Hello Fishtown! I am excited for you to check out our inaugural monthly edition magazine TheHook dedicated to the lifestyle and community of Fishtown.
We start our issue at Bianca DePietro’s Toile Custom Atelier at 1333 Frankford Ave. Her love of fashion began at a young age. “For me, travel inspires not only the items I carry and trends, but it also influences my displays and the vibe of the store.” The store opened in 2013 selling only six designers. “We now feature more than 40 designers and makers, including my own ready-to-wear line Bianca Rachele,” she says proudly. Follow the fashion on page 6.
Have you ever “psst psst” an alley cat? The residents of Fishtown have been connected with their cat mural since 2017, which was originally located in a vacant lot adjacent to Barcade. Until just months ago, this mural was taken down to make room for a 150-unit apartment building. Then exciting evolutions took place when Evan Lovett, of Visual Urban Renewal & Transformation (VURT) and independent artist Kristin Scholz came together to recreate two new “Welcome to Fishtown” cat murals. Come see Cat Mural 2.0 on page 13.
Next we traverse the neighborhoods of East Kensington-Fishtown, which have exploded into “a hub of both food and drink and people and art.” The neighborhood is to Philadelphia as what Brooklyn is to New York City. That is how Jennifer Carroll, Billy Riddle and Kerri Sitrin describe the neighborhood they invest and live in. Fishtown and East Kensington neighborhoods of Philadelphia are about 15 minutes from Center City. “They have been neighborhoods that have gone under so much construction and renewal over the past 10 to 15 years and have really exploded with restaurants, with bars, breweries, new houses, apartment buildings, and shopping,” Carroll said. Come visit on page 16.
We round our issue with the June kickoff of Music in the Park, the Fishtown Neighborhood Association’s summer concert series. The entertainment for the evening was provided by musician Raymond Charles, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, where the steel drum originated. “You know, it’s a little different here,” Charles wistfully intoned in his naturally rhythmic island accent. Follow the steel drum and find out why on page 20.
Also check out The Catch on page 22 for future community events and hear what your neighbors have to say on their favorite shore spot on page 2. All of this and more awaits on the pages ahead!
Enjoy!
