Passyunk Square, defined as the area from Washington to Tasker, from 6th to Broad St, has historically been a neighborhood of families. In recent years, it’s gone through a baby boom with many young families moving due to the growth of popular shopping and dining destinations along East Passyunk Avenue, convenience to Center City and the tight knit community. If you’re still not convinced Passyunk Square is the place for your family, let us introduce you to some of our favorite places to hang with our kids.
Parks: City living is even better when you have some greenery around. Parks make a neighborhood and we’re lucky to have a bunch!
Columbus Square: The beloved neighborhood park located between 12th/13th between Wharton and Reed. This is the epicenter of activity for many neighborhood families with children, big and small.
Capitolo: This is the park everyone knows due to it’s location -- across from Pat’s and Geno’s. It has a large field, community garden, rec center, basketball courts and playground. The playground equipment is not the most updated but the kids really don’t care, do they? Lots of neighborhood kids participate in Capitolo’s soccer program, after school program, summer camp, basketball, the list goes on.
Gold Star: This tucked away park (625 Wharton) is lovely in that it’s grassy and shady. Perfect for a picnic or a soccer game. They have tons of family friendly gatherings and will soon have new playground equipment, too.
The Fountain: On a sunny spring, summer or fall day you’ll find families gathered around the “Singing Fountain” which no longer sings but it’s a friendly and welcoming gathering space for neighbors to enjoy each other’s company. Don’t forget about the Farmer’s Market each Wednesday evening in the Spring, Summer, and Fall.
Indoor Activities:
Lilypad: This non-profit, volunteer-run space can’t be missed by the new parents in the neighborhood. Lilypad offers playgroups for kids aged 0-5, classes for all ages, and is also a community space used for things like CPR and childbirth classes. Memberships are available or pay for classes individually. This is also a popular spot for hosting birthday parties and is located at 1234 S Broad St.
Family friendly dining options, bakeries, special treats:
Birra: Pizza dough to play with? Count our kids in. Not only is their pizza delicious, they have a wonderful kids’ menu and a stocked bar for parents. Overall, good service to boot!
P’unk Burger: Tasty burgers, fries and milkshakes make P’unk Burger a good choice for a quick dinner on the Ave. Bonus: they have the classic BurgerTime arcade game in their front window. Don’t forget to stop and play a game before heading home.
The Tasty: This vegan diner opened in 2016 and has been a hit with the neighbors ever since! For the kids, the homemade baked good are top on the list, especially the donuts. Their menu is ever changing and even appeals to meat lovers.
Essen: A Jewish bakery moved to the neighborhood! Babkas, challahs, bagels (Thursdays only), macaroons, cakes, cookies. Oy, how lucky are we?
Artisan Patissier Boulangerie: Long time neighborhood bakery run by a local family with roots in Vietnam and France. Bagettes that taste like Paris, our favorite multigrain bread, and the best chocolate almond croissants.
Termini: The original 8th Street location of this classic Italian bakery is part of the neighborhood's fabric and mold. Stop in to experience a bit of nostalgia and arguably the best cannolis in the city.
Shopping: Finding places that everyone can enjoy.
Urban Jungle: Passyunk's garden shop, which lives in an old garage space, is a joy for urban gardeners. It's cavernous and fun to poke around in. The sidewalks in front are full of annuals and perennials most of the year and during the holidays, they have plenty of Christmas trees, light and decorations to choose from.
Occasionette: If you need a greeting card that is anything but an ordinary drug store style, stop into Occasionette. For the cat lovers be prepared to browse around and ogle at all the cat-themed gifts. Shop owner, curator, and buyer Sara Villari is also one of our Makers. Check out their Maker story here!
Tilde’s Toy Box: Owned by a local family, this bright, creative toy shop opened on the Avenue in 2016. Tilde’s is filled with toys, books, puzzles, arts and crafts for all ages. We love stopping in to see what’s new at this Best of Philly toy shop.
Nice Things Homemade: Nice things is filled with fun artwork, jewelry, and baby things all made by Philly based artists. Shop local, support local artists, expose your kids to fun filled shops.
CityKids Consignment Sale: Passyunk Square is home to Philly’s beloved kids’ consignment sale! Held twice yearly (Spring and Fall), this non-profit sale is the place to find quality, recycled gear, toys and clothes for babies and kids up to size 12. Maternity clothing too, get there early for the best toy selection.
East Passyunk Ave closes down to traffic for a few key events each year. We love strolling down the Avenue to check out the Car Show in the Summer, Flavors of the Avenue in the Spring, and the Halloween /Fall Festival. Make sure to sign up for our newsletter for more blogs on Passyunk Square and other family-friendly events going on in the city.