Poplar is the quiet middle between Northern Liberties and Fairmount, with The Met Philadelphia anchoring Broad Street and a slow rise in new builds along the side streets. The neighborhood is rising. Residents want healthcare that matches that energy: accessible, modern, and genuinely local. Fishtown Medicine is run by Ashvin Vijayakumar MD ("Dr. Ash"), a board-certified internal medicine physician you can text directly. Most visits happen by video. When you need an in-person exam, we come to your home in Poplar.

What anchors your week in Poplar?

Poplar is the quiet middle between Northern Liberties and Fairmount, and most of our 19123 / 19130 members chose it on purpose. The Met Philadelphia concert week. Pre-show dinner on Spring Garden, the venue itself on Broad, a walk back to a rowhome a few blocks east at 11 pm. Most of our Poplar members live within 10 minutes of the Met, and a meaningful share are the cultural-event crowd that didnt want the price tag of Rittenhouse or the density of NoLibs. We hear a lot of "weve been to three shows this month and Im finally feeling it" conversations on Monday mornings. The first-home rowhome rhythm. A growing share of our Poplar members are first-time homeowners in the new builds along 8th, 9th, and 10th. Renovating one weekend at a time. Walking distance to Whole Foods on Pennsylvania Ave, to NoLibs nightlife, and to Eastern State Penitentiary for the long-route dog walk. Young couples figuring out the next chapter; the conversation we keep having is about labs they should have run years ago but no one offered. The Poplar pattern is in-between. Not as established as NoLibs, not as walkable as Fairmount, not as corporate as Logan Square. Most of our members like that on purpose. They want a primary care relationship that grows with the neighborhood instead of locking them into a fixed identity.

How do I get to Fishtown Medicine from Poplar?

Most members never need to. Care happens by text, video, and home visit. If you ever want to meet at the Fishtown office, your options:

• SEPTA Broad Street Line to Spring Garden Station, then a short walk or Lyft.
• Driving via Spring Garden Street and Front Street (about 10 minutes off-peak).
• SEPTA Route 23 along Broad to Center City.
• Bike via Spring Garden (about 12 minutes).

Where do members go for labs and imaging?

Poplar is well covered:

• Quest Diagnostics in Center City and on Spring Garden.
• LabCorp locations on Spring Garden and at Drexel.
• Mobile phlebotomy to your home.

For imaging, we send orders to Penn, Jefferson, Temple, or independent imaging centers.

Is Poplar a good zip code for direct primary care?

Yes. Poplar sits in a sweet spot: close enough to Center City employers and Northern Liberties nightlife to attract young professionals, far enough off the main streets to be quiet and affordable. Our model fits that kind of resident.

Deeper Questions for Poplar Residents

I have a chronic condition (anxiety, hypertension, GERD). How does this work?

We manage most chronic conditions inside the membership: hypertension, anxiety, depression, ADHD evaluation, GERD, prediabetes, lipids, hypothyroidism, IBS, and chronic insomnia. The shift compared to traditional primary care is more time, more access, and continuity.

Are there health concerns specific to older Poplar rowhomes?

Yes:

• Lead paint and lead pipes in pre-1978 rowhomes. We can order a blood lead level if you are renovating or planning to conceive.
• Asbestos in older basements and pipe wrap.
• Mold in slow-leaking roofs and damp basements.

What about air quality near the Vine Street Expressway and Broad Street?

The southern edge of Poplar runs close to Vine. Broad Street itself sees real traffic. If you have asthma, allergies, or unexplained chronic cough, we screen for it and talk through practical mitigation.

Is Poplar walkable enough for daily movement?

Reasonably walkable. The Schuylkill River Trail is a 15-minute walk, the Spring Garden corridor connects you east and west, and the Liberty Lands park in NoLibs is 10 minutes away. We build movement plans around your real options.

I am a young professional renting in Poplar. First real adult doctor?

Yes, this is a common Poplar profile. We are happy to be the "first real doctor" for recent grads transitioning out of student health. We do a thorough baseline and build a 12-month plan.

I work at Temple Hospital or in North Broad. Does this fit?

Yes. Many of our Poplar members are clinicians or staff at Temple. Membership gives you a doctor outside your own system, with the privacy and depth that hospital-based primary care cannot deliver in 12 minutes.

I want longevity care, not just sick care. What do you offer?

The longevity layer:

• ApoB and Lp(a) for cardiovascular risk.
• Insulin sensitivity to catch metabolic dysfunction early.
• Hormones (testosterone, thyroid, cortisol).
• DEXA for body composition and bone density.
• VO2 max guidance.

I want an executive physical close to home. Can I get one?

Yes. Our annual deep-dive includes advanced lipidology, hormones, insulin, body composition, VO2 max guidance, and a written 12-month plan. Most of it happens between video, your home, and one lab visit.

How does Fishtown Medicine compare to Temple primary care?

Temple is great for hospital and specialty care. Their primary care runs on insurance economics: 12-15 minute visits, large panels, weeks-long scheduling. We are direct primary care: long first visits, same-day text access, no rotating residents.

What about TRT and hormone work?

Yes. For men, we run advanced hormone panels and address the systems behind low T (sleep, insulin, stress) before reflexively prescribing testosterone. For women, perimenopause and menopause are managed directly with evidence-based hormone therapy when appropriate.

Sleep is wrecked because of late-night shows at The Met or noise from Broad Street. Help?

We run a real sleep workup. Chronotype, light exposure, alcohol timing, late-night eating, and a sleep apnea screen. We use wearable data when you have it. Practical suggestions, not lectures.

What if I am self-employed or in the gig economy?

This is a modal Poplar member. Membership replaces the "I just need a real doctor" piece. You still carry catastrophic insurance for ER, hospital, and specialist costs.

Meet Your Physician

Ashvin Vijayakumar MD (Dr. Ash) is a board-certified internal medicine physician based in Philadelphia. He built Fishtown Medicine to give Poplar's young professionals, renters, and Temple-adjacent residents a real doctor who actually fits their schedule.