Why We Love Philadelphia

We recently participated in the Philadelphia Small Business Expo as an exhibitor at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. It was a great day and we really enjoyed meeting with business leaders from Philly.

Xtel is based in New Jersey but we sure do love doing business in Philadelphia. Want to know why?

Philly is #1

Philadelphia is home to many firsts, and we enjoy bragging rights just as much as the next guy. Among Philly’s firsts are:

• First United States capital.
• First botanical garden in the U.S
• First American university offering both undergraduate and graduate programs (The University of Pennsylvania)
• First zoo
• First stock exchange in America
• First theater in America (Walnut Street Theatre – still in operation today!)
• First subscription library
• First escalator in the U.S.
• First Thanksgiving Day Parade
• First department store in the U.S. (Wanamaker’s)
• First totally air conditioned building (PSFS Building)

Not too shabby, eh?

History & Culture

Philadelphia is practically steeped in history and culture. There is so much to soak up and Philly offers such variety that there’s something for everyone. Museums displaying everything from the U.S. constitution to art to odd medical history to mummers run rampant across the city.

There are active communities for art and music. You can find theater, opera, ballet, Broadway shows and entertainment of nearly every kind somewhere in Philadelphia. Beautiful murals bring new life to what might otherwise be drab looking buildings.

Culture is certainly alive in this city!

The Food!

We could go on and on (and on!) about the food in Philadelphia. Cheesesteaks, soft pretzels, the Reading Terminal Market!

Did you know that Philly has over 200 BYOB restaurants? Most of them don’t charge a corkage fee, either! Check out this interactive BYOB map to find the perfect restaurant for your next business lunch or night out!

Philadelphia is also touted as the best city in the U.S. for bacon lovers. We can’t complain about that. Six degrees of Kevin Bacon, anyone?

To top it off, Philly is no slouch when it comes to top notch chefs and restauranteurs. With establishments by names like Stephen Starr, Marc Vetri and Jose Garces, it’s easy to find a delicious meal to suit any palate!

We think you can easily see why we love doing business in Philadelphia so much. It’s a vibrant city that sometimes gets overlooked but has so much to offer and we’re thankful to be just a hop, skip and a jump away!

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