Fall weather is perfect for lacing up your walking shoes. We offered some tips earlier this week for getting out and about in nature … and today we’re taking a little urban adventure together.
Inspired by our friends over at the Hey Chicago newsletter, I decided to walk a mile down Frankford Avenue earlier this week. I started my journey at Frankford & Girard in Fishtown and wrapped things up at Frankford & Cumberland in East Kensington — and I’ve got a dozen recommendations for where you can stop if you’d like to do the same 👟
How To Get There
Starting From Girard Avenue:
- Trolley route 15
- Bus routes 5 or 25
- The Market-Frankford Line (get off at the Girard stop and walk two blocks east)
Starting From East Cumberland Street:
- Bus routes 5 and 39
What To Do
You may know Fishtown as a prime nightlife destination, but there’s also a lot going on during the day. (I started this walk around 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday.)
I began by walking past Joe’s Steaks + Soda Shop — one of my favorite spots for a casual lunch — and fantasizing about their milkshakes and crinkle fries. (I might repeat this one-mile journey the next time I overstuff myself there and need to walk it off.)
I made my first stop at Jinxed Fishtown, an antique shop full of quirky miscellany, from globes to marbles to chandelier crystals to $5 golf clubs to a popcorn machine. A few doors down, I grabbed a pumpkin pie chai oatmilk draft latte from the large, flagship location of La Colombe. My review of the latte: Yummy but pricey — it was $7 — and so, so sweet.
As I passed by Frankford & Belgrade, a giant skeleton at the corner caught my eye, and I made a detour into the neighborhood rose garden to appreciate its trees and pollinator plants. (Tip: There’s a little outdoor market coming to this garden on Sunday!)
A few blocks northeast, I made another stop in Palmer Park to take a breather, soak in the beautiful weather, and ponder the very elongated fish mural across the street, which I’ve since learned is a diabetes awareness piece called “You Can Be Stronger Than Diabetes.”
A dressed-up Homer Simpson mannequin greeted me outside Urban Exchange Project, a vintage/second-hand clothing store where you can buy a dress for $5 or $20 — or hunt for more expensive finds, like a pair of pants I spotted with a variety of neckties sewn into them … and a triple-digit price tag.
Up the block from there, I fought off the temptation to dump out my pumpkin pie chai and stop for a blueberry refresher at Cake & Joe. Instead, I continued a few blocks north toward Myrtle & Magnolia, a flower shop that also carries cards and gifts. On that same block, I visited H&H Books and Circle Thrift.
Continuing north, I passed by Pizza Brain’s old storefront, silently mourning the now-shuttered pizza museum. Stopping along my route to admire various pieces of public art, I finally ended my adventure by grabbing a massive, $4 pepperoni slice from a different pizzeria, OG Pizza. (I now fully understand why Hey Philly readers singled it out as one of their faves!)
Jinxed Fishtown has all kinds of miscellaneous items for your browsing pleasure. (Asha Prihar/City Cast Philly)
🤔 Have a beloved Frankford Ave haunt that I missed? Let me know!
