Every Philadelphia summer eventually turns into a waterfront summer.

The very second the weather breaks, people start migrating east like they’re being summoned. The Delaware River stretch has become one of the easiest places in the city to build an entire night around without the need to travel. You can bounce between beer gardens, giant decks, cocktail spots, outdoor hangouts, and bars to your heart’s content.If you’re anything like the masses, suddenly everyone wants a frozen drink outside with a view of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge instead of standing shoulder-to-shoulder in a dark room pretending it’s still January.

There’s a very specific kind of night Philadelphia lives for: those first few warm nights where jackets get left at home, and suddenly everyone’s texting to try to find out what the move is.

And the answer is almost always the same: go out.

That first stretch of good weather turns the whole city into a vibe. Patios come alive and bars that felt quiet all winter suddenly feel like the place to be. 

January doesn’t necessarily mean you have to give up on outdoor plans. It just means you have to be a little smarter about them. Philadelphia winters are unpredictable, but the city has mastered the art of the winter patio: heaters blasting and rooftops covered just enough to block the wind, leaving you with an experience that’s comfortable enough to not spend the whole night counting down until you can go back inside.

Philadelphia’s slow summer days are all about escaping the hustle without having to ever actually leave the city. Well, these hidden courtyards are serving just that, where the spritzes are cold, and the crowd is just right.