A Millennial Citizen’s Guide
DISCLAIMER: This guide is meant to be a living document and will grow as the City of Philadelphia grows
and new opportunities become available in various areas throughout the City. If you feel that something
is missing from this guide that would help a millennial citizen, please contact Young Involved
Philadelphia.
Political Involvement
City of Philadelphia Political Structure Overview
Find Your Local and State Representatives Here!
City Council Contact Information
Map of Philadelphia City Council Districts
Philadelphia is divided into 10 Councilmanic districts and voters within each district elect
one individual to represent them in the City of Philadelphia City Council. There are also
seven “at-large” City Council members who are elected city-wide and represent the
entire city. Each voter may vote for a maximum of five “at-large” City Council
candidates. No more than five candidates may be elected for Council-at-large seats by
any single party, ensuring that the majority party does not hold every seat in Council.
Philadelphia Wards and Ward Map
Philadelphia Ward Leaders Contact Information
Philadelphia is divided into 66 wards that contain no fewer than 10 and no more than 50
divisions. Ward leaders are elected by their party’s committeepersons of each division.
Ward leaders also act as members of the City Committee of their respective party
organizations representing the organization and management of the party in all
Philadelphia elections.
Philadelphia Divisions
Philadelphia is divided into over 1,600 divisions, which are the smallest political units of
the City, each containing no fewer than 100 and no more than 1,200 registered voters.
Each division is represented by Democratic and Republican committeepersons – two of
each party per division – who are elected by voters of the same party living in that
division. Committeepersons elect their party’s ward leaders and are actively engaged in
ward meetings to discuss issues and concerns of the citizens who live in their divisions.
State and Federal Representatives
US Representative District Maps
State Senatorial District Maps
State Representative District Maps
Important 2014 Election Dates
Pennsylvania/Philadelphia Elections Calendar
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I register to vote?
Do I need identification to vote?
What if I am unable to vote in person?
How do I get involved within the Philly Ward System?
How do I run for Committee Person?
How Do I Become a Party Committeeperson?
Civic Engagement in Your Neighborhood
CityMaps
CityMaps is a City of Philadelphia tool that allows you to verify an address, answer questions
about city services, provide basic property information, and general highlights of a specific area
within Philadelphia.
Regional Philadelphia Neighborhoods and News
Philadelphia Neighborhoods is a publication of Temple University’s Multimedia Urban Reporting
Lab reporting on North Philadelphia, Northeast Philadelphia, Northwest Philadelphia, River
Wards, South Philadelphia, Southwest Philadelphia, and West Philadelphia.
Map of Popular Philadelphia Neighborhoods
The Philadelphia Neighborhoods Campaign spotlights 14 of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods
surrounding Center City.
Universal Philadelphia Neighborhood Programs
Citizens Planning Institute
Want to understand city planning and help shape the future of your neighborhood?
Become involved with the Citizens Planning Institute.
SERVE Philadelphia
SERVE Philadelphia is dedicated to volunteering and civic engagement opportunities
throughout Philadelphia, regardless of the neighborhood or location.
PhillyRising Collaborative
The PhillyRising Collaborative targets neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia that are
plagued by chronic crime and quality of life concerns, and establishes partnerships with
community members to address these issues.
Community Partnership Program
The Community Partnership Program lends out tools and supplies to volunteers in
community groups and residents engaged in cleaning and maintaining their
neighborhoods.
Philly 311 Neighborhood Association Liaison
The Philly 311 Neighborhood Association Liaison Program is dedicated to creating
positive actions towards addressing neighborhood issues.
Vacant Lot Program
The vacant lot program addresses the issue of Philadelphia’s over 40,000 vacant lots in
various neighborhoods.
Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee/Streets
This committee and organization is dedicated to organized block cleanings and
maintenance.
Town Watch
Town Watch is an organization dedicated to the development and promotion of
organized, law enforcement-affiliated crime and drug prevention programs.
- WalkSafePHL
Mural Arts
MuralArts unites artists and communities throughout Philadelphia in collaborative art
projects, transforming public spaces and revitalizing neighborhoods.
Creative Philadelphia
Creative Philadelphia/PHL focuses on supporting the City’s thriving cultural and creative
sectors throughout all neighborhoods in the City.
Neighborhoods Overview
Cedar Park
- Neighborhood Associations
o West Philadelphia Street Neighborhood Association
o Cedar Park Neighbors
o People’s Emergency Center
Spruce Hill
- Neighborhood Associations
o West Philadelphia Street Neighborhood Association
o Spruce Hill Community Association
o People’s Emergency Center
University City
- Neighborhood Associations
o West Philadelphia Street Neighborhood Association
o University City Green Inc.
o People’s Emergency Center
Powelton Village
- Neighborhood Associations
o West Philadelphia Street Neighborhood Association
o People’s Emergency Center
Fairmount
- Neighborhood Associations
o Fairmount Park Conservancy
o Fairmount Civic Association
Spring Garden
- Neighborhood Associations
o Spring Garden Civic Association
Center City/Rittenhouse
- Neighborhood Associations
o Center City Residents’ Association
Graduate Hospital
- Neighborhood Associations
o South of South Neighborhood Association
o South Philadelphia Communities Civic Association
East Passyunk/Passyunk Square
- Neighborhood Associations
o East Passyunk Crossing Civic Association
o Passyunk Square Civic Association
o West Passyunk Neighbors Association
Bella Vista
- Neighborhood Associations
o Bella Vista United Civic Association
Point Breeze/Newbold
- Neighborhood Associations
o Point Breeze Civic Association
o South Philadelphia Communities Civic Association
o Newbold Neighbors
Callowhill
- Neighborhood Associations
o Callowhill Neighborhood Association
Pennsport
- Neighborhood Associations
o Pennsport Civic Association
Queen Village/Old City
- Neighborhood Associations
o Old City Civic Association
o Queen Village Neighbors Association
Society Hill
- Neighborhood Associations
o Society Hill Civic Association
Northern Liberties
- Neighborhood Associations
o Northern Liberties Neighbors Association
Fishtown/Kensington
- Neighborhood Associations
o Fishtown Neighbors Association
o East Kensington Neighbors Association
o Norris Square Civic Association
Manayunk/Germantown/East Falls
- Neighborhood Associations
o Central Roxborough Civic Association
o Wissahickon Neighbors
Philadelphia News/Press
What to Read

Philly.com - A collaboration between The Inquirer and The Daily News, Philly.com offers a
broad range of breaking stories and frequent updates on Tri-state area news. - @phillydotcom Facebook - Google+

Plan Philly– A project of PennPraxis, PlanPhilly is dedicated to covering design, city planning and
development in Philadelphia. Check out PlanPhilly’s list of news article by neighborhood to hone
in on sectors of Philadelphia you want to stay up to date on. PlanPhilly used Philadelphia License
and Inspections Department’s data to create a map-based web application that allows you to
see updates on building permits, code violations, licenses, and more. - @PlanPhilly - Facebook Viddler - Articles RSS - Events RSS

Newsworks - Expanding upon what it means to provide local coverage, WHYY’s Newsworks
extensively examines developments in Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Delaware that are left
unturned by other sources. - @NewsWorksWHYY - Facebook - Youtube - Podcasts - RSS
o Dave Davies - Off Mic - @DaveDaviesWHYY - RSS - Dave Davies is Newsworks Tonight’s
anchor (full disclosure: Davies has been a speaker at a few Young Involved Philadelphia
events). Davies is a can of WD-40 to Philadelphia’s rusty political machines.

AxisPhilly - AxisPhilly seeks to direct public interest to issues that matter most and match
citizens with avenues that are effective tools for change. AxisPhilly’s projects page takes you
from having a bird’s eye view of citywide issues and swoops in on topics at a microscopic level.
Current projects include Land, School Buildings, Taxes, and Trash Talk. - @AxisPhilly

Philadelphia City Paper - Chock full of arts and entertainment coverage, City Paper is your
independent newspaper with a passion for things off-centered and on the fringe. This altweekly is available free on many corners and maintains an active blog between editions. City
Paper does a great job of making noise in areas that other papers may turn a deaf ear to, but
certainly doesn’t limit itself to “alternative” news in Philly. Pencil in your calendar using their
events page and check out The Naked City blog for news that is progressively in-focus. @citypaper - Facebook

Philadelphia Weekly - Philly Weekly is a news smorgasbord of information. Known for their
opinion pages and tongue-in-cheek reporting style, Philly Weekly does a good job of producing
stories on less-covered beats. Especially good for the newcomer in town, Philadelphia Weekly is
your ticket to good eats with an expansive food section and happy hour finder. This alt-weekly
is available free on many corners and maintains an active blog between editions. @PhillyWeekly - Facebook - RSS

Technical.ly Philly - There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it, Technical.ly Philly has stolen the show
and secured itself as the ultimate purveyor of tech, data, and startup news for Philadelphia (and
has expanded to Baltimore, and Brooklyn, too). The sheer magnitude of unique coverage that
Technical.ly Philly provides on the tech scene is amazing, not to mention that the depth and
expertise seen in the research and reporting sends other news sources scampering to cover
more familiar topics. Technical.ly Philly’s Find Work page is a great tool to use if you’re looking
for an up-to-date classified with a narrow scope that’s keenly focused on technology. @TechnicallyPHL - Facebook - RSS

City of Philadelphia Wordpress - Although the City of Philadelphia’s Wordpress is not the most
aesthetically pleasing channel of news, it certainly is a must-read if you have an insatiable
appetite for details regarding the City of Philadelphia’s Press Releases, Media Advisories, news
articles, and Alerts. What it lacks in sparkle, it makes up for in content by doling out each and
every morsel of information good citizens need to stay informed. Developments on bills and
updates on City services are listed here in a scroll-through format that is updated very
frequently. Be sure to head to the Mayor’s Press Releases page to see what your man in charge
is up to.

Philadelphia Magazine - With a simple layout and broad content base, Philadelphia Magazine is
able to present an array of different topics with the same care and distinction as the next. In
addition to the print version of the magazine, PhillyMag.com provides readers with more stories
akin to those found monthly in print. - @phillymag - Facebook - Google+

The Notebook - All things education, the Notebook is the source for Philadelphia Public School
developments. The Notebook’s High School Guide is a great first step to understanding the
different types of high schools in Philadelphia and how the admission system works. The
Notebook also has a very comprehensive list of both grassroots and national educational
organizations as well as test scores by school posted on the resources page. - @PSNotebook Facebook - RSS

Hidden City Philadelphia - Whether you’re the type to explore your city with a pair of boots on
your feet or from the comfort of your couch, Hidden City Philadelphia points you in the right
direction. The organization offers tours of some of the coolest run down and historically
awesome sites in Philadelphia and also keeps a killer Daily blog. The Hidden City Daily focuses on
structural development in cities across the world and presents stories in a very physically
descriptive voice. @HiddenCityPhila - Facebook - RSS

Uwishunu.com - Want to know what to do tonight? Need date plans for the weekend? Look no
further. This blog, run by Visit Philly, is your one-stop-shop for all fun and interesting things
going on in Philly –festivals, street fairs, art shows and more can be found here. - @uwishunu Facebook - RSS

NextCity - NextCity is a Philly based national blog focusing on cities and the issues effecting
them. - @NextCityOrg - Facebook - Flickr - Tumblr - RSS

Passyunk Post – Passyunk Post is a hyper-local blog focused on all things South Philly.
Working in Philadelphia
Career Resources
Philadelphia Works
Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation
Pennsylvania Workforce Development
Temple University Career Center
La Salle University Career Center
Drexel University Career Center
University of Pennsylvania Career Services
Professional Groups/Organizations
Young Professionals Network
Philly Tech Breakfast
Tech in Motion
Code for Philly
Philly Tech Meetup
Job Boards/Fairs
Campus Philly Careers Site
Technical.ly Philly Job Board
Continuing Education/Professional Development
PhillyGoes2College
Graduation Coach Campaign
Returning to Learning Partnership
Open Work Spaces/Shared Resources/Development
Culture Works
IndyHall
ImpactHub
Venture Forth
Benjamin’s Desk
Quorum in University City Science Center
City CoHo/ Philly Nexus
NextFab
Philadelphia Programs for Young Entrepreneurs
Startup PHL
Philly Startup Leaders
Philly’s Monthly Bootstrappers’ Breakfast
Entrepreneurs’ Form of Greater Philadelphia
Philadelphia Non-Profit Programs and Assistance
YIP Board Prep Program
Arts and Business Council of Greater Philadelphia
Bread and Roses Community Fund
Center for Responsible Funding
Community Accountants
Community Design Collaborative of AIA Philadelphia
Community Legal Services
Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance
Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition
New Beginnings Nonprofit Incubator
Nonprofit Center at LaSalle University
Nonprofit Finance Fund
NPower Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations
Philadelphia LawWorks
Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts
Regional Foundation Center
Temple Law School’s Center for Community Nonprofit Organizations
United Way of Southeastern PA Teaming for Technology
University of Pennsylvania Law School’s Small Business Clinic
Young Friends in Philadelphia
The best way to connect with a local nonprofit as a millennial is to join their Young Friends group.
Young Friends of the Philadelphia Museum of Art
Young Friends of The Philadelphia Orchestra
Young Friends of the Philadelphia History Museum
Young Friends of the Free Library of Philadelphia
Young Friends of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Young Friends of Project H.O.M.E.
The Lemon Society of Philadelphia
Young Friends of the ALS Association
Young Friends of the Brandywine Conservancy