocky" movies. Walking between most locations within Center City is possible in 30 minutes or less.

Philadelphia has a major crime problem. As early as the late 1980s it was bestowed the notorious moniker of 'Killadelphia'. Even to this day the city suffers from some of the worst crime rates in the USA. However, as a rule of thumb, the places visitors are likely to spend time in are safe and well policed, so be informed about places that are popular with tourists.

Neighborhoods

Center City and surrounding neighborhoods have very low crime rates (some of the lowest in the country). Wealthier neighborhoods like Rittenhouse Square, Old City, and Society Hill, are safe, as are Northeast Philadelphia (for the most part), Northwest Philadelphia, the Art Museum Area, Chinatown, the Parkway, and Bella Vista. Some petty crimes (mostly pickpocketing) happen but much less often than the media suggest. South Philadelphia is generally safe, though certain parts should be avoided at night (especially those near I-95).

On the flip side, other parts of the city struggle with rampant crime. The city's criminal activities are overwhelmingly concentrated in North Philadelphia (with the very notable exception of Temple University), far West Philadelphia (though this area has seen improvements), and Southwest Philadelphia. These areas are of little interest to tourists, but do be careful if you do end up venturing there.

Philadelphia's suburbs

While Philadelphia has a history of crime, the rest of the Delaware Valley is one of the safest metropolitan areas in the U.S., though certain locations like Camden (across the Delaware river in New Jersey), Reading, Tinicum Township, and Chester have very high crime rates, so visitors should exercise caution when visiting these regions.

Non-violent crimes and scams

Pickpocketing and scams are nowhere nearly as common in Philadelphia as they are in other cities, but the threat of being mugged or approached by unwanted individuals remains real, so keep an eye on your belongings. One known scam is being "photographed" by homeless men near the Rocky statue at the Philadelphia Museum of Arts.