Rittenhouse Square is the heart of what Philadelphians mean when they say Center City — a formal park surrounded by the city's most coveted addresses, its best-stocked independent bookshops, and a density of good restaurants and cafés that few American urban neighborhoods can match. The square itself is a William Penn original, laid out in 1682 and named for the astronomer David Rittenhouse in 1825. On a warm afternoon it fills with dog walkers, students, office workers on lunch break, and a rotating cast of characters that makes it one of the best people-watching spots in Philadelphia.
The surrounding streets — particularly Walnut Street to the south and Locust Street to the north — hold the kind of neighborhood amenities that cities spend decades trying to cultivate: independent coffee shops, wine bars, a legendary cheese shop (Di Bruno Bros.), independent booksellers, and restaurants ranging from classic French brasserie (Parc, directly on the square) to some of the most innovative vegetable cooking in the country (Vedge, a few blocks away). The apartment buildings on the square's perimeter are architecturally distinguished, and the street-level activity they generate gives Rittenhouse a life that lasts from early morning through late evening.