SOCIETY HILL

Nearby Neighborhoods: Old City, Head House Square,  Penns Landing, Washington Square West, Queen Village.

Known for: Historic colonial homes, Washington Square Park, Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell

When you hear the name Society Hill,  you most likely picture an elegant neighborhood with breathtaking architecture. That is exactly what this beautiful and very historic, Philadelphia neighborhood reflects; with streets that boast the largest concentration of original 18th-and early 19th century architecture of any place in the United States. You may run across a cobblestone street, alleyways with cascading greenery, and intimate garden squares that belong to the Independent Park Service, while hearing the clop clop of the horse-drawn carriages, to complete the picture. 

In the early 1900’s Society Hill, which starts at the western edge of the Delaware River, was a shipping hub that housed many wholesale markets and trade shops, such as those with stone masons and blacksmiths. As many immigrants worked in the trade industry, they naturally put down roots in this neighborhood. Over the years the markets diminished and the neighborhood fell into disrepair. Although there were plans to restore many of the original homes in this neighborhood as early as 1929, restorations didn’t get underway until well into the 1950’s and ‘60’s. Today,  you will find historic homes with several brick chimneys, bilco doors and very old, distorted glass windows, sharing the block with 1960’s -1980’s (think I.M.Pei) modern, metal and glass construction. South Street/ Headhouse District and Society Hill Civic Association are two organizations that support residents with community resources, events and neighborhood opportunities. 

On the northern western edge of the neighborhood sits the most famous of Philadelphia’s historic sites, as well.  Aside from the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and The Philosophical Society, to name a few, there is Washington Square Park.  When you enter the park, which is one of the five original squares laid out in 1682 by William Penn, you are stricken by the verdant, centuries old trees, the fountain in the middle, the eternal flame at  Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (of the American Revolution) as well as the buzz of neighbors and visitors. This activity belies the fact that Washington Square was once used as a potter’s field for those felled by an epidemic that swept the city. This is a neighborhood that you can stroll through 100 times and still discover new nooks and crannies.  It has, since the mid-century redevelopment, been a very stable neighborhood. Just as often as you’ll see parents walking their children to the excellent McCall Elementary School, you will also bump shoulders with empty nesters taking full advantage of the excellent walking score, easy access to grocers, restaurants and many well-regarded medical professionals.