A Tale of Two Cities: Philadelphia and Chicago

PHILADELPHIA, May 28 /PRNewswire/ -- As the Stanley Cup approaches, a tale of two cities: Philadelphia and Chicago.

Sports Curses:

• Philadelphians let out a huge sigh of relief when the Phillies won the 2008 World Series and broke the Curse of William Penn. No Philly team had won a world championship since Liberty Place was erected to stand taller than the William Penn (city founder) statue atop City Hall. To break the curse, Liberty Property Trust placed a small statue of William Penn on the top beam of the Comcast Center building when building construction was completed in 2008.
• According to legend -- and widespread media coverage -- the Curse of the Billy Goat was placed on the Chicago Cubs in 1945 when Billy Goat Tavern owner Billy Sianis was asked to leave a World Series game at Wrigley Field because his pet goat's odor was bothering fans. He was outraged and declared, "Them Cubs, they aren't gonna win no more." So far, he's right.

Big Buildings:

• The 57-story, 100% LEED-certified Comcast Center is the world's tallest "green" building.
• Chicago's Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) is one of the world's tallest buildings, topping off at 1,450 feet.

Foodie Faves:

• Invented in 1930, the cheesesteak is Philly's most famous food. It comprises a crusty roll filled with thinly sliced sauteed ribeye beef and melted cheese. Generally, the cheese of choice is Cheez Whiz, but American and provolone are common substitutions. The city's most famous outposts for the treat are Pat's King of Steaks and Geno's Steaks, located across the street from each other in South Philly. No matter what form it takes -- braided, sticks, nuggets and bagels -- the famous Philly soft pretzel must be topped with mustard.
• Dating back to the 1940s, Chicago-style "deep-dish" pizza features a buttery crust, loads of cheese, chunky tomato sauce and lots of toppings. Another mainstay is the Chicago-style hot dog, a steamed or boiled all-beef hot dog on a poppy seed bun. It's topped with mustard, onions, sweet pickle relish, a dill pickle spear, tomato slices or wedges, sport peppers and a dash of celery salt -- but never ketchup.
• Philadelphia's Center City alone boasts more than 200 bring-your-own-bottle (BYOB) restaurants, making for a fun and economical foodie craze.
• Chicago is home to more five-diamond restaurants than any other city in the nation: Alinea; Arun's; Avenues; Charlie Trotter's; Everest; Seasons (Four Seasons Hotel Chicago); and Tru.

Cities Of Neighborhoods:

• The Mural Arts Program highlights Philadelphia's neighborhoods by creating works of art on houses, commercial buildings and other structures around the city. Philly's 2,800 murals -- the most in the world -- celebrate the city's immigrant heritage, artistic legacy and historic events.
• Chicago's newly redesigned and improved summer tourism initiative, "Explore Chicago: Eat, Play, Love Our Neighborhoods," includes a series of programs and activities that make it fun and easy to explore Chicago's 77 distinct communities.

Most Popular Attractions:

• Independence National Historical Park, dubbed "America's most historic square mile," tops Philadelphia's most popular destinations list. Attracting four million visitors every year, the area is home to national symbols of freedom such as the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, and nearby modern attractions including the National Constitution Center and The African American Museum in Philadelphia. When it opens this fall, the much-anticipated President's House Commemorative Site will honor Presidents George Washington and John Adams and the nine enslaved people Washington kept there.
• Chicago's most visited tourist attraction, Navy Pier features attractions such as a 150-foot-high Ferris Wheel (see below), a musical carousel, an old-fashioned swing ride, remote-control boats, daily musical and theatrical performances and an 18-hole miniature golf course. It's also home to the Amazing Chicago Funhouse Maze, Chicago Children's Museum and IMAX Theater at Navy Pier. Wednesdays and Saturdays from Memorial Day through Labor Day, the Pier hosts fireworks displays that fill the sky over Lake Michigan.

Parks Galore:

• Philadelphia's Fairmount Park is the nation's largest municipal park, with 9,200 acres and 215 miles of bike trails.
• Constructed on top of a sub-level parking garage and train yard, the 24.5-acre Millennium Park is one of the largest green roofs under the sun.

Historic Exhibitions:

• Held in Philadelphia, the Centennial Exhibition of 1876 was the first major world's fair to beheld in the U.S. Today, Memorial Hall, built for the exhibition, houses the kid-centric Please Touch Museum®.
• The world's first Ferris Wheel made its debut in Chicago in 1893 at the World's Columbian Exposition. Today, Navy Pier is home to a 15-story tall Ferris Wheel, modeled after the first.

Art Oglers:

• Widely considered the most extensive collection of French Impressionism, The Barnes Foundation houses the world's largest collection of Renoir works (181).
• The Art Institute of Chicago holds the largest and most extensive collections of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings outside of the Musee d'Orsay in Paris.

On The Water:

• Philadelphia sits between two rivers, the Delaware to the east and the Schuylkill to the west.
• Chicago is located on the shores of Lake Michigan.

Book Worms:

• Established by Founding Father Benjamin Franklin, Philadelphia's Free Library system catalogues more than seven million items, including magazines, research materials, videos, art, music, films and, of course, books.
• The Harold Washington Library Center, Chicago's main public library branch, is the world's largest public library building and houses more than two million books.

Check out visitphilly.com, your source for what's happening in Philadelphia before and after the game.

SOURCE Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation