Chinese Wall (Philadelphia)
| Penn Center | |
|---|---|
| Neighborhood of Philadelphia | |
Penn Center in 2006
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| Country |
 United States
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| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Philadelphia County |
| City | Philadelphia |
| Area code(s) | Area code 215 |
Coordinates: 39°57′13.44″N 75°10′9.80″W / 39.9537333°N 75.1693889°W
Penn Center is the heart of Philadelphia's central business district. It takes its name from the nearly five million square foot office and retail complex it contains. It lies between 15th and 19th Streets, and between John F. Kennedy Boulevard and Market Street. It is credited with bringing Philadelphia into the era of modern office buildings.
In 1881, the Pennsylvania Railroad brought passenger service into the center of the city, and constructed the first Broad Street Station just west of City Hall. The sea of iron pillars holding up the PRR's elevated trackbed was replaced in the 1890s by a 10-block stone viaduct to the Schuylkill River. This created a block-wide barrier known as The Chinese Wall, cutting the western portion of the city in half and discouraging development there.
At the time, most commercial activity in Center City was east of Broad Street, which is why the SEPTA Market-Frankford Line has no stops between 30th Street Station and 15th Street. (The stations at 19th Street and 22nd Street are served by SEPTA Subway-Surface Trolley Lines.)
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Wikipedia