Mt. Airy: Philly Heritage With a Modern Twist

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1. Catch a cutting-edge show

Known for reimagining the classics, Quintessence Theatre Group has been staging heroic journeys, ambitious battles and epic romances at the Sedgwick — a 1920s-era Art Deco movie palace — for more than 15 years.

And Mt. Airy takes performing arts to new heights with the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts (offering regular shows and open-to-the-public circus classes),  housed inside a 26,000-square-foot Gothic church.

Sedgwick Theater   — Foto pa Visit Philadelphia

2. Dig into something tasty

Mt. Airy is packed with delicious eateries like McMenamin’s Tavern, Bar Lizette, Mount Airy Breakfast Boutique, Toska Restaurant & Brewery, La Trattoria, Malelani Café, Downtime Bakery, ak plis ankò.

Need the perfect pick-me-up? Try coffee shops like High Point Cafe, Mt. Airy Coffee Co. oswa Adelie Coffee House.

Toska Restaurant & Brewery   — Photo courtesy Töska Restaurant & Brewery

3. Enjoy long-standing neighborhood traditions

The neighborhood is home to plenty of family-friendly fests throughout the year, including the springtime Mt. Airy Day, la Mt. Airy Village Fair kicking off each fall and the Go Mt. Airy Supper Sessions throughout the summer, when two blocks of Germantown Avenue are closed to traffic for music-filled nights of food trucks and alfresco dining.

Go Mt. Airy Supper Sessions   — Photo courtesy Mt. Airy Community Development Corporation

4. Stroll through green spaces, big and small

More than 57 miles of forest trails wind through Pak Vale Wissahickon, where hikers and cyclists hit terrains of various skill levels, anglers sink lines in the creek, and rock climbers take on the challenge of Livezey Rock.

Enter from Kitchens Lane, and you can hike to Fingerspan Bridge (a footbridge made of steel), or take the White Trail Entrance and see the mystical Toleration Statue. Other sights include the picturesque Glen Fern epi Carpenter’s Woods — Philly’s old-growth forest.

Want more options? Grab a book and unwind at quiet community parks like Lovett Park epi Ned Wolf Park.

Pak Vale Wissahickon   — Foto pa Visit Philadelphia

5. Find peak deals

Mt. Airy is a shopping haven with locally owned boutiques selling products for any occasion.

Check out spots like Sook Vinyl & Vintage (Black-owned record shop and listening room); Rothe Florists (multigenerational florist and gift shop); Weavers Way Mercantile (vintage furniture store), Wild Hand (yarn and crafts store), Pax Flora Goods (vintage clothing and goods boutique); Perennial Refill Hub (sustainable living store); and Big Blue Marble Bookstore (LGBTQ-owned bookshop).

Wild Hand   — Photo by K. Luxon for Wild Hand

6. Discover Philly’s Black history

Philly’s Black history runs deep, and Mt. Airy honors that legacy at places like Allens Lane Art Center, a thriving theater venue and cultural center created to break down racial barriers within the arts, and Mt. Airy Art Garage, which hosts a Black Art Matters exhibition every year.

Nearby, the Johnson House once served as a historic stop on the Underground Railroad, and Klividen is dedicated to remembering the enslaved people who lived and worked there.

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Mt. Airy is a mostly residential neighborhood with few hotels, but nearby options include the gorgeous Otèl Chestnut Hill and the smaller Burbridge Street Bed and Breakfast.

Otèl Chestnut Hill   — Foto koutwazi Otèl Chestnut Hill

Konsèy lokal

Ou pare pou w dekouvri zòn nan poukont ou? Men kèk konsèy pou kòmanse:

• The neighborhood is served by two Sepa Regional Rail lines: The Chestnut Hill East line in East Mt. Airy and the Chestnut Hill West line in West Mt. Airy.
• Two-hour parking is available along Germantown Avenue and in a public lot behind Rothe Florists. Side streets offer free parking throughout the neighborhood.
• Businesses tend to close Monday through Wednesday, but the neighborhood comes alive Thursday through Sunday.
• Mt. Airy is a neighborhood worth wandering — especially in the newly rejuvenated Pelham Historic District — where you’ll see stunning buildings spanning Victorian, Colonial Revival, French Norman, Art Deco and Cotswold-style architecture.

Watch: It’s a Mt. Airy Thing