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Manayunk Information
Manayunk is a neighborhood in the northwestern section of the United States
city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Located on the banks of the Schuylkill
River, it contains the first canal begun in the United States (although not the
first completed due to budget problems). The name comes from the language of the
Lenape Indians (who were later renamed the Delaware Indians by Europeans).
Manayunk is their name for the Schuylkill River, which literally translates "our
place for drinking". Manayunk's zip code is 19127.
Although historically a working class community, in recent years the
neighborhood has been gentrified substantially. Today's residents are mostly
middle to upper middle class, with a fair share of yuppies. Housing in Manayunk
is fairly expensive. In 2005, the median home sale price was $246,750. This was
an increase by 34% over the median price in 2004.
Map of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania highlighting Manayunk Borough prior
to the Act of Consolidation, 1854Manayunk was originally a community in
Roxborough Township, Philadelphia County situated near the Schuylkill, south of
the Wissahickon. The town started out as Flat Rock in 1810, the name coming from
a peculiar flat rock lying on the lower side of the bridge, which was
subsequently called Flat Rock Bridge. The Bridge was part of the Flat Rock
Turnpike connecting Roxborough Township with Merion Township.
The settlement had its origin from the construction of the dam, canal and locks
there by the Schuylkill Navigation Company. These works were finished about the
end of the year 1818, and, the water-power being extensive, the Navigation
Company sought for lessees of the power for use in mills and factories. Capt.
John Towers was the second person who bought a water right and erected an
oil-mill. After that purchases of water-power and the erection of mills and
factories increased greatly, and the place became important as a manufacturing
village. Manayunk at the time was populated by a mix of German, Irish and Polish
immigrants as well as a sizable African American population.
After a time the inhabitants became dissatisfied with the name Flat Rock, and
held meetings on the subject. On one such an occasion, in 1824, it was resolved
to adopt for the place one of the names of the River Schuylkill, and from that
time the village was known as Manayunk, from the Lenape moneyung or
manaiung("where we go to drink"). The borough of Manayunk was incorporated June
11, 1840.
The borough would only last for 14 years though. In 1854 Manayunk as well as the
rest of the boroughs, townships, and districts making up Philadelphia County
were disbanded and merged into the City of Philadelphia, through the Act of
Consolidation, 1854. Even though it was no longer a separate entity the
community maintained its small-town charm and became one of the neighborhoods of
the city, continuing to be one of the manufacturing centers of the city for the
next 100 years.
In the 1980s, Manayunk suffered from the decline of manufacturing jobs and had
many empty storefronts along Main Street, its primary commercial street. In the
1990s, Manayunk's rebirth could be attributed to the opening of several upscale
restaurants on Main Street. These restaurants were backed by developers who
promoted Manayunk as a place to visit. Manayunk retained its small-town charm
with its small 2- and 3-story rowhomes, cobblestone paving, and hilly streets.
Many people who visited decided to stay and renovate the small rowhomes
characteristic of the area. Demand for housing in the area has lead to the
converting of the former mills into loft apartments, and upscale shops started
replacing the empty storefronts and mom-and-pop stores. In 2004, a new
condominium tower was built on part of Venice Island, and in 2005 there are
plans to build more condominium towers to replace the closed soap and paper
factories.
Main street continues on as Umbria street when heading West. Originally Umbria
Street was Washington Street but the name was changed concurrent with a large
influx of Italian immigrants at the turn of the century. Consolo's bakery was a
well-known Italian bakery located on Hermitage Street. This family business
closed in the 1970s. Originally, Domenico Consolo started his business on Main
Street but moved to the site on Hermitage Street in 1924, which had previously
been a German bakery. A distinctive product was "regonade" from the word
oregano. It is a bread product, in the shape of a ring, where the cross section
has a jelly-roll-like structure--the roll bread separating layers of paprika,
oregano, and oil.
Near the end of the American Civil War, a Canonicus-class monitor was launched
as USS Manayunk. However, when she was commissioned four years later, the ship
was renamed to USS Ajax by the prominent Philadelphian Secretary of the Navy
Adolph E. Borie.
The "Manayunk Wall" is an inclined street, comprising all of Levering Avenue
and a few blocks of Lyceum Avenue, that is a part of the Philadelphia
International Championship, an annual one day bicycle race. The "wall" begins at
Main Street in Manayunk and most years ends at Pechin Street in Roxborough.
The SEPTA R6 Norristown ex-Reading Railroad rail line runs through Manayunk,
partly along an elevated structure above Cresson Street. The Manayunk train
station is located on this elevated section. The other end of the R6 line used
to have a stop in Manayunk before the line was cut back to its current terminus
in Cynwyd. This line used the landmark Manayunk bridge, a concrete railroad
viaduct built by the Pennsylvania Railroad which spans the Schuylkill River.
This Manayunk bridge is an iconic symbol of Manayunk.