People love to hate Mayor Street

During a U2 concert here last month, lead singer Bono gave a shout-out to Mayor Street, thanking him for allowing the city to host Live 8 in July. The crowd booed.

"Am I missing something?" Bono asked.

...Though the federal corruption probe of City Hall has drawn headlines, as has the city's growing homicide rate, Philadelphia has progressed under Street's tenure.

Since his 1999 election, Philadelphia's housing market has soared, while population loss has slowed to a trickle. Public school funding has gone up, as have student test scores. Two new sports stadiums have debuted. Two skyscrapers are on the way.

Last month's National Geographic Traveler magazine crowned Philadelphia "America's Next Great City."

And yet the public seems to make little connection between these strides and the man who occupies Philadelphia's top political office.