Spruce Hill - Philadelphia, PA Area Guide

Most of the residential architecture in Spruce Hill dates back to the mid-late 1800s and early 1900s, when the neighborhood developed as a streetcar suburb for Center City Philadelphia. The streetcar lines that were responsible for the area developing and flourishing centuries ago remain in use today, continuing to support the connection between the neighborhood and Center City Philadelphia.

The University of the Sciences, established in 1821, and The University of Pennsylvania, founded in 1740, also played a central role in the development of the area, defining Spruce Hill’s position as a bedroom community for these institutions.

A variety of cultural institutions call Spruce Hill home, including the Walnut Street West Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library of Philadelphia. The library has been serving community members since 1895, and the internationally recognized Slought Foundation hosts art exhibits and engaging lectures at their headquarters in the neighborhood.

The thriving, homegrown restaurant scene in Spruce Hill offers some of the most eclectic dining and drinking options in the city. There are several Ethiopian restaurants as well as Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Indian, Senegalese, Mexican, Greek, Thai and Vietnamese options to choose from.

For fans of Indian food, there are two all-you-can-eat Indian buffet restaurants, an a la carte restaurant and a chat house in the neighborhood. Tandoor India offers a BYOB buffet option, whereas New Delhi has a bar in addition to the buffet. A long-time favorite in the neighborhood, New Delhi has been serving the community since 1988, claiming its place as the oldest Indian food restaurant in the city. Desi Village, best known for the signature chicken tikka masala dish, serves up an a la carte menu featuring flavors from the villages of India. Desi Chaat House, the latest and most unique addition to the Indian food scene in the neighborhood, serves up a wide variety of chaat, or Indian snack food, with spice levels ranging from “mild to wild.”

For coffee lovers, Spruce Hill boasts two different locations of the Green Line Cafe, a locally owned and operated coffee house that serves organic, fair-trade coffee and locally sourced foods. Named after the green trolley lines that run through West Philadelphia, including Spruce Hill, the Green Line Cafe locations have been a beloved fixture in the neighborhood for over 10 years.

When it comes to modern comfort food, head to Wishbone for some craft fried chicken. The mac & cheese will knock your socks off with chipotle tomato seasoning, house-made chicken sausage and crispy pretzel topping. Wash it down with a local, all-natural soda from the soda fountain, like Pennsylvania Birch Beer, or BYOB for something stronger.

Plenty of nightlife spots dot the Spruce Hill area. The neighborhood is home to hookah lounges, a few music venues and casual bars. The Cockpit blends a club atmosphere on the first floor with a dive bar above it, catering to any type of evening out. Be sure to check out the Millcreek Tavern to play a game of pool or grab a beer with a friend.

Like most of the University City neighborhood, Spruce Hill is well connected to public transport and is very bike and pedestrian friendly. The SEPTA Market-Frankford Line runs along the north side of Spruce Hill, providing access to Center City via subway. Several of the Subway-Surface Trolley Lines in West Philadelphia run through Spruce Hill as well, creating easy and convenient trolley connections into Center City.

Free on-street parking is available on most of the neighborhood’s streets, and the neighborhood provides easy access by car from several of Philadelphia’s main arteries, including I-76 and I-676. For those that don’t have a car in the city, Enterprise Car Share and Zip Car have cars located throughout the neighborhood.

Taxi services dispatch drivers quickly to the area when called, and taxis can also be flagged down on the streets in the busier areas of the neighborhood. Uber serves as another popular car service option in the neighborhood.

For travels further afield, the Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) sits only about 7 miles away, usually making for a roughly 15-20 minute drive. All of the subway and trolley lines that serve Spruce Hill connect to the 30th Street Train Station where SEPTA shuttle trains run to and from the airport every 30 minutes.

Clark Park plays a major role in defining the nature of the Spruce Hill neighborhood. One of the most popular parks in the city and certainly in West Philadelphia, Clark Park plays host to a popular year-round farmers' market, non-profit flea markets hosted by Uhuru, outdoor film festivals, music festivals and other community events. Clark Park also has a large playground area for the kids and an unofficial dog run area, known as “the dog bowl.”

Several pop-up Parklets are located in the Spruce Hill neighborhood as well. These Parklets creatively transform on-street parking spaces into platforms that provide additional outdoor dining spaces for the community as well as additional green space, thanks to attractive built-in planter boxes and landscaping.

As part of University City, cost of living expenses run around 28 percent less than in Center City Philadelphia. Generally speaking, apartments are larger and there is more green space than in Center City Philadelphia as well, making it an even better value. Average prices for a one-bedroom apartment run in the range of $995 per month, with most of the available apartments located in historic buildings.

Most streets in the neighborhood provide free on-street parking options, and gas prices are roughly 10 percent higher than the national average. Public transports options via the subway or trolley lines cost a flat fee of $2.25 in cash or $1.80 with a pre-paid token to anywhere in Philadelphia, including Center City.

A typical pint of beer runs around $4 at the neighborhood bars, with craft and imports pricing upwards from there, but happy hour specials are as low as $2 a pint.

In a neighborhood that never sleeps, the Fresh Grocer (now affiliated with the Shop Rite chain) stays open 24/7. In addition to groceries, this enormous grocery store also has a sushi bar, fresh pizza bar, hot bar, sandwich bar and snack bar. There are also 24-hour drug stores (CVS) and convenience market locations (7-Eleven) in the neighborhood.

Retail commerce is mostly concentrated around the 40th Street corridor at the western edge of the UPenn campus and along the Baltimore Avenue commercial corridor. While there are practical chain stores in the neighborhood like Radio Shack, a nice collection of independently owned and operated stores are more typical of the neighborhood’s character.

The Bottle Shop at Local 44 stocks hundreds of unique craft beers by the bottle, which can be purchased to enjoy at home or at the shop. At The Last Word Bookshop, used books are stacked to the ceiling, typically marked at half the cover price, and the shop is usually open until midnight.

Spruce Hill hosts one of the most popular farmers' markets in the city, located in Clark Park. Open year round, the Clark Park Farmers’ Market features local specialty items, flowers and Amish-run stands as well as organic baked goods, produce, meats and eggs.

The infamous Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll event, a huge attraction for the neighborhood, takes place twice a year. People come from all around the neighborhood and city to stroll along Baltimore Avenue and sample a variety of foods, drinks, craft beer and goods that merchants offer for only $1. Live music and entertainment help to complete this memorable experience.