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]
History
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]
References
- ^ "April In Philadelphia's French Quarter".
- ^ a b Gary Lee Kraut. "A primer for exploring art and history in Franco-Philadelphia". Archived from the original on 2013-03-01.
- ^ Philadelphia Magazine, July 1998. "Dan Rottenberg". Archived from the original on 2011-10-06.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Tom Javian (October 14–21, 1999). "Buddy, Can You Spare a Quarter?".
- ^ a b Prihar, Asha (May 23, 2023). "Philly (technically) has a French Quarter, but you'd never find it if you didn't know". BillyPenn.
