24-Hour Downtown

Center City’s nationally acclaimed retail and dining scenes, cultural institutions and award-winning parks are attracting residents and workers seeking a vibrant 24-hour downtown.

Center City has become a thriving, 24-hour downtown. Vibrant urban living and a broad range of housing types in historic neighborhoods are attracting residents and workers who want to enjoy Center City’s expansive array of cultural, entertainment, dining and recreation options. Construction cranes, visible everywhere, are transforming Center City. Almost $9 billion in major developments were recently completed or in the pipeline for completion in downtown Philadelphia.  

Center City has many public parks that add greenery and enliven the downtown, offering a welcome reprieve from the bustling downtown streets. From the Schuylkill Banks and Boardwalk, to Dilworth Park, Sister Cities Park and Spruce Street Harbor Park, Center City has innovative public spaces that now join originals like Rittenhouse Square and Independence National Historical Park. Pop-up beer gardens and parklets also activate underused public spaces, drawing from increasing volumes of on-street pedestrians.  

A nationally acclaimed restaurant scene attracts people from across the region. Downtown Philadelphia has also recently become a national retail destination, with Conde Nast Traveler naming Philadelphia the Number 2 best shopping city in the world. National retailers are joining a mix of unique boutiques downtown, creating a distinct walkable shopping experience.  

Center City is third only to Midtown Manhattan and Washington D.C. in the total number of downtown arts and cultural organizations per downtown resident, surpassing Chicago, San Francisco and Boston. The city’s rich historic fabric was recognized in 2015, when Philadelphia was named the first World Heritage City in the United States. Center City’s world-class attractions have turned the downtown into a major tourist destination and created a dynamic environment for residents of all ages to live, work and play. 

  • Top U.S. City To Visit In 2020 - National Geographic
  • First Unesco World Heritage City in USA
  • America's Next Great Food City - Travel + Leisure 
  • #2 Shopping City in the World, 2015 - Condé Nast Traveler
  • #1 Place to Visit in the USA, 2015 - The New York Times

 

Explore Center City

Explore Center City

Center City is a thriving, 24-hour downtown, full of history, three centuries of architecture, and arts and cultural offerings, with an amazing variety of unique retail shops, nationally acclaimed restaurants, and so much more.

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Research & Reports

Real Estate Developments Downtown

The 2019 Developments Report includes a map and full-color photos or renderings and project descriptions of all 62 major developments in Center City, categorized by type. New for 2019, an interactive map that features all of the information found within the publication.
Research & Reports

Philadelphia Retail Report 2019

This annual report looks at Center City retail market trends. Center City’s transformation into a 24-hour downtown is reflected in its burgeoning retail scene, with residential, convention and tourism growth expanding beyond the historic customer base of office, education and health care employees and students.
Research & Reports

Pedestrian Counts

With the installation of 14 cameras that measure pedestrian volumes 24 hours a day, the CCD now provides retailers, brokers, and developers with detailed counts and analyses of hourly trends.
Annual Report

State of Center City 2019

This yearly report is designed to measure the progress of Philadelphia's downtown, to document continuing challenges, and inform those who seek to develop, locate, lease or invest in Center City.

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The Center City District (CCD), Central Philadelphia Development Corporation (CPDC) and Center City District Foundation (CCDF) work together to enhance the vitality and competitiveness of Philadelphia's downtown. In 1991 the business leadership organization CPDC created the CCD business improvement district to deliver daily services with the goal of making Center City clean and safe. This helped transform Center City into a vibrant 24-hour downtown, attractive to businesses, residents, students, shoppers and tourists. In addition, the CCD is responsible for the management of Dilworth, Sister Cities, John F. Collins and Cret Parks, four extraordinary public spaces in the heart of Center City. CCDF, the charitable affiliate of the CCD, was launched in 2016 to support the next generation of public space improvements in Center City Philadelphia.

© 2020 Center City District | Central Philadelphia Development Corporation | Center City District Foundation