Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the sixth most populous city in the United States. Often referred to as Philly or The City of Brotherly Love from the Greek words philos (love) and adelphos (brother). It was founded in 1682 by William Penn. Before the European settlers, an Indian tribe, the Lenape, had a village called Shackamaxon. Philadelphia was the capital of the United States from 1790-1800.
Geography
The original city of Philadelphia--now the referred to as the Center City neighborhood--was laid out on a grid, bounded by the Delaware River to the east, the Schuylkill River to the west, South Street to the south, and Vine Street to the north. There are six counties surrounding the Philadelphia county. They are Montgomery County to the north, Bucks County to the northeast, Burlington County in New Jersey to the east, Camden County in New Jersey to the southeast, Gloucester County also in New Jersey to the south and Delaware County to the west.
Education
Philadelphia is home to many world class institutions of higher education. They include:
Museum District
The museum district, also called the cultural district, stretches from Philadelphia Museum of Art to the Academy, and it also includes the Franklin Institute, the Barnes Foundation, the Moore College of Art and Design, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Rodin Museum and the Parkway Central Library (a.k.a. the heart of the Free Library of Philadelphia).
Sports
Philadelphia has several major sports teams:
- 76ers (Basketball)
- Eagles (Football)
- Flyers (Hockey)
- Phillies (Baseball)
- Union (Soccer)
Public Transportation
Philadelphia's public transportation is provided by SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transport Authority). Septa operates regional rails, subways, trolleys, buses and light rails.