After visiting the Big Apple, it’s time to head to one of America’s most historic cities. This is the place where the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 – Philadelphia.

 

Name: Way back in 1681, William Penn was given a large amount of land from King Charles II for what would become the Pennsylvania colony. Even though he was given to go-ahead from the British royalty, Penn still bought the land from a native Lenape chief, whom he became friends with. He decided to name the city Philadelphia, meaning “brotherly love” in Greek (philos – love/friendship + adelphos – brother).

Location: The state of Pennsylvania is located in the northeastern United States, and you’ll find Philadelphia in the southeast corner of the state. It’s located on the Delaware River, and crossing this river brings you into New Jersey. The state of Delaware is also nearby.

Nicknames: Not surprisingly, the most famous nickname for Philadelphia comes from the original meaning – “The City of Brotherly Love.” The name is also commonly shortened to simply “Philly.” Other nicknames include ” The Quaker City,” “The Cradle of Liberty,” and “The Birthplace of America” – all historical references.

Year Founded: Philadelphia was founded on October 27, 1682. As mentioned above, William Penn founded the city with land given to him from the King. Charles II owed Penn’s father a debt, and this was how he repaid it. Penn and other Quakers seeking religious freedom founded the city as a place where anyone could worship freely.

Population: Just over 1.5 million people live in Philly, making it the 5th most populous city in the USA. It’s a very diverse city and home to people of many ethnic backgrounds. Philly has the third-largest African American population in the country, as well as the second-largest Irish, Italian, and Puerto Rican populations.

Transportation: Since it’s a major city, you can get into Philly just about any way – plane, train, bus, or car. As far as American cities go, Philadelphia has some of the best public transportation in the country. You can get around the City of Brotherly Love on the commuter rail, subway, bus, trolley, or taxi. It’s also one of America’s most walkable cities, so get some exercise and save some money.

Famous Places: As one of the country’s oldest and most important cities, there’s no shortage of historical places in Philly. Perhaps the most famous sight in the city is Independence National Historical Park. It has even been nicknamed “America’s most historic square mile.” Here, you can see Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, two of the most famous symbols of the country.

Another must-see is the Philadelphia Museum of Art, a building forever immortalized by the film “Rocky” where the main character – a boxer played by Sylvester Stallone – runs up the stairs during his training. It’s a huge museum, so you could easily spend the whole day here taking in all of the artwork.

That’s only the beginning, though – in Philly you can also visit the zoo, plenty of parks, many more museums, and more historical sites than you could count.

Culture: Philadelphia is a without a doubt a very cultural city. Just look at the many different types of museums you can visit there – art, history, science, and more. There’s a lot more art to be found in the city, including one of the country’s oldest artists’ clubs and plenty of galleries. Philly is also home to the more public art than any other American city.

Music is also an important part of Philadelphia’s culture, from in the 70s to rock and rap and in the 80s and 90s. Some famous acts from Philly include: The Roots, Patti Labelle, Boyz II Men, Hall & Oates, and even Will Smith (back when he was the Fresh Prince).

A more modern day pop culture reference to the city can be found with the hit sitcom “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” The show, set mostly in an Irish pub, is getting ready to start its 10th season,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRR-5GnWFcE

One cannot talk about the culture of Philadelphia without mentioning the city’s most famous dish – the cheesesteak. When you visit, try one at rival restaurants Pat’s and Geno’s and decide who is the king of the Philly cheesesteak.

Sports Teams: Sports are a huge part of the culture in Philadelphia, which makes sense as it is one of only twelve US cities that has all four major professional sports. There’s also a soccer team, but that doesn’t count in America’s major sports. Here’s a list of the city’s pro teams:

• MLB – Philadelphia Phillies
• NFL – Philadelphia Eagles
• NBA – Philadelphia 76ers
• NHL – Philadelphia Flyers
• MLS – Philadelphia Union

Philly fans are known as some of the worst in the country – they even booed Santa Claus! So much for the brotherly love…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWvza6en5Rg

Travel Experience: My family actually lived in Philly for a short time, when I was between the ages of 2-6. Despite being so young, I still have vivid memories of my time there – my mom taking me to visit my dad at work, playing in the park, and eating in my favorite restaurant. Through the years, we have been back to visit many times, usually on the way to visit family in Delaware. In the fall of 2013, I got to go back on an east coast road trip that my girlfriend and I were taking. I was excited to show her a city I used to call home for the first time, and we were both happy to be seeing one of our favorite bands in concert there – Philadelphia’s own Disco Biscuits. Friday and Saturday nights were spent at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, as the band put on a weekend-long party called City Bisco.

When we weren’t dancing at the shows, we did a bit of sightseeing. First up, we hit South Street to do some window shopping, grab a bite to eat, and enjoy some Happy Hour drinks.

Art lovers need to make sure to check out the Magic Gardens on South Street. This is the largest mosaic work by artist Isaiah Zagar, made up of just about everything from tiles, bottles, and wheels. It’s an incredibly interesting place to spend an hour or so wandering around.

Another afternoon, we did the historical walk through Independence NP and some of Philly’s old neighborhoods. Although I had lived in Philly for a few years and visited many times, I learned more about the city on this visit than I had in my previous 28 years of life.

Of course, we couldn’t leave Philly without a visit to the art museum – even if it meant getting out of bed after staying up all night hanging out with friends. After spending a few hours in the museum, we rewarded ourselves for a weekend well done with a cheesesteak from each of the famous restaurants. “Which one was the best?”, you ask… you’ll just have to go and try for yourself!

Discussion:

• Have you ever been to Philadelphia?

• If yes, what did you do there?

• If no, would you like to go?

• Which places would you like to visit?