French Quarter | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 39°57′01″N 75°10′11″W / 39.9504°N 75.1698°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Pennsylvania |
County | Philadelphia County |
City | Philadelphia |
Area code(s) | 215, 267 and 445 |
The French Quarter is an official city-designated district of Philadelphia spanning the area between 17th and 19th Streets east and west and Walnut and Sansom Streets from north to south. [1] The designation was made official in 1999. [2] [3] According to City Paper, the Philadelphia French Quarter "... is one of the few places outside France that supports a thriving French culture" even though "it remains largely unrecognized by both tourists and natives". [4] The area is closely tied to the culture of Rittenhouse Square. [2]
Writer Dan Rottenberg says he coined the term in the July 1998 issue of Philadelphia magazine. [5]
In 1999, in advance of the Republican National Convention the following year, the city added subtle orange signs saying "French Quarter" below the traditional green streets signs in the area. The designation is a tribute to the French culture that has shaped Philadelphia and is based on the establishment of three French restaurants and a creperie in the area in the 1990s. [4]
In 2023, Billy Penn reported skeptically on the designation, noting that the name of the quarter was unfamiliar to most residents and, other than a French hotel chain, few French-owned or influenced businesses remained in the area. [5]
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