Show your Fishtown pride by hanging a fish address (“shaddress”) sign from your new home. Look up as you walk around the neighborhood—they’re everywhere!
Join the fish fun by purchasing your own. Choose from two designs on the FNA’s online Fish Market.
Apply for a FREE Tree!
Street tree planted by Philly Tree People
Did you know you can get a FREE tree for your sidewalk (“street tree”) and your backyard (“yard tree”)?
How to get a free street tree:
We recommend applying through Philly Tree People, which is the tree tender group for 19125/34 (basically, a local nonprofit that helps us plant trees!). They have two plantings each year -- one in April and one in November. Applications are also due twice a year around the tree planting dates. Applications submitted in the spring will be planted in the fall and vice versa. Everything is free, including getting a cut-out on your sidewalk, the tree, and the planting.
Although the city through Tree Philly also offer applications for free tree planting, we have found that Philly Tree People plants on a much more consistent basis, whereas the city program can be less predictable due to budget fluctuations.
How to get a free yard tree:
Tree Philly offers yard tree giveaways throughout the yard. Check out their website for more details.
Get a FREE rain barrel or a subsidized downspout planter.
The Philadelphia Water Department teamed up with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to manage the city’s stormwater.
What does that mean for residents? FREE rain barrels—a handy partner for watering plants and cleaning pavements—and subsidized downspout planters that add beauty and utility to the exterior of your home and prevents the city’s sewer system from overflowing. It’s all part of the Rain Check program. Start the process by signing up for an upcoming Rain Check workshop. We try to host a presentation in Fishtown each year, but you can attend any of them.
Downspout planter from Philadelphia Horticultural Society's Rain Check program
FREE rain barrel from Philadelphia Horticultural Society's Rain Check program
Start composting.
Many Fishtowners pride themselves in being environmentally conscious. Composting is one of the ways to help keep waste out of landfills. We encourage backyard compostingor using a composting collection service (just like getting your weekly trash pick-up) through Bennett Compostor Circle Compost.
Stop the circulars with a non-delivery sticker.
You may notice soon after you move in that you receive a fair amount of circulars, coupons and takeout menus from local businesses, and they can sometimes end up as litter on your sidewalk.
If you’d like to stop receiving them, fill out this form and mail it to the Department of Licenses and Inspections. Once you receive the sticker in the mail, place the circular-free sticker in a prominent location (such as a mailbox or door) at about eye-level from the street.
Go to an event in Fishtown (or anywhere in Philly)!
FNA presents some regular events in the neighborhood
Meet the Neighbors: The FNA puts on an annual early summer outdoor party, featuring delicious food, local beer, children’s activities, music and raffles.
First Fridays: Free family-friendly social time at the NKCDC Garden Center at Berks and Frankford, featuring DJs, food trucks, beverages, and often childrens' activities
Music in the Park: Free outdoor concerts at local parks. Our first concert series debuted in Fall 2020, and we'll be continuing the series in Spring 2021 and beyond
For events elsewhere in Philly, check out Uwishunu, the go-to website for residents and visitors that spotlights what’s happening in and around the city—think events, restaurants, festivals, bars, museums, music and performing arts.
Get your parking permit.
A residential parking permit allows vehicles to park on streets with permit parking for more than the allotted two-hour window. If your block or surrounding blocks have permit parking, you’ll probably want to get a permit. It lasts one year, and it’s $35 for your first car.
Step 1: Gather your documents, all with your current address:
Proof of vehicle registration
Proof of car insurance
Proof of residence (driver’s license or utility bill)