Guidebook for Philadelphia
Drinks & Nightlife
Dawson Street Pub
100 Dawson StInsanely inexpensive happy hour. Great live music most nights!
Stumble in for a shot and a beer at this local dive establishment. Live music.
305 locals recommend
Bob and Barbara's Lounge
1509 South StreetStumble in for a shot and a beer at this local dive establishment. Live music.
Tattooed Mom
530 South StYellow Juice Bar
2046 Sansom StDark and moody cocktail bar with well crafted specialty cocktails. A favorite after-work spot for locals.
47 locals recommend
Charlie was a sinner.
131 S 13th StDark and moody cocktail bar with well crafted specialty cocktails. A favorite after-work spot for locals.
One of the most buzzed about bars in Philly right now. Fun Fact: head mixologist Paul MacDonald regularly rotates the cocktail list and earned attention for using the math-based Fibonacci sequence to perfectly balance drinks.
- from Eater Philadelphia
33 locals recommend
Friday Saturday Sunday
261 S 21st StOne of the most buzzed about bars in Philly right now. Fun Fact: head mixologist Paul MacDonald regularly rotates the cocktail list and earned attention for using the math-based Fibonacci sequence to perfectly balance drinks.
- from Eater Philadelphia
As is the case with most speakeasies... don't judge a book by it's cover.
Stephen Starr’s red-walled speakeasy-esque bar, tucked into the alley street (Ranstead) behind his Mexican eatery El Rey, is lit almost solely by candlelight. The sexy space is a perfect spot for a fancy cocktail and the bartenders here are top-notch.
- from Eater Philadelphia
53 locals recommend
The Ranstead Room
2013 Ranstead StAs is the case with most speakeasies... don't judge a book by it's cover.
Stephen Starr’s red-walled speakeasy-esque bar, tucked into the alley street (Ranstead) behind his Mexican eatery El Rey, is lit almost solely by candlelight. The sexy space is a perfect spot for a fancy cocktail and the bartenders here are top-notch.
- from Eater Philadelphia
Hop Sing Laundromat’s air of mystery enhances its allure — and the outstanding drinks don’t hurt, either. The hidden Chinatown cocktail bar features a strict set of rules enforced by owner/proprietor Lê. Dressing inappropriately, taking photos inside, or doing something else to break one of them is to risk being added to the bar’s banned list. And no one wants to be banned from a beautiful bar with top-shelf liquor, fresh juices squeezed to order, and some of the best recipes around. Need a strong cocktail right after work? Hop Sing’s happy hour is one of the best in the city.
- From Eater Philadelphia
79 locals recommend
Hop Sing Laundromat
1029 Race StHop Sing Laundromat’s air of mystery enhances its allure — and the outstanding drinks don’t hurt, either. The hidden Chinatown cocktail bar features a strict set of rules enforced by owner/proprietor Lê. Dressing inappropriately, taking photos inside, or doing something else to break one of them is to risk being added to the bar’s banned list. And no one wants to be banned from a beautiful bar with top-shelf liquor, fresh juices squeezed to order, and some of the best recipes around. Need a strong cocktail right after work? Hop Sing’s happy hour is one of the best in the city.
- From Eater Philadelphia
Parks & Nature
Philadelphia has over 10,200 acres of public parks and waterways. Here are a few of our favorites:
Rittenhouse Square
135 S 18th StVisit the Rittenhouse Farmer's Market Saturdays from 10am-2pm
Grab a bite to eat from Talula's Daily and head over to Washington Square park for the perfect picnic spot.
90 locals recommend
Washington Square Park
210 W Washington SquareGrab a bite to eat from Talula's Daily and head over to Washington Square park for the perfect picnic spot.
Wissahickon Valley Park
Valley Green RoadMiles of pristine hiking and biking trails near Manayunk
Mario Lanza Park
214 Catharine StSightseeing
Great biking and walking. Not too far away from the apartment. Will take you right into center city.
141 locals recommend
Kelly Drive
Kelly DriveGreat biking and walking. Not too far away from the apartment. Will take you right into center city.
Rocky Steps
2600 Benjamin Franklin PkwyGotta run the Rocky steps when you come to Philly!
Eastern State Penitentiary
2027 Fairmount AveShopping
Moon + Arrow
742 S 4th StArts & Culture
Philadelphia Museum of Art
2600 Benjamin Franklin PkwyThe Franklin Institute
222 N 20th StAcademy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
1900 Benjamin Franklin PkwyFirst Food Market
116 S 21st StEssentials
CVS
7065 Lincoln DrFine Wine & Good Spirits
411 N 20th StWhole Foods Market
929 South StNeighborhoods
Trendy Manayunk hugs the Schuylkill River banks. It has a small-town vibe, with rowhouses, lofts and Victorian homes occupied by young families and long-time residents. Along its hilly streets, the steep incline of "The Manayunk Wall" punishes riders in an annual bike race. Galleries and boutiques line Main Street, while its trendy eateries and boisterous bars evoke the area's Lenape name, "the place to drink.”
82 locals recommend
Manayunk
Trendy Manayunk hugs the Schuylkill River banks. It has a small-town vibe, with rowhouses, lofts and Victorian homes occupied by young families and long-time residents. Along its hilly streets, the steep incline of "The Manayunk Wall" punishes riders in an annual bike race. Galleries and boutiques line Main Street, while its trendy eateries and boisterous bars evoke the area's Lenape name, "the place to drink.”
Though it’s home to some of the oldest residences in Philadelphia, Queen Village simmers with modern energy, making it an ideal neighborhood for visitors who love to keep their fashion, food and fun low-key and local.
A homey, welcoming tangle of narrow blocks, attractive architecture and mature trees, the area began as a working-class suburb. It eventually folded into the city proper in the mid-1800s. This unique history, coupled with its prime waterfront location and the old-time aesthetic charm, helps Queen Village stand out as one of Philly’s most stable and stirring pockets of city life.
-From Visit Philadelphia
24 locals recommend
Queen Village
Though it’s home to some of the oldest residences in Philadelphia, Queen Village simmers with modern energy, making it an ideal neighborhood for visitors who love to keep their fashion, food and fun low-key and local.
A homey, welcoming tangle of narrow blocks, attractive architecture and mature trees, the area began as a working-class suburb. It eventually folded into the city proper in the mid-1800s. This unique history, coupled with its prime waterfront location and the old-time aesthetic charm, helps Queen Village stand out as one of Philly’s most stable and stirring pockets of city life.
-From Visit Philadelphia
Three neighborhoods in one: That’s the perfect way to describe Washington Square West, a thriving enclave that includes Midtown Village and the Gayborhood.
Midtown Village maintains its own personality thanks to a small-business boom concentrated on the 13th Street corridor, where power couple Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran preside over a handful of popular restaurants and shops.
The Gayborhood sets itself apart with dozens of rainbow street signs throughout the area, along with many LGBTQ-focused restaurants and bars.
Washington Square itself — one of five original public squares in Philadelphia — ties the whole area together. Here, picnickers, families and residents gather to enjoy the open space.
- From Visit Philadelphia
28 locals recommend
Washington Square West
Three neighborhoods in one: That’s the perfect way to describe Washington Square West, a thriving enclave that includes Midtown Village and the Gayborhood.
Midtown Village maintains its own personality thanks to a small-business boom concentrated on the 13th Street corridor, where power couple Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran preside over a handful of popular restaurants and shops.
The Gayborhood sets itself apart with dozens of rainbow street signs throughout the area, along with many LGBTQ-focused restaurants and bars.
Washington Square itself — one of five original public squares in Philadelphia — ties the whole area together. Here, picnickers, families and residents gather to enjoy the open space.
- From Visit Philadelphia