In a city planned out in a neat little grid, Passyunk Avenue cuts a diagonal through South Philly. The avenue forms the East Passyunk neighborhood of Philadelphia on the east side of Broad Street.

With it’s close proximity to the Italian Market, Passyunk Avenue has long been known for its culinary cachet. However, many tourists and locals alike know it as ground zero in the great Pat’s vs. Geno’s cheesesteak war. For families considering a move to Philly, this neighborhood is a required stop for a taste of the city.

In recent years East Passyunk has enjoyed somewhat of a renaissance. Diverse restaurants and independent boutiques have moved in alongside the traditional businesses, creating a neighborhood that is more vibrant than ever.

Living Here

The median home value in the neighborhood is a reasonable $357,509 (as of 8/2025). Resident Melissa Bocage loves the community feel here.

“Our neighborhood is just that, a neighborhood. The kids knock up for each other and the parents all look out for each other. We car pool and spend birthdays together on our block. The community we have around us cannot be duplicated. We grab each other’s packages, we make meals and divvy the extras to each other,” she said. “It’s really a parenting community with friends.”

Schools

The littlest residents of East Passyunk have Alphabet Academy right in their neighborhood, including the new Alphabet Treehouse (1506-08 E. Passyunk Ave.), an eco-friendly childcare facility whose academic curriculum includes “living green” activities, yoga, and more. The backyard has been transformed into a hands-on children’s garden, and the facility also includes a science lab with an adjacent “Green Roof” deck to explore.

The East Passyunk neighborhood is home to Philadelphia School District’s Southwark School, a diverse K-8 public school with an active and involved community. Annie Leary has lived in the neighborhood for 13 years, and has sent her two children to Southwark. She loves the diverse and close-knit community and how the parents are engaged to make the school a better place. “It’s not just about money,” she said. “We have people power.”

Leary described how Principal Andrew Lukov helps make Southwark great. He’s very open to parental involvement, and great at figuring out how to tap into resources throughout the city, and bring them into the school.

The Southwark community worked with the Mural Arts Program and other civic organizations to revitalize their schoolyard using recycled materials and artistic design. “It’s not just going to be a playground for the kids, but truly a space for the whole community to gather,” Leary tells us.

Play

The centerpiece of East Passyunk Avenue is the Singing Fountain (11^th St. and Passyunk Ave.), which gets its name from the music that plays over speakers throughout the day. It’s a great place for residents of all ages to relax, grab a book from the Little Free Library, and gather with friends. In the summer, they host a farmers market on Wednesday evenings, where you can pick up fresh local produce and other goodies.

Columbus Square Park, located at 1200 Wharton Street, is a wonderful neighborhood playground, as well as a dog park and garden. Play equipment is split between the big kids area and a tot lot, plus a sprinkler for the summertime. The rec center runs a preschool program, an after school program for grades K-5, as well as other classes.

East Passyunk Community Center, at 1025 Mifflin Street, hosts programs including after school childrens’ activities, basketball leagues, summer camps, senior activities, and much more. They also host community events like holiday celebrations, free outdoor summer concerts, and movie nights.

Shop

East Passyunk is home to so many independent boutiques that sell unique goods and, in some cases, also serve as community gathering spots.

Tildie’s Toy Box (1829 E. Passyunk Ave.) has established itself as one of the best places to shop for kids of all ages, with a wonderful assortment of books, pretend play, baby toys, dolls, puzzles, STEM exploration, and so much more. They even have a wall of buckets with little impulse items like fidget toys and temporary tattoos and a cozy little, kid-size play castle in the back.

Aside from these kid-specific shops, East Passyunk has so many interesting shops. One of our favorites is Occasionette (1825 E. Passyunk Ave.), a gift shop that’s great if you need to pick up a last-minute hostess gift, birthday card, or just want something cute for yourself.

Eat

Let’s get this out of the way: yes, Pat’s King of Steaks and Geno’s Steaks are both located here, in one glorious triangular intersection (9^th St., Wharton St., and Passyunk Ave.) glowing with neon lights and smelling of fried onions. Open 24 hours a day, tourists (and locals) flow like Cheez Whiz.

But East Passyunk is so much more than cheesesteaks — its varied and exciting food scene is what has really put it on the map, and made it a destination for those coming from all over the city. In a relatively small area, there are just too many great restaurants to name. But let’s go ahead and highlight some of our favorites!

Restaurants: Diverse & Kid-Friendly

There’s a diversity of restaurants, from Mexican (Cantina Los Caballitos at 1651 East Passyunk Ave. and Pistola’s Del Sur at 1934 East Passyunk Ave.) to Malaysian (Saté Kampar at 1837 East Passyunk Ave.).

Even the picky kids can find something tasty at P’unk Burger (1823 E. Passyunk Ave.). Owners Marlo and Jason Dilks have six kids of their own, and opened their restaurant with families in mind. Kids can eat foods they really want, like burgers, fries, and shakes. Parents can feel good about the fact that their “Little P’unks” are eating food that is made thoughtfully with organic, locally sourced ingredients.

Of course, if you secure yourself a babysitter, East Passyunk is also a great date night location, with top restaurants like Laurel.

Breakfast

If you’re looking for breakfast, we love Passyunk Avenue Philly Bagels (1742 E. Passyunk Ave.) for fresh bagels and toppings. Just off the avenue, The Tasty (1401 S. 12th St.) is serving up vegan diner comfort food. And for a quick, healthy lunch, Fuel (1917 E. Passyunk) has smoothies, salads, wraps, and more fresh favorites.

Sweets & More

Dessert options are also plentiful. Arctic Scoop (1812 E. Passyunk Ave.) is a new Asian style ice cream shop serving flavors like taro and pandan in coconut bowls and egg waffles, with Instagram-worthy toppings. Aside from ice cream, you can also find Jewish bakery Essen (1437 E. Passyunk Ave.), where you can find classics like babka and rugelach.

One of the best kept secrets of East Passyunk is Mancuso’s Cheese Shop (1902 E. Passyunk Ave.). What’s the secret in this generations-old family cheese business? They have some of the best homemade water ice you’ll find in the city!

Special Events

Summer

For multiple years, East Passyunk hosts an annual Car Show and Street Festival at the end of July. This show has featured over 175 muscle, classic, antique, custom, and show cars, trucks, and motorcycles, as well as street vendors, rack sales, kids’ activities, live music, and a craft fair. This is a summer tradition that brings people from all over not just South Philly, but the entire Delaware Valley, down to East Passyunk Avenue.

Fall

In the fall, East Passyunk hosts Fall Fest and Spooky Saturday, a Halloween festival with costume contests, free pumpkin decorating, trick-or-treating, a scarecrow scavenger hunt, and more. The event also features craft vendors, live music, and food from local restaurants.

Holidays & Winter

During the holidays, be sure to visit for Deck the Avenue, a month of shopping events, live performances (including carolers and Mummers, of course), treats, storytimes and crafts for the kids, photos with Santa, a tree lighting, and so much more.

East Passyunk has so many amazing restaurants, it is no surprise that they have their very own Restaurant Week. This takes place in February/March, and features three-course prix fixe lunch and dinner menus for $20, $40, and $60.

Spring

And when spring returns, come down for a massive Easter egg hunt! Spring also brings Flavors on the Avenue, one of the city’s best street fairs featuring five blocks of street food, seasonal sips, craft beer, live music, sidewalk sales, and free family fun. Many of the area’s best restaurants create pay-as-you-go small plates and specially priced items, so you can try a little of everything. A family fun zone has activities going all day for the kids.

And as spring slides into summer, the Avenue hosts an Italian National Day Festival, “La Festa,” with live music, outdoor food and drink, shopping, family fun, games, and a spaghetti eating contest!

Getting Here

East Passyunk is conveniently located in walking distance from both Center City and other South Philly neighborhoods. It is very close to Tasker-Morris Station on SEPTA’s Broad Street Line. There are also multiple SEPTA bus lines that cross East Passyunk Avenue at various intersections.

Ready to Call East Passyunk Home?

With its walkable streets, diverse dining scene, and tight-knit community spirit, the East Passyunk neighborhood delivers everything growing families need. Whether you’re craving cheesesteaks or seeking quality schools, East Passyunk welcomes you home.

Lead photo courtesy of East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District.