Fishtown, Philadelphia

Looking for something different to do in Philly than the usual? Head on over to the up and coming area of Fishtown, Philadelphia! On our road trip from New England to North Carolina, we made a pit stop in Fishtown to see my cousin in-law Forrest and his girlfriend MK. Now, I have been to Philly for work, where we stayed downtown, ran the Rocky steps, got cheesesteaks, visited the Reading Terminal Market and saw the LOVE statue, which was all great! But we were looking for something different this time around.

Since Forrest lives right in Fishtown, which is just north of downtown, we were in for a new treat! Fishtown, Philadelphia has been known as a working class area of the city, with roots back to a strong fish industry. In the 70s and 80s, the area’s economy was struggling, and it was starting to become overridden with crime and drugs. Even just 12 years ago, you would find this place to feel a bit unsafe. In the last few years however, neighborhoods like Fishtown are starting to turn around, booming with growth and success! It is now one of the more desirable, trendy neighborhoods to live in and visit in Philly!

Getting Around

The great part of living in or staying right in a city, is that you do not need a car. In Fishtown, Philadelphia, my husband’s cousin can walk to bars, restaurants and even work! No need for a car or fight over parking! When you can’t walk, there is also the train, light rail, trolly, bus and of course Lyft  and Uber. 

Bars and Breweries

We only stayed for 1 night on our trek down to North Carolina, but we were able fit a lot into a short period of time. On the way to visit MK at work at Garage, we stopped at Evil Genius, a really awesome brewery in Fishtown, Philadelphia. They have some of the most hilariously creative beer names, like “Ma, the Meatloaf!” and “#ICANTEVEN.” We really enjoyed all the beers we tried, the atmosphere inside, and the artwork in their backyard!

While on the walk to Garage, we got to see some more pretty awesome street art along the way! This area is known for its arts, music and entertainment. We were getting pretty hungry, so we started looking for a restaurant, then decided on an awesome food truck, right outside of Garage called Calle Del Sabor.  I got the Al Pastor tacos, which are my new favorite since visiting Austin, and we were officially ready for a night out on the town!

Garage is a bar with a garage look and feel, specializing in canned craft beer! This place is a beer lovers’ dream! With over 400 different canned beer, BYOF (bring your own food), and many beers on tap, you can’t go wrong! They have a convenient menu, listing everything by beer type, which helps you narrow things down a bit. The bartenders are also great at providing suggestions if you are feeling a little overwhelmed. If you are into games, they also have skee ball, pool and more!

Right across the street from Garage in Fishtown, Philadelphia, is Johnny Brenda’s. This is a total hipster bar, restaurant and event space, made famous by the newest Rocky movie, Creed. We really enjoyed this spot! The DJ was spinning vinyl, it had a divey feel, drinks were inexpensive, and there was a refreshingly diverse crowd. A place where anyone can go an fit in gets two thumbs up in my book!

Gentrification of Fishtown

There are certainly mixed feelings about the gentrification of Fish Town and other neighborhoods across the US. For the young, hipster/millennial crew it is a great spot to live or visit. It has many trendy bars, walkable grocery stores, restaurants, coffee shops and art galleries. Gentrification of a neighborhood is also great for small businesses and lowering crime rates, but not everyone necessarily benefits. For those folks who have been living there because it was always a cheaper part of town, they probably do not have the same feelings. When neighborhoods are gentrified, it often drives the cost of living up, causing individuals with lower incomes to have to cut back and/or relocate. But I digress…

Mmm Bagels

In the morning, before we set out for North Carolina, we stopped at Philly Style Bagels for some delicious lox bagels, homemade lemonade, and coffee. After a night of beer and pickleback shots, that certainly hit the spot! It was a cool morning, but it was great to sit in Palmer Park and enjoy our breakfast before hitting the road. On our walk to the bagel shop, we were able to enjoy the street art even more during the daylight hours.

I wish we could have stayed to hang with family and explore a bit more, but we had to set out to North Carolina! We really liked Fish Town, because it is an area that has been cleaned up and gentrified, giving a once rough area, quite the face lift! There seems to be a lot of options for nightlife, arts, and more that we did not explore, but there is always next time! Being right off the light rail and the MFL train make commuting to work very easy for those who live there or those who want to visit. Next time you are in, be sure to stop in to the Garage for a can of beer from MK!