Living in Philadelphia

This is one of our most fun sections on the site because it rounds up all the best things about living in Philadelphia—the city center, but also the surrounding suburbs. We also cover new laws and ordinances that might impact your life, upcoming events of note, and more.

Want to know the best parks in the city? We have you covered. A new street food festival or pop-up restaurant featuring a world-reknowned chef? We definitely have you covered there, too. Wondering about the latest developments on school zoning, new city taxes, and more? If the news impacts Philadelphia it will be found here!

We love our city and look forward to sharing with you the aspects of living in Philly, from food to culture to neighborhoods and more.

We hope you enjoy the information we offer! If we can help you in any way, please speak with one of our talented real estate agents, or directly contact the Center City Team office: 215.440.2093

January 26, 2015
ben franklin

Philly Homeowners Seek Riches In Pope’s Visit

Pope Francis’ visit to the United States later this year is a big deal, and a staggering number of people are expected to descend upon Philadelphia in September when the pontiff arrives. There are 65,000 hotel rooms within a 60 mile radius of the city. That sounds like a lot until one realizes that the number of folks anticipated to […]
January 22, 2015
girard

Holding the Tip At a Fishtown Restaurant

For American diners, adding a tip at the end of a sit-down meal is as common as can be. Whether you tip 15% or 20% – hopefully not less – the expectation of a gratuity is omnipresent when it comes to dining in the U.S. Of course this isn’t the case all over the world. Other nations (France, Canada) don’t […]
January 20, 2015
serpico

Philly’s Accolades Keep Pouring In!

It’s a good week for proud Philadelphians! The City of Brotherly Love has been having a fantastic run of it lately, first with the news that it is one of the country’s fastest-developing travel destinations, and then being tapped by Conde Nast Traveler as the second best city for shopping in the entire world. Now, Travel + Leisure has put […]
January 19, 2015

More Details About Pope’s Visit Emerge

As September draws closer, more details of Pope Francis’ itinerary are beginning to emerge. The pope will be in Philadelphia as part of a United States visit for the World Meeting of Families. Reports say that the pontiff might visit either a children’s hospital or a juvenile detention facility. These are only the newest details to leak regarding Francis’ landmark […]
January 16, 2015
reading market

Philly Wins Honor As World’s Number 2 Shopping Destination

What do you think of when you think of Philadelphia’s ranking on lists of worldwide cities? Whatever you are thinking, I’ll bet it doesn’t compare to the position Philly scored on Conde Nast Traveler’s freshly-released list of the world’s best shopping cities. Philadelphia ranked number two, right behind Barcelona, Spain. Rounding out the list were international hotspots like Hong Kong […]
January 14, 2015
philly

Philly Reigns as a Vacation Destination

Recently the Visit Philly crew came together for a celebratory event. The group feted the fact that Philadelphia has become a bonafide vacation destination, a state of being that has been almost twenty years in the making. The group met last week at the Doubletree Hotel for their annual New Year’s breakfast, an event as much about celebrating the successes […]
January 12, 2015
target

Coming Soon to Center City: Tiny Target Stores?

I may as well admit it right up front: I freakin’ love Target. I love shopping there and I love wandering the aisles. I love the big red shopping carts, the Dollar Spot, the food court pretzels, and the generic brands. My first job was even at Target – back in high school I worked a stint as the fitting […]
January 6, 2015
Philly

How Philly Nabes Got Their Names

You could conceivably live your whole life in Philly and not delve to the bottom of all its history. Take, for instance, some of the curious names we have for Philly neighborhoods. Where did they come from? Do you know the origins behind Society Hill, or how Bella Vista got its name? If you’ve ever been curious, then the piece […]
December 31, 2014
mummers

Ringing In the New Year With Philly’s Mummers Parade!

What will you be doing this New Year’s Day? Tonight is the time for parties and fireworks, but the daytime portion of the holiday is all too often overlooked in lieu of hangovers and taking down the Christmas decorations. Sure, you could spend the day picking at leftover canapes or napping, but allow me to make another suggestion. Here in […]