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City Guide - Philadelphia - Nightlife | ||
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Nightlife Philadelphia has a lively nightlife scene. Much of it is centred around dining out, for the city boasts a wealth of top restaurants, from the best of world cuisine to local specialities, such as cheesesteaks, hoagies and ethnic foods. A range of music is on offer every night of the week, but the city is especially known for great jazz and blues. South Street, between Front and Seventh Streets, is a trendy nightlife area, with comedy clubs, jazz and rock clubs. Some of the latest nightlife spots can be found on Columbus Boulevard along the Delaware River, around Penn's Landing. The main daily newspapers are the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News. Entertainment listings can also be found in the free magazines City Paper and Philadelphia Weekly. The legal drinking age in Pennsylvania is 21 years. Bar closing time is 0200 daily. Bars: Bar Noir, 112 South 18th Street, is an underground bar with great cocktails and vintage movies. The Irish Pub, 1123 Walnut Street, is a great spot for good beer and Irish tunes around Washington Square. The Artful Dodger on Head House Square is fashioned after a traditional English pub and has entertainment at weekends. Dave & Busters, Pier 19 at Penn's Landing, is a popular sports bar with billiards and electronic games. Liberties, north of the Old City on Second Street, is smart and comfortable and decorated with antiques. Mahogany on Walnut, in the Rittenhouse district, is a dark, plush cigar bar. Casinos: Casinos are illegal in Pennsylvania. Clubs: Brazil, 111 Chestnut Street, is a hot salsa and reggae spot. Polly Esthers, 1201 Race Street, favours 1970s disco, while Culture Club upstairs plays 80s favourites. Shampoo, Seventh and Willow Streets, has four levels of various music styles to choose from. Egypt is a huge waterfront nightclub on Columbus Boulevard, hosting hip-hop and techno nights, while KatManDu at Pier 25 and Rock Lobster at Peir 13-14 are open seasonally. KatManDu plays a variety of music from rock to reggae, while Rock Lobster is aimed at an older crowd and plays mostly rock'n'roll. Live music: Two of the hottest clubs in Philadelphia are Warmdaddy's, an upmarket club at 4 Front Street with the best of live blues, and Zanzibar Blue, 200 South Broad Street, where top jazz musicians perform. Chris' Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom Street, and Ortlieb's Jazzhaus, at Third and Poplar Streets, are also good venues for live jazz. Pontiac is a venerable South Street rock club featuring live local bands. |