Center City Reports: Outdoor Seating 2019 is our latest annual survey of outdoor cafés and seating in and around downtown Philadelphia. The report is based on extensive survey work conducted by the Center City District, and includes full-color maps, charts and thorough analysis of this important aspect of urban vitality.
Since CCD began gathering data in 2001 on downtown establishments that provided outdoor seating, the number of seats has steadily increased. That trend has continued in 2019, with locations throughout Center City providing a record number of 6,969 seats. Outdoor seating has been a long-term indicator of Center City’s vibrancy since sidewalk cafés were first authorized in 1995.
Animated Outdoor Seating Map
Below is an animated map showing the increase in outdoor cafés and seating in and around downtown from 2002 through 2018.
