A enclave including Midtown Village and the Gayborhood, Washington Square West is diverse and thriving. Midtown Village has experienced a small business boom along 13th Street, home to a collection of popular restaurants and shops while the Gayborhood, true to its name, is peppered with LGBTQ friendly restaurants and bars including perennial favorites vegetarian friendly Vedge and modern Asian fusion spot Sampan. Washington Square itself – one of the five original public squares in Philadelphia – gives the residents of this eclectic area a place to gather.

Two, three, and four-story rowhouses sit next to mid-rise apartments and mixed use commercial buildings. The original layout of the neighborhood followed William Penn’s grid, with one lane and pedestrian only side streets added as the population grew. The Washington Square West Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic places in 1984, with 450 historic buildings. Jefferson Station, just a block away, serves as the hub for SEPTA’s regional rail, the Market-Frankfort line (the “El”) takes travelers along Market street, and a variety of SEPTA and NJT bus lines service the neighborhood.

Jewelers’ Row and Historic Antique Row still thrive, but so do boutiques and high-end furniture outlets. With a Whole Foods and an Acme grocery store, eating at home is always an option, but with the abundance of restaurants available there’s no reason to. Just steps from Philadelphia’s Avenue of the Arts, Washington Square West offers quick and easy access to Broadway shows, the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra, and so much more.