Philadelphia’s Very Own Castor Sector in Washington West

Point of Interest Overview by Aaron Stella

The Washington West Area of Philadelphia shares its city-space with what is endearingly called, “The Gayborhood,”—Philadelphia’s LGBT amenities sector. While other LGBT establishments (bars, clubs, clothiers, furnishers, etc…) lie outside of the Gayborhood, within exists the most concentrated gathering. Also, you know you’re in the Gayborhood for sure simply by looking up at the corner street-name signs: if you see rainbow banners beneath them, then you’re in it. Since the Gayborhood lies close to City Hall (Broad and Market streets) and the Avenue of the Arts (southern half of Broad Street), it’s usually bustling with tourists and enraptured Philadlepians of the like, hunting about for one of the many gastropubs and fine eateries in the area; and at night, the streets teem with an eclectic cast of revelers. The Gayborhood also contains some of the city’s most elegant stretches. Mosey around: The quaint lanes and brick row homes are enough to charm one even after the beauty of the area at large. Also, just a few factoids: Philadelphia is home to the world’s first-ever and largest Outfest block party, and also boasts of a fabulous Pride Fest and Equality Forum celebration. So if you ever plan on poking around the Washington West Area for housing, a gourmet bite or a hot nightspot, take a look at the list below to get a sense of what’s out in the neighborhood:

Woody’s Bar & Restaurant

202 S 13th St
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 545-1893
www.woodysbar.com

12th Air Command

254 S 12th St
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 545-8088
www.12thair.com

Pure Nightclub

1221 St. James St
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 735-5772
purephilly.com

Tavern On Camac

243 S Camac St
Philadelphia, PA 19107-5609
(215) 545-0900
tavernoncamac.com

Uncles

1220 Locust St
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 546-6660

Knock Restaurant and Bar

225 S. 12th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 925-1166
knockphilly.com

Bump

1234 Locust St
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 732-1800
bumplounge.com

PHAG

1225 Walnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19107-4914
(215) 627-0461

Lolita

106 S 13th St
Philadelphia, PA 19107-4522
(215) 546-7100
www.lolitabyob.com

Giovanni’s Room

345 S 12th St
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 923-2960
www.giovannisroom.com

Valanni

1229 Spruce St
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 790-9494
www.valanni.com

Review by Aaron Stella

Silk City
Philadelphia, Pa 19123
(215) 592-8838
www.silkcityphilly.com

Silk City. A Phoenix risen from the ashes of its past dinerdom. Now a full-fledge bar and diner, this little slice of Northern Liberties nightlife is a must-go-to. Bathed in red neon lighting, Silk City’s checkered-floored quarters glimmer with the disco ball chandelier and it’s sometimes sequin-clad or otherwise metal-togged patrons (all a friendly bunch, I assure you). Whenever you’re heading to Silk City, you have to plan your night accordingly. Are you going to dine & dance? Have a nice dinner? Or just chum it up with the bartender and dance the night away? The choice is yours. About the food…hands down, it could stand on it’s own. Like many NoLibs hangouts, Silk City serves up sumptuous gastopub fare and then some. Some famed faves include duck and mushroom spring rolls, pulled pork empanadas, Thai chili glazed ribs (oh yeah) and The Ultimate BLT (boar bacon, lettuce, and friend green tomato). And if you like the sound of the diner fare, then be sure to stop in for brunch (huevos rancheros, crab and avocado omelet and much more). But back to the dancing…both big-name and local DJs fire up the party almost every night at Silk City, each with their own genre fetish. Plenty of kickin’ events happen weekly. Be sure to check out their web site for more info. Who would have thought this 50’s-styled diner would blow up into one of the hottest hits in town? Go see for yourself.

Cool enough for you? Want to live in Northern Liberties? Need to show off your dance moves nightly? Of course you do. Check out the Northern Liberties page on this website for listings of properties for sale and to find more brilliant reviews just like this one – letting you get to know Philadelphia, one neighborhood at a time.

Party Review by Aaron Stella

RE/MAX City Space is movin’ on up at 2200 Walnut Street. A vast change from it’s more quaint quarters on Fairmount and 2nd, now the booming real estate company and its intrepid crew of agents employ enterprise from their palatial abode on the hems of Rittenhouse Square. A bold move, but all the more timely considering RE/MAX City Space’s continuing success. So to mark their migration, the company threw a swinging soiree last Thursday, March 5th. The party was a hit. Light bites and sophisticated drinks, as the invite noted, were served in plenteous platters (tuna skewers, chocolate covered strawberries, grapes, cheeses). Not to mention the bubbly kept flowing. A little factoid: RE/MAX City Space’s new office space was once home to Philadelphia City Hall designer John McArthur, which explains the ornate plaster curly-cuing and flitting across the crown molding and the darkly lustrous wood staircase winding to an arresting glass ceiling, which is no doubt cut from the same classic design of City Hall. Many more celebrations are certain to come as the event marked good tidings both for RE/MAX City Space and for Philadelphia. Check out some of the candids from the party below:

 

$10 bottomless beer, a music festival and a Rib Cook-off all on one afternoon!? It is almost too much for my local brew and grill lovin’ self! Northern Liberties is bound to be a great time this coming Saturday, September 13th!

Start your day off right with the 2nd Annual Northern Liberties Rib Cook-off at the corner of Bodine and George Sts. How often do you get to go to a Rib Cook-off? I can’t even fathom the things that might happen there? Rib cookin’, rib eatin’, rib throwin’, rib buyin’, rib sellin’… you name it! And with a mere $25 at the door… that is a meat eatin’ dream! 4 pm on Saturday – for more info contact Shannon Dougherty at shannon@afullplate.net.

And then… after you have eaten up all those finger lickin’ tasty ribby snacks, head on over to dance with your bottomless cup at the Northern Liberties Music Festival happening at Liberty Lands (on 3rd Street between Poplar and Wildey) from 4 to 10 pm. Proceeds benefit the new Northern Liberties Community Center and the NLNA office! Good job Philadelphia Brewing Company for the beer donation! For more info on this great event contact Larry Freeman at larryfreedman@comcast.net.