Washington Square West Area

The Territory: Generally considered to be 7th and Broad Streets, and Walnut and South Streets. Washington Square Park is located on the neighborhood’s eastern boundary.

If there were an equivalent to mid-town Manhattan in Philadelphia, Washington Square West (also called “Wash West”) could be it, considering quite convenient to Center City destinations and neighborhoods in all directions. Within an easy walk to Rittenhouse Square and Washington Square Parks as well as Broad St./Avenue of the Arts and Society Hill, the neighborhood is in the midst of a popularity surge, with many homes and buildings undergoing renovation and updates.

Washington Square West is an area with a long history of creativity that expresses itself in one form or another. It is home to a range of art clubs in Philadelphia, including the Philadelphia Sketch Club (the oldest art club in the U.S.). The area also has many notable murals done as part of Philadelphia’s Mural Arts Program and contains Philadelphia’s Antique Row on Pine Street.

Within Washington Square West is an area known as “the Gayborhood,” an approximately 20-block area with a range of bookstores, nightclubs, bars, restaurants and boutiques that serve a gay and lesbian population. Passersby might not even realize they’re in the Gayborhood, except that the street signs are decorated with a little rainbow strip running along the bottom.

The Washington Square West neighborhood contains some of the city’s best restaurants, including Vetri, one of the best Italian restaurants in the entire country; Morimoto, the original home of the Food Network’s Iron Chef; El Vez, a fun Mexican restaurant with a sophisticated menu; and Caribou Café, a bistro with a heavy French influence and menu that feels right whether you want bar food or a rich, memorable meal.

Like many primarily residential neighborhoods in Center City Philadelphia, real estate consists mostly of brick townhouses and some larger condominium buildings. On average, residential real estate costs from $650 to $800 per square foot in this area. Prices can run as high as $900+ per square foot as you get closer to Rittenhouse Square.

To learn more about Washington Square West real estate offerings, please call our Philadelphia real estate office at 215.735.2225 or email us.