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PhiladelphiaOver the years numerous taglines have been coined to apply to America's most historic city, Philadelphia. It has been called the 'Athens of the Americas', the 'city of brotherly love', 'the friendliest city', the 'most honest city', 'the safest city' and, most recently, 'the city that loves you back'. Fabulous 'Philly', fifth largest metropolis in the United States, is all these things and more, which is why it is regarded as one of the world's most dynamic destinations and the happy home of more than three million people.
The city is sensibly sited 60 miles (97km)
inland from the Atlantic coast on a protrusion of land at the merging of the mighty Delaware River and the Schuylkill River, land granted to William Penn, an English Quaker, back in 1682. Penn's vision was to establish a 'green countrie towne', but because of its location controlling the Delaware Valley and its good freshwater port facilities, Philadelphia soon outgrew its original boundaries and by the 18th century was the second largest English-speaking city in the world.
Today Philadelphia draws tourists mainly for its historical wealth, centered around Independence National Historical Park, regarded as the most significant historic square mile in America where the United States was conceived, declared and ratified. The Constitution of the United States was written here in 1787 and the city was the nation's first capital between 1791 and 1800.
Philadelphia is also a shopper's paradise, featuring the world's largest mall, as well as offering some of the finest dining establishments in the country, thousands of acres of beautiful parkland, attractive boulevards where street fairs and parades are common events, and a vibrant arts and entertainment community. In short, to add to all its other tags, Philadelphia can justifiably be said to offer something for everyone.
Getting Around: The city of Philadelphia is well equipped with public transport, most of it run by SEPTA. There is a subway system, but this does not serve the city center and is mainly useful for accessing the extremities of the city. Good, reliable buses are the main standby, particularly the purple minibuses of the PHLASH bus service that are designed for visitors. PHLASH runs in a circuit from the Philadelphia Museum of Art on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway through the downtown area to Penn's Landing. The route includes 33 stops and buses arrive every 10 minutes every day from 10am to midnight during summer, and till 6pm in winter. Unlimited ride day passes are available. Through the rest of the city and suburbs SEPTA buses cover 110 routes. A useful one for tourists is the Ben FrankLine (Bus No. 76), which runs between the zoo and Penn's Landing taking in some top attractions on the way. SEPTA also runs a good network of commuter trains serving the suburbs. Taxis are plentiful in the city center, but scarcer elsewhere, particularly at night.
PittsburghBuilt by hard-bitten immigrants who were drawn to her steel mills, the city of Pittsburgh is now sitting back on its laurels and offering a more leisurely and aesthetically pleasing lifestyle to residents and visitors alike. Once dubbed 'the Smoky City', Pittsburgh's mills have closed down and the emphasis now is on making the most of the city's natural beauty. Pittsburgh is finally doing justice to its situation, lying between the Ohio, Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers with the Allegheny Mountains in the background. No wonder the city and environs now boasts the largest concentration of pleasure boats in America, while its thriving ethnic neighborhoods surround a clean, friendly metropolitan center filled with trees, shops, restaurants, museums, galleries and theaters. Attractions abound in this scenic city from the world's fastest continuous track roller-coaster to the largest single-artist museum in the United States; and from an eerie Gothic mansion to free summer concerts in a beautiful park.
Getting Around: Downtown Pittsburgh is compact and designed to be enjoyed by pedestrians, with parks and plazas spaced out between the office towers and shopping streets. If you need to travel a little further, however, descend to the subway, known in Pittsburgh as the 'T', a small but clean and reliable light rail system that covers a four-stop loop. A branch of the subway also crosses under the Monogahela River and emerges above ground to serve the southern suburbs. The city has an extensive bus network with multiple routes connecting downtown to the attractions on the north side, Oakland and the surrounding neighborhoods. The Central Business District is a Free Fare Zone and buses are free from 4am to 7pm daily, while the 'T' is free 24 hours a day. Visitors are always particularly keen to ride the historic Duquesne and Monongahela Incline cars up Mount Washington for a breathtaking view. Pittsburgh's taxi cabs need to be called by telephone or hired at a taxi rank.
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