Contact Information:
RJ White, Manager of Media Relations & Interactive Marketing
rwhite@centercityphila.org
215.440.5550
Center City District Launches New Web Resource For Parents, KidsInCenterCity.com
(October 14, 2009) – To respond to the significant increase in families that have school age children in Center City, the Center City District, with funding from the William Penn Foundation, is launching a new Web site, KidsInCenterCity.com.
The site serves as an online hub for information for parents about neighborhood and recreational activities, summer camps, museums, doctors, retailers, exhibits, sports leagues, after-school classes and many more useful listings. There is also a searchable calendar of family-friendly events, provided by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance’s Philly Fun Guide. The site also provides opportunities for kids to click along with moms and dads, playing games and downloading Center City-themed coloring pages.
The site builds upon the success and framework of the current CenterCitySchools.com site, incorporating such resources as the Philadelphia public elementary school boundary map and K-12 school enrollment information, as well as maps and listings of all Center City preschools and K-12 public, private, parochial and charter schools.
“Center City has been extraordinarily successful in attracting young professional families to live downtown because of the ability to walk to work, to arts and cultural institutions and to local schools,” said CCD President Paul R. Levy. “As more of them have children, this new Web site fits perfectly in our strategy to give parents one more reason to stay in Center City.”
City Health Department data indicates that 15,159 infants were born to Center City parents between 2000 and 2007. A 2006 CCD survey of downtown residents found that 22% of those between the ages of 35 and 54 have school-age children living at home and a more recent survey, conducted in the summer of 2009, found that 26% of households in zip code 19146, 20% in 19147, 15% in 19130, and 13% in 19123 and 19106, have school age children living with them. In a separate survey of parents conducted earlier this year by CCD, over 90% cited the need for such a space on the Web.
The Center City District, a private-sector organization dedicated to making Center City Philadelphia clean, safe and attractive, is committed to maintaining Center City's competitive edge as a regional employment center, a quality place to live, and a premier regional destination for dining, shopping and cultural attractions.
The Central Philadelphia Development Corporation is a not-for-profit membership organization, supported by Philadelphia's business leaders, that has been a force in the development and diversification of Center City since 1956. It is managed by the staff of the Center City District (CCD).
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