by Ellen Uffen
The City of Brotherly Love is already preparing itself for the 2004 ASHA Convention Nov. 18-20 with its theme of United in Science and Service, including many sessions highlighting the bond between the research lab and the clinic, between audiology and speech-language pathology. The Convention will be held at the vast (1.3 million square feet) Pennsylvania Convention Center, situated in the neighborhood of Center City, convenient, as its location implies, to just about everything Philadelphia has to offer-great shopping, eating, cultural attractions, and the sheer excitement of experiencing one of America's greatest cities.
Philadelphia's history dates from 1681 when the Quaker William Penn received some land near the Delaware River from King Charles II of England. Charles, as a tribute to Penn's father-who had honorably served the king as an admiral-called the parcel of land "Penn," and with a nod to the woodsy beauty of the setting, the younger Penn added the suffix that made his new acquisition "Pennsylvania." Soon after, William Penn chose Philadelphia as the capital of this place that he hoped would be a center of religious and political freedom and tolerance.
William Penn and his fellow English Quakers shared their new home with its native American inhabitants-the Algonquin tribes of the Delaware and Shawnee-and the Dutch and Swedes who had arrived earlier to trade mostly in fur and tobacco. Soon, other nationalities joined the population, and Philadelphia-formally incorporated as a city in 1701-began to gain a reputation as a center of trade and manufacture, which led to its becoming an important pre-revolutionary port. Penn also made sure that his city was physically well planned and organized, and laid it out in a grid system between the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers that allowed space for population growth and for public squares and a town square. Penn's planning design would become a pattern for many other American urban centers. (See the sidebar on p. 13 for additional historical information about Philadelphia.)
The Modern City
The Philadelphia of the 21st century that will greet ASHA members has not lost its original character. It retains its past-not only in the form of important historical buildings, but in the richness of its neighborhoods and diverse ethnic populations. The original settlement that William Penn called Philadelphia and where the first inhabitants dug caves and built huts was only a small portion of the present, modern city. The city grew in settlements, townships, and villages, that in 1854 were all consolidated under a single municipal government.
The result is a complex of neighborhoods that have become what we know as the modern city of Philadelphia. But ask a native to enumerate the neighborhoods and you'll get wildly varying figures-a dozen? 200? It depends on how you're counting and whom you're asking.
There are some neighborhoods, however, that everyone agrees are part of the mix. You're at the Convention Center, so you're already in Center City, the part of town that William Penn himself conceived as its heart, although there's a lot more of it today than he originally envisioned. Center City is now where you'll find most of Philadelphia's historic sites. Venture out between ASHA sessions, put on your walking shoes, bring a camera, and start going east, through Chinatown. Maybe stop for lunch-it's hard to resist the wonderful aromas-and some gifts. Then keep walking.
Visit Independence National Historical Park, home of Independence Hall, with its beautiful Georgian architecture, and the Liberty Bell Pavilion, as well as many other famous sites. Close by is Betsy Ross's house, Christ Church, and Elfreth's Alley-America's oldest residential street. There are houses here dating from 1728. Then stroll south to Society Hill, also part of the Old City of Philadelphia, and wander through the cobblestone streets and admire the beautiful restored homes.
Important as the history of Philadelphia is, don't forget the rest of this vibrant town. Certainly, colorful South Philly is well worth a visit, at least for a stroll and a meal or two-it's the Little Italy of Philadelphia with its famous Italian Market (at 9th and Christian). While you're savoring the sights and smells, give a passing thought to Rocky Balboa and, if you can remember that far back, imagine the dulcet tones of Philly's own Mario Lanza. There's a Mario Lanza Institute and Museum here. But also think Philly cheesesteaks. This is the place to find the real ones. If you have time, go to the Mummers Museum that honors the men with the fabulous plumage who take part annually in Philadelphia's famous New Year's Mummers Parade.
And Philly offers plenty of other interesting strolls: University City, across the Schuylkill River in West Philadelphia, has been home to the University of Pennsylvania since the 1870s. Drexel University is close by as well. Take a walk through the Penn campus. Admire the architecture. If you have time, experience the charms of Manayunk, which is four miles north of the center of Philly. It's a 19th-century place that has eased its way with quirky charm and energy into the 21st century. Restaurants, hip boutiques, and galleries line the old canal. It's worth the trip.
And there are parks all over the city for you to rest your feet-search out the section of Fairmount Park near Boathouse Row for some lively people watching. After you've rested, walk around a bit. The huge park is home to the Philadelphia Zoo, historic mansions, sculptures, and is a favorite spot of rollerbladers, runners, and lots of other people like you who are just taking in the sights.
Don't miss visiting Philadelphia's museums. For starters, the Philadelphia Museum of Art offers a world-class collection of masterpieces housed in a spectacular neoclassical building; the Rodin Museum contains the largest collection of the sculptor's creations outside of the other Rodin Museum in Paris; the Franklin Institute Science Museum houses the new Fels Planetarium and the Tuttleman IMAX Theater. For an unusual stop, visit the Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site. Now a museum of sorts, this is the place that once held such luminaries as Willie Sutton and Al Capone.
In fact, there's art all over the place in Philadelphia thanks to the 1959 "percent for art" ordinance that mandated a certain percentage of construction costs for municipal projects be set aside for public art. So just stroll the city-you'll find wonderful surprises around the corner. Literally. You'll recognize Robert Indiana's "LOVE" at 15th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard and Claes Oldenburg's "Clothespin" at 15th and Market Streets and Martin Puryear's "Pavilion in the Trees" in West Fairmount Park on the grounds of the Horticultural Center. And there are so many more beautiful things to be seen that the city itself is a veritable museum of unexpected treasures.
And then there's the music, as ubiquitous in Philly as art. And dance. Go to a performance. The Academy of Music, opened in 1857, is home to the Pennsylvania Ballet and the Opera Company of Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Orchestra is renowned for its fine artistry-hear them at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts offers programs in classical music, jazz, and international music. And you'll find entertainment for every taste in Philadelphia's many clubs.
All of this, of course, is just a sampling. There's also theater, terrific shopping, and all of the lively diversity you'll find in a big, great American city.
Philadelphia awaits you. So begin planning and keep a close eye on The ASHA Leader and the ASHA Web site (www.asha.org) for updates of Convention information.
Ellen Uffen is managing editor/features of The ASHA Leader.