The heart of Philadelphia as
envisioned by William Penn is at the
intersection of Broad and Market Streets.
In his time it was called Center Square;
now it is where City
Hall sits. Given Penn's
interest in this area, it is very fitting
his statue should be atop the imposing,
Second French Empire style building that
dominates it. For many years, there was
an unwritten law that no other building
should be higher than Penn's statue. This
rule was finally broken by the spire of
Liberty Place in the late 1980s and the
Mellon Bank Center and other skyscrapers
soon followed.
Center City is
Philadelphia's business district and as
the skyscrapers attest, is the home to
numerous banks, law firms and other
places of commerce. The Pennsylvania
Convention Center and the Reading Terminal Market are both
located here.
