Inhabited by the Leni Lenape people long before European settlers arrived in the late 1600s, Fishtown, just 2.5 miles northeast of the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, was named for the fisheries and smokehouses that processed the abundant herring-like shad caught from the Delaware River.
The ensuring centuries saw continuous commercial activity, from shipbuilding and steam engines to sugar and sporting goods. In the late 1990s, when Fishtown had dangerously declined, residents began reclaiming their streets while restaurateurs, artists and other trailblazers catalyzed a dramatic revival.
Retaining an authentic urban edge with an eclectic arts, hospitality and retail scene amid quaint residential streets, Fishtown’s renewed vibrancy includes these group draws.
Opened in August 2024, Hotel Anna & Bel is a charming 50-room boutique with awards that include a Michelin Key. Updating a former women’s asylum and retirement home from 1789, property highlights include a heated outdoor pool and small group spaces, including the restaurant, bar, outdoor patio and intimate meeting room.
Crowned “Best Pizza in America” by Bon Appétit in 2015, Pizzeria Beddia now boasts a Michelin Bib Gourmand for owner Joe Beddia’s scratch-made pies. Rentals in the Scandinavian-style industrial space include the Hoagie Room, a setting for a unique six-person, two-hour private dining experience. Groups of seven to 24 can also book the two-hour Pizza Party.
Michelin also recommended Suraya. Named for the owners’ Lebanese grandmother, this inviting market, restaurant and garden is for upscale Middle Eastern dishes. Flexible rentals include the 26-seat Fireplace Room and full buyouts, which are required to incorporate the 88-capacity Garden.
In 2011, celebrated Philadelphia restaurateur Stephen Starr accelerated Fishtown’s renaissance with German-style biergarten Frankford Hall, featuring brews, brats and group dining.
Updating the historic 1912 Ajax Metal Building, The Fillmore Philadelphia live entertainment venue, incorporating the Foundry Club, turned 10 last year. Accommodating 3,000-capacity events, the Fillmore, Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia and Punch Line comedy club form a compact event campus.
Located by Penn Treaty Park, where Pennsylvania founder William Penn signed a Treaty of Friendship with the Leni Lenape people in 1682, Riversuites at the Battery forms part of the mixed-use redevelopment of a former 1923 waterfront power station that includes event venue The Switch House from local operator Cescaphe. The 43-room boutique is part of nearby Rivers Casino Philadelphia.
