Tucked away in a dilapidated old ship-building warehouse in Philly’s Navy Yard, there is a flooded staircase that houses a surprise: A Goldfish Pond. This small, strange ecosystem formed when rain and runoff accumulated beneath warehouse No. 624, which has fallen into disrepair since its closure in 1995. Since then, parts of the building have been occupied by Urban Outfitters corporate offices, but most of it remains vacant.
That is, except for the stairwell on the North side of the building, which is occupied by many different types of Koi and Goldfish. How they got there is a mystery, but their unexpected presence has attracted local Philadelphians to observe their antics. It is not uncommon to see people gathered around the rusty old railing of the staircase, throwing bread to the fish.
But no longer. After months of record-breaking drought, the pond has dried to a desolate pit of mud and dead leaves. The fish—silent victims of Philadelphia’s driest autumn on record—have vanished. Their fate is uncertain. Did they retreat to some unseen, waterlogged pocket of the cellar, or did they succumb to the relentless drought? Either way, the pond’s absence feels like the end of something quietly magical.
To some, the loss of a goldfish pond beneath a decrepit naval warehouse might seem inconsequential. But to others, this pond symbolized nature’s resilience-a delicate reminder that life can find a way, even in the most neglected corners. There was a sense of elegiac perseverance in watching these unassuming fish flourish in such an oily, forgotten space. Now, that perseverance has quite literally run dry. Hopefully the fish are just tucked away, and the coming November rain coaxes these unexpected neighbors out from hiding.
A similar attraction exists in Brooklyn, New York known as the Bed-Stuy Aquarium, where a leaky fire hydrant galvanized a community to curate and protect a public pond. After being destroyed, the aquarium came back 10 times stronger and now has persisted.
The Navy Yard fishpond is one of the little things that makes Philadelphia unique, so its loss isn’t just ecological; it’s emotional. Philadelphia has had its fair share of battles with extreme weather, but this one feels oddly personal. Here’s hoping that rain and resilience, return to the old stairwell soon.
Philly Plain Dealer 
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