Every city, every region, has its defining moments. You read about them in the history books, when hindsight’s long lens trains on choices made or squandered. Sometimes you can feel such moments at hand, as the wind shifts and catches an opportunity before it blows away.

…Philadelphia is experiencing one of those moments, with the news last week that the Barnes Foundation was seeking to move its exquisite art collection from Lower Merion to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. This move could seal the region’s place as a mecca for the arts and a cultural destination to rival New York and Paris.

Or it could be one of those moments we’ll remember with a wince, like a touchdown pass slipping through the fingers, a downtown stadium never built, a city park renovated on the cheap.

Read the rest of Jane Eisner’s piece in the Inquirer: Barnes move would test city’s character.