Philadelphia January 7, 2006 From my description for a PhillySkyline.com neighborhood tour: Manayunk is located on the northeast banks of the Schuylkill River, about 10 miles upstream of Center City Philadelphia. Much of the neighborhood's history revolves around the initial development and subsequent enlargement of the Manayunk Canal, which runs parallel to the Schuylkill. Merely a dream of the Schuylkill Navigation Company in 1815, the Manayunk section of the canal opened just three years later, and the entire canal was completed in 1823. The canal began to see great prosperity through the 1830s and 1840s. Originally a separate settlement, Manayunk was annexed by the city, along with Roxborough, in 1854. (It is now one of the most northwesterly neighborhoods within city limits.) Througout the 1800s, the canal provided an endless supply of power for mills and other industry. It's use reached an all-time high late 1850s, allowing it to become one of the world's leading textile production areas. In 2006, Manayunk is a very different place. Main Street features high-end retail, restaurants, and bars, leading to the street having been referred to as the "Yuppie South Street." The bar scene along Main Street has such life that the Indian meaning of the word Manayunk - "Our Place for Drinking" - shows that they may have been somewhat clairvoyant. But although Main Street dominates the neighborhood's reputation, in truth Manayunk strikes an interesting balance between trendy and middle-class. Manayunk is no longer an industrial powerhouse - it's just another one of Philadelphia's beautiful urban neighborhoods. Manayunk's location in relation to Center City Philadelphia: The photos that make up this tour were taken along this route: I started out on the northeast side of Pretzel Park. This rocky ledge is about a block northeast of the park and runs through Manayunk, separating the neighborhood. Walking up Churchview St. gives this view. Churchview St. looking east Terrace St. looking southeast Terrace St. looking northwest Terrace St. looking northwest Newer homes at Terrace and Rector Terrace St. looking southeast Boone St. To the west in the distance Lofty St. Boone St. This walkway connects Boone St, Terrace St. above, and goes down toward Tower St. Roxborough Ave. Pretzel Park Cotton St. St. Josaphat at Silverwood and Cotton Looking southeast across Pretzel Park Cotton and Cresson SEPTA Rail Lines cover Cresson St. Back of St. Josaphat Pretzel Park Cresson St. looking southeast Cotton St. Main St. looking southeast Main and Cotton - Banana Republic Women and several other shops Orbit: Crafts, Fine Art, Design, and Framing. Home to some great old Philadelphia photos. Manayunk Canal behind Main St. Venice Island playground SkyscraperSunset ATM Back on Main St. Jake's Vespas in front of a Vespa Store Sandy's Dream: One of my favorite murals, and one of the largest in the city Levering St. Mosiac off Main St.