Living in Fishtown: A Neighborhood Guide
This neighborhood’s blue-collar past and creative future coexist peacefully.
A spread at Kalaya / Photograph by Daniel Knoll for Visit Philadelphia
Believe it or not, there’s no fishing in Fishtown. Not only are the 19th-century fisheries that employed thousands of immigrants and gave the town its name long gone, but fishing isn’t even allowed in Penn Treaty Park anymore.
People now come to Fishtown for other reasons. Visitors love it for its eclectic mix of things to do. And younger professionals in search of affordable housing close to Center City have turned this once-insular ethnic stronghold into a mosaic where old-timers and newcomers live and celebrate side by side. “The neighborhood has people from different socioeconomic classes, which is the best signal of economic mobility,” says Fishtown resident Christopher Wink, co-founder of tech news website Technical.ly. “So class diversity is the point.”
A suite at Hotel Anna & Bel / Photograph by David Ohl for Anthropologie
Those newer arrivals have changed not only the demographics but also the built environment of Fishtown. Modern townhouses have sprouted in once-empty lots on residential streets, and Frankford Avenue, one of the two main drags, went from derelict to dynamic in less than a decade. Both Frankford and Girard avenues boast places to shop, eat, drink, be entertained, and stay. In that last category, Hotel Anna & Bel stands out among lodgings citywide for its sophisticated design and sociable atmosphere. “We did a staycation in Anna & Bel, and it was a delight,” says Wink.
Harriett’s Bookshop in Fishtown / Photograph by R. Rabena for Visit Philadelphia
Restaurants such as Bastia, Anna & Bel’s Mediterranean flagship, draw visitors and residents alike. James Beard Award–winning Kalaya, which offers Thai fare, and Suraya, where you’ll find a huge Lebanese menu, are also popular. Shops include Harriett’s, a Black-owned feminist bookstore named for noted abolitionist Harriet Tubman, and Jinxed, featuring vintage furniture. And you can start your day with Portuguese-inspired pastries at Gilda Cafe and end it with live music at Johnny Brenda’s.
So if you’re trying to catch a lively yet peaceful neighborhood that has everything, you’ll find the fishing’s great in Fishtown.
Published as “Living in Fishtown” in the November 2025 issue of Philadelphia magazine.
