Curbed Cup Final Four: (11) Mt. Airy vs. (15) Tacony

The Curbed Cup, our annual award for the neighborhood of the year, has entered the Final Four! Four Philly neighborhoods are still in the running to be crowned the Best Neighborhood of the Year. Let the eliminations commence!

Mt. Airy

As one Mt. Airy resident put it, like many Philly neighborhoods, this leafy neighborhood has a strong sense of community. “Parents and neighbors participate in kids' local schools, we know our neighbors' names, and we are welcoming to all backgrounds, ages, and lifestyles.” Indeed, Mt. Airy pitches itself as an inclusive, historically integrated neighborhood—with Oprah’s seal of approval—that has the benefit of having the Wissahickon in its backyard.

Meanwhile, its stretch of Germantown Avenue is lined with locally-owned retail and restaurants, including Weavers Way, the oldest co-op market in the region. Even older buildings are seeing new life: The Lovett Library just underwent a top-to-bottom renovation, bringing its dated look into the 21st century, complete with a park in the heart of the community.

Photo by Mural Arts for Tacony Lab

Tacony

You won’t find major mixed-use developments and big-name retailers in Tacony. Here’s what you will discover: A thriving retail corridor with local businesses setting up shop. A beautiful historic library made for the 21st century. A riverfront packed with potential, including a new charter school. The long-time residential neighborhood has seen small, but significant changes thanks to efforts by the Tacony Development Community Corporation, which has played a role in attracting new businesses, artists, and more to its streets. It may be described as one of those “middle neighborhoods” that’s somewhere between success and distress, but Tacony is arguably on the up and up.

Which neighborhood should advance: Lovely Mt. Airy or thriving Tacony? Polls are open for 24 hours!