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Rittenhouse Square, named after the park in its midst, is one of the poshest and most desirable areas in Center City Philadelphia. Surrounding the square are high-rise condos and luxury apartment buildings. Walk a few blocks south, east, or west, and you will find stately townhouses on tree-lined streets, lovingly restored trinities on smaller streets or mews, as well as lofts and condos.

Society Hill, a highly desirable and historical portion of Center City Philadelphia, is bounded by Walnut, Lombard, the Delaware River, and 7th Street. The neighborhood consists of contemporary and historic townhouses—often side-by-side—along with high-rise condo and apartment buildings. Under a 1950s redevelopment plan, new townhouses were built on vacant lots, and historically significant houses were restored to conform to 18th century design. The Society Hill Historic District has the largest concentration of original 18th and early-19th century homes in Federal and Georgian style of any city in the U.S.

Avenue of the Arts, located along Broad Street from City Hall south to Washington Avenue, is home to much of Philadelphia’s cultural life. Most of the residential inventory on or near the Avenue of the Arts consists of high-end condo buildings or well-designed conversions of older apartment buildings to condominiums. A recent redevelopment initiative focused on beautifying and relighting the street, attracting new construction of theaters and residential buildings, and creating an environment that is inviting, safe, and user-friendly.

Bella Vista is a neighborhood with old-world feel. It is just west of Queen Village, between South Street and Washington Avenue, and 6th and 11th streets. Residences are primarily two- and three-story row homes on well-kept streets. The area is home to the Italian Market, which offers fresh meat, fish, cheeses, baked goods, produce, and much more. The Market’s storefronts and outdoor stalls are staffed by friendly, long-established merchants.

Southwest Center City is a neighborhood of many names—Graduate Hospital, G-HO, South of South, So-So, Naval Square, Schuylkill Southwest. Bordered by South Street, Washington Avenue, Broad Street and the Schuylkill River, it consists primarily of nineteenth- and twentieth-century row homes, but newer condominiums and single-family homes are also available.

Fishtown is both one of the oldest and newest neighborhoods adjacent to Center City Philadelphia. Its borders are the Delaware River, Frankford Avenue, and York Street. Once a center of the Delaware river fishing industry, the neighborhood has seen a recent rise in new construction of townhouses and innovative condo conversions from warehouses and industrial buildings. The newer buildings are nestled among century-old row houses of varying architectural styles and sizes, ranging from tiny trinities to large three-story structures.

The Art Museum area of Philadelphia is generally considered to encompass the area along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway from the Eakins Oval, at the foot of the Art Museum steps, southeastward to Logan Square/Circle between 18th and 19th Streets. North and west of the area along the Parkway are several residential communities, including Fairmount and Spring Garden, with brick row homes, stately mansions that have been converted into condos, and high-rise condo buildings with spectacular views of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and the city beyond.

Fairmount is a community at the edge of Center City. Its boundaries are Vine Street to Girard Avenue, and Broad Street to the Schuylkill River. ͞Fairmount͟ is also an umbrella name for several smaller neighborhoods within those boundaries—Spring Garden, Franklintown, and Francisville—each with its own ambiance. Housing includes stately townhouses on tree-lined streets, loft condo conversions in former factory buildings, contemporary high-rise condo buildings, and smaller row homes (both historical and modern). Many areas and buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places.