Point Breeze Neighborhood Guide
By Todd Hovanec on April 11, 2020
If you’ve read anything about home sales in Philadelphia, you’ve surely read about this popular section of Philadelphia. Point Breeze has seen a tremendous amount of new home builds and sales over the past 10 years.
Along with ground-up construction projects, developers and newer DIY folks have repurposed many traditional two- and three-story Philly rowhomes in order to bring them up to date for the 21st Century.
As a result of all this investment into this area, Point Breeze, like much of the city, has seen dramatic price appreciation.
Point Breeze is so much more than just a real estate investor’s destination; it’s a fabulous, laid-back neighborhood that offers hip coffee shops, dive bars that are perfect for day drinking, gastropubs where you can find the hoppiest of IPAs and craft beers, all within easy access to the rest of the city.
What’s not to love about that!
One major amenity that Point Breeze desperately needs is a big grocery store. While corner stores and hoagie shops will get the job done for lunch, they don’t fill the gap for large order shopping choices.
Where is Point Breeze in Philadelphia?
Point Breeze is situated west of Passyunk Square, south of Southwest Center City / Graduate Hospital, and east of Gray’s Ferry. When looking at a map, Point Breeze is bounded by 25th Street on the west side, Broad Street on the east side, Washington Avenue on the north, and Mifflin Street on the south, A subsection of Point Breeze between Broad Street and 18th Street is becoming increasingly viewed as its own neighborhood, known as Newbold. The two neighborhoods are often coupled together.
Architectural Appeal
Perhaps no other neighborhood in Philadelphia has been transformed more over the last 10 years than Point Breeze. There have been countless new homes built on formerly vacant land and so the housing stock will include new or recent three-story modern rowhomes with all the standard bells and whistles: roof decks, granite counters, central air and finished basements.
Of course two- and three-story traditional Philly rowhouses are in abundance too, many of which have been rehabbed and improved with central air and updated kitchens and baths.
Along Point Breeze Avenue, and many corners in the neighborhood, you are likely to find mixed-use buildings as well (commercial on the ground floor and maybe an apartment or two above). Many of these will boast the typical Philly corner store.
Finally, Point Breeze, like many other pockets of the city, boasts small multi-family properties for sale too (typically two or three apartments in a building).
As a result of all the recent activity, Point Breeze has become one of the most popular and price-ascendant enclaves of the city. Which makes perfect sense given the easy access to jobs, parks, entertainment and amenities.
Browse homes for sale in Point Breeze
Getting Around Point Breeze
One of the best features of Point Breeze is its close proximity to Center City. Depending on where you are in the neighborhood, getting to Rittenhouse Square, for example is about a 20-minute walk by foot, or a 10-minute bike ride.
The Broad Street services the neighborhood too, depending on how far west you are of Broad Street. The Broad Street line has lots of connections, so transferring to the Market-Frankford Line at City Hall is convenient and just a few minutes away once you’re on the train.
SEPTA’s number 17, 29 and 2 bus routes also serve Point Breeze.
The Philadelphia International Airport is about 6 miles away and should require no more than 12-15 minutes to arrive when you need to travel or pick up a loved one from the airport.
Drinking & Dining
Point Breeze offers an eclectic mix of drinking and dining options that truly give it a neighborhood feel. From one-of-a-kind coffee shops to relaxed local watering holes, Point Breeze has something for every resident.
More than just a coffee shop, The Pharmacy is a unique art and music cafe. Make sure to try the delicious sweet empanadas to accompany your morning cup of joe.
On any given evening or weekend afternoon, this neighborhood stalwart is full of locals imbibing tasty suds and gorging on delicious victuals. ASB takes pride in its well curated roster of suds and food offerings (local tip: try the fried sardines and The Pioneer's Grilled Cheese sandwich!). When the weather permits, the ASB backyard is the perfect setting to meet your neighbors, catch up with friends and realize why you love living in Philadelphia.
- Hardena
Serving South Philly since 2001, this Point Breeze restaurant serves delicious and affordable Indonesian fare. Owner/chef Ena Widjojo takes pride in her work and has catered to many luminaries, including former Indonesian President Suharto. Her cuisine has been featured on Indonesian television programs and also on the late great Anthony Bourdain show, The Layover!
Local Tip: Try Hardena’s beef rendang, sautéed eggplant in a sweet red pepper sauce and fish curry!
- Burg’s Hideaway
Four dollar draft beers at happy hour? Low-key tiki inspired corner bar? Say no more! Come for the beers and stay for the burger and don’t forget to throw an egg on top!
Best Cheesesteak in Point Breeze
Unfortunately, Point Breeze needs to up its cheesesteak game! The best "steak" in the neighborhood is actually a roast beef hoagie (or standard Italian, if that’s your preference) at Melino's Hoagies, at 1501 Ellsworth St.
Melino’s is a local, no-frills icon. Their fresh sammies are generously sized and enough food for two meals for most people!
Things to Do
Bury some hatchets…
What a better way to get some aggression out than by throwing axes at a target! Bury the Hatchet’s location is on Washington Ave. (technically straddling Point Breeze and Graduate Hospital). For those who are uninitiated, throwing axes is like playing darts, only instead of throwing darts you are THROWING AXES! This activity is terrific for date night or team building. Either way, Bury the Hatchet will be a fun diversion!
See the murals…
Several notable murals adorn Point Breeze, which were painted as a result of Philadelphia’s Mural Arts Program -- a governmental program founded in 1986 as an anti-graffiti initiative. One of the most well known murals, "We the Youth", by famous NYC street artist Keith Haring, can be found on the corner of Ellsworth and 22nd Street.
Just down the block at 21st and Ellsworth is a colorful work by painter Ernel Martinez titled "Aspire: No Limits". This mural celebrates the life and legacy of community leader, father, educator Shawn White, PhD.
Give back to the community … and then shoot some hoops
In 2015, former Eagles great Connor Barwin, in tandem with his foundation, Make the World Better, renovated Ralph Brooks Park at the corner of 20th and Tasker. Barwin had previously noted on his famous bike rides around the city that the playground was in dire need of an update.
So he took action and made it happen! You can enjoy his park by shooting hoops. Some local kids will probably join you within a few minutes and then ponder Barwin’s legacy by giving back to your community in some capacity! You’ll thank Barwin later!
Market Snapshot
New construction and recently renovated homes have been a major driver of price appreciation in Point Breeze in recent years. If you are looking for a hip, up and coming neighborhood that is convenient to Center City, Point Breeze will offer a lot of attractive homes that are move-in ready.
Here are 4 properties for sale in Point Breeze that recently caught our eye:
Interested in buying a home in Point Breeze? Browse listings and see how much you could save with Prevu’s Smart Buyer commission rebate in Philadelphia.
