City Guide: Philadelphia

     Philadelphia is too good to speak in superlatives.

     It hosts the world's largest park, the richest collection of public art in the United States and the most densely packed with architecture city in America. Whether you are about its culture or history you won't find other place rivaling this anywhere in the world.

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     Philadelphia started as small European settlement in the 17^th century, but soon the Swedish took over the area until 1663 when the English conquered the city. Since then it has become a location for revolutionaries and later would serve as the temporary capital of the US in 1790s. The city became the nations largest and a center for finance and culture. New buildings and roads reshaped it into the United States' first major industrial city.

     Consequently, Philadelphia became a city of contrasts, where renaissance buildings sit in the shadow of 21^st century skyscrapers. It is here in Philadelphia you can dine in French restaurant ''Le Bec-Fin'' and cross the road to a fast-food establishment or start your guided tour from the Independence Hall and then feast eyes on the modest Mario Lanza Museum.    

Attractions include;

- Eastern State Penitentiary, the most historic prison in America

- Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site, former home of this famous American author

- Fairmount Park, the largest urban park in America

- The Philadelphia Zoo, America's first zoo across the Schuylkill River

     The streets in Philadelphia contrast not only in architecture, but people too. Philadelphia is home to 1,517,550 residents. This is a multicultural community where 43.2 percent African American, 5.5 percent Asian and 0.3 percent American and so on live within the city.

     It could be the diverse opposition of interests that made Philadelphia a focal point for innovations in the 20^th century. Philadelphia is sometimes believed to be a birthplace of the first modern shopping center and several chains of supermarkets and discount shops. Thus, shopping in Philadelphia is more than just new dress, but a lesson in the history of the art of marketing.

     From shopping malls to striking architecture, Philadelphia is open to you year round with Booked.net.