How to have the perfect staycation in Manayunk

During seven years living above his comic book shop, J.D. Holden watched Manayunk evolve from a college party town to a low-key, family-friendly village.

“When I first got here it was a little college-friendly — it was a lot of bar scene sort of stuff,” he said. “But it seems to be making this slow transition to more young families [in the neighborhood].”

These days you’ll find a wholesome hustle and bustle down Main Street. Kids swarm Tubby Robot for a swirl of chocolate peanut butter ice cream, couples share a pie with cheese under the sauce at the Couch Tomato Café & Bistro, and folks pop into Holden’s Johnny Destructo’s Hero Complex to peruse comic books.

The crowd brings a comforting sense of community that echoes along the renovated Victorian storefronts and mill buildings welcoming visitors and residents alike to stay awhile.

“Main Street is where stuff happens,” said Ryan Connelly, owner of Pilgrim Roasters. “Everybody comes down here whether they’re grabbing coffee, getting dinner, going to a festival — this is the spot.”

Just a 20-minute drive from Center City, the hill neighborhood defined by a historic canal offers a small town vibe evoking its Lenape name for the “place to drink.”

Holden’s storefront, which he shares with his wife, Su-Shan Lai, who runs Starshine Salon in the back, sits amongst restaurants and bars that cater to families like his looking for some neighborly fun.

“[Manayunk] is a very nice place to bring your family, walk up and down the street, get some good food, some drinks, and support small businesses,” Holden said.

From beer and burger bars, to a theater on an island between the Manayunk Canal and Schuylkill, the neighborhood has plenty of homey restaurants, buzzy breweries, and outdoor activities. Here’s what locals recommend for a day in Manayunk.

Connelly says this bright blue elevated dive bar is known for its “great beers [and] fantastic burgers.” Lucky’s Last Chance is also the neighborhood hotspot for hospitality professionals — you may spot the Taqueria Amor restaurant staff there off the clock.

Pick a seat at the cozy, intimate bar or at one of the high tops. Order a pint of IPA or pilsner and your burger of choice. The burgers come in a toasted Liscio’s roll with a balanced meat-to-roll ratio.

Try the best seller: a beef patty topped with cheese, a heaping pile of mac and cheese, and more cheese. Or the PK Burger, with a four-ounce beef patty stacked atop cheddar, caramelized onions, and sour cream — plus two pierogies, for good measure. For vegan diners, the Impossible All American burger made with a single quarter-pound plant-based patty is the way to go.

📍 4421 Main St., 📞 215-509-6005, 🌐 luckyslastchance.com, 🕒 Daily 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Bright and colorful inside and out, this taqueria invites people walking down Main Street to grab a quick bite or a long lunch. The menu covers everything from nachos to enchiladas to tres leches cake.

Order the Ensenada, Mexico-style fish taco bowl: crispy tempura battered tilapia on a bed of red rice, fresh avocado slices, cabbage slaw, radishes, and a drizzle of chipotle mayo with a mango margarita for a hearty dining experience. There is carne asada, carnitas burgers, and brisket enchiladas for meat lovers. For something vegetarian, try the cauliflower tacos with a red chile garbanzo puree and honey lime yogurt dressing.

While sweet, milky tres leches sponge cake is a good idea, don’t ignore the sweet plantain sundae with cajeta de celaya (sweetened caramelized goat’s milk).

📍 4410 Main St., 📞 267-331-5874, 🌐 taqueriaamor.com, 🕒 Sunday noon to 8 p.m., Monday to Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Savor Persian delights and drinks amongst the philodendrons, hoyas, rat tail cacti, and other plants scattered throughout this charming boutique nursery on Main Street.

Sit in the cafe and dive into a pita wrap stuffed with a halal chicken patty and tangy yogurt. The baklava pairs well with the Turkish supreme iced coffee or the sour cherry sharbat. And the lightly sweet saffron ice cream is a must-try.

📍 4165 Main St., 🌐 safaplantcompany.com, 🕒 Friday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Pop into the vegan bakery’s two-year-old storefront for vibrantly decorated pop tarts, cherry Danish buns, gluten-free s’mores bars, zucchini loaf slices, and more. Whole six-inch cakes, along with tiramisu, cheesecake, and ice cream cake cups sit in the freezers for your picking. Vegan soft serve swirls and sundaes are offered, too.

Note that the bakery requires you to wear a mask while in the store. There are masks available at the door.

📍 4409 Main St., 🌐 crustveganbakery.com, 🕒 Wednesday and Thursday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Walk into this purple painted bar on Main Street and you won’t find a drop of alcohol. The Volstead is Philly’s only zero-proof bar, part of the growing national zero-proof scene. And while the drinks are booze-free, they’re expertly created for drinkers and nondrinkers alike to enjoy.

Sip on a citrus nonalcoholic mezcal cocktail or a can of Athletic Brewing Lite with a shot of Ritual Zero Proof whiskey as you treat yourself to tempeh frites for dinner and chocolate flourless cake for dessert from their vegan menu.

📍 4371 Main St., 📞 267-437-3194, 🌐 volsteadzeroproof.com, 🕒 Wednesday and Thursday 4 to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday noon to 10 p.m., Sunday noon to 8 p.m.

For college students looking to get some work done with a good cup of coffee, head to Volo. This bright, airy coffeehouse offers free WiFi, plenty of tables on the first floor with views of Main Street, and a quiet workspace upstairs. Cold brews, lattes, Americanos, and teas are all on tap with fun specials like the strawberry mocha latte. Munch on a salad or panini if you get hungry.

📍 4360 Main St., 📞 215-483-4580, 🌐 facebook.com/volocoffeehouse, 🕒 Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

From cotton mill to wool mill to brewing company, this building at the east end of Main Street has seen a few changes. But remnants of its past lives remain inside — in the front foyer, you can still see the original industrial scale for weighing wool.

Order the Schuylkill Punch, a wheat ale brewed with raspberries. But then, there’s also Guinness draught, citrus IPA, sour tripel, bold, toast-y American stout, and more on tap. Cocktails include a spiced mule and a blueberry vodka sipper. Pair your drink with sweet and spicy mahogany wings or a fig jam and feta cheese flatbread.

📍 4120 Main St., 📞 215-482-8220, 🌐 manayunkbrewery.com,🕒 Tuesday to Thursday noon to midnight, Friday and Saturday noon to 1 a.m., Sunday noon to 9 p.m.

Venture into the circus at Fat Lady Brewing, where Janie Jones welcomes you to be your true self. The fictional circus character created by owner Jane Lipton is found throughout the bi-level brewery, promoting an inclusive environment “built on empathy and acceptance; based on the understanding that we need to be open to other perspectives,” according to the website. For those looking to enjoy local craft beers, try the soft, pillowy wheat and oat swirl with fruity hops in the Haxe Fix IPA or a black cherry cider.

📍 4323 Main St., 📞 267-748-2282, 🌐 fatladybrewing.com, 🕒 Monday 6 to 10 p.m., Tuesday to Thursday 4 to 10 p.m., Friday 2 p.m. to midnight, Saturday 11 a.m. to midnight, Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

If you’re looking for an outdoor beer garden, Max Molseed of Taqueria Amor and Meagan Benz of Crust Vegan Bakery recommend the seasonal pop-up on Jamestown Avenue.

Find margaritas and other cocktails, canned beers, wine, draft beers, frozen sippers, and nonalcoholic drinks to enjoy with munchables, including fried cheese curds, freshly popped popcorn, and vegan chicken tenders. Sandwiches and salads are also on the menu.

📍 106 Jamestown Ave., 🌐 phspopupgardens.com, 🕒 Monday to Thursday 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday noon to midnight, Sunday noon to 9 p.m.

If you happen to be near the building with the red door on Grape Street after 7 p.m., chances are you’ll hear live bands, singers, and comedians doing their thing. With a long history of supporting local music, the Grape Room is the place for live entertainment in Manayunk.

There’s something for everyone, with different performers offering intimate sessions during the week. Blues jams are on Mondays, and comedy open mic night is Tuesdays. Wednesday is open jam and Thursday is open mic. Live shows take over Friday and Saturday with a calendar of local talent.

📍 105 Grape St., 📞 215-930-0321, 🌐 graperoommusic.com, 🕒 Tuesday to Thursday 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., Friday and Saturday, and Monday 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Between the Manayunk Canal and Schuylkill sits a park, recreation and performance center. It houses a theater, multipurpose rooms for classes and workshops, a riverside spray garden that keeps trees and plants watered, an outdoor amphitheater and sports court, and a green roof that retains stormwater for the spray garden.

Inside the 250-seat theater, enjoy plays, musicals, operas, concerts, poetry readings, and film festivals throughout the year. During April, catch the Shoeshine Box from Cater 2 U Entertainment and Take My Otherness from the Delaware Valley Opera Company of Philadelphia. Visit the website for a full list of performances.

📍 7 Lock St., 📞 215-685-3583, 🌐 veniceisland.org, 🕒 Monday to Friday noon to 8 p.m.

Explore the farmers market at Pretzel Park on Saturdays with various food vendors, including Walnut Run Farm and Beekdaddy.

While this park started out as Manayunk Park in 1929, residents have called the small green space near JD McGillicuddy’s Manayunk sports bar Pretzel Park, according to the park’s website. Some say the name comes from the pretzel shape of the sidewalks, while others surmise it was the pretzel vendor who used to sell them in the park.

The kid- and dog-friendly park also has a playground for your little ones.

📍 4300 Silverwood St., 🌐 friendsofpretzelpark.org

Runners, bikers, and hikers, here’s a trail for you. Beginning at Lock Street, running behind Main Street through Manayunk and ending in the Shawmont neighborhood, you’ll find two miles of boardwalk and compacted gravel trail. Walk, run, bike, or explore the scenic route with historical signage of the canal’s and Manayunk’s industrial history, plus rail lines, old canal locks, and old textile mills along the trail. Walking tours are also offered.

Tip: If you need to service or tune up your bike before your outing, consider Trek Bicycle on Main Street.

📍 Lock Street, 🌐 manayunk.com/visit-us/trails-recreation.html

Along with its numerous nature outings, the neighborhood is known for its seasonal festivals. Molseed, the general manager at Taqueria Amor who moved to the neighborhood two years ago, looks forward to them each year.

Here are two forthcoming ones to check out:

The Manayunk StrEAT Food Festival is April 23 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Food trucks and gourmet vendors will take over Main Street for a day of feasting. Plus, there will be local merchants and live musical performances from six acts on two different stages.

The Manayunk Arts Festival returns June 24-25 for one of the largest outdoor arts festivals. Explore fine arts and crafts from across the country with collectors, buyers, and designers visiting Main Street.

📍 Main Street, 🌐 manayunk.com/events