Arts, Culture Make City Truly Special

Feb. 27, 2006

By Peggy Amsterdam
President of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance

Hi, Jen: Thinking of moving to Philadelphia? Great! Philadelphia is fun, diverse and alive. It is a great place to visit, but an even better place to live and work.

After all, Philadelphia is the birthplace of the nation. So of course, we have many of America's great historical treasures and cultural "firsts": the country's first zoo and first museum are here.

Our arts and culture are what make Philadelphia truly special. You can see just how much is happening when you go to http://www.PhillyFunGuide.com for the region's events and even sign up for half-price tickets. You could attend 10 cultural events a week and still not run out of things to do or see in a year.

Smart and creative people are pitching in to make the community vibrant. A new breeze of political optimism is in the air as people are rallying to end old political structures that slowed planning and progress. We welcome young, creative people like you to work here and get involved in civic life.

The region is surrounded by beautiful parks, public gardens and art. Suburbs and small towns are accessible by an extensive public transportation system, all of them offering artistic and cultural experiences. Outdoor trails go from city to suburbs, skirting areas that pre-date the Revolutionary War.

One of our nation's oldest communities, our downtown Center City is bustling and vibrant. With about 90,000 residents, it is one of the three most-populous centers of any metropolitan city in America, but you won't get lost here.

Does Philadelphia have challenges? Sure. Like many large metropolitan areas, we struggle with crime, education, and social issues. We have work to do in our efforts to improve our communities.

But are we a region in decline? No.

Are we working harder than ever, collaboratively, to change old habits and to solve our problems? Yes. We all benefit when a region's leaders work together to solve issues that affect us all - improving our social fabric, nurturing our cultural community, and developing community goals, including economic development and neighborhood revitalization. That is what is happening in Philadelphia and is also a key finding of our upcoming report, "Arts and Culture in the Metropolis: Strategies for Sustainability."

So pack your bags and become someone to envy - a Philadelphian.

Best - Peggy

Contact Peggy Amsterdam at peggya@philaculture.org