Old City goes back to the earliest days of the city. It is shown on very early maps as "Old City."

Obviously, Elfreth's Alley, Cuthbert Street, and many of the resdidential blocks that dot Old City have been here for three hundred years. Saying that it wasn't around prior to 1950 is just silly.

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“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” - Jane Jacobs

Well, as I'm sure Chris knows, one of the interesting things about Old City is that what's there now, while historic, is not nearly as old, for the most part, as the neighborhood it's in. By this I mean that it's mostly full of 19th-century industrial buildings, but the neighborhood itself constitutes the very first part of Philadelphia. The blocks of 2nd, 3rd, Market, Chestnut, and Walnut around there were laid out in the mid-1680s as the very first streets in the new town of Philadelphia. But, with the exception of Elfreth's Alley, Christ Church, and a few houses on 4th just south of Race, there's not a lot left over from those earliest days. The neighborhood went through a major re-configuration in the latter half of the 19th century.

Actually, I imagine that a lot of good stuff was lost when I-95 came through. I know that's the case in Queen Village - the oldest houses were destroyed to make way for the interstate.

and of course much of the oldest part of philadelphia was demolished for I95.

Archaeologist:

I'm with you regarding neighborhood designations. I think my aunt, who has lived on Catherine Street for the last 65 years, summed it up pretty well: "Bella Vista? When did I stop living in South Philly?"

Marketing is an amazing thing. Especially to those of us who remember when they couldn't give these houses away.

I love 'center city south' and the infamous 'JUNOGI'

Malloy:

I agree, those are hysterical. There's a very simple reason for it, too. South Philly = Blue Collar. And realtors understand that nobody is going to pay $250k plus for a rowhouse in South Philly. However, they will for a townhouse in Bella Vista or Center City South.

I was just talking to one of my co-workers, who is a lifelong resident of West Philly. He and his wife are currently looking at homes in and around University City. He told me, "I don't care what anyone calls it, it's still West Philly and if I'm paying $400k for a house, there better be at least 5 miles between me and the nearest crackhead." Somehow, I don't think he'll be signing that sales agreement.

Realtors and pretentious newcomers. I think Bella Vista was actually named by its community - long before real estate agents realized they could sell houses down there.

I remember when folks tried to differentiate the commercial area in Old City that was south of Market Street by calling it SOMA. We ignored them.

And Old City Civic Assoication was once either Independence Park East or Market East Neighbors - I forget which.

Neil - he is absolutely right about much of the building stock - most of it is turn of the century (1900) mercantile interspersed with some genuinely old historic buildings - many which have been badly treated.

But back to naming rights, I guess it's okay for residents to name their community - I hate it when realtors do. And nothing too cutesy, please. Leave off the Olde (e).

My favorite was when the realtors tried to make Hell's Kitchen in NYC into a fashionable area by renaming it Clinton. Most oldtimers simply laughed and it passed into history. But realtors don't give up - I recently say ads for "mid-town west."

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“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” - Jane Jacobs

I guess he won't be living in the city either. i don't think you can ever be five miles from a crackhead and still be within city limits. in the burbs, they do coke so he should be all set. and i understand the need to differentiate in west philly. if you say you live in west philly, i would have no idea wher eyou lived except it's south and east of the schuylkill and not powelton village or university city. it oculd be spruce hill or cedar aprk. outside of that, if you say west philly a lot of people think 59th and masters or 55th and woodland. but if you live in, say, 47th and pine, it is somewhat different. malloy bought property in JUNOGI jsut b/c of th name.

What a horse **** statement that is. You can FEEL and pretend that you're in center city all you want, but you are in South Philly. Can't south philly have economically diverse areas, or should everyone be a suburban transplant playing urban cowboy? A perfectly homogenous neighborhood isn't neccesarily desirable.

...and I sold it for a 300% profit