Photography and Text by Angela Pan, Copyright 2016
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Cities have always fascinated me, because they are always in transition. Though I have lived in 4 cities throughout my life, none other has captured my heart quite like Philadelphia.
4 years ago, I came to Philadelphia for the first time. Back at home in Hong Kong, I had heard horror stories about Philadelphia’s ‘crime problems’ and was afraid to venture outside of Penn’s campus on weekends, preferring to stay in the safety of the Penn bubble. Yet as my freshman year passed, I cautiously ventured more frequently into the heart of Philadelphia and discovered a beautiful, historic and gritty cityscape that I now love.
Buildings and public spaces are my favourite parts of Philadelphia’s cityscape, from the various public squares that pepper the city, to the Phillies stadium where thousands of proud Phillies fans gather for games. The beautiful architecture of Philadelphia’s public spaces capture frozen moments of the city’s rich history. I am fascinated by the untold stories that each interaction between strangers — from inclusion, to exclusion, to exchange – illustrates in Philadelphia’s diverse public spaces.
Through this series of pictures, my intention was to bring everyday vignettes of Philadelphia into focus. The photographs feature some of my favourite parts of Philadelphia, with a particular focus on architecture and public spaces. I am not sure when I will come back to Philadelphia next, but at least I’ll have these frozen vignettes of the city that I loved during my college years.
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About The Author: Angela Pan is a graduate of the College of the University of Pennsylvania. Class of 2016. To read more articles by Angela Pan, go here: https://tonywardstudio.com/blog/iceland-a-captivating-land-of-contrasts/