Since its founding in 1698 by William Penn, Philadelphia has been one of the most important and unique American cities. The city is arguably the birthplace of American democracy (no offense, Jamestown), the site of the First and Second Continental Congresses and the Liberty Bell.
Philadelphia is also home to Paddy's Pub and the birthplace of Gritty. It goes without saying that it has a rich and interesting cultural history.
Whether you are a lifelong resident or are just beginning to explore this great city from your home base in one of the Common's three inviting buildings, we hope you learn some of our fun and interesting facts about Philadelphia.
#1 Mural Capital of the World
Art is a big deal in Philadelphia. The Mural Arts Philadelphia program began in 1984 as an anti-graffiti campaign and has since made Philadelphia a global leader in publicly accessible street art. Currently there are more than 4,000 works of art spread across the city, with new works being commissioned every year.1
Some of our favorite murals are:
- Wide open in Fishtown– This Jim Houser mural on Spring Garden Street makes you feel the brotherly love.
- Colorful heritage in West Philadelphia– The colors of this Willis “Nomo” Humphrey and Keir Johnston mural always inspire.
- The silent watchman in university town– This 19-story mural painted by Faith XLVII is simply breathtaking. The next time you pass University Square, you will find it difficult not to make eye contact with the Silent Watcher.
If you want to see as much of Philadelphia's street art as possible, the city offers a self-guided tour via an app. A walk past iconic works of art is a fun way to get to know your housemates.
#2 Philadelphia has the oldest inhabited road in America
Elfreth's Alley, in Philadelphia's aptly named Old City neighborhood, is the oldest continuously inhabited street in America. The cobblestones of Elfreth's Alley date back to 1702. The street is named after Jeremiah Elfreth, a local blacksmith and property owner. Today it is like a museum where people live and a rare surviving example of what a working-class neighborhood looked like in the 18th century.
The Common on Frankford in Fishtown is just a short distance north of Elfreth's Alley. Although Frankford has been gone for 300 years, its sleek, modern conveniences are perfect for returning home to after a day of imagining life in the 18th century.
#3 Philadelphia is a city of firsts
A list of fun and interesting facts about Philadelphia would be incomplete without mentioning all the firsts the city is responsible for. FYI (random cheesesteak reference):
- Philadelphia hosted America's first birthday.
- It was also home to the Philadelphia Packet and Daily Advertiser, founded in 1784, the nation's first daily newspaper. Take that, New York Times!
- Philadelphia was also home to the nation's first zoo, hospital, and medical school.2(The nation's first veterinarian, however, got his start in New York.)
Philadelphia still plays an important role in the modern medical world. One in six physicians in America trained in Philadelphia.
#4 It is also a city of masters
Speaking of first places, let's talk first place. Ask any Philadelphia fan and they will tell you this is exactly where Joel Embiid and the Sixers will end up this year. Eternal hope arises in Philadelphia. Philadelphia is one of thirteen American cities with a professional sports team in all four major leagues.
Some quick facts about these teams:
- Major League Baseballs Philadelphia Phillies, who last won a championship in 2008. They were originally called the Quakers, then renamed the Philadelphians, which in turn was shortened to the Phillies.
- National Football Leagues Philadelphia Eagles, who won the Super Bowl in 2017. For a patriotic city like Philadelphia, the Eagles seem like a logical nickname. Go birds!
- De National Basketball Associations Philadelphia 76ers, who haven't won an NBA title since 1983. They are nicknamed in honor of the founding of the United States. If you're going to live in Philadelphia, it's important that you learn to trust the process.
- Philadelphia Flyers van de National Hockey League, whose championship drought is worse than the 76ers dating back to 1975. Why the Flyers? Because the owner's wife thought alliteration sounded cool. She was right!
#5 The Eagles killed the Wing Bowl
In terms of sports successes and failures, before the city's Super Bowl victory in 2017, Philadelphians had to find a way to celebrate Super Bowl weekends that the Eagles would not normally participate in. Thus the Wing Bowl was invented. The competitive chicken wing eating contest ran from 1993 to 2018 and would draw approximately 20,000 fans to the Wells Fargo Center each year.
The last Wing Bowl champion, Molly Schuyler, ate 501 wings in a 30-minute period.Now that's what we call a champion!
#6. Visit the Mutter Museum to see Einstein's brain
Speaking of medical oddities and horrors of the human body, Philadelphia's famed Mutter Museum is home to a large collection of medical artifacts and curiosities. The Philadelphia Museum has a collection of more than 3,000 osteological artifacts. Wondering what it is?
Skeletons. 3,000 skeletons. It's either really cool or really creepy.
The Mutter Museum is also the only place where visitors can see slides of Albert Einstein's brain. Or, for a truly macabre experience, consider checking out John Wilkes Booth's breast tissue.
#7 Betsy Ross... Cheating?
We all learned in grade school that famed Philadelphia seamstress Betsy Ross was responsible for sewing together the first American flag. However, most historians agree that there is no actual evidence that this is true. Like the founding of America, the creation of the first American flag was more of a joint effort between a number of men and women on the Flag Commission.
Although the story is a bit of an urban legend, Betsy Ross still sewed some pretty old flags. You can view them along with numerous other artifacts from the era at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia.
There are also tours of Betsy Ross' home, because even though she didn't technically sew the first American flag, she still played an extremely important role in American history.
If you want to learn more about Philadelphia or American history, this is one of the bestparker in Philadelphiato do this is Independence National Historical Park. Related to the American Revolution and the founding history of the United States, Independence National Historical Park represents the early eras of the nation. Don't forget to visit the Liberty Bell Center while you are there.
#8 Philadelphia loves pretzels
If there is one dish that is associated with Philadelphia, it is the famous Philadelphia cheesesteak. However, pretzels should also be part of the conversation. Apparently, Philadelphians consume twelve times more pretzels than the average American.
Pretzels are a big thing in Philadelphia. The country's first large-scale pretzel manufacturer was founded in Philadelphia, and there used to be a pretzel museum in the city.
If salty and doughy goodness isn't your thing, don't worry. The city has a vibrant culinary scene with some of thetop restauranter in Philadelphiafound in each quarter.
#9 Philadelphia is close to everything
A quarter of the U.S. population lives within five hours of Philadelphia. We're not saying the city is the center of the universe, but with easy access to New York City, Washington DC, Baltimore and Atlantic City, Philadelphia makes for a great weekend getaway.
But Philadelphia isn't just about the big city experience. There is also plenty of nature to enjoy in the area. If you want to get away from the city, consider taking a look:
- Fairmount-park
- Wissahickon Valley-park
- Ringing Rocks County Park
#10 Beer was Philadelphia's first company
According to some sources, the first business established in newly founded Philadelphia was a brewery. William Frampton founded the place in 1683. He also established a bakery and a tavern at the same time, but as true Philadelphians we choose to focus on the beer.
Some quick facts about Philadelphia's early beer scene:
- John Adams once wrote to his wife, "I drink no cider, but eat Philadelphia beer." He was literal. At that time, beer was considered food.
- The early beer brewed by Frampton was made from molasses, pine and sassafras. Eventually, brewers in Philadelphia would switch to using malt... and sassafras would later be banned by the FDA.
- America's first lager was brewed in Philadelphia.
With that rich history, it's no wonder that modern-day Philadelphia has such a thriving beer scene.
Discover more about Philadelphia on the Common
From its historic sites to its visual arts and restaurants, Philadelphia is a city of great significance. There is always something new to learn about Philadelphia. Perhaps the best fact about Philadelphia is that the city and its residents are always growing and evolving. Around every corner there is something new, or something historic to discover for the first time.
Opnormal, we love being part of this city. We included three buildings in PhiladelphiaOften at BroadridgeI Fairmount,Just Frankfordin Visstad, andMily on Greenin the Spring Garden. With so many options in the city, we feel connected to Philadelphia's diverse and exciting neighborhoods. Our fully furnished apartments and shared living arrangements make it easy to become part of Philadelphia's vibrant community.
Book a tour of your next home today!
Sources:
- Experience Philadelphia.The city of murals.https://www.discoverphl.com/blog/city-of-murals/
- Mentale Floss.25 Things You Didn't Know About Philadelphia.https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/55036/25-things-you-didnt-know-about-philadelphia
