Philadelphia, PA - Philadelphia’s LGBT visitors looking for a night on the town can choose among a range of bars and restaurants in Philadelphia's Gayborhood or visit a welcoming mainstream spot frequented by gay and lesbian locals in Midtown Village, Rittenhouse Square, East Passyunk, and other neighborhoods. Here’s a look at some of the most popular nightlife haunts in some of the hottest ’hoods:
Center City Philadelphia's Gayborhood
The city’s Gayborhood, which runs from 11th to Broad streets and from Chestnut to Pine streets, distinguishes itself with 69 rainbow street signs throughout the area and rainbow crosswalks at 13th and Locust streets. The area boasts its unique architecture with narrow, tree-lined, cobblestone streets, brick townhouses, and apartment buildings among boutiques, coffee shops, restaurants, bars, and clubs.
Nightlife enthusiasts have many options from which to choose in this happening enclave. Best known are Woody’s, with several bars and a pulsating dance floor; Voyeur, a special events hotspot and after-hours club where the dancing continues well after 2:00 a.m.; The Bike Stop, a land of leather and its fans; Tavern On Camac, a piano bar and dance club; U Bar, a casual bar with floor-to-ceiling windows and good people-watching; ICandy, a three-level nightclub for men; Knock Restaurant and Bar, an upscale spot with live piano music on weekends and weekly karaoke nights; and Boxers and Tabu, both LGBT sports bars.
Gay & Lesbian Nightlife Midtown Village
Located within Philly’s Gayborhood, Midtown Village offers boutique shopping, bring-your-own-bottle (BYOB) restaurants, and sophisticated nightlife. The neighborhood is convenient to the city’s performing arts district, commonly known as the Avenue of the Arts.
Within a two-block radius of 13th and Sansom streets, choices abound, including the retro-themed Bud & Marilyn’s, one of five popular restaurant-bars owned by business and life partners Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran; Franky Bradley’s, a two-level restaurant-bar with dancing upstairs; Vintage, an intimate wine bar; El Vez, known for its margaritas and sidewalk cafe; Charlie was a sinner., a vegan cocktail bar; and Raw, a sushi and sake haven with an airy, outdoor courtyard.
Gay & Lesbian Nightlife Rittenhouse Square
Grand brownstones and modern penthouses are the hallmarks of Philadelphia’s ritziest zip code, which emanates from its namesake city-block park to stretch south via quietly tony residential streets and north via bustling business corridors.
There’s no better place for people-watching than at a sidewalk table facing the park at Rouge, Devon Seafood Grill, or Parc. Other noteworthy spots include The Franklin Bar, which is regularly cited as one of the nation’s best cocktail bars; the almost-secret Ranstead Room behind Mexican restaurant El Rey; The Dandelion, an authentic British pub; Tria, a wine and beer bar with light bites; Village Whiskey, a refined neighborhood taproom; V Street, small vegan plates bar-restaurant; and lesbian-owned Stir Lounge, a gay lounge popular for its happy hours, late-night parties and special events.
Nearby is the Prince Theater, which hosts nationally known cabaret acts as part of The RRazz Room series; Bob and Barbara’s Lounge, a beloved dive bar known for its Thursday night drag shows; and Chinatown speakeasy Hop Sing Laundromat, known for its unusual and powerful cocktails.
Gay & Lesbian Nightlife Old City
Old City serves as a historic neighborhood by day and an art gallery district into the early evening. By nightfall, this corridor becomes the place to be for glammed-up college students, serious commuter clubbers, and those who’ve chosen this part of town for its endless party possibilities.
Favorite stops include The Olde Bar, a contemporary take on a traditional oyster bar with some of the city’s best cocktails; The Continental Restaurant and Martini Bar, with its distinctive olive-shaped lights and fabulous cocktails; and the convivial bar at Amada, “Iron Chef” Jose Garces’ flagship tapas restaurant.
JUST OUTSIDE OF CENTER CITY
Gay & Lesbian Nightlife Northern Liberties and Fishtown
These warehouse-y blocks north of Old City specialize in art-filled cafes and revived beer halls that cater to the indie rocker-meets-loft-dwelling crowd—folks who appreciate a hard-to-score German beer, jukeboxes with local hits and international comfort food that’s affordably edgy.
Silk City, a funky diner with an eclectic outdoor beer garden, is a great starting point for a night in NoLibs. On 2nd Street, bars and restaurants line the Street. Among them: Standard Tap, known for local brews and a chalkboard menu; Cantina Dos Segundos, where mighty margaritas rule; North Bowl, a bowling and beer heaven; and Bar Ferdinand, a tapas favorite.
A few blocks away in nearby Fishtown is Johnny Brenda’s, a showcase for indie bands, and Frankford Hall, an indoor-outdoor German-style beer hall.
Gay & Lesbian Nightlife East Passyunk Avenue
This South Philadelphia corridor is the country’s oldest Italian-American business district that’s now known for its cool bars and stylishly old-world restaurants—and more and more gay and lesbian Philadelphians are starting to call this neighborhood home as a result.
Anchoring the rebirth is the Mexican-themed Cantina Los Caballitos, famous for its patio tables and flavorful margaritas; the Pub On Passyunk East, also known as “the P.O.P.E.,” a hangout for 20-somethings; Triangle Tavern, an update on an old school Italian-American restaurant-bar with adult water ice and vegan offerings; Townsend, an upscale French restaurant-bar; the dive-y Ray’s Happy Birthday Bar, known for its severe karaoke and cheap drinks; and Pat’s King of Steaks and Geno’s Steaks, Philly’s famously dueling cheesesteak vendors peddling late-night bites. Check the calendar for QOTA (“Queers on the Avenue”), which holds a monthly social event at different venues.
Bucks County
Gay & Lesbian Nightlife New Hope
New Hope, situated an easy hour's drive north of Philadelphia in Bucks County, is an artist’s colony built around a vibrant and funky Main Street filled with shops, restaurants, bars, and cafes.
LGBT-favorite spots include The Raven, a restaurant-nightlife complex offering dance parties and cabaret acts; The RRazz Room, where nationally known and regional cabaret acts and comedians perform; Bowman’s Tavern, which features hometown favorite, Bob Egan, as part of its entertainment lineup; and Karla’s Bar & Restaurant, where locals go for a Basil Lemon Old-Fashioned and other innovative cocktails.
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