Close your eyes and picture palm trees, frozen drinks, and zero responsibilities. Now open them because Philadelphia has bars that bring the vacation vibe without the plane ticket. If your PTO is running low but your summer mood is fully on, these spots are here to deliver umbrella drinks, dreamy views, and full escape energy right in your backyard.

By the time Friday afternoon rolls around, we’re all looking for that perfect way to start the weekend. If your vibe is more “sip wine in a sculpture garden” than “sweat in a club,” the Garden Bar at the Rodin Museum is where you need to be.

You’ve hit happy hour, downed your $7 cocktails, snacked on half-price apps, and now it’s 7 PM. The sun’s still out, your group is feeling good, and there’s no way you’re calling it a night. That can only mean one thing: it’s time to keep the party going.

It's official: Philadelphia’s happiest happy hour is back.

Starting today, Wednesday, June 4, Center City SIPS returns for its 21st season, giving you the perfect excuse to round up your friends and dive into midweek cocktails, bites, and sun filled hangs. SIPS really is Philadelphia’s way of saying, "summer starts now."

Philadelphia is destined to get loud, proud, and full of color this weekend, because Philly Pride lands once again in our fair city.

Okay, is the sun on vacation? Because this rain has been nonstop. Soggy socks, cancelled plans, and the kind of weather that makes you question whether whatever you’re about to do is really worth it. But just because the skies are stuck on “moody” doesn’t mean your social life has to be.

If you’re climbing the walls and desperate for something fun to do that isn’t staring out the window like you’re in a sad music video, we’ve got a few ideas in mind.

Here’s how to enjoy Philadelphia, rain or not.

Making new friends, or flirty “what are we?” connections, in your mid-20s is weirdly harder than it should be. You’re too old for frat basements, too young for wine tastings with strangers, and no one wants to feel like they’re in an awkward networking event with cocktails. So…where do you go to experience meeting people that actually feels natural? These Philadelphia bars make it super easy to mingle.

Start your engines, Philadelphia, for real racing vibes, no driving skills required. The highly anticipated F1 Arcade is opening next week at 13th and Chestnut, and it’s bringing an entirely new kind of nightlife experience to the city. F1 Arcade takes the heart-pounding excitement of Formula 1 racing and drops it into a futuristic, neon doused lounge where the bar is just as important as the finish line.

Philadelphia’s cocktail scene is having a moment, and we’re here for it. With so many inventive takes on classics to bold, unexpected flavor combinations, these are the drinks you need to sip on ASAP.

Philadelphia is a city that lives and breathes basketball, especially when the NBA Playoffs roll around. Regardless if you’re a die-hard Sixers fan (even if that’s been tough this season) or just in it for the buzzer-beaters and beer specials, Philadelphia’s sports bars deliver quite the game night experience. 

Philadelphia’s nightlife can act as a time machine to your favorite music eras. With nights dedicated to genres that span 90s hip-hop throwbacks to disco fever dream dance floors, this city knows how to throw a themed party. Here’s where to relive the best beats of every decade and vibe.

You conquered the Cinco Express bar crawl. You danced, you drank tequila that may or may not have been necessary, and your phone’s camera roll is already a little concerning. But now it’s getting late, and the energy’s still high. Good news: Philadelphia’s Mexican bars aren’t done partying either.

We love a margarita — truly, we do. But some of us hit our salt and sugar rim limits and never looked back. If you’re planning to hit the town this Cinco de Mayo and you’re not exactly a “blended mango marg with a sugar rim” kind of person… we got you.

Philadelphia’s going all out this Cinco, and so are we. Cinco Express, our signature bar crawl, is rolling through the city on Saturday, May 3rd. But before you get wristbanded and wild, you’ll want to know what to order once you pull up to the bar.

If Cinco de Mayo had a personality in Philadelphia, it would be loud, glittery, slightly tipsy, and running late for the next bar. If you’re the kind of person who thinks, “This is my Super Bowl” when someone says “bar crawl,” congrats — this one’s for you. Philadelphia is fully booked with bar crawls this year. Some are chaotic. Some are delicious. One is ours (hi, hello), and yes, it’s the one you should absolutely build your day around if we do say so ourselves.

You did it. You ran ten miles straight down Broad Street. Your legs are toast, your playlist is a little played out, and your medal is shining. There’s only one thing left to do: grab a drink (or three) and celebrate the sweaty glory that is the Broad Street Run.

You might be hobbling to the finish line or sprinting straight to brunch, but either way, here are some of our favorite Philly spots to toast your post-run triumph – all walkable or a quick ride from the stadiums:

Once Cinco de Mayo rolls around, we, as a society, clear our schedules, text the group chat, and make a whole weekend of it.

Scores of sombrero-ed Philadelphians flood the streets, the drinks hit a little harder, and the tacos somehow taste even better. Taco-stuffed bar crawls, margarita tours, high-energy dance floors, and even a few events that make you feel productive before the tequila kicks in are on the roster this year. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure vibe, and all roads lead to good times.

Though it feels like spring plummeted rather than sprang these past few weeks, indeed spring it is. And with that comes the grand reopening of the city’s beloved beer gardens. If you’re just as ready to swap your winter woes for some hoppy highs as I am, here are five spots that promise to at least give you at least concepts of those springy feelings.

Not everyone’s into bottle service, strobe lights, and elbowing their way through a packed club just to hear the same remixes you’ve been hearing for the past 10 years. And that’s okay — you can still catch a vibe, break a sweat, and dance without stepping foot into a “club” club.

Philadelphia’s got a place for the rest of us: divey discos, indie DJ nights, and neighborhood bars where the playlist always hits. Swear – these places deliver, no dress code required.

If Gritty and Ted Lasso opened a bar together, it might feel a whole lot like Lion Bar — Chinatown’s latest contribution to the sports bar scene. Lion Bar is the newest go-to for soccer-obsessed, Philadelphia sports diehards, and people who just want a pint, a booth, and a reason to yell at the TV. This place is very sports bar centered, but with flavor — a mix of Premier League pride, Philadelphia sports grit, and fans who all brought their jerseys and opinions.