Fairmount Art Museum, Philadelphia PA

Fairmount is one of Philadelphia’s more established and desirable residential neighborhoods, located just northwest of Center City around the Philadelphia Museum of Art area, which it is also referred to as. Compared with nearby neighborhoods Fairmount is quieter than Rittenhouse Square, more historic and residential than Logan Square, and more polished and traditional feeling than Fishtown. The neighborhood combines historic architecture, walkability, green space with a vibrant main street corridor along Fairmount Ave. and Spring Garden Streets. Real estate in Fairmount tends to attract professionals, families, healthcare and university employees, and buyers looking for more space while remaining close to Center City and major highways while also benefiting from the relatively strong long-term property value stability because of its location, park access, and architectural appeal.

Home Types in Fairmout

Fairmount generally offers more space for your money while maintaining close proximity to Center City. Housing options range from starter condos in boutique style buildings or rowhome and historic townhouse conversions, high-rise condo buildings with luxury amenities including pool, fitness center and parking, Victorian-era residences, classic Philadelphia rowhomes, new construction homes of all price points and million-dollar historic homes. Much of the housing stock dates from the late 1800s through early 1900s, giving many homes a classic pre-war character with high ceilings, original hardwood floors, detailed cornices and moldings, marble steps and large windows. Roof-decks are very popular in Fairmount due to the amazing views of the Art Museum and the city from this side of town.

Fairmount Lifestyle

Many of the city’s major cultural institutions are in Fairmount including The Barnes Foundation, The Public Library of Philadelphia, The Rodin Museum and The Water Works. Other notable landmarks along Broad Street are the Metropolitan Opera House of Philadelphia, built in 1908, and was revitalized and reopened in 2018, along with the Devine Lorraine Hotel which was built in 1892 as apartments for wealthy Philadelphians... over time it deteriorated and was abandoned but was restored and rebuilt from 2017 to 2022 and now is a full-service apartment building.

The restaurant and café scene is strong but more neighborhood-oriented than nightlife-heavy. Popular local spots often include cozy BYOB restaurants, brunch cafés, neighborhood bars, pizza spots, and coffee shops along Fairmount Avenue.

Also in Fairmount is the famous Eastern State Penitentiary which was an operating prison from 1829-1971 and is known for its gothic revival style that housed Al Capone and Willie Sutton. It now offers tours daily and gets extra attention during Halloween when they do haunted tours. Fairmount also has great access to parks and trails, most notably Boathouse Row, Kelly Drive, Schuylkill River Trail, and of course Fairmount Park which is over 2,000 acres of land making the area very family friendly.

Neighborhood Boundaries

The area roughly stretches from Broad Street on the east to Schuylkill River west and from Spring Garden Street north toward Girard Avenue. Smaller neighborhoods within Fairmount include Brewerytown and Francisville.