Ave of the Arts

The Avenue of the Arts is the stretch of South Broad Street between City Hall and South Street  and is Philadelphia’s main performing arts district.  The energy in this area is contagious, as theatergoers, orchestra fans, opera lovers, dance aficionados and artists themselves spill onto the street to mix with the locals who live, work and dine on the thoroughfare.

The Avenue of the Arts is home to the the world famous Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, the legendary Academy of Music, The Wilma Theater, University of the Arts, Arts Bank, Clef Club and more cultural landmarks. Music fans can look down and trace Philadelphia’s musical legacy along the sidewalk’s Walk of Fame. Both visitors and locals stop to take their infamous shot of City Hall, the architectural exclamation point to Broad Street’s elaborate buildings. Also awe-inspiring is the Octavius V. Catto Memorial on the southwest side of City Hall. The monument commemorates the short life and heroic deeds of Catto, a post-Civil War civil rights activist.

The Avenue of the Arts is also home to the annual Mummers Parade, the nation’s oldest folk parade, held here on New Year’s Day, the  The Philadelphia Orchestra, Pennsylvania Ballet, Opera Philadelphia. 

With a Walk Score of 99 and a Transit Score of 100, this fun neighborhood is one of the most convenient to get around in the city. Daily errands don’t require a car, and the Broad Street Line is literally at this neighborhood’s doorstep.