Old City is the compact, walkable neighborhood east of the historic district where Philadelphia's colonial past and contemporary creative life coexist with unusual comfort. The blocks between the Delaware River and 6th Street, north of Walnut and south of Race, contain more American history per square meter than almost anywhere else in the country — Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Christ Church, Elfreth's Alley, the African American Museum — all within a fifteen-minute walk of each other.
What keeps Old City vital is the First Friday tradition, running since the 1990s, when galleries along 2nd and 3rd Streets open their doors on the first Friday evening of each month and the neighborhood fills with locals and visitors moving from show to show. The restaurant scene is anchored by Zahav and a cluster of excellent mid-range places; the bars are unpretentious and good. The cobblestones, the narrow alleys, and the handsome Federal-style brick make the neighborhood pleasant to wander without a plan. On a quiet Sunday morning, before the tourists arrive, it is one of the most beautiful urban neighborhoods in America.