Where to Live in the Philly Region If You Love Having a Round With Your Friends
Goodtime Charlies and Charlizes will enjoy living in these communities where convivial bars abound.
Flights of beer at Chestnut Hill Brewing Company, one of several great bars and pubs in the Northwest Phily neighborhood / Photograph by Philippe LeSaux
“Be glad there’s one place in the world
Where everybody knows your name
And they’re always glad you came
You want to go where people know, people are all the same
You want to go where everybody knows your name”
— from the original lyrics to the Cheers theme by Gary Portnoy
And what made Cheers so special? Urbanists and fans of livable communities will tell you that a guy named Ray Oldenburg has the answer to that question.
Oldenburg is the Minnesotan who wrote a book called The Great Good Place in 1989. Its reissue a decade later came with a subtitle — “Cafés, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community” — that explained the function of what he dubbed “third places” in both the original book and the reissue.
“Third places” — a term Oldenburg introduced to the language — are those shops and gathering places that are neither work nor home. They’re where people can go and socialize casually with others, usually others they recognize, without further obligations beyond maybe buying a beer, a cup of coffee, a sandwich or a haircut. Bars like “Cheers” rank highly in the universe of third places. (And like Cheers did for the subject in general, the movies Barber Shop and Beauty Shop offered a Black perspective on such places.)
These places play a crucial role in making daily life pleasurable in neighborhoods just about everywhere. They can even attract people from afar based on their interests: For a story on Big Charlie’s Saloon, I once interviewed a young man who had moved from Kansas City to take a job at a pharmaceutical firm in suburban Wilmington and bought a house in East Passyunk Crossing so he could live close to the bar.
What bars might you want to live close to? These communities have some of the most interesting ones.
In the City
Chestnut Hill
This neighborhood at the top of the city has a passel of places to knock one back. All have great food to go with the libations, and you can check them all out in a stroll down “The Ave.” Starting at the top, local legend McNally’s (8634 Germantown Avenue), a neighborhood institution since 1921, is as renowned for the “Schmitter” sandwich as it is for its rotating beer and wine lists. Just two blocks down, Iron Hill Brewery has an outpost at 8400 Germantown Avenue, and two blocks further down, you and your vegan friends can both feast on the fare featured at Chestnut Hill Brewing Company’s taproom and beer garden at 8231 Germantown Avenue. (Your pooch is also welcome in the outdoor beer garden.) And if your taste runs south of the border, El Poquito just a few doors down at 8201 Germantown Avenue has a wide selection of tequilas, mezcals and craft beers. Finally, two blocks further down the hill, four-year-old Cider Belly (8005 Germantown Avenue) serves hard cider from local apples and small plates.
East Passyunk
See our “Where to Drink in East Passyunk” guide for a rundown on the more than 20 places to drink (and dine while you drink) in Philly’s foodie paradise.
Fishtown
The gateway to the River Wards has acquired one of the hottest bar scenes in the city over the past two decades or so. Frankford Hall (1210 Frankford Avenue) is as close as you’ll get to an authentic German beer garden in the city, while Lloyd Whiskey Bar (529 East Girard Avenue) offers an unrivaled collection of whiskeys and mostly local beers. Around the corner from Lloyd sits the birthplace of the Fishtown iced tea, Interstate Drafthouse (1235 East Palmer Street); if you’re not into that almost-classic Philly cocktail, you can also get crafts, drafts and other libations. If it’s music you want on the side, Johnny Brenda’s (1201 Frankford Avenue) serves fresh indie rock along with brews, booze and pub grub, while across Girard Avenue, Garage Fishtown (100 East Girard Avenue) is what you wish your friend’s man-cave looked like, only with more big-screen TVs and games to play.
Main Street in Manayunk has everything one needs for a great pub crawl. / Photograph courtesy of Manayunk Development Corporation
Manayunk
Of course this riverside neighborhood should have great bars: Its name is a Lenape word that translates to ”the place where we meet to drink.” And Manayunk abounds in places where people meet to drink, just about all of them on or just off its main drag, Main Street. Heading south to north, these include Dawson Street Pub (100 Dawson Street), Fat Lady Brewing (4323 Main Street), Jake’s and Cooper’s Wine Bar and Wine Shop (4365 Main Street), Lucky’s Last Chance (4421 Main Street) and one of the pioneers of today’s Manayunk bar scene, the U.S. Hotel Bar and Grill at 4439 Main Street. You will pass nearly 20 more great watering holes and eateries along the way; and even more lie along neighboring Cresson Street.
Old City
Showing out-of-town guests around the Historic Square Mile can make a person weary — and thirsty. Fortunately, Philly’s first downtown offers many places where one can slake that thirst, starting with the Independence Beer Garden, right next to the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall at 100 South Independence Mall West. It’s only open from spring through fall, but many other year-round spots are close by, including Stratus Lounge atop the Hotel Monaco at 433 Chestnut Street; Mac’s Tavern, the pub partly owned by It’s Always Sunny duo Rob McElhenny and Kaitlin Olson at 226 Market Street; the Khyber Pass Pub, a longtime favorite at 56 South 2nd Street; Revolution House, an indoor/outdoor spot at 200 Market Street, and the appropriately named Drinker’s Tavern at 124 Market Street. Another seasonal favorite, Morgan’s Pier, lies across I-95 on the Delaware riverfront at 221 North Columbus Boulevard.
Rittenhouse Square
Many of the drinkeries in Center City’s answer to New York’s Upper East Side primarily serve as fancy restaurants. One stands out in this regard: Rouge (205 South 18th Street), the compact bistro that opens onto Rittenhouse Square in good weather. Most come here for the food, but they’re just as happy to serve you anything from their extensive menu of beers, wines and cocktails while you watch the passing scene on the square. But the neighborhood is also home to Center City’s biggest sports bar, Cavanaugh’s Rittenhouse (1921 Sansom Street), and it also has an old-school classic, The Happy Rooster (118 South 16th Street), where locals and visitors have been rubbing (and bending) elbows for more than 50 years. If you go there, try the lobster roll with your drinks; some have called it the best in the city. Drinker’s Pub, the sister of the Old City place, is at 1903 Chestnut Street, and you will also find a new Garage outpost here; fittingly, it’s on the street floor of a parking garage at 1501 Spruce Street. And we can’t forget Good Dog Bar, which invites all to “Come. Sit. Stay” and enjoy drinks and elevated pub fare (try the Roquefort-stuffed Good Dog Burger) at 224 South 15th Street.
Washington Square West
If you’re queer, come here to tie one on: The neighborhood is also home to the Gayborhood, with six bars and restaurants that cater to an LGBTQ+ clientele, a seventh that’s nominally gay, and an eighth that’s anything-goes. From 1 to Z, they are: 254 (formerly Tabu), at that address on South 12th Street; Bar X, 255 South Camac Street; The Bike Stop, 204 South Quince Street; Knock, 225 South 12th Street; Tavern on Camac, 243 South Camac Street, and UBar, 1220 Locust Street. (If you have a little too much there, you can sleep it off in the inn upstairs.) The nominally gay spot is Woody’s, a local landmark at 1300 Walnut Street, and the anything-goes place is Franky Bradley’s, 1320 Chancellor Street, where you will also find B.West, the former Key West bar.
But whether you’re gay or straight, you will be welcomed at not only these places (as long as you’re not an asshole) but also at the many other bars and restaurants nearby. Among the more noteworthy bars nearby are Graffiti Bar, the outdoor bar behind Sampan at 124 South 13th Street; McGillin’s Old Ale House, the city’s oldest operating tavern, at 1310 Drury Street; Moriarty’s Pub, across from the Forrest Theater at 1116 Walnut Street, just a few doors up from the Bike Stop, and Vintage, the more-than-just-wine bar at 129 South 13th Street. The neighborhood even has a bar called Bar — as its name implies, it is what it is. It’s run by the folks who own Vintage and located at 1309 Sansom Street, next to sister establishment Time, a whiskey bar, restaurant and music venue at 1315 Sansom.
In the Suburbs
Many of these great places to drink also offer live music. It’s the reason the Ardmore Music Hall exists. / Photograph by Initiative / 20 / 20 Visual Media
Ardmore
The Main Line’s biggest and busiest downtown also boasts one of the biggest collections of bars and pubs in the ’burbs. Looking for a bar where the drinks give you a real buzz? Try Char & Stave Coffee Roasters (21 Rittenhouse Place), whose coffee is roasted in the same Phoenixville distillery that produces its whiskey; you can get cocktails combining both. Or if you’d rather have just a good drink, your choices include Jack McShea’s (34 East Lancaster Avenue), Local Wine & Kitchen (39 West Lancaster Avenue) and Tired Hands Brewing Company at two locations: the BrewCafé at 16 Ardmore Avenue and the Fermenteria and General Store at 35 Cricket Terrace. And if you’re looking for live music to go with your drinks, the Ardmore Music Hall at 23 East Lancaster Avenue has been a premiere music venue for more than 40 years.
Jenkintown
Busy Old York Road runs through the heart of downtown Jenkintown, making it a great place to drop in for a round on your way from point A to point B — but since you shouldn’t drink and drive, you should plan on sticking around for a while once you pull off the street. Fortunately, several great places make sticking around easy. Human Robot Brewing’s The Haus (210 Old York Road) offers drafts, crafts and a regular schedule of weekly events. Across the street, Newbolds Food & Libations (211 Old York Road) offers handcrafted cocktails and classic American fare in a steampunk saloon environment, while just up the street, the Drake Tavern (304 Old York Road) boasts an extensive menu of craft beers, flavored vodkas, gins and other spirits along with pub fare to absorb your spirits for you. Just off Old York Road, The Keep Easy (747 Yorkway Place) offers spirits you won’t find at too many other places, including mead and honey wine. And you can even find a classic dive bar here: Buckets at 810 West Avenue.
Media
The Delaware County seat has a bar scene as robust as its restaurant scene, including several places that serve both functions. Some of them keep the town in suds, like Pinocchio’s Restaurant & Beer Garden to Go (131 East Baltimore Avenue), while others, including Brick & Brew (26 West State Street) and Sterling Pig Brewery (609 West State Street), offer more than just beer. Sligo Pub (113 West State Street) serves up Irish and American fare in an authentic Irish atmosphere (yes, including Guinness on tap all the time), while Two Fourteen (214 West State Street) serves inventive cocktails and fresh, locally sourced cuisine that varies with the seasons. (If you stop by when tomatoes are at their peak, order a “Heir of the Dog” cocktail and drink your gazpacho instead. You can read about it in this Foobooz roundup of great places to feast on tomatoes.) You’ll also find an Iron Hill outpost here, at 30 East State Street.
