Italian for “beautiful sight,” this neighborhood easily lives up to its name. With charming, tree-lined streets this primarily residential neighborhood serves as the gateway between South Philadelphia and Center City. Offering a diverse population and a variety of affordable properties from restored rowhomes to spacious, modern condos. Pleasant outdoor spaces also abound throughout Bella Vista. Cianfrani Park at 8th and Fitzwater and Palumbo Park at 7th and Catharine are two of the best, offering lush plantings, tall shade trees, and the occasional game of bocce.
Home to the legendary Ninth Street Italian Market, a neighborhood fixture since 1888, is Bella Vista’s most famous attraction and the oldest continuously operational outdoor market in the country. Teeming with bakeries, butcher shops, cheesemongers, coffee roasters, produce vendors and pasta purveyors, the array of sights and smells is a gourmand’s delight.
