Living in Manayunk: A Neighborhood Guide
This neighborhood might look like a European hill town, but the vibe is all Philly.
The Manayunk Canal Towpath / Photograph by M. Kennedy for Visit Philly
I first laid eyes on Main Street in Manayunk shortly after moving to Philly in 1983. At the time, it looked pretty forlorn, with only a couple of intrepid restaurants attracting visitors to an otherwise empty shopping street. Two years later, a bunch of bike riders hurtling up Main Street on their way to the Manayunk Wall — part of the US PRO Cycling Championship — changed all that. Soon after that first race, developers began converting many of the neighborhood’s historic mills into apartments and offices, and shops and restaurants filled the storefronts. (By the way: The race will return to Manayunk this August, for the first time since 2016, as the Philadelphia Cycling Classic.)
Today, Manayunk is one of the region’s most popular adult playgrounds — and highly livable. Colin Good, a Compass real estate agent with an office in Manayunk, called the neighborhood home for 10 years. “You get the urban vibe of Main Street, but more outdoor space than other parts of the city,” he says. “That was a huge boon during COVID,” when city dwellers looking for a little more social distance bought houses here.
Shopping at the Little Apple in Manayunk / Photograph courtesy of the Little Apple
Many of Manayunk’s businesses have an artistic bent, which makes for fun browsing at places like Jinxed (pick up statement vintage pieces for your home), cute gift shop the Little Apple, and even Cupid’s Bookshop, a (spicy!) haven for romance lovers. And on the grounds of Manayunk Timber — the area’s only sustainable lumberyard — you’ll find its showroom, plus a community of artists, a coffee stand, and a bakery.
Other restaurants include mainstay Jake’s and Cooper’s Wine Bar and Yanako, for Japanese. Then there’s Artesano, a custom ironworks, design/art gallery, and cafe with an outdoor terrace under the Manayunk Bridge.
The gnocchi from Jake’s and Cooper’s Wine Bar / Photograph by Bruce Joseph Cooper II
As for where to live? While million-dollar-plus listings are increasingly common — huge new townhouses with roof decks have sprouted amid more traditional rowhouses — as the median value indicates, it’s still possible to find decent, reasonably priced homes in Manayunk.
Published as “Living in Manayunk” in the February 2026 issue of Philadelphia magazine.
