Best of Fishtown, Philadelphia
- Samantha Preis
- Apr 13
- 3 min read
We recently spent a few weeks in Fishtown, Philadelphia—and completely fell in love. Sam had been to Philly a few times before, but only to the touristy city center. This time, we wanted to have more of a local experience, and Fishtown delivered in every possible way. It didn’t take long for us to become completely obsessed. (We even started casually browsing apartment listings after feeling like we could actually move here!)
Having lived in Astoria, NYC for several years, Sam immediately noticed some similarities. From the elevated train tracks to the diverse community feel, Fishtown felt like the Philly version of Astoria. With a plethora of independent coffee shops, breweries and funky thrift shops, we couldn't not fall in love.
One of our favorite things to do when traveling to new cities is what we affectionately call our “hops”. This often involves an entire afternoon or evening of hopping between coffee shops or breweries. We’re not heavy drinkers, so we'll usually share a pint or a coffee at each stop. (Unless we find a spot we are completely obsessed with, of course —then we might stick around!) We tend to like to refuel with caffeine between breweries, which keeps the energy flowing and the buzz balanced! We found some incredible coffee shops and breweries on this trip and we just couldn't wait to share.
In addition, Samantha recently turned her passion for vintage and antiques into a new stream of income, so we made it a point on this trip to check out almost every thrift shop in sight. Fishtown did not disappoint in this area and we spent hours digging through eclectic knick-knacks and funky ’80s fashion finds.
By the end of our stay, we found ourselves feeling that Philly just might be our favorite US city. It’s culturally rich, incredibly diverse, and—let’s be real—the rent prices are a breath of fresh air compared to NYC or Boston.
Here are some of our favorite Fishtown finds (in no particular order):
*Thrifting:
Jinxed (Fishtown)
1331 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125
We hear Jinxed has multiple locations across Philly but only had time to visit this one- it did not disappoint! A great spot for unique vintage and antique finds including mainly housewares & furniture.
Urban Exchange Project (Fishtown)
1868 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125
(Really cool thrift store. We spent hours in hear digging for treasures and came out spending more than we planned despite the fantastic prices. Amazing stuff.)
*Coffee:
Gryphon Coffee (Fishtown)
100 W Oxford St, Philadelphia, PA 19122
A warm, loft-like space on a brick lined street. We loved the vibe so much we thought "we should just live here". Great coffee, great vibe!
La Colombe Coffee Workshop (Fishtown)
1335 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125
Over the years, La Colombe has blown up and now has multiple locations. While we don't normally go to chains, La Colombe in Fishtown cannot be missed. The coffee is absolutely superb and the industrial yet rustic interior is cozy and inviting. We frequented this spot throughout our trip.
*Breweries:
Other Half Brewing (Fishtown)
1002 Canal St, Philadelphia, PA 19123
A super inviting child-friendly, pet-friendly taproom and brewery attached to a large outdoor green and seating area. Great for families with small children or dogs, super spacious and an awesome place to hang day or night. This is one of those breweries we loved so much that we extended our "hop" and stuck around.
Source Urban Brewery (Fishtown)
1101 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125
Super trendy brewery, another one where we just loved sitting at the bar! We also felt it was a great date spot! Cool vibe, beer was delish.
*Food:
Hershel's East Side Deli (Reading Terminal Market)
Terminal Market, 1136 Arch Street, Reading, Philadelphia, PA 19107
If you're going to have the classic Reading Terminal Marketing experience, you MUST visit Hershel's for their unbelievable Jewish deli. It is hard to find a better sandwich. There were so many delicious things on the menu that got us drooling, but in the end we settled for the Reuben-style pastrami sandwich. Unreal.
Beiler's Bakery (Reading Terminal Market)
51 N 12th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Another Reading Terminal MUST. Like.. you CANNOT not. Most people rave about their Whoopie pies, but to Sam it is all about their fruit pies, our favorite was their "Very Berry", similar to a classic Razzleberry. Sam though this was the best pie she EVER ate!
There are just too many great places to list, so below we have listed a few others we appreciated. Fishtown as a complete joy and we can't wait for our next trip back!
*Other spots we enjoyed: Another Chance (Fishtown thrift shop), Urban Village Brewing (Fishtown), Menagerie Coffee (Fishtown), Cafe Tolia (Old City coffeeshop), Reanimator Coffee (Fishtown), Gilda Coffee (Fishtown), Flying Monkey Bakery (Reading Terminal Market)
*Subscribe: patreon.com/samanthapreis
*Tip: paypal.me/samanthapreis
Comments