Neighborhoods in the City
The other day, I walked from my office on Broadway and 39th Street to “Ink48” (a wonderful boutique hotel with a great restaurant-“Print”) on 48th Street and Eleventh Avenue.
As I walked north on Broadway, I left the old “garment district” which is gradually absorbing non-garment businesses with its people-friendly pedestrian mall on Broadway.
I was soon walking through Times Square with its bright lights, billboards, street performers, tourists, barricades and police.
With a left turn on 47th Street, I was in the Theatre District.
As I walked west, I found myself in Hell's Kitchen, clearly residential and still a little rough around the edges.
It was a short walk, about twenty minutes. There were no fences or signs delineating the neighborhoods. A seamless stroll.
There is something mysterious about the transition from neighborhood to neighborhood. No boundaries. The movement is linear and gradual, yet, suddenly you’ve left, arrived and the distinct character of the new neighborhood surrounds you.
It is one of the many things that makes a walk in the City very special.
Comments
NULL
NULL
NULL
NULL
NULL
NULL
NULL
Philadelphia has been on the rise for a few years now, hosting the Pope's visit, the NFL Draft, being named a World Heritage Site (the only city in the United States), and now the Eagles in the Super Bowl. Construction is on an unprecedented pace, millennials are pouring in from all parts of the US and we're on Amazon's short list.
Our neighborhoods have equally colorful names -- here are a few:
Bella Vista, Queen Village, Society Hill, Old City, The Loft District, SoSo (South of South), Northern Liberties (NoLibs), Fishtown, Port Richmond, Kensington, Fairmount, East Passyunk, West Passyunk, Pennsport and Newbold. Our two diagonal streets, Moyamensing and Passyunk, are Native American names derived from the Lenni Lenape Indians who were the first settlers. These diagonal streets emanated from each of the two rivers circling Philadelphia, the Delaware River to the east and the Schuylkill River to the west. These two diagonal streets were the shortest distance to deliver goods from the waterfront to the congested streets of colonial Philadelphia. So Philadelphia has many unique triangular pocket parks, and even triangular buildings, very similar to New York.
Come take a stroll through our beautiful city in the spring or fall when things are pleasantly cool with lots of action happening everywhere.
NULL
Add new comment