If you’re wondering where to live in Philadelphia, PA, this is the guide for you. The historic, charming city of Philadelphia has so many iconic places to explore and is a great place to call home.
The many different neighborhoods in Philly each offer their own style and flavor of the city, and knowing a little about each of them can help you decide where you should live. If you’re searching for a home in Philadelphia, these are some of our favorite neighborhoods to live in. Check out all of these top picks!
One of the most popular, up-and-coming neighborhoods in Philly is Point Breeze. Located just south of the city center, Point Breeze is close to all the action and features lots of fun and interesting things to do. You’ll find many great restaurants, bars and shops in this neighborhood, as well as some famous murals.
An anti-graffiti initiative from the 80s gave the area plenty of beautiful and well-known works of public art. The homes in Point Breeze are a unique mix of new construction on formerly empty lots and traditional Philadelphia rowhouses, many of which have been rehabbed and thoroughly modernized.
Just to the north of Old City is the vibrant neighborhood of Fishtown. This old and storied part of town gets its name from the fishing industry that was an important part of the area, and the fishermen who made their homes here. Today, the neighborhood has been revitalized and is a popular spot for dining out.
Fishtown also has many independent businesses, music venues and art galleries to explore, which is perfect for anyone new to the area. It’s a popular spot for young professionals in the city, and the available homes in Fishtown are a mix of single-family homes and apartment buildings. You’ll find lots of new construction here, among classic rowhomes and historic architecture.
Bridging Fishtown to Old City is Northern Liberties, or more casually, NoLibs. This neighborhood experienced tremendous growth in the 90s and early 2000s, and today it boasts a vibrant mix of apartments and single-family homes.
Northern Liberties homes also provide a variety of options, from the very affordable to the more luxurious. Formerly an industrial area focused on manufacturing, many of the old factory and warehouse buildings in NoLibs have been transformed into creative, mixed-use complexes for living spaces, businesses, entertainment and more. The area is home to many entrepreneurs leading the way and influencing other areas of the city, which makes this a great place to call home in Philadelphia.
The large hospital in this area may no longer be in operation, but the name for the Graduate Hospital neighborhood remains, as well as its reputation for being one of the best neighborhoods in Philadelphia. Located just south of the city center, you’ll find easy access to everything that Philadelphia has to offer.
Graduate Hospital is largely a residential neighborhood, with many townhomes and other multi-family units, but you can also find parks, restaurants, shops, cafes and more here. The homes in Graduate Hospital are great for families, as this is a very pedestrian-friendly, quieter area of the busy city.
Located near Fishtown, the Kensington neighborhood gets its name from an area of London and is one of the oldest areas of Philadelphia. Many Kensington homes are affordable, smaller rowhouses — however, this up-and-coming area of the city is also full of new construction and creatively rehabbed buildings. This diverse neighborhood with a rich history is full of fun restaurants and bars and other fun things to see. The Kensington area is experiencing plenty of revitalization, with creative entrepreneurs building up the neighborhood.
As a part of the larger Kensington neighborhood, Olde Kensington has also experienced a slow revitalization over the past few years. The neighborhood has deep roots in colonial Philadelphia history, undergoing many transformations over the years. It started out with high hopes of being an upscale residential neighborhood in the 1730s. However, its location on the river drew in more factories and warehouses, becoming a booming industrial area of the city for quite some time.
More recently, many of these old industrial buildings remained vacant — that is until creative rehabbers have turned this hot area into quite a trendy neighborhood, attracting artists, young professionals and families alike. With all the new construction and rehabbing happening here, there are plenty of Olde Kensington homes to choose from.
One of the best neighborhoods to live in in Philadelphia is Brewerytown, which takes its name from the nine breweries that once called the area home. Prohibition largely cleared out all of these historic breweries, but today, the beer culture is alive and well through the many microbreweries and craft bars located in this fun neighborhood.
A few single-family homes can be found here, but many Brewerytown homes are in the form of apartments, condos and other multi-family units. Located in North Philadelphia, Brewerytown is not too far from all the city action, and also right by the sprawling Fairmount Park, which offers plenty of outdoor recreation and scenery.
What once began as a working-class suburb, Queen Village was later incorporated into the city of Philadelphia and has a prime location in South Philly along the river. Some of the oldest and most beautiful homes in Philly can be found here, but Queen Village homes also include a variety of multi-family units, new constructions and rehabbed buildings, all full of aesthetic charm.
Here, you can walk or bike along the river, or take in all of the unique restaurants and bars. Queen Village is also known to have some of the best shopping in Philly, with its many local boutiques and stores.
There are so many good neighborhoods in Philadelphia, it’s hard to choose a favorite! Philadelphia is a bustling big city with historical roots and a modern feel. Each one of its neighborhoods has its own unique character and charm, so you’re sure to find one that fits your preferences.
With years of experience in real estate and construction in the Philadelphia area, Streamline has what it takes to find you the right home and the right neighborhood for your style. We offer top-quality homes and unparalleled customer service. Our priority is getting every client into a home they love and can be proud of! Check out all of Streamline’s currently available properties, with options both for rent and for sale. We can’t wait to help you find your dream Philadelphia home.
