Philadelphia for Business

The Top 10 Reasons Why Philadelphia is a Must Visit City for Business

1. Location/Accessibility

Philadelphia is the second-largest city on the east coast, the sixth largest in the nation and has a metropolitan population of 5.8 million. It offers the technological, business and cultural advantages of a large city while remaining one of the most walkable and navigable places in the country. Its compact city centre boasts an easy-to-follow grid street design spanning just 25 blocks. Philadelphia is centrally located between New York City and Washington D.C., and is within a day’s drive or train trip of more than 40 percent of the U.S. population (hour by Amtrak from New York City and one hour 45 minutes from Washington D.C).

2. Ethnic Diversity

Philadelphia is a city rich in multicultural history and attractions and is recognized as the number one U.S. travel destinations for multicultural tourism. Home to Multicultural Affairs Congress (1987), the most successful multicultural hospitality initiative in the country; Philadelphia was named as one of the top 10 cities for multicultural meetings (Hispanic Meetings & Travel Magazine) along with being “Top Ten Family Reunion City” and one of the "Top 10 Places to Hold Family Reunions by The Washington Post. 

3. Communication/Technology

For a city traditionally know for its history, Philadelphia has a modern edge. It is one of the busiest ports on the North Atlantic Coast, has 450 foreign-owned companies in the region, and ranks sixth in the nation for high-tech employment. Philadelphia also has free WiFi available in their parks around the city including Love Park and Rittenhouse Square.

4. Medical/Health

The greater Philadelphia region is the second-largest medical research and education centre in the U.S. More than one third of the conventions and meetings held in the region are life sciences-related. One out of every six doctors in the country was trained in Philadelphia, and 80 percent of America’s pharmaceutical firms, as well as 80 percent of the world’s major biotech companies are located within a two-hour drive of the city. Philadelphia faculty and graduates pioneered the use of X-ray, helped identify the first colon cancer gene, invented ultrasound gels, discovered the existence of chromosomes and endorphins, founded six of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies, and continue to run the country’s number one children’s hospital.

5. Food/Hospitality

Philadelphia continues to emerge as one of the country’s finest and most memorable culinary destinations, now boasting 700 restaurants that were reviewed by the Zagat Survey. More than 200 of these are within the Center City downtown area. Throughout the city, impressive 4-star dining rooms and trendy restaurants coexist with quaint neighbourhood bistros, family owned Bring-Your-Own-Bottle (BYOB) restaurants, lively taprooms and romantic nooks. Center City also has an abundance of sidewalk cafés for wonderful outdoor dining.

6. History

View many of the U.S. firsts, including the first Zoo, the first public library, the first U.S. Mint, and the first museum and school of Fine Arts. Tread the same cobblestones as those that signed the Declaration of Independence once did. Walk though Independence National historic Park to see the Liberty Bell (the nation’s symbol of freedom), Independence Hall (where the Declaration of Independence was signed), and the National Constitution Center (the only museum in the U.S. dedicated to the constitution).

7. Arts and Culture

The Philadelphia region is home to 100 theatre companies and even more museums, including the oldest museum in the country, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. The Philadelphia region showcases more Impressionist paintings than any city other than Paris, contains the largest collection of outdoor murals in the world, and is continuing to evolve as one of the greatest concentrations of art institutions in the nation. The Barnes Foundation, located 15 minutes from Center City, houses one of the world’s finest private collections of early French modern and post-Impressionist paintings, African art, and metalwork. The world-famous collection, which will relocate to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in 2010, contains 180 works by Renoir, 69 by Cézanne, 60 by Matisse, and works by Manet, Monet, Modigliani, Picasso, and many others.

8. Sports

Philadelphia is home to twelve professional sports teams, the “Big 5” NCAA basketball rivalry, and some of the most impassioned fans in the country. Philadelphia hosts the largest collegiate regatta in the country, the East Coast’s only professional cycling race, the Army/Navy Game, and has hosted ESPN’s X Games twice. In the spring of 2008, Philadelphia held trials for the summer Olympic Games in boxing, table tennis, and gymnastics. Also, with 9,200-acre Fairmount Park, the world’s largest landscaped city park, it’s never hard to find a place to practice your own favourite sport, even if that means simply riding a bike, going for a jog, or hitting the driving range.

9. Shopping

Philadelphia offers some of the nation’s most desirable premium shopping destinations, from the East Coast’s largest retail complex, to quaint historic districts lined with upscale designer shops and eclectic boutiques. With tax-free shopping on clothing and shoes, and most stores within walking distance from wherever you are downtown, Philadelphia offers even the most discerning shopper a unique and endless selection. Macy’s Center City, located in the historic John Wanamaker building, is another great stop for shoppers. Visitors can choose from such hotspots as the King of Prussia Mall, Rittenhouse Row, Franklin Mills Mall, Jewelers’ Row, Antique Row, South Street, Manayunk, Chestnut Hill, Peddler’s Village, and Philadelphia Premium Outlets- just to name a few.

10. Education

Discover a city fuelled by a quarter-of-a-million college students and 50 colleges and universities. In Philadelphia, a city founded on new ideas, education extends far beyond the classroom into downtown boardrooms, financial centres, thriving technology firms, and state-of-the-art laboratories. Studies show that 14 of the region’s 24 largest employers are research-intensive, making Philadelphia a great place for those with a desire to do research.