The Philadelphia Portal
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Philadelphia, colloquially referred to as Philly, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the sixth-most populous city in the nation, with a population of 1,603,797 in the 2020 census. The city is the urban core of the larger Delaware Valley, also known as the Philadelphia metropolitan area, the nation's seventh-largest and one of the world's largest metropolitan regions with 6.245 million residents in its metropolitan statistical area and 7.366 million residents in its combined statistical area.
Philadelphia is a national cultural center, hosting more outdoor sculptures and murals than any other city in the nation. Fairmount Park, when combined with adjacent Wissahickon Valley Park in the same watershed, is 2,052 acres (830 ha), representing one of the nation's largest and the world's 45th-largest urban park. The city is known for its arts, culture, cuisine, and colonial and Revolution-era history; in 2016, it attracted 42 million domestic tourists who spent $6.8 billion, representing $11 billion in economic impact to the city and its surrounding Pennsylvania counties. With five professional sports teams and one of the nation's most loyal fan bases, Philadelphia is often ranked as the nation's best city for professional sports fans. The city has a culturally and philanthropically active LGBTQ+ community. Philadelphia also has played an immensely influential historic and ongoing role in the development and evolution of American music, especially R&B, soul, and rock. (Full article...)
Selected article -
![Rohm and Haas Corporate Headquarters in 2007](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/Rohmandhaasheadquarters.jpg/130px-Rohmandhaasheadquarters.jpg)
The Rohm and Haas Corporate Headquarters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the headquarters for the chemical manufacturing company Rohm and Haas. Completed in 1964, the building was the first private investment for the urban renewal of the Independence Mall area. Only two blocks from Independence Hall, the building, designed by Pietro Belluschi and George M. Ewing Co., was lauded for its respect to the nearby park and historical buildings. Philadelphia's city planners praised the building as a standard for all redevelopment buildings. The nine-story edifice's most notable feature is its facade of translucent, corrugated sunscreens; held in place by aluminum lattices, the sunscreens are made of Rohm and Haas's principal product, Plexiglas. In 2007 the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is today considered one of the best examples of the International style.
Selected image -
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/29/Elfreth%27s_Alley%2C_Philadelphia%2C_2008.jpg/300px-Elfreth%27s_Alley%2C_Philadelphia%2C_2008.jpg)
Elfreth's Alley is a colonial-era street located in the Old City neighborhood of Philadelphia which is referred to as "Our nation's oldest residential street." The street dates to 1702 while the 32 extant brick rowhouses lining it were built between 1728 and 1836. A historical museum is located at #124 and 126. The narrow one lane street is one-way westbound between Front and 2nd Street, in the block between Arch and Race Street. Elfreth's Alley has been a designated National Historic Landmark since 1960.
Selected biography -
![Sarah Chang holding violin](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9d/Sarah_Chang_before_performing.jpg/80px-Sarah_Chang_before_performing.jpg)
Sarah Chang is a classical violinist recognized as a child prodigy who first played as a soloist when she was eight years old. She is a graduate of the Juilliard School and has performed as a soloist with many of the world's major orchestras. Born in Philadelphia and raised in Voorhees—a Philadelphia suburb—she is the daughter of Myoung-Jun, a composer, and Min-Soo Chang, who was a violinist and music teacher. Her mother trained her to play one-finger melodies on the piano at age three. For her fourth birthday, she was given a 1/16-sized violin. In 1986, when Chang was five years old, she auditioned for and was accepted to the Juilliard School by performing the Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor. She auditioned at the age of eight with Zubin Mehta and the New York Philharmonic, as well as Riccardo Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Both conductors granted her immediate engagements. In 1991, when Chang was ten years old, she recorded her first album, Debut, which entered the Billboard chart of classical best-sellers. In 2006, Newsweek ranked her as one of the Top Eight Achieving Females in the United States. Chang has also performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic, and many others. Chang has been a soloist under many famous conductors including Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Plácido Domingo, and John Williams. Notable recital engagements have included her Carnegie Hall debut and performances at the Kennedy Center, Boston's Symphony Hall, London's Barbican Centre, and Berlin's Philharmonie.
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![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Nuvola_apps_filetypes.svg/47px-Nuvola_apps_filetypes.svg.png)
- ... that the Octavius V. Catto Memorial, unveiled in 2017, contains the first statue on Philadelphia public property of a specific African American?
- ... that Holy Trinity Church in Philadelphia, established in 1784, was the first national parish in the United States?
- ... that John Morin Scott, the mayor of Philadelphia, responded to the 1842 Lombard Street riot by mostly arresting black victims?
- ... that Leverington Cemetery has the most orbs and apparitions in Philadelphia?
- ... that a rabbit played for the Philadelphia Eagles – as there's a drive into deep left field by Castellanos, that will be a home run. And so that will make it a 4–0 ballgame?
- ... that Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Britain Covey played quarterback in high school and led his team to 26 consecutive wins?
- ... that episodes of such game shows as Double Dare, Finders Keepers, and You Bet Your Life were filmed at the Philadelphia studios of a public TV station?
- ... that William F. Gannon died before reforming the membership of the married men's sodality in Philadelphia?
Selected anniversaries - July
- July 1, 1874 - After being delayed by the American Civil War, the Philadelphia Zoo opens.
- July 4, 1776 - The Declaration of Independence is adopted at Independence Hall.
- July 7, 1844 - A deadly Nativist riot erupts outside a Catholic church in Southwark.
- July 27, 1976 - The first recognized outbreak of Legionellosis begins at The Bellevue-Stratford Hotel.
Quotes -
"I always say Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is my biggest influence."*
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