The Waterfront: Five Things You Didn’t Know

Philadelphia’s waterfronts are an attraction for both tourists and residents of the city alike. Here are five facts about the rivers’ and the green spaces that surround them.

1. On the portion of the Schuylkill River Trail (above) that runs between the Art Museum and Locust Street, there are about 1 million user trips per year.

Construction on the Delaware River
Construction on the Schuylkill River

2. The Schuylkill River Trail will one day reach all the way from Boathouse Row and the Art Museum down to Bartram’s Gardens. But, the Schuylkill River Development Corporation hopes to one day lengthen it all the way down to Fort Mifflin, near the airport.

Schuylkill River in South Philadelphia
Schuylkill River in South Philadelphia

3. The term Schuylkill River is technically redundant. “Schuykill” is Dutch meaning “hidden river.” So, the term “Schuylkill River” actually means Hidden River River.

View of the Delaware from Penn Treaty Park
View of the Delaware from Penn Treaty Park

4. Penn Treaty Park used to be home to a fishing dock. The dock was destroyed in 2005 when a runaway tugboat slammed into it and completely shattered the wooden structure.

Fishing down at Grey's Ferry
Fishing down at Grays Ferry

5. There are 45 different species of fish in the Schuylkill River. This is in addition to crabs, turtles, snakes and even otters.

– Text and images by Jesse Bellosi and Nicole Soll

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