Giovanni's Room Bookstore

Washington Square West is a neighborhood in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The neighborhood roughly corresponds to the area between 7th and Broad Streets and between Chestnut and South Streets, bordering on the Independence Mall tourist area directly northeast, Market East to the north, Old City and Society Hill to the East, Bella Vista directly south, Hawthorne to the southwest, and mid-town Philadelphia and Rittenhouse Square to the west. In addition to being a desirable residential community, it is considered a hip, trendy neighborhood that offers a diverse array of shops, restaurants, and coffee houses. Washington Square West contains many gay-friendly establishments and hosts annual events celebrating LGBT culture in Philadelphia including OutFest. The area takes its name from Washington Square, a historic urban park in the northeastern corner of the neighborhood. Philadelphia's Antique Row lies in the area, as does the nation's oldest hospital, Pennsylvania Hospital, and Philadelphia's oldest Jewish burial ground, Mikveh Israel Cemetery. Educational and medical facilities associated with Thomas Jefferson University, a leading regional medical university and health care center, are located within the neighborhood. The one-time headquarters of the former Curtis Publishing Company and the University of the Arts lie at the edges of the neighborhood. Washington Square West's real estate is mixed commercial, residential and service industries, characterized by two, three, and four-story rowhouses interspersed with condominiums, mid-rise apartments, hospitals and offices with ground-floor retail. The neighborhood follows William Penn's original grid layout for the city, with many one-lane and pedestrian side streets added later as the population became denser. In addition to the block-sized Washington Square Park to the East, the neighborhood contains the smaller Kahn Park, named after the Philadelphia architect Louis Kahn who resided in the neighborhood.

J. Sylvester Ramsey School was a historic school building located in the Washington Square West neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1850, in a vernacular Greek Revival style. It was a three-story, five bay gable roofed building with a three-story fire tower added in 1894.It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. It has since been demolished.

The Mask and Wig Club, a private club in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, founded in 1889, is a historic collegiate musical comedy troupe. Created as an alternative to the existing theatrical and dramatic outlets at the University of Pennsylvania, Mask and Wig has presented comedy, music, and dancing to the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and audiences across the country. Its credo is "Justice to the stage; credit to the University."The club's performers, or "The Cast," put on two all-original shows each year in collaboration with the Club's own Stage Crew, Band, and Business Staff. A number of Mask and Wig original songs were made famous on the radio by mid 20th century recording artists. "The Gypsy in My Soul," written by Clay Boland and Moe Jaffe for a 1937 show, was recorded by Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, and Ella Fitzgerald. "Daddy", written by Bobby Troup for a 1941 show, was recorded by Sammy Kaye, Glen Miller and the Andrews Sisters. Troup went on to write the jazz standard "Route 66," which was recorded by Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby (with the Andrews Sisters), and later the Rolling Stones. The first electrically recorded album ever released was Mask and Wig's "Joan of Arkansas," in April 1925.In a September 30, 2021 press release, the club announced an initiative to remove gender as a qualification for membership, and to expand participation and membership to all genders for the first time in its 134-year history starting with the Fall 2022 recruitment cycle.

Roberts-Quay House is a historic home located in the Washington Square West neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The original section was built in about 1850, and expanded in 1889, 1906, 1921, and 1928.

The Church of Saint Luke and The Epiphany is an Episcopal congregation located at 330 South 13th Street between Spruce and Pine Streets in the Center City neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Diocese of Pennsylvania. The church was formed in 1898 as a result of the merger of St. Luke's Church (1839) and The Church of The Epiphany (1834), which consolidated at St. Luke's location. The church building was constructed in 1839–1840 for St. Luke's and was designed by Thomas Somerville Stewart in the Greek Revival style. Additions and renovations were made in 1875 and 1906. The building was listed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places in 1961. Today the congregation stands at about 250 members. As an urban parish, the congregation reflects the racial, cultural, and gender diversity found in the city. This diversity contributes to the church's reputation for being open and welcoming, a trait it exhibited during the AIDS Crisis of the 1980s, when it was one of the first churches in the city to open its doors to allow funerals for those who had died from AIDS.

Social Service Building is a historic office building located in the Washington Square West neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was designed by noted Philadelphia architect Horace Trumbauer (1868-1938) and built in 1923–1924. It is a 10-story, steel frame brick clad building with limestone and terra cotta ornament in a Federal Revival style. The main entrance features an oversized door with fanlight, framed by Ionic order columns.It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

The Standard Theatre showcased Philadelphia's most talented African-American performers and jazz musicians in the early twentieth century. During its peak years (1915–1930), the Standard was one of Philadelphia's most famous and successful black theaters. Its exceptional success can be attributed to its owner, John T. Gibson, an African-American man who envisioned affordable entertainment for people of color.

The Philadelphia Sketch Club, founded on November 20, 1860, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is one of America's oldest artists' clubs. The club's own web page proclaims it the oldest. Prominent members have included Joseph Pennell, Thomas Eakins, A.B. Frost, Howard Chandler Christy, and N.C. Wyeth.The club's mission is "to provide a community for visual artists, appreciation of the visual arts and visual arts education." The club's low-cost workshops and competitions are open to the public. All interested artists are invited to apply for membership. The club's activities are sustained by gifts from members, friends and nearly 20 major foundations, corporations and historical organizations.The club has held shows and exhibitions since its founding. Medal winners from the club's shows include Violet Oakley, John Folinsbee and Betty Bowes. In April 2008, the club held its 145th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings at the club's main gallery.The club's art collection includes 44 portraits of members painted in the 1890s by Thomas Anshutz; more than 125 etchings by members of the Philadelphia Society of Etchers; and sculpture, stained glass, ceramics, bronze plaques, medals and metal work by its own members. The Club lends pieces to other organizations and exhibitors from time to time. The Club's archives contain information from artists associated with the club.

Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia (formerly known as Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia and Mendelssohn Club Chorus of Philadelphia) is a music institution in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, founded in 1874 by William Wallace Gilchrist, a major figure in the 19th century music of Philadelphia. The chorus is currently under the direction of Dominick DiOrio (2020- ). It was previously directed by Paul Rardin from 2015 to 2020, chair of the department of choral conducting at Temple University. Prior to Rardin's appointment, the chorus was led by Alan Harler from 1988 to 2015.

12–13th & Locust station is a PATCO Speedline subway station in Washington Square West in Center City, Philadelphia. The station has a single island platform, with a fare mezzanine above. The mezzanine level connects to the Center City Pedestrian Concourse, which connects subway and regional rail stations in the Center City area. PATCO plans to make the station accessible to people with disabilities, adding elevators between street level and the mezzanine, and between the mezzanine and the platform. The project is expected to be completed in Fall 2022.

Clinton Street Historic District is a national historic district located in the Washington Square West neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It includes 71 brick rowhouses built between 1835 and 1850. They are between 3 1/2- and 4-stories and consist of the typical Philadelphia rowhouse plan with front building, piazza, and back building. It was a fashionable residential section in the 19th century and home to such notable figures as architect Addison Hutton (1834–1916), Rt. Rev. William Bacon Stevens (1815-1887), and Agnes Repplier (1855-1950). Located in the district and separately listed is the J. Peter Lesley House at 1008 Clinton Street.It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

The John Stewart Houses are a set of five rowhouses in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They were all built from 1870 to 1874 using the same Italianate design by Philadelphia architect John Stewart. They were listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 20, 1979.Stewart bought the lots in 1870, while he, according to the deed, took out a $61,000 loan for construction of the buildings. Henry Phillippi, a carpenter who was apparently the contractor for the houses, received partial interest in several of them in the early 1870s. After Stewart died the completed houses were sold in a sheriff's sale in 1874.