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Neighborhoods of the Greater Philadelphia / South Jersey AreaBy John Fischer, About.com Guide to Philadelphia / South Jersey Philadelphia is a city of neighborhoods, some large and some small, each with its own unique identity. The Philadelphia suburbs in Pennsylvania and South Jersey also each have their own unique appeal.
Overview of the Neighborhoods of the Philadelphia / South Jersey RegionAn overview of the neighborhoods of the City of Philadelphia as well as some general demographic information about the Greater Philadelphia / South Jersey region.
Old City PhiladelphiaOld City Philadelphia is just as the name says, the oldest part of the city founded by William Penn in 1681. Old City is one of the most historic areas of the United States. It is where the Declaration of Independence was first read and where the Constitution of the United States was written. It was the site of the nation"s first capital.
Center CityThe Center City area of Philadelphia is the area where most suburban residents work, and where most tourists stay. It is home to most of the large businesses in the city as well as the central transportation hubs serving the region. Chestnut Hill / Germantown / Mt. AiryThe Northwest section of the city consists of three historic neighborhoods: Chestnut Hill, Germantown and Mt. Airy. ChinatownJust north of Philadelphia"s Center City District is Philadelphia"s Chinatown. Compared to Chinatowns in several other U.S. cities, Philadelphia"s Chinatown is relatively small. But, within this relative small area, there are over 50 Chinese and other Asian restaurants as well as churches, a Buddhist temple, many gift shop, 15 grocery stores, oriental specialty markets. an Asian bank and several manufacturers of such items as fortune cookies and Chinese noodles.
Fairmount ParkPhiladelphia's Fairmount Park is the largest city-owned park system in the world comprised of 63 neighborhood parks, a Japanese tea house and garden, athletic fields, eight world-class museums, five historic city squares, historic Colonial mansions, magnificent sculpture gardens, a modern outdoor summer theater, numerous picnic areas, the nation's first zoo, one of the nation's top botanical gardens, paths for biking, the site of the nation's Centennial Exposition of 1876, six golf courses, trails for jogging and walking, woods for hiking, a world famous parkway modeled after the Champs-Élysées and much more.
University CityUniversity City is actually a part of the area generally referred to as West Philadelphia. This eastern area of West Philadelphia was historically known as Hamilton Village. It was this area that constituted the first 'suburb' of the original City of Philadelphia. It was not until the mid-1950"s that this area was first called University City, a name which is universally recognized today.
Philadelphia Suburbs in PennsylvaniaThe Greater Philadelphia area consists of the Philadelphia suburbs in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties as well as several South Jersey counties which will be addressed separately. South JerseyThe South Jersey consists of eight counties: Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer and Salem. It stretches from the city of Trenton to the tip of Cape May and from the Delaware River to the Atlantic Ocean. |
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