The city's name Philadelphia means the City of Brotherly Love. Around 8000 B.C, the area was originally settled by Native American tribes, particularly the Lenape hunter-gatherers. The Lenape were the First Nations band government, and they are also called Delaware Indians. Their historical territory was along the western Long Island, the Lower Hudson Valley, and the Delaware River watershed. William Penn acquired the province of Pennsylvania from King Charles II of England in 1681. He saw it as a place where his fellow Quakers could enjoy the freedom of worship and get the opportunity to govern themselves and develop their lifestyle. So on March 4, 1681, the king made the grant, signed, and proclaimed it a few weeks later. Penn named Philadelphia the city of "brotherly love," symbolizing his idealistic concepts. In 1681, he wrote from England requesting that "the Rivers and Creeks be sounded on my side of the Delaware River, to settle a great Towne, and be sure to make your choice where it is most navigable, dry, high, and healthy." Philadelphia was also founded in 1683 by an English Quaker, William Penn, who arrived but had little chance to enjoy his city because he was forced to travel to England in 1684 and could not return until 1699. Before he left Philadelphia for the last time, he issued the Charter of 1701, establishing the town as a city. Philadelphia became a flourishing city having several shops, trading houses, and hundred dwellings with about 10,000 people clustered close to the riverfront. It has the nation's first free library, first hospital, and first learned society.

Iconic Must Eat Philadelphia Foods
The great city of Philadelphia takes food very seriously, from the sweet Butterscotch Krimpets to the salty, soft pretzels and the saucy red-gravy pasta. So make sure to taste the Best-of-Philly specialties, including a flavor-packed hoagie on a crusty roll, a juicy cheese steak smothered with Whiz, and a slice of freshly baked tomato pie sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

The cheesesteak is the ultimate iconic Philly food invented by Pat Olivieri of Pat's Steaks in 1930. The perfect Philly cheesesteak requires thinly sliced beef and a crusty roll. The choice of cheese and sandwich shop are a matter of great debate. Thousands of food lovers go to Ninth Street and Passyunk Avenue for Philly Cheesesteaks taste-offs between Pat's King of Steaks and its across-the-street rival Geno's Steaks.

Another must-try Philly signature food is the Hoagie. The hot bread comes stuffed with fresh meats, cheeses, and veggies. If you are an extreme hoagie fan, head to the secret hoagie room at the nationally lauded Pizzeria Beddia.

You can also try out other iconic foods that residents love to have like Water Ice, Philly Soft Pretzel, Tastykakes, Scrapple, Tomato Pie, and Red Gravy Pasta Dinner at notable restaurants like Dalessandro's Steaks and Hoagies, Steve's Prince of Steaks, George's Sandwich Shop, Center City Pretzel Co, Yardley Ice House, and Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar. So buy a house in Philadelphia and enjoy the tastes of the city's signature foods whenever you want.


Take Your Kids To The Zoo
Kids are very active, and they love to have fun. The city of Philadelphia offers many fun things to do geared toward those of every age. As much as kids love to go to zoos, you sure would love to pay a visit to the first zoo in the United States, The Philadelphia Zoo. It is one of the best laid-out zoos in the country.

The zoo is a tourist attraction and is home to nearly 1,300 animals, many rare and endangered. It also has the first-in-the-world animal travel and exploration trail system, Zoo360. It allows you to watch primates and big cats move above and across the main visitor pathway.

Do you want to check out more zoos? The city is home to several other zoos, including Big Cat Falls, Hippo Habitat, Lemur Island, Giraffe Habitat, and Wings of Asia.

Pay A Visit To The Famous Love Sculpture
Your stay in Philadelphia isn't complete if you don't take a picture in front of one of the city's best-known landmarks; Love. You can find the famous Robert Indiana sculpture in John F. Kennedy Plaza, popularly known by residents as the Love Park.

Love Park is home to a fountain, green areas, seating, walking paths, and the Love Park Visitor Center. It is also designed to let visitors and vendors use the space as needed, and its environment brings together world travelers, sunbathers, lunchtime snackers, fitness buffs, and performers.


Sports
Sport is like a religion in Philadelphia. The city is one of the thirteen U.S. cities with teams in all four major sports. Philadelphia is also among the eight American cities to have won titles in all four major leagues. The city's oldest sports team is the Philadelphia Phillies, who play in Major League Baseball and their home games. The Phillies broke the rumored curse of Billy Penn, which saw none of the city's professional teams win a championship in 25 years. The Phillies ended the alleged curse by winning the 2008 World Series, a victory that prompted a citywide celebration.

The Philadelphia Union play in Major League Soccer, and they play their home games at Subaru Park. Philadelphia Flyers, who compete in the National Hockey League, play their home games at Wells Fargo Center, while the Philadelphia Eagles play at Lincoln Financial Field.

Rowing is also another major sport in Philadelphia, with the city hosting several local and collegiate rowing competitions and clubs. The Dad Vail Regatta, one of North America's largest intercollegiate rowing events in North America, hosts over 100 U.S. and Canadian universities and is held in Philadelphia. The Stotesbury Cup Regatta, regarded as one of the world's largest high school student rowing events, is also held in Philadelphia.

Tourism
Philadelphia is known for its culture, cuisine, arts, and colonial history, which attracted about 42 million domestic tourists who spent $6.8 billion in 2016 and generated an estimate of $11 billion in total economic impact. Thousands of people love touring the city as it is home to many U.S firsts like The Philadelphia Zoo, The Perelman School of Medicine, Pennsylvania Hospital, and Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

The most popular must-see spots for tourists in Philadelphia are Reading Terminal Market, Rivers Casino, Independence Visitor Center, The Liberty Bell Center, Valley Forge National Historical Park, and other exciting places.