BLUF: An eclectic mix of abandoned buildings, new construction, restored historical structures and parks along the Delaware River. Very minimal Navy presence but various companies, some in the shipbuilding industry, occupy space among the 1,200 acres. At its height during WWII, 40,000 people worked at The Navy Yard in Philadelphia both building and repairing ships. However, in 1995 the yard closed as an official Navy base. There is still a tiny Navy presence today and even still some ship building/repairing/demobilization companies on site but it seems to be a shell of its former self. My husband and I enjoyed exploring on bikes for over an hour. There is a really nice bike path along the Delaware River. Also, the streets, at least on a holiday weekend, were almost abandoned so we enjoyed biking without worrying about vehicular traffic. The Navy Yard still has a ghost fleet but except two Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers, CG-58 USS Philippine Sea and CG-60 USS Normandy, we couldn't get a clear view of any of them. I believe there are a handful of other cruisers moored behind one or more of the Rhoads Industries buildings. The highlight for me was the historic architecture. While many buildings are dilapidated, some are beautifully restored. I also enjoyed getting a close view of a few dry docks and one of the slipways that has been converted, in part to sports courts. URBN, the parent company for Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie and Free People is headquarters here. There are various other businesses too but except for some the ship-related businesses and a medical office, they all seem to have a small presence. The Navy's presence includes Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) and the Navy police to keep it all secure and safe. I was hoping to find dining and shopping at The Navy Yard but that doesn't really exist. URBN has a food court and there are about three other places where you might find food. Instead, I thoroughly enjoyed the history and architecture and I'm looking forward to learning more about this site. While a trip through the Navy Yard might not be interesting to everyone one, I thought it was fascinating. read more

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Ran a 5k here for St Patrick's day and it is a beautiful area! Very clean and people are super friendly. We stopped by the fire house after the race and picked up a shirt to support local firefighters! Looking forward to next year :) read more

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Several medical offices iced are located here. I had an appointment at Rothman. It was easy to and has plenty of free parking. You can drive around and see some of the boats and the buildings or walk along the water. A restaurant is located right inside the gate too. read more

I found myself down here unexpectedly for a dentist appointment. I thought I would be going to one location but it closed so they sent me down here. Had I not been in a rush I would have loved to explore this area more because it's so amazing down there. Just being near water makes me feel good, perhaps because I'm a water sign but also seeing the scale of the ships is something. They're so massive and beautiful. read more

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When your ride share driver asks if you'd like a tour of the Navy Yard on the way to your destination, there is only one answer. Yes, please! Turns out Jim, Uber driver and all-around navy enthusiast, comes here often and knows everything about this place, including the best spots for photos. The whole area came alive for us through his stories. Such an unexpected and unforgettable tour. Highly recommend you explore this area when in Philly. read more

The Navy Yard - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Really nice large space to walk/run. I also see many come to fish along the waterfront. Love Central Green, the park located towards the entrance of the Navy Yard. There's a track, bathrooms, picnic tables, hammocks and even ping pong tables. Nice place to gather or just sunbathe in a hammock. There's a lot of business offices scattered around. There's some construction going on so I guess more to come! Everything is so well maintained as well. read more

The Navy Yard - Art installation by FriendsWithYou for September 2024 - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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This is my favorite place to stay when I travel to Philadelphia for work. Love that I can walk around before or after work and get some fresh air. Nice quiet little area. Ships are definitely cool to look at. read more

The Navy Yard - Navy Yard - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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The Navy Yard is a nice place to come if you want to go for a run/walk by the river, watch the planes come in for landing at the airport, or look for waterfowl. It is easy to get lost or turned around if you don't know exactly where you're going or if you're not following GPS coordinates on a map. There are no bathrooms for the public that I could see. read more

Went here for an event and drove around to see the area. So many cool things to do and see. Can't wait to go back and tour the grounds. read more

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Quite a scene to take in on this Navy Yard. Picturesque and floats in isolation. There's barely anybody here and one can admire it quite nicely when in their own zone. Ship happy. Be happy. read more

Its a true escape from the city. Very quiet and open on the weekdays and even more on the weekends. Great place to explore the days of yesterday in the area as well as seeing a number of old boats. read more

The Navy Yard - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Always come here when I come to Philadelphia. Love looking at the great architecture of the old buildings, visiting the graving docks and seeing the old decommissioned ships....some I even served on. So much history on the Yard. Really glad it has been turned over to renovations. Urban outfitters took over some of the buildings and the old officer quarters are different businesses. A must do when in Philly. read more

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Great experience! Loved the food and the place. The reception was ok, but the food was the best part of it! Truly recommend! read more

The Navy Yard has undergone some serious renovations over the past few years, turning the East side into a campus of innovation for corporation development. In addition, it is still an active shipyard, with those operations on the west side of the yard near Tasty Cake! The Penn State campus is expanding their presence, and several other businesses such as GSK, FS investments, and most notably URBN (Urban Outfitters) are all located here. Even if you don't work here, it's worth a visit. More bustling on the weekdays, if you can make the trip, it's definitely worth it. The Parade Grounds are the location of the end of the famous Broad Street run. Enter the Navy Yard through the gates and you will see the ships to your right, and Bar Amis to your left. Bring a bike or car to navigate as the Navy Yard is HUGE. If you are a walker / runner, there is a pathway along the water with great views of the Delaware and the old Captains quarters. If you're looking for historical tours, you will be better served finding a walking tour/biking tour and printing it off online before you come. It's more corporate than touristy, so if you are looking for history, you may want to bring it with you to assist. It's full of it, but there won't be tour guides waiting for you! read more

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Came to the last Night Market of the year at the Navy Yard! It was great weather and food truck paradise. This was my first time at this event so my tastebuds were a little overwhelmed with the number of food trucks and tents ( easily over 40) that ran along streets. I hit up the Tot Cart and Mama's meatballs, which both exceeded my expectations. Although it was a little dark, the ships were majestic and a great view as I walked around. I hope to come back to the Navy Yard during the day soon! read more

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The Navy Yard is an amazing place, full of our nation's military history -- yet full of new vibrancy! While the yard was the country's first naval shipyard, with origins dating back to the founding of the country with the 1776 Continental Congress, there are now 130 businesses here! The City and Mayor Nutter's Office just celebrated the 10,000 jobs landmark in January 2013, and their goal is to get up to 30,000 jobs in the Navy Yard in the next few years. That being said - this place is obviously starting to BOOM! The PNY Shuttle (operated by Krapfs Coaches) runs Monday through Friday to both Center City at Market East AND the AT&T Station at Broad/Pattison. It's easy to get around, and I think, even better than using SEPTA! (I do hope that one day the BSL extends beyond 95 - but we'll see). For now, there isn't a wealth of dining options, but Dinic's, Urban Outfitters, and Yardbirds Cafe all offer their own unique dishes. There should be a Marriott opening up later this year, and I've heard talk of another possible restaurant/bar at the entrance. For now, the best best for "after work" is to head to XFinity at the ballfields, which are only a few blocks outside of the Yard. Overall, the PIDC is doing a great job with renovations and real estate. Nine new buildings at PNY are USGBC LEED certified - and more are on their way! read more

The Navy Yard is totally cool.... but really sucks for parking. Was told there is less than 9 parking spots for 10 people that work in the vicinity. Tons of options to eat, got sushi, a spicy tuna roll and salmon avocado roll was around $18. They were freshly made in front of me. Place has plenty of tables, it's beautiful and has great people watching. Plus a great view of old Naval ships. read more

What a difference 2 years makes. Still need more dining and after 6 PM this place is DEAD - but during the work day we need LUNCH - and breakfast. And another Starbucks (There is one in the hotel) - or better a La Colombe or Old City Coffee. Keep it coming. This area has such great potential. More shopping would be good. A spa? read more

When I tell people that I work in the Navy Yard, I usually get a confused look, followed by a "did you join the military...??" For those of you who don't know, the Navy Yard USED to be used by the US Navy, however now it just holds office buildings for cube-dwellers like me to work in. There are a bunch of reasons why I like working down here in the Navy Yard: Easy to get to off 95, easy to access from all areas of Philadelphia, close to the Broad Street Line's Pattison (I mean.. AT&T Station... eye roll), and has a dedicated SEPTA bus line that runs through it throughout the day, Urban Outfitters has an awesome cafeteria, there are PSSC sports leagues during the week in the spring, summer and fall, and there is plenty of parking! read more

Absolutely a must for everyone and especially kids. The Naval ships are incredible. So much history. You get so close to the ships you can touch them. If you are patriotic I suggest visiting. read more

I was here for the CiderFest this past weekend. Beautiful land and I'm glad to see it being used for social events! It was a little confusing getting out as our Lyft driver brought us on a road that is apparently closed but not blocked off and not well marked. Better signage would be helpful. read more

A great Philly landmark that is open to the public on the weekdays! There is a bunch of cool stuff to see - historic buildings, huge docked ships, LEED buildings, Tastykake green baking facilities, Urban Outfitter's awesome HQs, and tons of park space. Grab some lunch at Cafe 543 (16th & Flagship) and sit by Urban's docks to watch the ships being worked on, dogs playing, and planes flying by (the airport is a skip away). The Navy Yard also offers a self-guided walking tour, where you can learn about the campus' rich history (download on www.navyyard.org). read more

The Philadelphia Experiment. Need I say more? (Actually, my government handlers have just interrupted me while I write this review and demand I speak no more on this subject. Sorry.) read more

Drove through here to get to the URBN headquarters warehouses for a #BHLDN sample dress sale. We loved the charm of the navy yard: the old school traffic lights, the majestic ships, the beautifully detailed buildings. Everything was covered in snow which made the place even more peaceful, but I would love to see the tree-lined parade grounds in summer time. No real security to enter... read more

Lunch truck invasion the grilled cheese pulled chicken was absolutely outstanding Vernalicious was the truck!!! I also had some authentic perogies that were really tasty would definitely eat again Mom Mom's polish food cart. read more

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Came here for the Cider Festival..had a great time and the area was beautiful and historic.. read more

The Navy Yard - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pretty cool place... Clean and safe. I "visit" the Navy Yard often for pick ups and drop offs. I love seeing the big Navy ships and other cool boats as well as the Navy offices. They have restaurants in the yard as well as in businesses that are there like Urban Outfitters and they even have a small food spot right in the yard. There are security guards at every entrance and they always wave to you. The scenery is amazing, especially on the Urban Outfitters campus. read more

I was at the navy yard today for the Broad street run. I have never actually been inside before until today. First off it being on the water is amazing. There are a bunch of decommissioned ships still there from the US Navy. It's a pretty cool sight to see. There are also a few restaurants, a hotel and a bank. It's like a small city inside of the city. It was pretty cool to experience today and see the history the Philadelphia Navy yard has to offer. read more

Surprisingly easy to get to, well thought out and nicely landscaped. This place is awesome! Look to your right and there are all kinds of huge navy ships docked. To your left are the stadiums. Grab a packed lunch and just sit and watch the planes land in the great setting! read more

I had never heard such a place called "The Navy Yard" but went for a BHLDN sample sale at their headquarters -- odd that they do not have a BHLDN storefront in the city (or even state) which houses their headquarters. The place is unexpectedly interesting. Standing in line for over an hour in the single-digit temperatures and snow was made less excruciating with the huge ocean steel beasts docked less than 100 meters away. I will have to return when sun returns from its vacation. read more

If you have never been to the Navy Yard, you should really visit. They have a cafeteria that is FABULOUS! The food selection, quality and excellent service make me want to return again soon. The decor in the place is just amazing. A really nice place. I used to only go to the Navy Yard to shop at Revzilla, but now I know that this place has even more to offer, not to mention the naval history. read more

as an open space its fine, new building come old buildings go. needs better food choices, the urban cafeteria is super expensive without the urban discount(i think they do id checks now). the shuttle is convenient and free to passengers but scatter brained, no such thing as a route manager here as its hit or miss in communicating change(even though they have an app, hint hint real time service change notifcations please, an updated time table). plus at times your just thinking, "is today the day i'm going to die?" read more