WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.120 Welcome back to the Deep Dive. This is where 00:00:02.120 --> 00:00:04.480 we take the source material, the history, the 00:00:04.480 --> 00:00:07.160 economics, the culture, and distill it down into 00:00:07.160 --> 00:00:09.339 the core insights you need to be genuinely well 00:00:09.339 --> 00:00:12.839 -informed. And today, we are strapping in for 00:00:12.839 --> 00:00:16.839 a deep dive into a city that really defines American 00:00:16.839 --> 00:00:19.800 history, Philadelphia. Known across the globe 00:00:19.800 --> 00:00:23.320 by its breezy nickname, Philly, but also by its 00:00:23.320 --> 00:00:26.519 far more symbolic title, the City of Brotherly 00:00:26.519 --> 00:00:29.539 Love. And that name, Philadelphia, is so key 00:00:29.539 --> 00:00:31.960 to its founding spirit. It comes directly from 00:00:31.960 --> 00:00:34.659 the ancient Greek terms, philos, meaning beloved 00:00:34.659 --> 00:00:38.100 or dear, and adelphos, which means brother or 00:00:38.100 --> 00:00:40.210 brotherly. So it's a mission statement right 00:00:40.210 --> 00:00:42.250 there in the name. It really is. It sets an incredibly 00:00:42.250 --> 00:00:45.070 high bar one that the city has been striving, 00:00:45.210 --> 00:00:47.609 you know, sometimes successfully, sometimes tumultuously 00:00:47.609 --> 00:00:50.369 to live up to for over three centuries. It's 00:00:50.369 --> 00:00:52.469 a powerful foundation. But our mission today 00:00:52.469 --> 00:00:55.350 is to move past those beautiful yet kind of static 00:00:55.350 --> 00:00:58.130 images of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. 00:00:58.250 --> 00:01:00.390 Which are often the first and sometimes only 00:01:00.390 --> 00:01:03.130 things people associate with the city. Exactly. 00:01:03.130 --> 00:01:05.890 We need to understand Philadelphia in its current, 00:01:05.950 --> 00:01:09.150 deeply complex and economically vibrant form. 00:01:09.310 --> 00:01:11.629 And that complexity is certainly reflected in 00:01:11.629 --> 00:01:14.049 the numbers. While it remains this historical 00:01:14.049 --> 00:01:17.290 anchor, Philadelphia is very much a modern regional 00:01:17.290 --> 00:01:20.829 powerhouse. OK. The 2020 census confirms it as 00:01:20.829 --> 00:01:23.390 the sixth most populous city in the United States, 00:01:23.629 --> 00:01:26.010 clocking in with over 1 .6 million residents. 00:01:26.170 --> 00:01:28.390 Sixth most populous. And that city anchors the 00:01:28.390 --> 00:01:30.430 ninth largest metropolitan area in the country, 00:01:30.609 --> 00:01:33.269 the Delaware Valley. which encompasses a massive 00:01:33.269 --> 00:01:37.230 6 .33 million people. That's a staggering regional 00:01:37.230 --> 00:01:39.349 footprint, especially considering the narrative 00:01:39.349 --> 00:01:41.629 of decline the city faced in the 20th century. 00:01:41.810 --> 00:01:44.269 What does that kind of scale translate to economically? 00:01:44.769 --> 00:01:46.769 Well, it translates to immense financial clout. 00:01:46.969 --> 00:01:49.189 The region's economic output, what we call the 00:01:49.189 --> 00:01:51.549 gross metropolitan product, was estimated at 00:01:51.549 --> 00:01:55.189 an immense $479 billion as recently as 2021. 00:01:55.590 --> 00:01:57.530 Wow. So you're looking at a place that isn't 00:01:57.530 --> 00:01:59.730 just surviving on historical tourism. It is a 00:01:59.730 --> 00:02:02.290 major nexus of finance, technology, logistics, 00:02:02.469 --> 00:02:04.629 and increasingly life sciences and education. 00:02:05.090 --> 00:02:08.349 Okay, let's unpack this. Our journey today will 00:02:08.349 --> 00:02:11.990 trace that entire path from William Penn's utopian 00:02:11.990 --> 00:02:14.919 spiritual vision as the colonial capital. Through 00:02:14.919 --> 00:02:18.159 its dramatic 20th century population swings and 00:02:18.159 --> 00:02:20.860 institutional crises. And right up to its modern 00:02:20.860 --> 00:02:23.900 status as a public art capital and a massive 00:02:23.900 --> 00:02:26.800 academic and transportation hub. We promise you, 00:02:26.819 --> 00:02:29.379 you'll walk away realizing this city has a lot 00:02:29.379 --> 00:02:31.900 more going on than just founding documents and 00:02:31.900 --> 00:02:34.719 world famous sandwiches. A lot more. So before 00:02:34.719 --> 00:02:37.099 William Penn arrived with his charter and his 00:02:37.099 --> 00:02:39.439 grid plan, we have to start with the people who 00:02:39.439 --> 00:02:42.360 were already here. Exactly. To understand Philadelphia, 00:02:42.639 --> 00:02:45.199 you have to acknowledge the pre -colonial landscape. 00:02:45.379 --> 00:02:48.860 Prior to the 17th century European arrival, the 00:02:48.860 --> 00:02:51.719 entire Delaware River watershed was the ancestral 00:02:51.719 --> 00:02:54.219 home of the Lenape, often called the Delaware 00:02:54.219 --> 00:02:56.419 Indians. Right. They were a sophisticated civilization. 00:02:56.639 --> 00:02:59.340 And specifically, the land where present -day 00:02:59.340 --> 00:03:01.759 Philadelphia sits was focused around the village 00:03:01.759 --> 00:03:04.300 of Shackamaxon. That is such a crucial starting 00:03:04.300 --> 00:03:06.840 point because colonial histories often just sweep 00:03:06.840 --> 00:03:09.000 this initial coexistence and later displacement 00:03:09.000 --> 00:03:12.020 under the rug. They do. And the mechanism of 00:03:12.020 --> 00:03:15.879 disruption for the Lenape was a classic colonial 00:03:15.879 --> 00:03:20.000 trifecta. Expansion, conflict, and disease. As 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:22.740 the 13 colonies rapidly expanded throughout the 00:03:22.740 --> 00:03:24.939 18th century, the Lenape were systematically 00:03:24.939 --> 00:03:27.780 pushed out of the region. This was exacerbated 00:03:27.780 --> 00:03:30.620 by conflicts, but most devastatingly, by the 00:03:30.620 --> 00:03:33.560 introduction of European diseases. Smallpox in 00:03:33.560 --> 00:03:35.800 particular severely weakened their communities. 00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:38.379 Making resistance almost impossible. Impossible. 00:03:38.539 --> 00:03:41.219 And the tragic conclusion of that period following 00:03:41.219 --> 00:03:44.199 the American Revolution was their forced relocation 00:03:44.199 --> 00:03:47.259 further west. This culminated in the U .S. federal 00:03:47.259 --> 00:03:49.680 government sending the majority of the remaining 00:03:49.680 --> 00:03:52.620 Lenape people to the Indian Territory, which 00:03:52.620 --> 00:03:55.000 is modern -day Oklahoma. During the Indian removal 00:03:55.000 --> 00:03:57.620 policy that accelerated in the 1860s. Moving 00:03:57.620 --> 00:03:59.919 to the European timeline, it wasn't the English 00:03:59.919 --> 00:04:01.740 who were first to set up shop in the Delaware 00:04:01.740 --> 00:04:04.560 Valley, was it? No, not at all. The first European 00:04:04.560 --> 00:04:06.719 settlements were the Dutch, who established Fort 00:04:06.719 --> 00:04:10.120 Nassau as early as 1623. A bit later, starting 00:04:10.120 --> 00:04:12.900 in 1638, came the Swedish settlers, who founded 00:04:12.900 --> 00:04:15.479 the small colony of New Sweden. So the English 00:04:15.479 --> 00:04:18.399 were third to the party. Right. They finally 00:04:18.399 --> 00:04:21.139 consolidated control over the region in 1664. 00:04:21.519 --> 00:04:23.800 But the real founding moment for the city we 00:04:23.800 --> 00:04:26.660 know as Philadelphia didn't occur until 1682 00:04:26.660 --> 00:04:30.040 with William Penn. And this is where we find 00:04:30.040 --> 00:04:32.759 that central, almost radical element of the city's 00:04:32.759 --> 00:04:36.379 identity, the spiritual driver. Penn, an English 00:04:36.379 --> 00:04:38.779 Quaker, was deeply driven by the persecution 00:04:38.779 --> 00:04:41.660 his community faced. That's the key. I mean, 00:04:41.660 --> 00:04:44.560 that's the aha moment. His primary driver wasn't 00:04:44.560 --> 00:04:47.339 colonial wealth or expansion, but a genuine, 00:04:47.360 --> 00:04:50.360 unprecedented search for religious freedom. A 00:04:50.360 --> 00:04:53.319 holy experiment, he called it. Exactly. A place 00:04:53.319 --> 00:04:56.100 where religious toleration was the law, allowing 00:04:56.100 --> 00:04:58.740 anyone, regardless of faith, to worship freely. 00:04:58.939 --> 00:05:01.480 This was extraordinary for the time. And this 00:05:01.480 --> 00:05:03.500 vision of peace extended directly to his initial 00:05:03.500 --> 00:05:05.660 approach to indigenous relations. Right. He didn't 00:05:05.660 --> 00:05:08.050 just seize the land. No. Unlike many colonial 00:05:08.050 --> 00:05:10.449 leaders, Penn consciously purchased the land 00:05:10.449 --> 00:05:12.949 from the local Lenape tribes. This led to the 00:05:12.949 --> 00:05:15.310 famous Treaty of Chacamaxon. He made a treaty 00:05:15.310 --> 00:05:17.170 of friendship with Chief Kameny. And while that 00:05:17.170 --> 00:05:19.009 peace didn't last forever under the pressure 00:05:19.009 --> 00:05:21.509 of immigration. It was a huge anomaly in the 00:05:21.509 --> 00:05:23.930 17th century. It helped Philadelphia maintain 00:05:23.930 --> 00:05:27.870 relative peace for decades and fueled its rapid 00:05:27.870 --> 00:05:29.970 initial growth because it was seen as a sanctuary. 00:05:30.290 --> 00:05:32.829 But Penn had a vision not just for the soul of 00:05:32.829 --> 00:05:36.360 the city, but. For its body, he wanted a green 00:05:36.360 --> 00:05:39.860 country town. Yes. Designed specifically to avoid 00:05:39.860 --> 00:05:42.240 the crowding and the fire disasters that were 00:05:42.240 --> 00:05:44.959 plaguing London and other European capitals. 00:05:45.120 --> 00:05:47.540 This is what we call the planner's paradox. The 00:05:47.540 --> 00:05:49.860 paradox. He commissioned Thomas Holm to lay out 00:05:49.860 --> 00:05:52.819 the city on this magnificent grid plan with lots 00:05:52.819 --> 00:05:55.860 of open spaces to act as fire breaks. He even 00:05:55.860 --> 00:05:58.160 named the major east -west streets after local 00:05:58.160 --> 00:06:02.029 trees. Chestnut. walnut, mulberry. A wonderful 00:06:02.029 --> 00:06:05.069 idea, completely ruined by commerce. Precisely. 00:06:05.110 --> 00:06:07.790 The moment the inhabitants arrived, they disregarded 00:06:07.790 --> 00:06:10.370 the vision. They crowded along the Delaware River 00:06:10.370 --> 00:06:13.170 port, subdividing their lots immediately to maximize 00:06:13.170 --> 00:06:15.569 commercial access. So much for the green country 00:06:15.569 --> 00:06:17.990 town. The rural atmosphere Penn envisioned was 00:06:17.990 --> 00:06:20.149 sacrificed almost instantly for port commerce 00:06:20.149 --> 00:06:23.470 and density. Still, the framework was set, and 00:06:23.470 --> 00:06:25.709 the city charter was officially issued in 1701. 00:06:26.250 --> 00:06:28.589 And what followed that foundation was just an 00:06:28.589 --> 00:06:31.389 explosion of civic life, largely facilitated 00:06:31.389 --> 00:06:34.470 by polymaths like Benjamin Franklin. It was genuinely 00:06:34.470 --> 00:06:37.649 America's laboratory for civic maturity. Franklin, 00:06:37.829 --> 00:06:40.509 the ultimate civic entrepreneur, recognized the 00:06:40.509 --> 00:06:42.750 necessity of public goods. Which is why that 00:06:42.750 --> 00:06:45.449 list of American firsts in Philly is so long. 00:06:45.610 --> 00:06:48.290 It's remarkable and deep. Philadelphia had the 00:06:48.290 --> 00:06:51.750 nation's first circulating library in 1731, the 00:06:51.750 --> 00:06:54.750 first hospital, Pennsylvania Hospital, in 1751, 00:06:54.949 --> 00:06:58.589 and the first medical school in 1765. This wasn't 00:06:58.589 --> 00:07:01.529 accidental. And its financial and economic primacy 00:07:01.529 --> 00:07:03.649 mirrored that institutional leadership, right? 00:07:03.709 --> 00:07:06.209 Absolutely. In finance, it established the first 00:07:06.209 --> 00:07:08.990 central bank, the Bank of North America, in 1781 00:07:08.990 --> 00:07:13.110 and the first stock exchange in 1790. This institutional 00:07:13.110 --> 00:07:15.610 strength continued, giving rise to the nation's 00:07:15.610 --> 00:07:18.870 first zoo in 1874 and the Wharton School, the 00:07:18.870 --> 00:07:21.569 first business school, in 1881. It's that intellectual 00:07:21.569 --> 00:07:24.209 maturity that made it the inevitable focal point 00:07:24.209 --> 00:07:26.149 for the revolution. There was simply no other 00:07:26.149 --> 00:07:29.029 logical location. By the 1750s, it had surpassed 00:07:29.029 --> 00:07:31.050 Boston and was the second largest city in the 00:07:31.050 --> 00:07:32.889 entire British Empire, trailing only London. 00:07:33.230 --> 00:07:35.089 Which is why the famous documents happened there. 00:07:35.189 --> 00:07:38.389 The First Continental Congress convened in 1774. 00:07:38.689 --> 00:07:40.370 And then came the Second Continental Congress 00:07:40.370 --> 00:07:44.290 from 1775 to 1781, where the Declaration of Independence 00:07:44.290 --> 00:07:47.970 was adopted on July 4th, 1776. Inside the Pennsylvania 00:07:47.970 --> 00:07:49.769 State House, which we now know as Independence 00:07:49.769 --> 00:07:53.129 Hall. That moment and that document represents 00:07:53.129 --> 00:07:55.370 the highest point of Philadelphia's intellectual 00:07:55.370 --> 00:07:58.009 and political influence. But, you know, that 00:07:58.009 --> 00:08:00.269 revolutionary identity came with real peril. 00:08:00.449 --> 00:08:03.319 Right. The British response was swift. After 00:08:03.319 --> 00:08:06.040 George Washington's defeat at Brandywine, the 00:08:06.040 --> 00:08:08.459 British Army occupied Philadelphia. For nine 00:08:08.459 --> 00:08:13.540 long months, from September 1777 to June 1778. 00:08:13.819 --> 00:08:15.779 And this is where you get these incredible human 00:08:15.779 --> 00:08:17.660 -scale anecdotes, like what they did with the 00:08:17.660 --> 00:08:20.040 Liberty Bell. It's an amazing story. There was 00:08:20.040 --> 00:08:22.100 a real concern that the bells, which are made 00:08:22.100 --> 00:08:25.060 of bronze, would be melted down for British munitions. 00:08:25.600 --> 00:08:28.220 So the Pennsylvania State Bell, later renamed 00:08:28.220 --> 00:08:30.620 the Liberty Bell, was hastily taken down. They 00:08:30.620 --> 00:08:33.139 didn't just move it, they hit it. They did. It 00:08:33.139 --> 00:08:35.580 was transported by a heavily guarded wagon train 00:08:35.580 --> 00:08:38.919 out of the city and hidden under the floorboards 00:08:38.919 --> 00:08:41.820 of the Zion German Reformed Church in Allentown 00:08:41.820 --> 00:08:45.000 for the duration of the occupation. Wow. Hiding 00:08:45.000 --> 00:08:47.440 the most potent symbol of liberty under a church 00:08:47.440 --> 00:08:50.039 floor that says it all? It really puts the stakes 00:08:50.039 --> 00:08:52.220 of the revolution into perspective. And following 00:08:52.220 --> 00:08:54.820 the war, Philadelphia retained its critical role, 00:08:54.980 --> 00:08:57.879 hosting the Constitutional Convention in 1787. 00:08:58.340 --> 00:09:00.600 Where the U .S. Constitution, the longest standing 00:09:00.600 --> 00:09:03.559 codified national constitution, was debated and 00:09:03.559 --> 00:09:06.600 ratified. And even after that, it served as the 00:09:06.600 --> 00:09:09.679 nation's capital for a crucial decade, from 1790 00:09:09.679 --> 00:09:12.480 to 1800, while D .C. was being built. It was 00:09:12.480 --> 00:09:15.039 the seat of power, finance, and culture. Until 00:09:15.039 --> 00:09:17.120 it was ultimately surpassed in population by 00:09:17.120 --> 00:09:20.389 New York City in 1790. And that transition really 00:09:20.389 --> 00:09:22.830 marks the shift from the colonial age to the 00:09:22.830 --> 00:09:25.210 industrial century. Moving into the 19th century, 00:09:25.370 --> 00:09:27.450 Philadelphia stopped being the governmental capital, 00:09:27.549 --> 00:09:30.929 but it became a colossal industrial capital instead. 00:09:31.440 --> 00:09:34.639 Absolutely. The city perfectly leveraged its 00:09:34.639 --> 00:09:37.679 geography, its access to rivers like the Stoke 00:09:37.679 --> 00:09:40.600 Hill in Delaware, and the new railroad infrastructure 00:09:40.600 --> 00:09:43.259 to become a powerhouse. What were the big industries? 00:09:43.639 --> 00:09:46.860 Textiles were its largest single industry, but 00:09:46.860 --> 00:09:49.259 its global fame came from heavy manufacturing. 00:09:49.799 --> 00:09:52.799 Think Baldwin Locomotive Works, one of the world's 00:09:52.799 --> 00:09:55.700 largest producers of steam locomotives. And shipbuilding. 00:09:55.960 --> 00:09:58.139 William Cramp and Sons Shipbuilding Company, 00:09:58.259 --> 00:10:00.059 and of course the economic force of the entire 00:10:00.059 --> 00:10:02.970 region, the mighty Pennsylvania Railroad. And 00:10:02.970 --> 00:10:05.330 that industrial might brought about massive social 00:10:05.330 --> 00:10:08.250 transformation, primarily through explosive immigration. 00:10:08.929 --> 00:10:11.590 Huge influxes of people, predominantly from Ireland 00:10:11.590 --> 00:10:13.970 and Germany, coming to work in these new industrial 00:10:13.970 --> 00:10:16.549 districts. And that density of labor led directly 00:10:16.549 --> 00:10:19.070 to a major shift in American working life. It 00:10:19.070 --> 00:10:21.629 did. You see, the first general strike in North 00:10:21.629 --> 00:10:23.909 America right there in Philadelphia in 1835, 00:10:24.269 --> 00:10:27.049 it was a successful strike, ultimately securing 00:10:27.049 --> 00:10:29.490 the 10 -hour workday for laborers, which was 00:10:29.490 --> 00:10:31.490 a huge step forward for the labor movement. But 00:10:31.490 --> 00:10:33.750 those rapid... demographic shifts were not absorbed 00:10:33.750 --> 00:10:37.190 peacefully. Tragically not. The influx of Irish 00:10:37.190 --> 00:10:39.350 immigrants, especially those fleeing the Great 00:10:39.350 --> 00:10:42.690 Famine in the 1840s, led to severe nativist, 00:10:42.750 --> 00:10:45.610 anti -Irish, and anti -Catholic social friction. 00:10:46.210 --> 00:10:49.710 This erupted into violent riots in 1844. A turbulent, 00:10:49.789 --> 00:10:52.610 brutal time of uncontrolled expansion. It was. 00:10:52.830 --> 00:10:55.049 And the government struggled to manage this boom 00:10:55.049 --> 00:10:58.509 until a sweeping administrative decision in 1854 00:10:58.509 --> 00:11:01.799 fundamentally redefined the city. This is the 00:11:01.799 --> 00:11:05.480 act of consolidation. Yes, a key detail. Before 00:11:05.480 --> 00:11:08.559 1854, the city of Philadelphia was just the small 00:11:08.559 --> 00:11:11.299 central area center city, maybe two square miles. 00:11:11.700 --> 00:11:14.179 The act of consolidation dramatically expanded 00:11:14.179 --> 00:11:17.259 the city limits to roughly 134 square miles, 00:11:17.480 --> 00:11:19.879 making the city boundaries coterminous with Philadelphia 00:11:19.879 --> 00:11:22.139 County. So what was the immediate consequence 00:11:22.139 --> 00:11:24.399 of that? It was critical for centralizing governance 00:11:24.399 --> 00:11:27.070 and infrastructure. It brought all those rapidly 00:11:27.070 --> 00:11:29.669 growing, often chaotic industrial districts like 00:11:29.669 --> 00:11:32.029 Germantown and Kensington under one central banner. 00:11:32.210 --> 00:11:34.490 Allowing for centralized policing, fire protection, 00:11:34.669 --> 00:11:37.169 and planning. Exactly. And this new, larger, 00:11:37.269 --> 00:11:40.149 consolidated Philadelphia was celebrated in 1876 00:11:40.149 --> 00:11:43.289 by the Centennial Exposition, the first official 00:11:43.289 --> 00:11:45.950 World's Fair in the U .S. A showcase of American 00:11:45.950 --> 00:11:49.129 industrial progress. But the city reached its 00:11:49.129 --> 00:11:51.690 industrial and population peak in the mid -20th 00:11:51.690 --> 00:11:54.960 century before beginning a steep... painful decline. 00:11:55.240 --> 00:11:58.000 The city officially peaked in population in 1950 00:11:58.000 --> 00:12:01.100 at just over 2 million residents. What followed 00:12:01.100 --> 00:12:03.480 was a perfect storm. The collapse of manufacturing 00:12:03.480 --> 00:12:06.019 jobs. Driven by globalization and automation, 00:12:06.279 --> 00:12:08.720 combined with the national trend of suburbanization, 00:12:09.019 --> 00:12:11.740 this led to a profound demographic hemorrhage. 00:12:12.139 --> 00:12:15.179 Between 1950 and 2000, Philadelphia lost about 00:12:15.179 --> 00:12:18.279 25 % of its residents. A quarter of its population. 00:12:18.559 --> 00:12:20.720 That level of shrinkage must have caused fiscal 00:12:20.720 --> 00:12:23.419 chaos. It certainly did. The loss of population 00:12:23.419 --> 00:12:25.500 and the evaporation of the industrial tax base 00:12:25.500 --> 00:12:28.759 led to profound fiscal stress. The city approached 00:12:28.759 --> 00:12:31.379 near bankruptcy by the late 1980s. And alongside 00:12:31.379 --> 00:12:33.960 that turmoil, the city experienced a moment of 00:12:33.960 --> 00:12:36.840 extreme internal conflict that remains a traumatic 00:12:36.840 --> 00:12:40.559 and complex moment in its history. The 1985 MOV 00:12:40.559 --> 00:12:43.149 bombing incident. This incident is a chilling 00:12:43.149 --> 00:12:46.309 landmark in American urban history. In May 1985, 00:12:46.649 --> 00:12:48.269 the Philadelphia Police Department sought to 00:12:48.269 --> 00:12:50.269 execute arrest warrants on members of the Black 00:12:50.269 --> 00:12:52.889 Liberation Group, MOV. And after a standoff. 00:12:53.049 --> 00:12:55.850 After an armed standoff, the police utilized 00:12:55.850 --> 00:12:58.750 a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter to drop 00:12:58.750 --> 00:13:01.330 a satchel -charge -a -bomb onto the residential 00:13:01.330 --> 00:13:04.450 neighborhood home occupied by Movie M members 00:13:04.450 --> 00:13:07.470 in Cobbs Creek. The human and physical cost was 00:13:07.470 --> 00:13:10.590 devastating. Horrific. 11 people were killed, 00:13:10.730 --> 00:13:13.559 including five children. The resulting fire was 00:13:13.559 --> 00:13:15.919 allowed to burn out of control, destroying 61 00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:19.379 homes and displacing 250 residents. It stands 00:13:19.379 --> 00:13:21.740 as one of the few instances where a U .S. city 00:13:21.740 --> 00:13:23.980 government intentionally bombed its own civilians. 00:13:24.080 --> 00:13:26.480 In a civilian neighborhood. It really underscores 00:13:26.480 --> 00:13:28.519 the institutional and social breakdown the city 00:13:28.519 --> 00:13:30.399 experienced during that period. However, the 00:13:30.399 --> 00:13:32.620 21st century has brought a remarkable reversal. 00:13:33.120 --> 00:13:35.720 It has. The population decline finally stopped 00:13:35.720 --> 00:13:38.659 around 2000, and a growth trend began accelerating 00:13:38.659 --> 00:13:43.750 around 2007. 92 ,000 residents between 2006 and 00:13:43.750 --> 00:13:46.350 2017 alone. And what's particularly fascinating 00:13:46.350 --> 00:13:48.490 is the documented migration pattern from New 00:13:48.490 --> 00:13:50.889 York City. Yes, there's a very well -documented 00:13:50.889 --> 00:13:53.029 migration pattern from New York down to Philadelphia. 00:13:53.350 --> 00:13:55.750 New Yorkers are opting for Philly, citing its 00:13:55.750 --> 00:13:58.590 close proximity, but crucially, a significantly 00:13:58.590 --> 00:14:01.169 lower cost of living. So Philly is acting as 00:14:01.169 --> 00:14:03.250 a kind of pressure release valve for the Northeast 00:14:03.250 --> 00:14:06.230 Corridor. In a way, yes. It's a compelling case 00:14:06.230 --> 00:14:09.710 study. How a city... scarred by 50 years of decline, 00:14:10.029 --> 00:14:13.389 can pivot using its anchor institutions and location 00:14:13.389 --> 00:14:16.970 to attract a new generation. So we've established 00:14:16.970 --> 00:14:20.250 that Philly is growing again, but where geographically 00:14:20.250 --> 00:14:23.190 are these millions of people fitting? Let's shift 00:14:23.190 --> 00:14:25.789 to the physical environment. Geographically, 00:14:25.870 --> 00:14:28.029 Philadelphia is significant because it's situated 00:14:28.029 --> 00:14:30.590 right on the Atlantic seaboard fall line. This 00:14:30.590 --> 00:14:33.049 is that critical geological boundary that separates 00:14:33.049 --> 00:14:35.750 the flat coastal plain from the hilly Piedmont 00:14:35.750 --> 00:14:38.129 region. Which explains some of the local topography. 00:14:38.309 --> 00:14:40.789 What are the extremes? Since it lies along the 00:14:40.789 --> 00:14:42.929 Delaware River, its lowest point is sea level. 00:14:43.110 --> 00:14:45.389 But the highest point is in the northwest section, 00:14:45.570 --> 00:14:48.730 in Chestnut Hill, which reaches 446 feet. And 00:14:48.730 --> 00:14:51.110 its location makes it an absolute nexus point 00:14:51.110 --> 00:14:53.429 for the surrounding region. It's a multi -state 00:14:53.429 --> 00:14:56.039 hub. It's bordered by six counties in three different 00:14:56.039 --> 00:14:58.440 states. Montgomery and Bucks in Pennsylvania, 00:14:58.740 --> 00:15:01.480 Burlington, Camden and Gloucester in New Jersey, 00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:04.620 and Delaware County in Pennsylvania. All forming 00:15:04.620 --> 00:15:08.279 the Delaware Valley metro area. Now moving to 00:15:08.279 --> 00:15:11.259 the man -made environment. William Penn's green 00:15:11.259 --> 00:15:14.220 country town vision might have failed, but Thomas 00:15:14.220 --> 00:15:17.000 Holmes' grid plan has profoundly shaped Center 00:15:17.000 --> 00:15:20.779 City. The grid plan is enduring. Long straight 00:15:20.779 --> 00:15:23.779 streets, the east -west ones named for trees, 00:15:23.980 --> 00:15:26.720 the north -south axis dominated by Broad Street, 00:15:26.919 --> 00:15:30.220 and crucially, home laid out five original public 00:15:30.220 --> 00:15:33.000 parks. Penn Square, Washington Square, Rittenhouse, 00:15:33.179 --> 00:15:36.139 and Franklin Square and Logan Circle. They remain 00:15:36.139 --> 00:15:38.379 central organizing points for the city's downtown 00:15:38.379 --> 00:15:40.960 life. And the history of Philadelphia can literally 00:15:40.960 --> 00:15:43.080 be read in its architecture. It's a remarkable 00:15:43.080 --> 00:15:45.379 showcase. You have the elegant Georgian style 00:15:45.379 --> 00:15:47.600 of Independence Hall, then 19th century federal 00:15:47.600 --> 00:15:49.960 and Greek revival. But the 20th century brought 00:15:49.960 --> 00:15:52.340 the real architectural drama. And the most iconic 00:15:52.340 --> 00:15:55.000 symbol of that 19th century age is City Hall 00:15:55.000 --> 00:15:57.620 itself. City Hall is a monument to Second Empire 00:15:57.620 --> 00:16:00.480 ambition. Built between 1871 and 1901, it reaches 00:16:00.480 --> 00:16:03.580 548 feet and remained the city's tallest structure 00:16:03.580 --> 00:16:06.080 for nearly a century. But Philly also pioneered 00:16:06.080 --> 00:16:09.720 modern architecture. It did. In 1932, the PSFS 00:16:09.720 --> 00:16:12.139 building was completed, which is widely recognized 00:16:12.139 --> 00:16:15.500 as the first modern international -style skyscraper 00:16:15.500 --> 00:16:17.899 in the United States. And that set the stage 00:16:17.899 --> 00:16:21.000 for the intense and highly superstitious skyscraper 00:16:21.000 --> 00:16:24.120 rivalry. It absolutely defines the modern skyline. 00:16:24.649 --> 00:16:28.009 City Hall was the tallest until 1987, when one 00:16:28.009 --> 00:16:30.789 Liberty Place was completed, violating an unofficial 00:16:30.789 --> 00:16:32.950 agreement that no building should rise higher 00:16:32.950 --> 00:16:35.850 than William Penn's hat. The famous Curse of 00:16:35.850 --> 00:16:37.909 Billy Penn, which we'll definitely get to later. 00:16:38.149 --> 00:16:41.110 And that height race continued. Today, the city's 00:16:41.110 --> 00:16:43.909 peak is the Comcast Technology Center, completed 00:16:43.909 --> 00:16:48.590 in 2018. At 11 ,121 feet, it's the tallest building 00:16:48.590 --> 00:16:50.730 in the U .S. outside of Manhattan and Chicago. 00:16:51.399 --> 00:16:53.779 But while the skyscrapers capture the eye, the 00:16:53.779 --> 00:16:55.879 soul of Philadelphian architecture lives closer 00:16:55.879 --> 00:16:58.460 to the ground. And the Row House. The Row House 00:16:58.460 --> 00:17:01.259 is the definitive Philadelphian home. It gives 00:17:01.259 --> 00:17:03.720 the city its unique density and aesthetic, from 00:17:03.720 --> 00:17:05.740 the historic federal -style blocks in Old City 00:17:05.740 --> 00:17:08.799 to the Victorian twins in West Philly. And despite 00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:11.259 the early crowding, Penn's green country -town 00:17:11.259 --> 00:17:14.039 vision wasn't entirely lost, was it? It wasn't. 00:17:14.039 --> 00:17:17.940 The city boasts a vast total of 11 ,211 acres 00:17:17.940 --> 00:17:21.619 of park space. The anchor... is the immense Fairmount 00:17:21.619 --> 00:17:24.200 Park, which, when combined with Wissahickon Valley 00:17:24.200 --> 00:17:26.960 Park, forms one of the nation's largest contiguous 00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:29.420 urban park areas. Let's touch on the climate, 00:17:29.480 --> 00:17:32.480 as that dictates so much of outdoor life. Philadelphia 00:17:32.480 --> 00:17:35.400 sits on a climatic boundary. It's classified 00:17:35.400 --> 00:17:38.339 as humid subtropical, but sometimes as temperate 00:17:38.339 --> 00:17:40.619 maritime. In simple terms. It means the city 00:17:40.619 --> 00:17:43.220 typically avoids harsh, consistently freezing 00:17:43.220 --> 00:17:46.559 winters, but gets hot and wet summers. The July 00:17:46.559 --> 00:17:49.079 daily average is around 79 degrees Fahrenheit. 00:17:49.680 --> 00:17:52.019 Winters are moderately cold, with the January 00:17:52.019 --> 00:17:54.720 average just above freezing. Then snowfall. It 00:17:54.720 --> 00:17:57.279 averages around 22 inches, but it's highly variable. 00:17:57.500 --> 00:17:59.160 I mean, remember the record storm that dropped 00:17:59.160 --> 00:18:02.000 over 30 inches in January 1996? But you get a 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:05.079 long 217 -day growing season. Sounds like a climate 00:18:05.079 --> 00:18:07.519 that supports robust civic life and helps attract 00:18:07.519 --> 00:18:09.700 people. It's a pretty classic mid -Atlantic climate. 00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:12.259 So as Philadelphia reversed its population decline, 00:18:12.460 --> 00:18:14.359 its demographic landscape fundamentally changed, 00:18:14.420 --> 00:18:16.900 driven heavily by foreign immigration. This is 00:18:16.900 --> 00:18:19.059 perhaps the most significant modern transformation. 00:18:19.740 --> 00:18:22.319 The foreign -born population doubled between 00:18:22.319 --> 00:18:26.279 1990 and 2017. More dramatically, it increased 00:18:26.279 --> 00:18:30.339 by 69 % between 2000 and 2016 alone. That's a 00:18:30.339 --> 00:18:33.180 huge shift. Who are the primary drivers of this 00:18:33.180 --> 00:18:36.740 influx? Looking at 2017 data, the top country 00:18:36.740 --> 00:18:39.680 of origin is China, by a significant margin. 00:18:40.160 --> 00:18:42.240 Following China, you have the Dominican Republic, 00:18:42.480 --> 00:18:45.640 Jamaica, India, and Vietnam. And that growth 00:18:45.640 --> 00:18:48.519 creates this fascinating ethnic geography with 00:18:48.519 --> 00:18:51.259 distinct cultural clusters. That's right. Starting 00:18:51.259 --> 00:18:53.799 with long -established European heritage, Philly 00:18:53.799 --> 00:18:55.819 still has the second largest Irish and Italian 00:18:55.819 --> 00:18:59.099 populations in the U .S. after New York. South 00:18:59.099 --> 00:19:01.220 Philadelphia is a major hub for Italian -American 00:19:01.220 --> 00:19:03.779 life with the famous Italian market. And what 00:19:03.779 --> 00:19:06.119 about the African -American and Latino populations? 00:19:06.660 --> 00:19:08.480 The African -American population in Philadelphia 00:19:08.480 --> 00:19:11.089 is the fourth largest in the U .S. Traditionally 00:19:11.089 --> 00:19:13.009 centered in west and north Philly, you're now 00:19:13.009 --> 00:19:14.829 seeing moves to the northeast and southwest. 00:19:15.230 --> 00:19:17.710 For the Latino community, Philly has the second 00:19:17.710 --> 00:19:19.529 largest Puerto Rican population on the mainland. 00:19:19.789 --> 00:19:22.029 The Fair Hill and eastern north Philadelphia 00:19:22.029 --> 00:19:24.569 areas have one of the highest concentrations 00:19:24.569 --> 00:19:27.150 of Puerto Ricans outside of Puerto Rico itself. 00:19:27.410 --> 00:19:30.069 And how has the increasing Asian population manifested 00:19:30.069 --> 00:19:32.809 geographically? Chinatown and Center City is 00:19:32.809 --> 00:19:36.289 a historic hub. But South Philadelphia is arguably 00:19:36.289 --> 00:19:39.089 a more diverse locus of Asian culture today, 00:19:39.150 --> 00:19:42.309 with Little Saigon and Cambodia Town. Meanwhile, 00:19:42.569 --> 00:19:44.609 the large Korean community has shifted north 00:19:44.609 --> 00:19:47.250 towards Cheltenham. And Indians are a major group 00:19:47.250 --> 00:19:49.470 as well. They are the second largest Asian group 00:19:49.470 --> 00:19:52.029 in the city and the largest foreign -born population 00:19:52.029 --> 00:19:54.890 in the entire Delaware Valley metro area. This 00:19:54.890 --> 00:19:57.269 concentration of diverse, often economically 00:19:57.269 --> 00:20:00.190 challenged communities leads us to a crucial 00:20:00.190 --> 00:20:03.140 element. Wealth disparity. It's a very serious 00:20:03.140 --> 00:20:05.799 issue. The median household income in 2020 was 00:20:05.799 --> 00:20:09.619 around $53 ,000, and nearly 23 % of the population 00:20:09.619 --> 00:20:11.980 lived in poverty, making it one of the poorest 00:20:11.980 --> 00:20:14.240 big cities in the nation. And you see that reflected 00:20:14.240 --> 00:20:16.740 in the scale of the food poverty programs. The 00:20:16.740 --> 00:20:20.000 scale is immense. Philabundance claims to feed 00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:23.160 90 ,000 people a week. The Share Food Program 00:20:23.160 --> 00:20:26.079 claims to feed a million people a month. These 00:20:26.079 --> 00:20:28.619 figures show the stark reality of supporting 00:20:28.619 --> 00:20:31.420 a polarized population. On a different note, 00:20:31.480 --> 00:20:33.259 we should also mention the city's celebrated 00:20:33.259 --> 00:20:36.720 gayborhood near Washington Square. Yes, a vibrant 00:20:36.720 --> 00:20:40.160 hub of LGBTQ plus friendly businesses and cultural 00:20:40.160 --> 00:20:43.160 life. Now, let's finally get to the most discussed 00:20:43.160 --> 00:20:46.579 and certainly most delicious element of Philadelphia's 00:20:46.579 --> 00:20:49.480 culture, the cuisine. We have to start with the 00:20:49.480 --> 00:20:52.599 cheesesteak. We must pay homage. The cheesesteak 00:20:52.599 --> 00:20:55.400 is the definitive staple. And the cultural rivalry 00:20:55.400 --> 00:20:58.480 is legendary. Pat's king of steaks versus Gino's 00:20:58.480 --> 00:21:00.980 steaks glaring at each other across an intersection 00:21:00.980 --> 00:21:03.279 in the Italian market. The battle of whiz wit 00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:06.259 versus provolone wit out. Exactly. But the truly 00:21:06.259 --> 00:21:08.480 Philadelphian palate is so much more. You have 00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:11.000 the hoagie, the roast pork sandwich. Many locals 00:21:11.000 --> 00:21:13.640 will argue is superior to the cheesesteak. Stromboli, 00:21:13.819 --> 00:21:17.019 scrapple, the iconic soft pretzel, water ice. 00:21:17.519 --> 00:21:19.859 And the classic local prepackaged treats like 00:21:19.859 --> 00:21:22.799 Irish potato candy and tasty cakes. And the heart 00:21:22.799 --> 00:21:24.839 of this gastronomic tradition is the Reading 00:21:24.839 --> 00:21:28.640 Terminal Market. Founded in 1893, it's one of 00:21:28.640 --> 00:21:30.819 the oldest and largest enclosed food markets 00:21:30.819 --> 00:21:33.099 in the country. It's famous for Pennsylvania 00:21:33.099 --> 00:21:35.900 Dutch specialties, reflecting the region's deep 00:21:35.900 --> 00:21:39.319 German heritage. Beyond food, Philadelphia also 00:21:39.319 --> 00:21:41.980 has a unique and globally influential linguistic 00:21:41.980 --> 00:21:45.140 footprint. This is fascinating. Linguists consider 00:21:45.140 --> 00:21:47.279 the traditional Philadelphia accent to be the 00:21:47.279 --> 00:21:49.859 most distinctive accent in North America. It's 00:21:49.859 --> 00:21:51.559 part of the Mid -Atlantic American English family. 00:21:51.920 --> 00:21:54.460 And it's a major subject of research. Absolutely. 00:21:54.720 --> 00:21:56.900 The Philly dialect has been one of the best studied 00:21:56.900 --> 00:21:59.460 forms of American English, largely thanks to 00:21:59.460 --> 00:22:01.759 the work of the sociolinguist William LeBeau 00:22:01.759 --> 00:22:03.859 at the University of Pennsylvania. And finally, 00:22:03.940 --> 00:22:06.140 culturally, the city has played an influential 00:22:06.140 --> 00:22:09.400 yet sometimes underappreciated role in American 00:22:09.400 --> 00:22:13.900 popular music. Hugely influential. In 1952, the 00:22:13.900 --> 00:22:16.980 local teen dance program Bandstand premiered. 00:22:17.000 --> 00:22:20.299 It became American Bandstand in 1957, hosted 00:22:20.299 --> 00:22:23.240 by Dick Clark. And produced in Philly until 1964. 00:22:23.700 --> 00:22:26.220 It was crucial. It launched the careers of many 00:22:26.220 --> 00:22:29.240 teen idols and established a national clean -cut 00:22:29.240 --> 00:22:32.099 image for rock and roll. And later, the city 00:22:32.099 --> 00:22:34.599 helped usher in the disco era. That's the other 00:22:34.599 --> 00:22:38.279 major wave. Philly soul in the late 60s and 70s 00:22:38.279 --> 00:22:40.900 defined the sound of the era, led by producers 00:22:40.900 --> 00:22:43.420 like Gamble and Huff. It was known for its lush 00:22:43.420 --> 00:22:46.000 string arrangements and driving rhythms, a direct 00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:49.680 precursor to both disco and modern R &B. here's 00:22:49.680 --> 00:22:52.079 where it gets really interesting when we talk 00:22:52.079 --> 00:22:54.799 about cultural legacy you might not immediately 00:22:54.799 --> 00:22:57.279 think of philly as the art capital but it has 00:22:57.279 --> 00:23:00.680 built an undeniable supremacy in public art that's 00:23:00.680 --> 00:23:03.220 right philadelphia officially boasts more public 00:23:03.220 --> 00:23:06.339 art and murals than any other american city and 00:23:06.339 --> 00:23:08.500 this was not accidental it was the result of 00:23:08.500 --> 00:23:11.539 deliberate policy going back nearly 150 years 00:23:11.539 --> 00:23:14.240 walk us through the key programs it began way 00:23:14.240 --> 00:23:17.130 back in 1872 with the Association for Public 00:23:17.130 --> 00:23:19.109 Art, the first private group in the U .S. dedicated 00:23:19.109 --> 00:23:22.069 to this. But the real game changer was the 1959 00:23:22.069 --> 00:23:24.829 % for art ordinance. And the significance is 00:23:24.829 --> 00:23:27.269 that Philly didn't just have a program. It wrote 00:23:27.269 --> 00:23:29.970 the blueprint for how American cities fund public 00:23:29.970 --> 00:23:32.910 art. Exactly. It was the first of its kind. It 00:23:32.910 --> 00:23:35.650 legally required that a percentage, typically 00:23:35.650 --> 00:23:38.569 1 % of the cost of municipal construction projects, 00:23:38.789 --> 00:23:42.630 be dedicated to funding public art. This model 00:23:42.630 --> 00:23:45.400 has since been copied by cities nationwide. Then 00:23:45.400 --> 00:23:48.119 came the mural revolution. The Mural Arch Program, 00:23:48.420 --> 00:23:51.759 created in 1984, originally to provide an outlet 00:23:51.759 --> 00:23:54.660 for graffiti artists. That program has funded 00:23:54.660 --> 00:23:58.720 over 2 ,800 murals. These are often massive works 00:23:58.720 --> 00:24:00.900 that completely transform the streetscape. And 00:24:00.900 --> 00:24:03.920 beyond the public murals, the city has standering 00:24:03.920 --> 00:24:06.700 world -class institutions. Absolutely. The Philadelphia 00:24:06.700 --> 00:24:08.680 Art Museum is one of the largest in the world, 00:24:08.759 --> 00:24:10.480 famous for its collection and, of course, the 00:24:10.480 --> 00:24:13.690 Rocky Steps. Nearby is the Rodin Museum. with 00:24:13.690 --> 00:24:15.549 the largest collection of his work outside of 00:24:15.549 --> 00:24:18.430 France. And this concentration of art and institutional 00:24:18.430 --> 00:24:21.069 knowledge leads us directly to the city's other 00:24:21.069 --> 00:24:24.470 great engine, its massive academic sector. Philadelphia 00:24:24.470 --> 00:24:26.890 is a true knowledge hub. It has the third largest 00:24:26.890 --> 00:24:28.970 student concentration on the East Coast, with 00:24:28.970 --> 00:24:31.509 over 120 ,000 college and university students 00:24:31.509 --> 00:24:33.150 in the city. Let's look at the heavyweights. 00:24:33.500 --> 00:24:35.160 You start with the University of Pennsylvania 00:24:35.160 --> 00:24:37.579 Penn and Ivy League institution. Then you have 00:24:37.579 --> 00:24:40.400 Temple University, the city's largest by enrollment, 00:24:40.660 --> 00:24:43.519 followed by Drexel University and Thomas Jefferson 00:24:43.519 --> 00:24:46.079 University. The concentration of medical and 00:24:46.079 --> 00:24:48.839 research institutions is particularly noteworthy. 00:24:48.859 --> 00:24:51.119 It is the city's defining research strength. 00:24:51.420 --> 00:24:53.900 Philadelphia is home to five medical schools, 00:24:54.079 --> 00:24:57.339 which attracts massive federal investment. In 00:24:57.339 --> 00:25:01.700 2015 alone, they received over $252 million in 00:25:01.700 --> 00:25:04.700 NIH grants. And that academic density creates 00:25:04.700 --> 00:25:07.680 a robust foundation for the modern economy. It's 00:25:07.680 --> 00:25:10.279 commercialized at a massive scale. Metropolitan 00:25:10.279 --> 00:25:13.140 Philadelphia ranks as one of the big five U .S. 00:25:13.160 --> 00:25:16.180 venture capital hubs. Its geography helps, with 00:25:16.180 --> 00:25:18.779 proximity to New York finance and D .C. regulatory 00:25:18.779 --> 00:25:21.200 environments. And the physical evidence is seen 00:25:21.200 --> 00:25:22.960 in the major corporate headquarters. Definitely. 00:25:23.339 --> 00:25:24.940 Philadelphia is the headquarters for Comcast, 00:25:25.200 --> 00:25:28.079 the nation's largest multinational telecom. Also 00:25:28.079 --> 00:25:31.160 Aramark, Cigna, and Urban Outfitters. And the 00:25:31.160 --> 00:25:33.240 Nasdaq -owned Philadelphia Stock Exchange remains 00:25:33.240 --> 00:25:35.859 a global leader in options trading. So when we 00:25:35.859 --> 00:25:37.799 talk about the challenges of a transforming city, 00:25:38.079 --> 00:25:41.339 public safety is central. Philadelphia has seen 00:25:41.339 --> 00:25:43.640 dramatically variable trends. They've been very 00:25:43.640 --> 00:25:46.299 dramatic. Homicide rates peaked initially in 00:25:46.299 --> 00:25:49.559 1990, with over 500 murders recorded. Rates then 00:25:49.559 --> 00:25:52.230 declined sharply in the early 2010s. reaching 00:25:52.230 --> 00:25:56.349 a modern low of 246 murders in 2013. But mirroring 00:25:56.349 --> 00:25:58.490 national trends, the rates rose dramatically 00:25:58.490 --> 00:26:01.190 again. They did, culminating in an all -time 00:26:01.190 --> 00:26:05.269 record high of 562 murders in 2021. This was 00:26:05.269 --> 00:26:07.539 a critical crisis point. Fortunately, subsequent 00:26:07.539 --> 00:26:10.559 reports show a significant recent reversal, with 00:26:10.559 --> 00:26:13.359 the count dropping to 410 in 2023. Related to 00:26:13.359 --> 00:26:15.819 public safety, Philadelphia made a major policy 00:26:15.819 --> 00:26:18.220 decision in 2014 regarding drug enforcement. 00:26:18.460 --> 00:26:21.220 A very important shift. In 2014, Philly became 00:26:21.220 --> 00:26:23.539 the largest U .S. city to decriminalize possession 00:26:23.539 --> 00:26:26.529 of small amounts of marijuana. It changed enforcement 00:26:26.529 --> 00:26:28.809 from a criminal offense to a civil infraction 00:26:28.809 --> 00:26:31.450 punishable by a low fine. And what was the measurable 00:26:31.450 --> 00:26:34.069 outcome? The impact was immediate and substantial. 00:26:34.349 --> 00:26:37.549 From 2013 to 2018, the number of marijuana arrests 00:26:37.549 --> 00:26:39.710 in the city dropped by more than 85 percent. 00:26:39.869 --> 00:26:42.170 It represents a profound reduction in arrests 00:26:42.170 --> 00:26:44.970 and subsequent criminal justice entanglement. 00:26:45.170 --> 00:26:47.750 Turning now to governance, Philadelphia has a 00:26:47.750 --> 00:26:50.450 unique political structure. That's right. Consolidated 00:26:50.450 --> 00:26:53.529 city -county status. Legally, Philadelphia County 00:26:53.529 --> 00:26:56.000 is a nullity. All county functions are assumed 00:26:56.000 --> 00:26:58.640 by the city. It's a strong mayor form of government. 00:26:58.839 --> 00:27:01.240 And its political history is interesting because 00:27:01.240 --> 00:27:04.960 today it is famously blue. It is. But surprisingly, 00:27:05.259 --> 00:27:07.519 Philly was a bastion of the Republican Party 00:27:07.519 --> 00:27:11.730 from the Civil War until the mid 1930s. It hosted 00:27:11.730 --> 00:27:14.450 the first Republican National Convention in 1856. 00:27:14.789 --> 00:27:16.750 But that flipped during the Great Depression. 00:27:17.009 --> 00:27:19.869 Dramatically. Since 1936, Philadelphia has voted 00:27:19.869 --> 00:27:22.269 Democratic in every single presidential election. 00:27:22.470 --> 00:27:25.069 And that partisan dominance is overwhelming today. 00:27:25.430 --> 00:27:27.789 Voter registration is about 75 % Democratic. 00:27:28.109 --> 00:27:30.210 Finally, let's wrap this segment by highlighting 00:27:30.210 --> 00:27:32.410 Philadelphia's critical status as a logistics 00:27:32.410 --> 00:27:34.930 and transportation hub. It is geographically 00:27:34.930 --> 00:27:37.730 essential to the Northeast Corridor. 30th Street 00:27:37.730 --> 00:27:40.069 Station is Amtrak's third busiest hub in the 00:27:40.069 --> 00:27:44.009 nation, trailing only New York and D .C. It integrates 00:27:44.009 --> 00:27:46.730 Amtrak, SEPTA, and NJ Transit. And the local 00:27:46.730 --> 00:27:49.769 transit network is massive. SEPTA operates the 00:27:49.769 --> 00:27:52.009 two main subway lines, the Market -Frankfurt 00:27:52.009 --> 00:27:54.490 and Broad Street lines, plus buses and trolleys. 00:27:54.630 --> 00:27:56.829 And Philadelphia International Airport is the 00:27:56.829 --> 00:28:00.430 21st busiest in the nation. But the real logistical 00:28:00.430 --> 00:28:02.970 story of recent years seems to be at sea. It 00:28:02.970 --> 00:28:05.920 is. Philipport, the city's seaport, is rapidly 00:28:05.920 --> 00:28:10.059 becoming a major global player. It has made enormous 00:28:10.059 --> 00:28:13.700 investments to double its capacity and, crucially, 00:28:13.859 --> 00:28:17.259 to accommodate supersized post -Panamax shipping 00:28:17.259 --> 00:28:19.910 vessels. And for listeners, post -Panamax just 00:28:19.910 --> 00:28:21.910 means these are ships that are too large for 00:28:21.910 --> 00:28:24.890 the original Panama Canal locks. Exactly. The 00:28:24.890 --> 00:28:26.950 fact that Philipport can handle these massive 00:28:26.950 --> 00:28:29.950 modern vessels shows that Philadelphia is actively 00:28:29.950 --> 00:28:32.630 positioning itself as a vital logistical gateway, 00:28:32.910 --> 00:28:35.309 competing directly with the huge ports in New 00:28:35.309 --> 00:28:37.410 York and Baltimore. Our deep dive wouldn't be 00:28:37.410 --> 00:28:39.349 complete without looking at the raw, visceral 00:28:39.349 --> 00:28:41.750 passion of its citizens, especially when it comes 00:28:41.750 --> 00:28:44.490 to sports. Philadelphia is defined by its intense, 00:28:44.650 --> 00:28:47.460 sometimes excessive fan culture. It's one of 00:28:47.460 --> 00:28:50.200 only 12 U .S. cities with teams in all four major 00:28:50.200 --> 00:28:52.559 league sports. And the history runs incredibly 00:28:52.559 --> 00:28:55.019 deep. Give us that amazing stat about the Phillies. 00:28:55.140 --> 00:28:58.559 The Philadelphia Phillies, founded in 1883, hold 00:28:58.559 --> 00:29:00.880 the distinction of being the oldest team in American 00:29:00.880 --> 00:29:03.700 pro sports to continuously play under the same 00:29:03.700 --> 00:29:06.200 name in the same city. That's incredible longevity. 00:29:06.740 --> 00:29:09.799 Now, we must talk about the notorious curse of 00:29:09.799 --> 00:29:12.180 Billy Penn. It's a fascinating cultural anecdote. 00:29:12.910 --> 00:29:17.150 Following the 76ers NBA title in 1983, the city 00:29:17.150 --> 00:29:20.670 entered a 25 -year championship drought. This 00:29:20.670 --> 00:29:22.930 was widely attributed to the curse of Billy Penn. 00:29:23.109 --> 00:29:25.450 And the theory was? That the curse was activated 00:29:25.450 --> 00:29:29.150 in 1987 when one Liberty Place became the first 00:29:29.150 --> 00:29:31.529 building to surpass the height of the statue 00:29:31.529 --> 00:29:34.630 of William Penn atop City Hall, violating that 00:29:34.630 --> 00:29:36.890 informal agreement. I love that. So how was the 00:29:36.890 --> 00:29:39.069 curse finally broken? The narrative holds that 00:29:39.069 --> 00:29:40.809 it was broken when the Phillies won the 2008 00:29:40.809 --> 00:29:43.710 World Series. Interestingly, construction workers 00:29:43.710 --> 00:29:45.869 discreetly mounted a small statue of William 00:29:45.869 --> 00:29:48.950 Penn on the topmost point of the newest skyscraper, 00:29:49.069 --> 00:29:51.549 the Comcast Center. A kind of architectural apology. 00:29:51.869 --> 00:29:54.009 Or a counter curse. Since then, the Eagles have 00:29:54.009 --> 00:29:55.609 won a Super Bowl, so maybe it worked. Outside 00:29:55.609 --> 00:29:57.630 of the big four leagues, the city has a rich 00:29:57.630 --> 00:30:00.930 history in rowing. A profound history. The heart 00:30:00.930 --> 00:30:04.170 of it is the historic Boathouse Row on the Schuylkill 00:30:04.170 --> 00:30:07.390 River. The city hosts two of the largest scholastic 00:30:07.390 --> 00:30:10.630 rowing events in North America, the Dadvale Regatta 00:30:10.630 --> 00:30:13.539 and the Stotesbury Cup Regatta. Finally, let's 00:30:13.539 --> 00:30:15.559 zoom out and consider Philadelphia's identity 00:30:15.559 --> 00:30:17.460 on the world stage through its international 00:30:17.460 --> 00:30:20.480 connections. Philadelphia has eight official 00:30:20.480 --> 00:30:23.579 sister cities, including Florence, Tel Aviv, 00:30:23.700 --> 00:30:27.160 Tianjin in China, and Frankfurt. And these relationships 00:30:27.160 --> 00:30:29.700 aren't just ceremonial. They're integrated into 00:30:29.700 --> 00:30:32.480 the city's landmarks. They are. Sister Cities 00:30:32.480 --> 00:30:34.779 Park on Benjamin Franklin Parkway is one example. 00:30:35.160 --> 00:30:37.859 More visibly, the magnificent Chinatown Gate. 00:30:38.329 --> 00:30:41.450 erected in 1984, was crafted by artisans who 00:30:41.450 --> 00:30:44.269 came over directly from Tianjin. It's a powerful 00:30:44.269 --> 00:30:46.890 symbol of that relationship. So we began this 00:30:46.890 --> 00:30:49.309 deep dive promising to show you a Philadelphia 00:30:49.309 --> 00:30:52.069 that goes far beyond the static historical images 00:30:52.069 --> 00:30:54.250 you know. We've traced its journey from William 00:30:54.250 --> 00:30:56.869 Penn's spiritual holy experiment and his green 00:30:56.869 --> 00:30:58.730 country town vision. To the cradle of American 00:30:58.730 --> 00:31:01.109 liberty, hosting the Continental Congresses and 00:31:01.109 --> 00:31:03.460 ratifying the Constitution. We saw the immense 00:31:03.460 --> 00:31:06.660 19th century industrial peak, followed by the 00:31:06.660 --> 00:31:09.200 catastrophic population and fiscal decline of 00:31:09.200 --> 00:31:11.700 the mid -20th century, a period marked by the 00:31:11.700 --> 00:31:15.660 tragic 1985 Moby E -bombing. But the story pivoted 00:31:15.660 --> 00:31:18.599 sharply in the 21st century. That decline has 00:31:18.599 --> 00:31:20.819 been strongly reversed, fueled by international 00:31:20.819 --> 00:31:24.180 immigration and notably by the inflow of residents 00:31:24.180 --> 00:31:27.170 fleeing the high costs of New York City. We learned 00:31:27.170 --> 00:31:30.029 how that dense, diverse population is housed 00:31:30.029 --> 00:31:32.670 in the signature row houses and anchored by an 00:31:32.670 --> 00:31:35.730 unparalleled system of public art programs, all 00:31:35.730 --> 00:31:37.730 supported by one of the East Coast's largest 00:31:37.730 --> 00:31:40.369 academic clusters. The modern picture of Philadelphia 00:31:40.369 --> 00:31:42.569 is one of profound dynamism and contradictions. 00:31:42.730 --> 00:31:45.450 Yeah. Deep poverty alongside immense corporate 00:31:45.450 --> 00:31:47.970 and academic wealth and a turbulent history of 00:31:47.970 --> 00:31:50.579 public safety slowly stabilizing. It is a critical 00:31:50.579 --> 00:31:53.059 logistics nexus, firmly establishing its global 00:31:53.059 --> 00:31:54.980 trade status. So what does this all mean for 00:31:54.980 --> 00:31:57.519 you, the learner? If we connect this to the bigger 00:31:57.519 --> 00:32:00.380 picture, consider this. Given Philadelphia's 00:32:00.380 --> 00:32:02.819 deep historical roots in American governance, 00:32:03.039 --> 00:32:05.579 coupled with its current status as a Big Five 00:32:05.579 --> 00:32:08.180 venture capital hub and its role as a magnet 00:32:08.180 --> 00:32:11.400 for urban professionals, what role might Philadelphia 00:32:11.400 --> 00:32:14.079 play in shaping the future competitive dynamics 00:32:14.079 --> 00:32:17.349 between the Northeast Corridor megacities? And 00:32:17.349 --> 00:32:19.829 how will Penn's original green country town vision 00:32:19.829 --> 00:32:22.170 hold up against the dual pressures of gentrification 00:32:22.170 --> 00:32:24.349 and being the fastest growing magnet for urban 00:32:24.349 --> 00:32:27.109 professionals in the 21st century? That tension 00:32:27.109 --> 00:32:29.769 between history and future ambition is the question 00:32:29.769 --> 00:32:31.750 you should be mulling the next time you hear 00:32:31.750 --> 00:32:32.849 someone mention Philly.