Living in East Falls: A Neighborhood Guide

Classic brick houses in East Falls / Photography by Jamie Giambrone/Philly Home Girls LLC

Those dammed falls

Philadelphia sits on the fall line where the Piedmont meets the Atlantic­ Coastal Plain. And East Falls got its name because it’s next to the Falls of Schuylkill. The falls are still there, but you can’t see them because the construction of the Fairmount Water Works and dam in 1812 submerged them. The name lives on, however.

Noble notables

East Falls boasts several high-profile residents, including former Mayor and Governor Ed Rendell. But its best-known ones were Olympic rowing champ John B. “Jack” Kelly Jr. and his actress sister Grace, who went on to greater fame as Princess of Monaco. What used to be East River Drive now bears his name, and the Kelly house on Henry Avenue sits just north of McMichael Park (3299 Midvale Avenue), the neighborhood’s biggest green space aside from the riverbank. And the Old Academy Players, where Grace got her start, keeps the show going at 3544 Indian Queen Lane.

Shop, sup and sip

East Falls dining: In Riva

“It’s an urban suburban oasis within Philadelphia,” fourth-generation Fallser Heather Petrone-Shook of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach Realtors says of her neighborhood. “We have great restaurants, salons, cafes, shops, stores and breweries.” One of those shops is the Rutabaga Toy Library (3426 Conrad Street), where you can borrow the toys your kids want and need and exchange them as they grow. The restaurants include In Riva, the upscale pizzeria by the river at 4116 Ridge Avenue; its sister concept The Black Squirrel Pub and Haunt (3749 Midvale Avenue), an English pub; Billy Murphy’s Irish Saloon (3333 Conrad Street), an old-school classic; and Wissahickon Brewing Company (3705 West School House Lane). For coffee, try Thunder Mug Cafe (4233 Ridge Avenue). Then there’s Vault + Vine (3507 Midvale Avenue), a cafe and gift, plant and flower shop all rolled into one.

Vault + Vine

Something for everyone

You can spend as little as $200K or as much as $2 million on a home you’ll love in the Falls. You will find brick houses close to the river and stone ones as you climb the hill. And some of the finest mid-century modern houses in the city are located in this neighborhood. But if you spot a home you like that’s on the market, be prepared to pounce: “Right now, the housing stock is limited, and houses are going under contract within days of being active on the market,” says Petrone-Shook.

Published as “Living in East Falls” in the August 2024 issue of Philadelphia magazine.