Center City

In general, the City of Philadelphia is a lot like a busier, more dense version of the City of Saint Louis. Both have primarily mid-rise downtowns consisting of primarily 1890s-1930s buildings, both are very stereotypically "American" cities, both experienced heavy population loss to suburbs, and both have a generally Caucasian southern section and a generally African-American northern section. However, Philadelphia has begun to see population and job growth again, whereas Saint Louis hasn't. Because of these similarities, Downtown Philadelphia (known as "Center City") is a lot like Downtown Saint Louis. For one thing, building heights are quite low due to the commonly followed "gentleman's agreement" stating that no building should rise taller than City Hall. In recent years, this rule has been ignored, but its legacy can still be seen in the many turn of the century buildings present in Center City. Recently, the area has seen an explosion in the number of residents as lofts and high rises are constructed. The area defined as Center City is rapidly expanding, and the boundaries of the district push out in all directions. Center City is also Philadelphia's cultural hub, with most fine arts institutions located here. Of note is the former Reading Terminal, which has been converted into the Reading Terminal Market, a large indoor food market with a good diversity of businesses, ranging from fishmongers to bakeries. The area hosts many bike lanes, and is very walkable. Transit in the neighborhood is very good as well, with many frequent bus and rail lines converging on Center City. Honestly, I can't really think of any improvements to suggest, the area is near perfect by American standards already!