How to spend the weekend in Fishtown, Philly’s coolest neighborhood

28.12.2024 - 21:31 / thepointsguy.com

It's no secret among Philadelphia locals that Fishtown is one of the city's buzziest neighborhoods these days. What started as a small fishing village in the 1700s — hence the name — became a working-class hub of the commercial shad-fishing industry over the next two centuries.

But the neighborhood, which is about 20 minutes north of Center City by train, fell on hard times by the 1990s and early 2000s. About 10 years ago, however, things began to change with the opening of a popular beer hall, a few yoga studios and even the flagship location of La Colombe, a high-end Philadelphia-based coffee brand.

Since then, Fishtown has drawn locals to North Philly with its thriving live music scene including venues like The Fillmore and Johnny Brenda's, award-winning restaurants like Thai spot Kalaya (whose chef, Chutatip "Nok" Suntaranon, won a James Beard Award in 2023) and innovative culinary entrepreneurs: Philly's first cheese vending machine and urban winery both opened in Fishtown in 2024.

Even Beyoncé thinks Fishtown is cool: She's ordered her birthday cake from Cake Life Bake Shop several times over the years.

The August 2024 opening of the chic 50-room Hotel Anna & Bel in the former Penn Asylum for Indigent Widows and Single Women cemented the neighborhood as a destination in its own right. With an in-house Mediterranean restaurant and a vibrant cocktail bar, this new boutique hotel welcomes locals in but also provides a serene haven for guests with a heated outdoor pool in its center courtyard.

I recently spent a weekend in Fishtown: Here are the best places to eat and drink and things to do in 48 hours in this up-and-coming Philadelphia neighborhood. (Plus, how to get there on points!)

Since I live in New York City and don't own a car, the easiest way for me to get to Fishtown was via Amtrak train. It took about 1 1/2 hours to get from New York's Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station to Philadelphia's William H. Gray III 30th Street Station on the Northeast Regional train. (Faster Acela trains make the trip in a little over an hour.)

With dozens of departures a day, it's easy to snag last-minute tickets, but you'll save money by booking in advance. I paid about $200 for round-trip coach class fares a couple of days before my trip. However fares start from $10 or 375 Amtrak Guest Rewards points each way if you book a month or so out. It's also possible to get business-class tickets on an Acela train starting around $58 or 2,175 Amtrak Guest Rewards points each way if you plan ahead.

I don't travel on Amtrak frequently enough to warrant getting an Amtrak credit card, but if you do, the Amtrak Guest Rewards® Mastercard® offers 2 points per dollar spent on Amtrak travel, including onboard purchases, and