FISHTOWN.tyler+cait.project

"New businesses in Fishtown are clearly looking to attract new residents with high disposable incomes. The area claimes five antique shops--including Hip-E-Chic, which sells everything from sexy fishnet stockings and bellybutton rings to vintage dresses and retro furniture.

Johnny Brenda's Tavern, open since September, draws a steady stream of hipsters from the neighborhood and beyond. DJs spin punk and indie rock while patrons down regionally brewed beers.

There are other signs of gentrification taking hold. For decades locals got their exercise playing hoops at the Fishtown rec center or splashing around the "swimmo"--the public pool. Now there's a yoga studio in the neighborhood. Property values are moving faster than a Harley racing to the Handle Bar. Fishtown homes now routinely fetch $200,000 and more.

But the most definitive sign that gentrification is well underway is that parking along Girard Avenue has become a challenge."

::Philadelphia Weekly::