Neighborhood Highlight: Fishtown

Fishtown is one of those neighborhoods that has it all. Art, culture, good food, residential streets, music, fashion, you name it. Fishtown has rapidly grown over the years into a hub for small businesses to thrive among its “hip” residents. We call it the Brooklyn of Philadelphia.

Easily accessible by public transit, this neighborhood sits right on the Market-Frankford Line with access to the Girard and Berks stops. You also have the Girard Ave trolley lines running by to get you where you need to go! Fishtown’s borders are north of Girard, south of Lehigh, east of Front and west of the Delaware River. 

But why is it called Fishtown?? Does it smell? Thankfully, no! The name “Fishtown” comes from its early residents’ occupation. Early settlers were fishermen and over time they controlled the fishing rights to both sides of the Delaware River. The earliest recorded use of this name dates all the way back to the year 1808!

Naming only a few my favorite spots in Fishtown is nearly an impossible task since there are so many, but let me give it a go:

• Coffee - La Colombe, Reanimator Coffee, Forin Cafe
• Eats - Front Street Cafe, Loco Pez, Liberty Kitchen, Laser Wolf, and WM Mulherin's and Sons 
• Drinks— Kung Fu Necktie & El Bar for dives
• Live Music— Johnny Brenda’s & Kung Fu Necktie (again)
• Art— Just walk around outside!! Murals galore. Take a stroll up Front Street to see some gorgeous art or just check out the painted trash cans