Press Release

PHILLY LIKE A LOCAL: WHAT TO DO AFTER DARK
Movies, Munchies, Goth And Gore Make For Nighttime Naughtiness In Philly

PHILADELPHIA, December 1, 2006

Pass the Popcorn
Got a movie jones? You can catch something on the big screen every night in Philadelphia, not just in the local cineplexes, but also in dark corners of restaurants and bars, grand old auditoriums and luxury theaters. Scores of hipsters stream in for a dose of beer and pop culture on Monday movie night at The Trocadero. The paltry $3 admission at this old burlesque theater that hosts live music the rest of the week not only gets you in the door, but also includes a drink or snack. If you’d rather be on the other side of the camera, you can release your inner Spielberg on Tuesdays at N. 3rd’s Fancypants Cinema, where the motto is “You bring ’em, we show ’em that night.” That’s, of course, if they’re under 15 minutes long. When your brew of choice is coffee, make your way to Fairmount coffeehouse Mugshots and its Dinner and a Movie Monday nights. 

Eastern State Penitentiary

Photo courtesy of ESP

Go off the beaten aisle with repertory film at the theater at University City’s International House, which hosts Scribe Video Center’s locally made productions, the horror/cult series Exhumed Films and I House’s own quirky programs of foreign, documentary and independent flicks. The glam old days of Hollywood live on at the Ambler Theater in Ambler, the Bryn Mawr Film Institute in Bryn Mawr and the County Theater in Doylestown—all restored old-fashioned movie palaces that bring art house, foreign and classic gems to the ’burbs.

Those in the know know there are plenty of underground film events in Philly. Held in unlikely venues like Eastern State Penitentiary and the roof of Whole Foods, The Secret Cinema screens lost and obscure works; programs are often curated by theme and sometimes include live music or a DJ. Andrew’s Video Vault is a monthly series presenting little-known independent and foreign films at West Philly’s Rotunda, while Small Change specializes in video art and experimental shorts by local filmmakers.

The Dark Side Of Sight-Seeing
If you’ve got a taste for the macabre, you’ll be interested in Philly’s darkest and eeriest local offerings, from ancient cemeteries to body organs in jars. (We’re serious.) Stargaze at noon at the Fels Planetarium at The Franklin Institute under the recently upgraded dome. Even in broad daylight, Eastern State Penitentiary, which served as a set for the thriller 12 Monkeys, is totally freaky—the deserted cells and stories of the city’s earliest prisoners make it a creepy but fascinating place to visit. Come October, the Penitentiary gets even scarier with its Halloween haunted house, Terror Behind the Walls.

Other people’s disembodied parts are actually the main attraction of the Mütter Museum at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, which has been creeping out visitors for decades with pathological specimens like “Siamese twins” Chang and Eng’s liver. You can hunt for revolutionary spirits by candlelight on the Ghost Tour of Philadelphia, and check out the graves of prominent Philadelphians at the historic Laurel Hill Cemetery and the Underground Museum. Everyone remembers The Raven from English class, and if you ever wondered where its author lived, you can check out the Edgar Allan Poe House, and then continue on to the Central Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia for a look at the stuffed bird that inspired the poem.

It’s 3:00 a.m. Do You Know Where Your Cheesesteak Is?
After you’ve soaked in the bar scene, you’ll want to quell the inevitable munchies in South Philly. When the bars let out, locals line up for late-night eats at the famous cheesesteak corner where dueling vendors Geno’s and Pat’s King of Steaks grill up the sandwiches that Philly’s known for. The cool bargain—and the slightly cringing experience of ordering—makes it worth the wait. Craving burgers? Center City’s Bootsie’s offers them until 12 midnight on weekends. And you can’t beat the no-nonsense service and blue-collar attitude of 24/7 spots like South Philly’s famous Melrose Diner (recommended that first-timers slide into a shared booth) and the Oregon Diner. Home to Shiao Lan Kung and Ocean City, Chinatown, too, is a great place to fill up after a night out. In University City, stock up at Taco Lou’s truck around 3:00 a.m. for Tex-Mex grub that’s best enjoyed curbside.

Night Provisions
If by “dark,” you mean lipstick and an interest in alt culture, the area’s many offbeat stores can provide the right accoutrements. The epicenter of Philadelphia’s thriving Goth and punk scene, South Street is home to Digital Ferret, a Goth music store with a wide selection of underground, new and used CDs. Harry’s Occult Shop is another South Street institution, peddling supplies for white magic. If you’re looking for gargoyles and grave images, New Hope’s Gothic Creations is your place, while the nearby Against the Grain sells clothes and accessories with Celtic and Medieval influences. At Kindred Spirit in West Chester, tarot cards, herbs and other goods are available for this life and the next.

Oh yeah, and we’ve got alien life, too—there are plenty of outlets for comic and sci-fi fans around town. On South Street, Atomic City Comics has a vast selection of comic books. A local chain and national mail-order business, TLA Video has a Danger After Dark section entirely devoted to foreign, rare, late-night, horror, fantasy and cult movies for sale on VHS and DVD.  

ADDRESS BOOK

Pass The Popcorn:

• The Trocadero, 1003 Arch Street, (215) 922-LIVE, www.thetroc.com
• N. 3rd, 3rd & Brown Streets, (215) 413-3666, www.norththird.com
• Mugshots, 21st Street & Fairmount Avenue, (267) 514-7145, www.mugshotscoffeehouse.com
• International House, 3701 Chestnut Street, (215) 387-5125, www.ihousephilly.org
• Ambler Theater, 108 E. Butler Avenue, Ambler, (215) 345-7855, www.amblertheater.org
• Bryn Mawr Film Institute, 824 W. Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, (610) 527-9898, www.brynmawrfilm.org
• County Theater, 20 E. State Street, Doylestown, (215) 345-6789, www.countytheater.com
• The Secret Cinema, www.thesecretcinema.com
• Andrew’s Video Vault, The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut Street, www.armcinema25.com
• Small Change, www.smallchangescreenings.com

The Dark Side Of Sight-Seeing:

• The Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th Street, (215) 448-1200, www.fi.edu
• Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, 2124 Fairmount Avenue, (215) 236-5111, www.easternstate.org
• Mütter Museum, 19 S. 22nd Street, (215) 563-3737, ext. 211, www.collphyphil.org
• Ghost Tour of Philadelphia, 5th & Chestnut Streets, (215) 413-1997, www.ghosttour.com
• Laurel Hill Cemetery and the Underground Museum, 3822 Ridge Avenue, (215) 228-8200, www.theundergroundmuseum.com
• Edgar Allan Poe House, 532 N. 7th Street, (215) 597-8780, www.nps.gov/edal
• Free Library of Philadelphia, Central Branch, 1901 Vine Street, (215) 686-5322, www.library.phila.gov

It’s 3 a.m. Do You Know Where Your Cheesesteak Is?:

• Geno’s, 1219 S. 9th Street, (215) 389-0659, www.genossteaks.com
• Pat’s King of Steaks, 1237 E. Passyunk Avenue, (215) 468-1546, www.patskingofsteaks.com
• Bootsie’s, 38 S. 19th Street, (215) 988-0089, www.bootsiesphilly.com
• Melrose Diner, 1501 Snyder Avenue, (215) 467-6644, www.melrose-diner.com
• Oregon Diner, 302 W. Oregon Avenue, (215) 462-5566
• Shiao Lan Kung, 930 Race Street, (215) 928-0282
• Ocean City, 234 N. 9th Street, (215) 829-0688
• Taco Lou’s, 34th Street & Powelton Avenue

Night Provisions:

• Digital Ferret, 526 S. 5th Street, (215) 925-9259, www.ferret.com/digital
• Harry’s Occult Shop, 1238 South Street, (215) 735-8262, www.harrysoccultshop.com
• Gothic Creations, 15 N. Main Street, New Hope, (888) GAR-GOYL, www.gargoyles.org
• Against the Grain, 82 S. Main Street, New Hope, (215) 862-4900, www.medievalgallery.com
• Kindred Spirit, 124 S. High Street, West Chester, (610) 344-0182
• Atomic City Comics, 642 South Street, (215) 625-9613
• TLA Video, (888) TLA-DVDS, www.tlavideo.com
  

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and The Countryside™ a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the region’s vitality. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com or call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676.

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Caroline Bean, GPTMC
(215) 599-7433, caroline@gptmc.com

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