Manyunk, home to the first canal in the United States, is a neighborhood in North West Philadelphia. The neighborhood extends from the Schuykill River to Bridge Avenue and from Leverington Avenue to Lincoln Drive. The name, Manyunk, comes from the language of the Lenape Indians in which the word “Manaiung” means river, later the Indian word was Americanized and turned into Manyunk. The Manyunk Canal not only promoted development within the area but provided water power for the manufacturing industries that made Philadelphia one of the nations primary industrial cities of the time. Like other neighborhoods in Philadelphia, Manyunk was a hotspot for immigrants in the early 1900’s. With English, Irish, Italians, and Portuguese all calling Manyunk home, it quickly became a culturally diverse and unique section of Philadelphia. With the construction of the King of Prussia mall in 1960, the area took an economic hit, only really recovering 20 years ago when they began a gentrification regiment. Today the area is full of youth and opportunity with a thriving main street complete with unique shops and restaurants as well as large chain options. Manyunk offers a wide variety of recreational activities as well as affordable one-of-a-kind a housing opportunities that are sure to fit any budget.

RESOURCES

Manyunk community page 

Manyunk opportunities

Manyunk Wikipedia article