Part of the NW Philly family | ZIP Code 19119
The Short Version
Mt. Airy is the kind of neighborhood people move to and never leave. Tucked between Germantown and Chestnut Hill on a natural ridge above the Wissahickon gorge, it’s got the trees, the architecture, the bookstores, the co-ops, the farmers market, the trail access, and the community institutions to back up every bit of its reputation. It’s a neighborhood with deep roots, a strong civic identity, and a commercial strip that feels like a small-town main street inside a major American city.
If you’ve ever said you want “more house, more trees, and more quiet” without giving up a real neighborhood, Mt. Airy is probably what you’ve been looking for.
A Little History
Mt. Airy’s name goes back to 1750, when William Allen, a wealthy Philadelphia merchant, attorney, and former mayor, built his summer estate on the hilltop here and called it “Mount Airy” for the cool breezes that swept across the ridge. (The elevation advantage is real, by the way. Mt. Airy genuinely feels a few degrees cooler than Center City in summer.) The surrounding neighborhood eventually took the estate’s name, and by the time Philadelphia absorbed it in the 19th century, it was already known as a place apart.
But the chapter of Mt. Airy history that really defines the neighborhood today starts in the 1950s. When blockbusting, white flight, and racial steering were tearing apart neighborhoods across Philadelphia and the country, a group of Mt. Airy residents made a deliberate choice to do something different. They organized, they pushed back against discriminatory real estate practices, and they actively worked to maintain an integrated community. The Allens Lane Art Center was founded in 1953 as an explicitly integrated arts institution, at a time when that was a radical act. West Mt. Airy Neighbors followed, committed to community organizing around integration and neighborhood stability.
The result is a neighborhood that has been genuinely, intentionally diverse for over 70 years: racially, economically, religiously, politically. That’s not marketing copy. It’s the actual story, and it’s one of the things that makes Mt. Airy unlike almost anywhere else in the city.
Mt. Airy Today
Mt. Airy has two commercial hearts. The first is cobblestoned Germantown Avenue, locally called “The Ave”, lined with independent shops, restaurants, bookstores, galleries, coffee shops, a wine bar, a brewery, and a circus arts school. Almost no chains. The kind of place where you run into your neighbors every time you walk out the door.
The second is Mt. Airy Village, centered around Carpenter Lane near Greene Street in West Mt. Airy. This is where you’ll find Weavers Way Co-op, Big Blue Marble Bookstore, High Point Cafe, and the Saturday farmers market, a cluster of beloved institutions that form the quiet, walkable heart of the west side.
Weavers Way Co-op started in a church basement in 1972 and has grown to multiple locations across NW Philly. It’s more than a grocery store, it’s a community institution, an economic model, and something of a neighborhood living room all at once.
The annual community calendar is genuinely packed. Mt. Airy Day in the spring, the Mt. Airy Village Fair in the fall, and the Go Mt. Airy Supper Sessions in summer, when two blocks of Germantown Avenue close to traffic for food trucks, live music, and alfresco dining, are all fixtures on the NW Philly social calendar.
Things to Do
Weavers Way Co-op, 559 Carpenter Lane (plus Mercantile across the street)
The heart of West Mt. Airy, going strong for over 50 years. Full natural grocery, massive bulk department, and the Mercantile across the street for local crafts, vintage goods, and plants. Member-owned, community-run, and worth the membership.
Big Blue Marble Bookstore, 551 Carpenter Lane
An independent, LGBTQ-owned bookstore with a curated selection that reflects the neighborhood perfectly. Great for kids’ books, local authors, and finding something you didn’t know you needed.
Allens Lane Art Center, 6601 Greene St
One of the oldest intentionally integrated arts institutions in the country. Theater, visual arts, classes, and community programming year-round. A genuine neighborhood treasure.
Mt. Airy Art Garage, 6438 Greene St
A community art space focused on visual arts and youth programming, with rotating exhibitions including the annual Black Art Matters show.
The Sedgwick Theater, 7137 Germantown Ave
A gorgeous 1920s Art Deco movie palace that’s home to Quintessence Theatre Group. Seeing a show here is a Mt. Airy rite of passage.
Philadelphia School of Circus Arts, 5533 Germantown Ave
Yes, really. A full circus arts school inside a 26,000-square-foot Gothic church, with regular performances open to the public. One of those only-in-Philadelphia things.
Sook Vinyl & Vintage, Germantown Ave
A Black-owned record shop and listening room. The kind of place you wander into and lose an hour.
Walk a Crooked Mile Books, Mt. Airy train station
A large used bookstore tucked inside the Mt. Airy regional rail station. One of the best browsing experiences in NW Philly.
Eat + Drink
Mt. Airy punches above its weight for food and drink, especially for a neighborhood that’s not exactly on the tourist trail. The concentration of good, independent spots along and around The Ave is genuinely impressive.
Malelani Cafe, 6734 Germantown Ave
Mediterranean-inspired, warm and welcoming, with live music most weekends. The Greek salad is not to be skipped.
McMenamin’s Tavern, 7170 Germantown Ave
The quintessential Mt. Airy neighborhood bar. Irish pub vibes, good beer selection, and a room full of regulars who’ve been coming for decades. Exactly what a neighborhood bar should be.
Bar Lizette, 7150 Germantown Ave
A wine bar with natural wines, small plates, and a relaxed, neighborhood-first vibe. A welcome addition to The Ave.
Toska Restaurant & Brewery, 7136 Germantown Ave
Mt. Airy’s own brewery, inspired by Mt. Airy Restaurant Week and now a neighborhood anchor. House-brewed beers and a solid food menu.
High Point Cafe, 474 Carpenter Lane
A down-to-earth neighborhood coffee shop famous for hand-crafted crepes. The kind of spot that becomes your Saturday morning ritual.
Downtime Bakery, Germantown Ave
Fresh-baked daily: bagels, pies, pastries. Get there early.
Zsa’s Ice Cream, 6616 Germantown Ave
A Mt. Airy institution, now under new ownership and better than ever. Seriously from-scratch ice cream with rotating seasonal flavors. Think pretzel strawberry peanut butter, Earl Grey tea, and toasted graham cracker crumble. You order out back, wait with a crowd of neighbors, and it is absolutely worth it. One of those places that makes a neighborhood feel like home.
Outdoors
Mt. Airy’s western edge runs directly into the Wissahickon Valley Park, and that access is a genuine selling point for people who live here. Trail entrances off Forbidden Drive, Cresheim Valley, and Lincoln Drive put you into over 50 miles of hiking and biking trails within minutes of your front door. The Wissahickon is one of the great urban natural amenities in any American city, and Mt. Airy residents have some of the best access to it.
The neighborhood also has a Saturday farmers market at Carpenter Lane and Greene Street (seasonal, May through fall), plenty of tree-canopied residential streets that are genuinely beautiful to walk, and a community that takes its green spaces seriously.
(For a deep dive into the Wissahickon, check out our dedicated outdoor guide.)
The Housing Stock
Mt. Airy has one of the most diverse and interesting housing stocks in NW Philly. Victorian twins and singles, stone Colonials, early 20th century rowhomes, a handful of larger detached properties. There’s genuine range here, and the quality of construction tends to be excellent. Cobblestoned blocks, mature street trees, and front porches define the residential streetscape.
Price points vary depending on size, condition, and which side of The Ave you’re on. West Mt. Airy tends to run higher than East Mt. Airy, with the larger singles and twins on the west side drawing significant interest from buyers coming from Fishtown, South Philly, and other parts of the city who are ready for more space without giving up neighborhood character.
Want to know what’s on the market right now and what things are actually selling for? Let’s talk.
Getting Around
Mt. Airy is one of the best-connected neighborhoods in NW Philly. SEPTA’s Chestnut Hill East regional rail line serves East Mt. Airy (Mt. Airy, Sedgwick, Stenton, and Washington Lane stations), while the Chestnut Hill West line serves West Mt. Airy (Allen Lane, Carpenter, Upsal, and Tulpehocken stations). Either way, you’re looking at roughly 25-30 minutes to Center City, which is competitive with a lot of neighborhoods much closer to downtown.
The SEPTA 23 bus runs up and down Germantown Avenue. And for everyday errands, The Ave is walkable enough that many residents rarely need to get in the car.
The Bottom Line
Mt. Airy is one of those neighborhoods that rewards you for paying attention. The longer you spend here, the more you find: another great shop, another community event, another trail entrance you hadn’t noticed, another neighbor who’s been here for 30 years and knows everything. It’s a neighborhood with real roots, real character, and a community that genuinely gives a damn.
If you’re thinking about buying in Mt. Airy, or just want to understand the market here, we’d love to help.
Questions about Mt. Airy real estate? Reach us at hello@nwphilly.com or 917.691.9093.
NW Philly | Northwest Philadelphia Lifestyle and Real Estate | nwphilly.com