So You’re Thinking of Living in…

Center City

Philadelphia covers a lot of real estate – some 135 square miles of it, to be specific, home to a little more than 1.5 million people. It’s the core of a metropolitan area of some 6 million to boot, the fourth-largest in the United States. There are a wide range of options for newcomers and longtime residents looking for homes in Philadelphia and environs. But for many people, nothing other than the heart of the city will do. In Philadelphia, we call that Center City.

As defined by the City Planning Commission, Center City’s boundaries are those of the original City of Philadelphia prior to its 1854 consolidation with Philadelphia County: Vine Street on the north, South Street on the south, the Delaware River on the east and the Schuylkill on the west. Some residents extend that northern border two blocks up to Spring Garden Street, however, and the term “Southwest Center City” is also used to describe the neighborhood better known as Graduate Hospital, which lies south of South, west of Broad, and north of Washington Avenue.

Center City is what outsiders might refer to as “downtown” Philadelphia – but you will never hear a Philadelphian use that word. As a downtown, though, Center City is impressive: it’s the third largest U.S. central business district in area. It’s also the third largest in population as well, behind only New York and Chicago, and that population has been growing steadily since the 1960s, even during the city’s years of overall decline, now halted thanks in large part to Center City’s growth.

Because Center City is so large (2.2 square miles), it is more useful to break it down into its constituent communities when considering where to live. You will find here overviews of each of them:

Avenue of the Arts

Chinatown

Fitler Square

Graduate Hospital (Southwest Center City)

Logan Square

Old City

Rittenhouse Square

Society Hill

Washington Square West

Center City’s growth has had a beneficial spillover into the communities just beyond its borders. Newcomers to the area and residents alike should also consider these adjacent neighborhoods that offer much of the convenience and amenities of Center City:

Art Museum Area (Brewerytown, Fairmount, Francisville, Spring Garden)

Bella Vista

Callowhill (Loft District)

Hawthorne

Northern Liberties

Queen Village