Welcome to Fairmount-Art Museum
The artistic center of the city, Fairmount-Art Museum boasts an incredible density of museums and a rich history of helping to shape the city’s identity. Abundant open space, a flexible real estate market, and proximity to the vast, green expanse of Fairmount Park have made it one of the hottest neighborhoods in Philadelphia.
Neighborhood Overview
Commute Times
City Hall 17m. by train, 10m. by car
University of Pennsylvania 30m. by train, 7m. by car
30th St. Station 17m. by train, 7m. by car
Around the Block
Fairmount-Art Museum: A Cultural Nexus That Manages to Feel Uncrowded
Once home to Delaware Indians and early Swedish settlers, Fairmount later became a magnet for the city’s elite families in the late 19th century. Named by William Penn for its location on a hill overlooking the city, it lies at the end of the tree-and-flag-lined Benjamin Franklin Parkway and still retains a sense of peaceful elevation above the city’s hustle and bustle.
What to Expect: Enjoy a Laid-back Vibe Amidst Superior Cultural Offerings
Many of Philly’s top attractions—Boathouse Row, the Art Museum, the Barnes Foundation, Eastern State Penitentiary—are clustered here, as are 4,000 nearby acres of Fairmount Park, which offers miles of trails for running, biking, and hiking. Popular local bars and restaurants like London Grill and Jack’s Firehouse tend to be relaxed and friendly.
The Lifestyle: Picnic in the Park or Walk Along the Glittering Schuylkill River
This neighborhood is ideal for the intellectually and physically active. Dash up the steps of the Art Museum like Rocky, or pose with The Thinker at the Rodin Museum. Relive the past at the Museum of Natural History and Fairmount Water Works, the nation’s first municipal water-delivery system, which also hosts one of the area’s best restaurants right on the banks of the Schuylkill River.
Unexpected Appeal: For All Its Popularity, Fairmount Remains an Ideal Spot for First-home Buyers
One of the city’s residential magnets, it’s still home to a plethora of options on the smaller scale, from mint-condition brownstones to fixer-uppers.
The Market: Single-family Rowhomes Plus High-rises and Condos
This area boasts an impressive concentration of Victorian architecture, dating back to when wealthy industrialists lived here in the 19th century. Property along the western border of Pennsylvania Avenue tends to be most desirable and hardest to land, but there’s no lack of gorgeous rowhomes and apartments further north and east.
You'll Fall in Love With: An Intimate Neighborhood That Boasts World-class Museums and Urban Amenities
Broad avenues, greenery, and the flowing Schuylkill River could almost confuse one into thinking this was a particularly beautiful Pennsylvania suburb. That’s Fairmount’s trick: to set some of Philadelphia’s top cultural and urban attractions against a wide-open, spacious horizon that fills the mind with possibilities.
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