By Alan J. Heavens, FrontDoor.com | Published: 10/27/2008

Housing in Philadelphia ranges from newly constructed high-rises to historic row houses.
There are dozens of neighborhoods in the 136-square-mile city. Some are a few blocks long, surround a small square or continue for several miles. For administrative purposes, the city is divided into Center City, West, North, Northeast, Northwest and Southwest Philadelphia, and these divisions encompass all the townships and boroughs that were annexed to the original city in 1854. Philadelphia is a city as well as a county.
The traditional boundaries of Center City are Vine Street on the north to South Street, the Delaware River on the east and the Schuylkill on the west. Center City is not a neighborhood really, but a geographical marker that refers to the central business district. It, however, comprises several neighborhoods, some no larger than a few blocks, others that stretch for a mile.
While there are many neighborhoods, these five are the most prized by buyers, renters and visitors for their housing, amenities and viability: