Much has been said and written about Philadelphia over the years, but mere words hardly do this most marvelous of cities justice. Gifted with an amazingly rich history, uniquely vibrant culture and some of the warmest, most accommodating people that you will meet anywhere, Philadelphia is truly a city that stands among the world’s finest urban capitals.

Most often fondly referred to as “Philly” by longtime residents as well as one time visitors who have fallen in love with the city, Philadelphia has another equally famous moniker, being known all over the world as the “City of Brotherly Love”.

Residential Places in Philadelphia

If you are looking for a place to live in Philadelphia, you are in for some good news.  Most real estate analysts agree that there is no better time than now for those who are looking to buy. There are a lot of choices for residential property in the city nowadays, mortgages are easy to secure and interest rates are at an all time low.

House prices in Philadelphia have always been much more affordable than in other states such as Washington for example. This is especially true today as median prices of residential properties in the rest of the country rose much higher in a shorter period of time than they did in Philadelphia.

Interestingly enough, fewer people are buying houses in the city today than a few years ago or even last year. This has resulted in an abundance of properties for sale and prices will only get lower the longer the house stays unoccupied. Buyers are also in a better position to negotiate for lower prices and demand more from their planned purchases in terms of house build and quality.

To give you an idea of the current real estate prices in Philadelphia, a ranch home in Warminster recently sold for $289,900. The terms of purchase were a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage at a 6% interest rate, which comes out to about $1500 a month–considerably less than what many residents pay for rent every month.

Hospitals and Universities of Philadelphia

Being a major metropolitan center, there are no shortage of hospitals and various other health care establishments in Philadelphia, both public and private, many of them being the best in the country and even in the world. Some of the most respected hospitals in the city are the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia also has the distinction of being one of the largest college towns in the United States, and in fact the city has more than 120,000 students enrolled in more than 80 colleges and universities as well as smaller trade and specialty schools. Many of the universities in the city are known all over the world for their excellence, but a few of those that stand out in particular are University of Pennsylvania, Peirce College, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, The University of the Arts, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Thomas Jefferson University, and The Art Institute of Philadelphia.

Commercial Places in Philadelphia

There is no way that we can cover everything that Philadelphia has to offer in terms of gastronomic delights in the space of this article. Suffice to say that food choices abound, and you can probably go to a different restaurant every day for a month and never repeat yourself. In any case, some of the more notable restaurants to try are La Viola, Maggiano’s, Alma de Cuba, Water Works, Pod, Ava, and the Caribou Café.

Of course any article on the food in Philadelphia will be sorely lacking if it didn’t at least mention the cheese steak. A deceptively simple combination of beef, cheese and bread, the cheese steak is an experience that borders on the divine. You simply cannot say that you have been to Philly without having sunk your teeth into one!

Service Establishments of Philadelphia

Gas supply services in Philadelphia are provided by the PGW or Philadelphia Gas Works. The company services residential customers as well as business firms and even 3rd party suppliers. To get your gas supply connected, you can contact the company at this address: Philadelphia Gas Works, Marketing Department, 800 West Montgomery Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19122. You can also call them at (215) 684-6096. The company has also made it easy for customers to avail of their service through an online application process, which you can go through on their website at www.pgworks.com.

Water supply services are available through the city government’s Water Revenue Bureau. You can apply for water supply services from the company, either as a new homeowner, a tenant or a property occupant. The company can be reached at three customer centers throughout the city: the Center City branch at the Municipal Services Building of the Water Revenue Bureau, the North Philadelphia branch at Hope Plaza, and the Northeast Philadelphia branch at the Northeast Shopping Mall. You can also call customer information at (215) 686-6880 and (215) 685-6300 for water and sewer emergencies.

The main provider of electrical services in the city is the PECO energy company. The company currently services more than 1.6 million customers in the five counties all over Philadelphia. You can reach them at 2301 Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19101-8699 and you can call them at 215-841-4000 and fax them at 215-841-5005. The company also provides a toll free number, which is 800-494-4000. Drop by their website at www.hoovers.com/peco-energy for more information.

Embassies in Philadelphia

Diplomatic and consular concerns in Philadelphia can either be coursed to the British embassy in Washington D.C., or to the office of the British Honorary Consulate right in the city. The British Honorary Consulate can be reached at 33rd Floor, 1818 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Their telephone number is (215) 557 7665, and you can fax them at (215) 557 6608.

The British Embassy can be reached at 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008. You can call them at the following numbers: (1)(202) 588 6500 for the embassy, (1)(202) 588 7800 for consular assistance, and at (1)(202) 588 7830 for the British Council. You can also fax them at (1)(202) 588 7870 for chancery, (1)(202) 588 7866 for management, (1)(202) 588 7901 for UKTI, and at (1)(202) 588 7850 for consular assistance.