Downtown Philadelphia merchants band together to create a cleaner, safer and more attractive environment that is poised for continued retail growth.

William I. Lengeman III

The City of Brotherly Love is not best known as a shopping mecca. Cheesesteaks, Mummers parades, the 76ers, the Phillies, the Flyers and numerous historical attractions, including the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and nearby Valley Forge, all overshadow the city's retail offerings.

But that's about to change.

Through the efforts of the Center City District (CCD), the retail market in downtown Philadelphia is starting to step out from under the shadows of the city's other attractions and is ...