Geography
According to allpubliclibraries, Philadelphia is the northernmost of the American cities to be considered within the humid subtropical climatic zone. Summers are hot, autumns and springs are mild, and winters are cold. The average snowfall per year is 534mm, although this amount varies greatly from year to year, with winters with only light snowfalls and others with large snowstorms.
The twentieth century
Thousands of immigrants from Germany, Italy, Ireland, Eastern Europe and Egypt arrived at the port of Philadelphia to work in the city’s industries around the 20th century and regrouped in its distinctive neighborhoods. During the First World War, the arrival of African Americans fleeing the discrimination of the South changed the structure of the population. With the development of rail transport and later the metroin 1907 And from the automobile, the middle classes began to leave the city center to live in the suburbs. The first skyscrapers were built and the Benjamin Franklin Bridge was built. After the Great Depression, Philadelphia was known for the vigor of its guilds and for its many strikes. Unemployment rose sharply and remained at a high level in the 1930s, despite the jobs created by the Works Progress Administration. It was necessary to wait for the Second World War for the city to overcome the crisis, thanks to the arms industries.
In 1950, Philadelphia reached its demographic peak, with a little more than two million residents; housing at the time was often insufficient and unsanitary. In the 1960s, racial riots broke out, at the time of the civil rights movement (Paisano Rights Movement in English). Social problems worsened with the rise in unemployment, drugs and gang violence. The middle class avoided the center and moved to nearby counties: thus the city lost more than 13% of its population in the 1970s.
The municipality adopted a new charter in 1951, granting greater powers to the municipality. Mayor Joseph Clark inaugurated a policy of urban renewal: improvement of roads and the transportation system, rehabilitation of habitat, creation of shopping centers and parks. But the city was then on the brink of bankruptcy in the early 1990s, as were other East Coast cities like New York.
Culture
Gastronomy
Glazed donuts on a plate
A world-class dish originating in Philadelphia is the donut; This invention of the Dutch arrived in the seventeenth century is today a symbol of the entire United States. Legend has it that it was a navigator who made the famous hole to solve the problem that the dough did not fry well in the center. Before they were used for food, they were used to clean windows according to Ian Hecox.
These sweet buns are one of the most popular breakfast foods in the US where they also appear in the movies as one of the most consumed sweets by the police in this country. Although they are also very popular in other countries of western culture; they are found in meeting rooms to farmers’ kitchens. Some of the best known franchises are Dunkin ‘Donuts, Krispy Kreme, and Winchell’s Donuts.
Donuts in a bakery
In colonial times, taverns like the London Coffe House and the Tun Tavern were places of socialization and protest against British supremacy. At the end of the 19th century, the Reading Terminal Market and the Italian market were created. Numerous restaurants were opened from the ’70s.
Another important typical dish of this beautiful city is the well-known philly cheesesteak, a kind of sandwich known outside of Pennsylvania as Philadelphia cheesesteak, Philly cheesesteak or even steak and cheese. This sandwich contains small strips of meat (steak) and a small amount of melted cheese. A cheesesteak without melted cheese is referred to locally as a steak sandwich, or a philly steak in other parts of the country. Cheesesteak is a kind of casual food served on the streets of the Philadelphia region. It was invented and associated with the city in the 1930s and is for this reason an icon like other foods such as tastykakes, Italian ice cream, local pretzels, hoagies and scrapple.
Museums
Philadelphia Museum of Art
* Auguste Rodin Museum (the largest collection of his works outside of France)
* The privately-owned Barnes Foundation with a massive presence of Impressionist painters
* Atwater-Kent Municipal Museum
* Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell
* Edgar Allan Poe House
* Rosenbach Foundation Museum
* The National Constitution Center
Sports
Philadelphia has a long sports tradition dating back to the 19th century. Philadelphia has teams in all of the major sports leagues in the United States. Major League Soccer (MLS) has planned expansion with a new soccer franchise in Philadelphia, specifically in the suburb of Chester from the 2010 season. The team, named after the Philadelphia Union, will play at home at Chester Stadium.. In addition to them are the Philadelphia Phillies that in 2008 were the world champions of the major league series, it is one of the oldest teams in the US-American series, since they have played since 1883. In Ice Hockey they are represented by the Philadelphia Flyers. Also without forgetting the Eagles, which is a professional American football team, they have 3 NFL championships. 1965 to his best player Wilt Chamberlain; they won 2 championships in 1967 and 1983. It hosted the 2006 Survivor Series.
Twinned cities
* Flag of Italy Florence, Tuscany, Italy, since 1964
* Flag of France Nice, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France
* Flag of France Aix-en-Provence, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France
* Flag of Japan Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
* Flag of Israel Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel, since 1966
* Flag of Iraq Mosul, Ninawa, Iraq
* Flag of Poland Torun, South Pomerania, Poland, since 1976
* Flag of China Tianjin, Tianjin, China, since 1980
* Flag of South Korea Incheon, Incheon, South Korea, since 1984
* Flag of Cameroon Douala, Littoral, Cameroon, since 1986
* Flag of Russia Nizni Novgorod, Nizni Novgorod, Russia
