MANAYUNK - 19127

Manayunk, is located NW of Center City on the banks of the Schuylkill River. This historic community has been substantially gentrified over recent years. Due to its nightlife venues, Manayunk attracts visitors from all over the Delaware Valley as well as internationally and is called “home” by many young professionals and families who live and enjoy its village-like setting. Manayunk's development is greatly attributed to the canal, as it was a stable waterway providing transportation and water for mills and enabled the shipment of goods within a 108-mile span of navigable waters. The Canal, completed in 1819 along with Flat Rock Dam, facilitated a difficult section of the river. The Canal remains much as it did in 1819, with some of the old mills surrounding it. The mule towpath has become a biking/hiking trail. The neighborhood offers unique shopping and dining with over 50 fashionable boutiques and 30 restaurants and eateries. With over 20 furniture and home furnishings stores, Main Street offers one of the largest concentration of furniture stores on the East Coast.

The name “Manayunk” comes from the Lenape Indian’s language and was originally called “Manaiung”, their word for river, which literally translates to “a place to drink”. Several immigrant groups established and maintained their own places of worship, including: St. John the Baptist, St. Lucy's, St. Mary's, St. Josaphat's, giving rise to Manayunk's "church steeples in a hill town village" character. The Episcopal Church of St. David's, Manayunk, was founded December 3, 1831 as well as Josie D Heard AME church founded in 1924. Manayunk has kept its small-town charm with its small 2 and 3-story row homes, cobblestone paving, and hilly streets. Residents have renovated the small row homes characteristic of the area. Increasing demand for housing has led to the conversion of former mills into loft apartments, new construction townhomes and replacement of empty storefronts with upscale shops.

Manayunk is an integral part of "America's top international cycling classic, and one of the richest and most prestigious one day races outside of Europe." The Philadelphia International Championship is an annual bicycle race held in Philadelphia, PA and described as one of the longest single-day races in the U.S. at 199.6 kilometres (124.0 mi). The men's event is ranked 1.HC by the International Cycling Union (UCI), the sport's governing body, which makes it the highest ranking single-day race in the Western Hemisphere and the women's race, the Liberty Classic. The Manayunk Wall, is part of Levering Street, but it becomes Lyceum Avenue at Tower Street. The steepest section of The Wall is a 17-percent grade.

Local public schools serving Manayunk include Dobson Elementary School and Roxborough High School. Manayunk is easily accessible to Center City and surrounding suburbs via public transportation (bus and rail) as well as I-76 and City Line Avenue.