Philly is getting some good reviews

Ryan Briggs in Next American City reports that families are staying put in Philly and Baltimore downtowns:

While urban revitalization is often stereotyped as dominated by young

professionals and retirees, Census data found that the Greater Center

City area had an even balance of all age groups. Data from the year

2000 indicated an average household size of 1.7 people in the eight

ZIP codes. That figure had ticked up to 1.75 by 2010 — a trend CCD

– attributed to couples opting to raise children in the city.

And from Philly.com comes news that Philadelphia is listed in Lonely Planet’s Top 10 US Destinations for 2013:

Forget the cheesesteaks and tri-corner hat, Philadelphia is becoming

known as an art capital. In addition to the world renowned

Philadelphia Museum of Art, the formerly remote Barnes Foundation , a

once private collection of Matisse, Renoir and Cézanne, has a new

central location. And it’s not just the big museums – Philly’s gallery

scene is exploding with new venues like the Icebox garnering

international attention and turning the Northern Liberties and

Fishtown neighborhoods into the new hot arts hub. First Fridays , the

monthly gallery open house, long a tradition in Old City, has expanded

to the refurbished Loft District, where the party goes on in a host of

new bars, clubs and live music venues.