Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia (sometimes referred to as "Philly" or "the City of Brotherly Love") is the fifth most populous city in the United States and the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, both in area and population. Since 1854, the city has occupied all of Philadelphia County.{{GR|6}} As of June 30, 2005, the population estimate for the city was 1,470,151.

Geography and climate

Philadelphia is located at {{coor dms|39|59|53|N|75|8|41|W|region:GR|1}}.

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According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 369.4 km² (142.6 mi²). 349.9 km² (135.1 mi²) of it is land and 19.6 km² (7.6 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 5.29% water. Bodies of water include the Delaware River, Schuylkill River, Cobbs Creek, Wissahickon Creek, and Pennypack Creek.

Related Topics:
United States Census Bureau - Km² - Mi² - Delaware River - Schuylkill River - Cobbs Creek - Wissahickon Creek - Pennypack Creek

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The lowest point in the city is 10 feet above sea level near Fort Mifflin in Southwest Philadelphia at the convergence of the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers. The highest point in the city is Chestnut Hill, with an elevation of 432 feet above sea level located near Evergreen Place, just north and west of Evergreen Avenue.

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Climate

The climate in Philadelphia is temperate, with four seasons. Summers tend to be hot and often muggy, with the humidity tending to be high during July and August. Fall and spring are mild and generally the most pleasant seasons. The rainfall pattern is generally spread throughout the year, with between six and nine wet days per month. Winters are cold, but seldom does the temperature drop below freezing. Snow is unpredictable, some winters experiencing little and others characterised by continual snowstorms. The city centre and inner New Jersey suburbs generally have light snow, with heavier falls being experienced to the north and west of the metropole. The lowest temperature ever recorded was -7° F on January 22 1984, and the highest temperature ever recorded was 104° F on July 3 1966.

Related Topics:
July - August - New Jersey - North - West - January 22 - 1984 - July 3 - 1966

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Cityscape

Penn's surveyor, Thomas Holme, laid out the city in a strict grid, with all streets running either north-south or east-west. The north-south streets are numbered sequentially from Front (instead of First), along the Delaware River, to 13th, followed by the main north-south thoroughfare, Broad Street (instead of 14th).

Related Topics:
Thomas Holme - Grid - Delaware River

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The numbered streets then resume, continuing in the original plan to 28th at the Schuylkill River. The east-west streets, many of them named for trees, e.g., Chestnut, Walnut, Locust, and Spruce (laid out in increasing hardness from softwood Pine in the South to hardwood Chestnut in the North) parallel the main thoroughfare named High Street by Penn, but called Market Street since at least the early 18th century. Six blocks south of Market is South Street, noted in recent decades for its raucous night life and the subject of the 1963 hit single by The Orlons of the same name).

Related Topics:
Schuylkill River - Chestnut - Walnut - Locust - Spruce - Pine - South Street - 1963 - The Orlons

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Holme also planned five public parks, one at the intersection of High and Broad Streets in the very center of the city, now occupied by City Hall, and four others surrounding it now called Washington Square, Rittenhouse Square, Logan Square and Franklin Square. The eastern edge of Rittenhouse Square is on 18th St., four blocks west of City Hall, while the western edge of Washington Square is between 7th and 8th, about six and a half blocks east of City Hall. Both are the same distance south of City Hall. Concurently both Logan Square and Franklin Square are located the same distances east and west of City Hall as Washington and Rittenhouse and four blocks north of Market Street, reflecting the southern squares.

Related Topics:
City Hall - Washington Square - Rittenhouse Square - Logan Square - Franklin Square

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Neighborhoods

Philadelphia has many neighborhoods, each of which has its own identity. Many of these neighborhoods coincide with the borough and townships that made up Philadelphia County before their absorption by the city. These include Andorra, Roxborough, Northern Liberties, Old City, Bustleton, Brewerytown, Oxford Circle, Feltonville, Somerton, Manayunk, Center City, Queen Village, Kensington, Frankford, University City, Strawberry Mansion, Chestnut Hill, Fishtown, Port Richmond, Germantown, Mount Airy, Mayfair, Wynnefield, Chinatown, Fox Chase, South Philly, Graduate Hospital/Southwest Center City, Society Hill, the Museum District and many others.

Related Topics:
Andorra - Roxborough - Northern Liberties - Old City - Bustleton - Brewerytown - Oxford Circle - Feltonville - Somerton - Manayunk - Center City - Queen Village - Kensington - Frankford - University City - Strawberry Mansion - Chestnut Hill - Fishtown - Port Richmond - Germantown - Mount Airy - Mayfair - Wynnefield - Chinatown - Fox Chase - South Philly - Graduate Hospital/Southwest Center City - Society Hill - Museum District

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