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Brewerytown has been an up-and-coming destination for so long it makes me wonder if it will ever arrive. The neighborhood’s proximity to east Fairmount Park, which is an underrated open expanse, along with a natural overflow of people from the Fairmount neighborhood seeking more affordable housing made Brewerytown a logical “next new thing” destination. Brewerytown’s drawback, at least for me, is that it is a congested neighborhood. Girard Avenue, the major commercial street, connects North and West Philadelphia and is an access point to I-76. There’s a high volume of traffic entering and leaving the area, then once you finally reach Brewerytown’s residential section, parking is at a premium.
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Brewerytown reminds me of Manayunk without Main Street, without access to a train line, with a higher price tag. Other than an Aldi, there’s a lack of big box grocery stores so as much as you don’t want to drive, you are occasionally forced to do so when there’s an item you need.
To the south is Fairmount. To the East and North are Sharswood and Strawberry Mansion, respectively. The latter two areas have slightly unsavory reputations. Twenty years ago, Strawberry Mansion was one of the worst sections of the city and constantly in the news. The area became so bad that few people live here now (Strawberry Mansion High School has less than 200 students in a building that could previously accommodate 2,100) which in a perverted sense means that Strawberry Mansion isn’t as bad as it once was. The sad fact is there’s no one here to rob or to sell drugs to. I’ve kicked the tires on purchasing an investment home here, then either rehab or rent the place, but I think the prices are too high—new construction at $500K, rehabs at $400K next to burned out shells going for $150K next to empty lots for $50K—all because the properties are near a park—no thanks. Everyone seems to realize these neighborhoods have potential but in another perverted twist, they can’t reach that potential until prices drop enough for people to financial justify buying a place and fixing it up. Thus the up-and-coming label continues.
To the south is Fairmount. To the East and North are Sharswood and Strawberry Mansion, respectively. The latter two areas have slightly unsavory reputations. Twenty years ago, Strawberry Mansion was one of the worst sections of the city and constantly in the news. The area became so bad that few people live here now (Strawberry Mansion High School has less than 200 students in a building that could previously accommodate 2,100) which in a perverted sense means that Strawberry Mansion isn’t as bad as it once was. The sad fact is there’s no one here to rob or to sell drugs to. I’ve kicked the tires on purchasing an investment home here, then either rehab or rent the place, but I think the prices are too high—new construction at $500K, rehabs at $400K next to burned out shells going for $150K next to empty lots for $50K—all because the properties are near a park—no thanks. Everyone seems to realize these neighborhoods have potential but in another perverted twist, they can’t reach that potential until prices drop enough for people to financial justify buying a place and fixing it up. Thus the up-and-coming label continues.
The Number 15 Trolley ride across Girard Avenue is one of Philadelphia's great "adventures". The 4-5 block stretch between 26th and 30th street is home to a cluster of good dining and drinking spots: iMunch Café, Hops Brewerytown, The Monkey and The Elephant, Spot Burger, Crime and Punishment Brewing. Farther east on Girard the Trolley winds around Girard College and then passes St. Joe's Prep. I've always wondered where the Prep was and you'll find it during a ride on the 15 trolley.
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This neighborhood lacks sites - I don't beleive there's anything beyond the awesome collection of muruals in the area and it is an awesome collection. That's MLK crossing the Petus Bridge, John Coltrane, and John Coltrane's house. Turning Coltrane's house, the last picture, into a museum that celebrates Philadelphia's jazz history would be a cool edition to the area. I looked into this and others have thought the same but the hurdle appears to be that members of Coltrane family can't quite decide on the property's best use.
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And a few more murals:
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