Some of the city’s strong traditions, such as its major-league sports teams and Philly cheesesteaks, are nationally famous. With these two schools and nearby Temple University and Villanova, the area offers more than its share of quality higher education.
Large Fairmount Park contains many of the area’s museums and historic buildings.Īcross the Schuylkill in University Park, a college town within the city, are the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University. city with a mix of old and new structures. The majority of the land between the historic district and the Schuylkill River to the west resembles a typical large U.S. Today the modern downtown is adjacent to a large historic district, anchored by Independence Hall and the waterfront.
In the late 17th century, William Penn laid out the city on a grid, one of the nation’s first. “Philly” offers a full set of big-city amenities comparable to those of most major cities.