Fishtown, Philly’s Fish-Loving, Colorful Street Art!

Art-soaked Fishtown, Philadelphia was my destination last month, touring with my best friend, Marleny. Is there any other spot that has gone so full-out on themed decorations? Even the public trash cans have fish on them! Come walk the streets of Philly’s Fishtown with me to see…

Fishtown used to be the heart of — you guessed it — Pennsylvania’s fishing industry. As the fish business has transitioned, however,  a world of art, music, and delicious, diverse food has blossomed in the neighborhood.

Marleny tried to warn me that I would need to pack expandable pants and tummy-hiding dresses, but I didn’t really get it until I was standing on Frankford Avenue, gazing out at a boulevard of luscious restaurants and cafes, as far as the eye could see.

Because I apparently can’t sleep past 6:30am anymore now that I have kids (even when I’m traveling solo), I would arise at sunrise each morning in Fishtown and set off down Frankford, blissfully drinking in the sights and tastes while my hosts slumbered on. T’was during these strolls that I snapped all these photos of fishies large and small.

“How,” I wondered, “did the art here come to be so fish-ily coordinated? Was there a driving person or group of artists who declared, ‘Let’s make the street art in Fishtown as aquatic as possible!’ or did one building do it, and the rest naturally followed suit?”

If someone has the answer to the evolution of Fishtown’s murals and decorations, I’d love to hear it in the comments section, below.

Origins aside, however, the intentional and unintentional art around Fishtown is stunning. What do I mean by “unintentional art“? Well, there are the studded, turquoise blue arches of the elevated trains that stretch through the neighborhood. Then there are the purple Morning Glory flowers trumpeting their beauty from chain link fences.

Note how the human-created art embraces and complements its surrounds, as that Morning Glory embraced the metal fence. The ridges of the garage door shutters on this store pictured below give texture and excitement to the two paintings, as the undulations of the stone walls enhance the wave mural pictured two photos above.

Then there is the art of the buildings themselves. Coming from Boston, I remain eternally charmed by the classic brick row houses of Philadelphia. My preschool son has started helping me select my photos from the thousands I take each destination, and he (rightly) demanded I include the photo below because, “It got bricks and I like bricks a lot.” Personally, I also enjoy the jaunty bows decorating the old-fashioned lamps for Halloween!

The cool thing about Fishtown’s art is that it’s not limited to fish — rather, it riffs off the aquatic theme. Take, for example, the trash-munching shark pictured below. I have never in my life found a rubbish receptacle so cute! With that endearing smile, I would give you a hug, Sharkie.

Enough chitter-chatter — you get the idea! Let’s continue now in entranced silence as we stroll through the rest of Fishtown. I’m curious which pieces of art and architecture will most resonate with YOU!

Now for some logistics. What are tips on saving money while sightseeing around Philadelphia? (If you’re planning travel, using these affiliate links to search provides a small commission upon purchase, at no cost to you!)

• The BigBus Tour of Philadelphia gives a convenient overview of the city with a bus you can hop on and off of.

Where is there to stay near Fishtown, Philly? 

• This is one of the only hotels right in Fishtown, and it has a delicious restaurant right downstairs, and very high ratings for customer satisfaction.
• Because Fishtown is so conveniently close to Center City, many of these top-rated Philadelphia hotels would be just fine as a base to explore the neighborhood.
• For a more homey experience, you can rent a condo through site like this one.

So what do you think? Does does the art and feel of Fishtown appeal? Have you visited before? If so, what was it like for you? Do share!

Did this neighborhood get your creative juices flowing? See my giant compilation of drawing prompts from around the world — including Fishtown.