Philly Continued... for Foodies

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South Philadelphia, particularly the Italian Market neighborhood, has a rich and complex culture owing to the many immigrant populations who have made it home over the past 150 years. This particular walking tour examines the development of the Italian Market neighborhood and its multicultural communities through the lens of its built environment, and the strong, diverse food traditions that permeate throughout. Along the way, we'll sample a variety of local treats- Italian pastries, Mexican tacos, and Vietnamese banh-mi, to reinforce our understanding of the key role that food plays in defining these communities.

Led by an urban historian or culinary expert with a particular knowledge of Philadelphia’s food scene, the tour explores the cultural layers of the Italian Market neighborhood and its vicinity, from Bella Vista through the northern Passyunk Square neighborhood. Though predominantly Italian from the beginning, we'll discuss how the area attracted Sicilian, northern and eastern European, and Chinese groups through the 1930s. And we'll see how following World War II, and especially after the 1960s, the neighborhood saw the emergence of vibrant Vietnamese, Mexican, Cambodian, Salvadoran, and Ecuadorian communities.

The open air vendors and the artisan food shops that make up the bustling 9th Street market are living testament to this heritage. While this walk has a specific focus on cuisine, exploring such foods as traditional Italian pastries by visiting such mainstays as Isgro's, which has been owned and operated by the same family for over a hundred years, you will also see many of the neighborhood’s historic sites such as the Fante Leone Bathhouse and St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church.

Through the visible remnants of the area’s industrial past, such as Philadelphia‘s once-extensive trolley system and its factory landscape, such as the Curtis Publishing Plant, you'll learn how transportation and industry helped define South Philadelphia economically from the late 19th century and into the 20th century.

Finally, you will hear stories about how the confluence of different cultures and the forces of gentrification have produced certain politics in the Italian Market neighborhood.

In the end, not only will you have eaten well, but also have experienced firsthand one of Philadelphia’s most diverse and culturally authentic neighborhoods, and one of the city’s premier areas for witnessing how America’s urban environments function in an age of increasing globalization.