MANAYUNK

By: Tatiana Codnor-Perry

We love meeting the residents from all over the world! We got the chance to sit down with Indu and find out why Manayunk is such a special place to her.

Are you from Manayunk? If not, what brings you here?

I am originally from India and we moved to Philadelphia about three years ago. I lived in East Falls before and we used to hang out here all the time. So, we saw this apartment and we thought "okay, since we hang out here all the time, this is the perfect place for us to be."

What about Manayunk made you keep coming back?

There are a couple of things that I like: My husband is into photography and he bikes a lot. He always says that he never gets tired of taking pictures of Manayunk because there's always something happening. For me, it's the diversity that I like and there are just so many things on just this one strip! There's Italian, there's Mexican food, there's Indian, Mediterranean -- anything. It satisfies all of my mood swings because when I'm stressed out I like to get my nails done or maybe eat or if I want to take some time to chill, I can bike around or go to the brewery and have a couple of drinks.

If you could one thing to do in Manayunk, what would it be?

Go to Smiley's Cafe, it's my home away from home. I go there almost every week!

Have you ever gone to any events in Manayunk?

All of them. Art festival is my favorite because being close to the art scene is really important to me. There are nice places like Sunrise in Tibet where they have really nice handmade things and places like Pineapple on Main and then art festival, of course, supports original artists. It's always nice to see their works and understand it. The art festival is really great for the art and music scene so I'm at the festivals almost every time.

Are there any businesses you would recommend to visitors?

I am a big fan of Mediterranean food, so I think the best food is in Smiley's Cafe, I definitely recommend it. They have hands down the best Mediterranean food in Philly. That, and I'd probably recommend The Grape Room since they've got great stand-up comedies and they promote all kinds of original artists.

Why do you love Manayunk?

I love the diversity this whole neighborhood has. There are so many things going on in the world, so it's nice to see the vibe and the art scene and just the whole place with so many different people, and that's why I love Manayunk!

Once again, keep an eye out for us on the streets - you might be our next featured resident or visitor! If you are a resident or visitor of Manayunk that is interested in being featured, email for details!