Our trek to the East Coast landed us in the Philadelphia neighborhood of Fishtown. My sister and brother-in-law moved here last year from their home in West Philly so they could be closer to their daughter, son-in-law, and two adorable little grandsons.
Located in the River Wards section of Philadelphia at Philly’s north and northeast borders, Fishtown was a classic working-class neighborhood on the Delaware River, so named due to its history as an epicenter for the commercial shad-fishing industry. Today, the River Wards are known for the arts, culture, and dining scenes (particularly in Fishtown).
The Berks-Shad Mural is on a residence in Fishtown and has a story behind it. The owners approached the artist with the idea that they wanted to give something to their neighborhood and honor the time long tradition of utilizing the fish to honor their neighborhood. The owners wanted the fish to face towards the Delaware River. They also wanted to make sure the fish was a Shad specifically to speak to the Shad Fishing Company that was started as early as the neighborhood.
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The Market-Frankford Line, aka the MFL (but don’t call it the Muffle), links Fishtown with downtown Philadelphia in less than nine minutes. Today, the El is held up by local politicians, developers, and the media as the foundation of Philadelphia’s new model for Transit Oriented Development. It’s also magnetizing a new generation of Millennials, Baby Boomers, and young professionals (the New Fish) who are rejecting suburbia, car culture, and food deserts in favor of independently-owned retailers, farm-to-table restaurants, and the new self-supporting micro-economy to move back downtown again.
As some of Fishtown’s long-time residents (the Old Fish) watch their neighborhood develop and change, their thoughts aren’t about the good ole days but how changes are positive. “The improvements here have always been brought about by the people who live in the neighborhood. It’s always happened house by house, block by block for generations. The new people who are moving in now are doing the same thing all over again. They’re the new immigrants. Change is inevitable.” (https://www.forbes.com/sites/petertaylor/2018/05/02/how-fishtown-philadelphia-became-americas-hottest-new-neighborhood/?sh=395efe3832e5)
As proud Fishtown inhabitants, the residents have embraced the fish in murals, in outdoor decorations, and even on the city trashcans.
Today marks a milestone in the passage of time in the life of the four family sibs. The youngest of this gang of four, a Fishtown resident, turns 60! HBD, Suze 🎂 💜
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