alex0312's VirtualTourist Home Page

I was born in Minsk, Belarus and immigrated to the United Stated in July of 1995. Now I live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and I am currently a student at Temple University. The name, Philadelphia, means "city of brotherly love," and it has a lot of history behind it. This is the city where the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4th in 1776. The actual declaration is still here and can be seen in a museum. The Liberty Bell that rang after the signing of the document and as a result cracked, is here as well for everyone to see.

You are looking at the City Hall with the statue of Penn on top. I believe it is the highest elevated statue in the United States. I'm pretty sure it is true, but not 100%. Every time one of the sport teams in Philadelphia make it to finals, they put a jersey of the team on that statue.

These streets haven't changed for many years. Some of the roads are still paved with stones. This area is around China Town in Center City Philadelphia.

A picture of one of many pieces of art that are all over center city.

There are plenty of things to see in Philadelphia:

- Ben Franklin Institute
- Love Park
- South Street
- The Art Museum (the same steps from Rocky movie)
- Independence Hall
- Liberty Bell
- City Hall
- Philadelphia Zoo (first in the United States)
- Rittenhouse Square
- Betsy Ross house
- 30th st Station (numerous movie were shot there)
- Academy of Music
- Redding Terminal Market
- China Town
- Edgar Allan Poe house
- University Of Pennsylvania
- Drexel University campus
- United States Mint
- Mutter Museum

and much much more!

This city has so much history behind it that I don't have enough space here to list all of the things that were first built/started/signed in the entire country and it all happened here in Philadelphia.

1682 First brick house erected in this country (Penn's house).
1690 The first paper mill established in North America was built upon the Wissahickon, near Germantown, by William Bradford
1719 First fire engine bought by any municipality for public purposes
1731 July 31st The Philadelphia Library, the first public institution of that kind in America, was founded in Philadelphia by Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Hopkinson, Thomas Cadwalader and others.
1732 The Philadelphia Hospital, the oldest in America, was established in connection with the Philadelphia Almshouse
1752 June 15 The theory that lightning and electricity were the same, which was first suggested by Benjamin Franklin in 1749, was demonstrated by him by drawing lightning from the clouds by means of a kite
1777 The United Stares flag on record, was made here on Arch Street, by Elizabeth Ross
1789 The first Congress of the United States met here in Congress Hall

and many many other things!