The Bottom Line
A venerable cruise and video bar with two floors and three distinct areas for socializing, Woody's is de rigueur for visitors to the City of Brotherly Love. The interior is looking quite dapper following a major refurbishment, and you'll find every kinda guy at this place, which pulls in big crowds every night of the week.
Pros
- Recently completed a beautiful renovation
- Always draws a good-size, eclecitc crowd
- Central location in heart of Philly's "Gayborhood"
- Eclectic themes and events, from Latin to country-western to 18-and-over nights
- Free Internet surfing at three terminals
Cons
- Dance floor is compact
Description
- Woody's is at the very center of Philadelphia and its "Gayborhood", at 202 S. 13th St., 215-545-1893
- A dependable and fun video and cruise bar with a dance bar and coffeehouse as well - something for everyone
- The crowd is about 80/20 male/female, but spanning all ages (generally younger in the dance bar, and older downstairs)
- Many of the city's other gay bars as well as the majority of Philadephia's major downtown hotels are within walking distance
Guide Review - Woody's Bar & Nightclub, Philadelphia, PA
A longtime fixture in Philadelphia's historic City Center, which is also home to that lively rectangle of GLBT life known here as the "Gayborhood," Woody's merely seems older than Independence Hall. In fact, it opened in 1980. Granted, it's impressive for a gay bar not only to last nearly three decades but to continue to rank among the city's top gay social hangouts for so long. Part of the reason the bar has remained both popular and relevant is that ownership continues to make improvements. Most recently, in fall 2011, Woody's underwent a major renovation that included a brighter lighting (both at night and, thanks to new floor-to-ceiling windows, throughout the day), sleek granite bars, polished wood flooring on the dance floor, and a cheery outdoor space that's perfect for relaxing on a warm day.
The format is still a tavernesque main bar at street level, which tends to be more conducive to conversation. Younger visitors generally ascend to the upstairs, which comprises a cozy cocktail lounge as well as a festive dance bar, where you can catch anything from country-western line-dancing and two-stepping (early on Friday and Sunday evenings) to Latin tunes (especially on Thursdays) to the usual dance music. With so many rooms and the different theme nights, you can almost always find your niche at Woody's, which draws a mostly male crowd of all ages (there's even an 18-and-over college night on Wednesdays). Women are quite welcome but constitute a distinct minority.
