Old City is also home to several hotels, with the Independence Park Hotel on Chestnut Street the only hotel listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.
The Old City special services district stretches from Front to Sixth Streets between Walnut and Vine.[3] The Philadelphia Almanac and Citizens' Manual gives a larger set of boundaries to the Old City area, defined as the area within Spring Garden Street, 4th Street, the Delaware River, and Walnut Street. The Old City Redevelopment Area is bounded by Vine Street, the Delaware River, Lombard Street and 7th Street.[4]
History
Along with the northern part of Society Hill, Old City is one of Philadelphia's oldest neighborhoods and part of the area where William Penn and the Quakers first settled. It hosted the governments of Pennsylvania and the United States of America for most of the period from 1776-1800, and was North America's most important financial center through the 1830s.[5] As Philadelphia's central business district gradually moved west, it became a warehouse and light industrial district. Many historical sites were restored or reconstructed in the twentieth century, especially during the development of Independence National Historical Park after 1943 and culminating with the United States Bicentennial in 1976. In the 1980s, the warehouse area north of Chestnut and especially Market Streets became popular for art galleries and artist's studios (the latter mostly displaced by gentrification in the 1990s) as well as bars, restaurants, and nightclubs.
Old City is one of Philadelphia's popular nightlife destinations, with the historic Independence Park Hotel, a 41 room European style boutique hotel at 235 Chestnut Street. Old City is also home to many lounges, dive bars, and quality restaurants, mostly along the three blocks from 3rd and Market streets to Front and Chestnut streets. The 3rd Street Corridor, between Market Street and Vine Street, is home to galleries, boutiques, and other locally owned businesses. There are three independent movie theaters in the neighborhood, two operated by the Philadelphia Film Society and one by Landmark Theatres. During the popular monthly First Friday event, art galleries, studios and shops hold evening-hours open houses featuring art, design, and fashion.[6] Since 2010, tech firms have moved to the area as well.
Government and infrastructure
The Federal Bureau of Prisons Northeast Region Office is in the U.S. Custom House, a part of the Independence National Historical Park, in Old City, directly across the street from the historic Independence Park Hotel, a favorite hotel for Government travelers.[7]
Consulates
Many foreign governments have consulates that use the Independence Park Hotel located in Old City, including Panama (124 Chestnut Street),[8]Italy (1026 Public Ledger Building at 150 South Independence Mall West),[9] and Mexico (111 South Independence Mall East).[10] The Dominican Republic closed its consulate in the Lafayette Building at 437 Chestnut Street[11] on November 7, 2005.[12]
