Cheesesteaks, murals, and founding-era soul
Philadelphia is where American democracy got written down — the Declaration and the Constitution were both signed here — and the city carries that without being consumed by it. The cheesesteak traces to a hot dog vendor named Pat Olivieri, who in 1930 grilled beef for his own lunch, sold the idea instead, and started an argument about onions that has never been settled. A 1984 anti-graffiti program grew into Mural Arts, which has since put several thousand murals on the city's walls, more than any other American city. Reading Terminal Market, the Barnes Foundation, and a Chinatown anchoring one of the country's most walkable downtowns sit alongside rowhouse neighborhoods that have defined Philly's character for generations. Serious food, serious art, and an unshakeable sense of itself.
