Remember two weeks ago when I was going off about how much I liked rainy Sundays? I guess I need to be more careful what I wish for.
That hurricane was a bitch, wasn’t it? I’m glad Philly was spared the worst of it, but even so it was still too much. Nineteen inches of rain in one month isn’t something for the record books, it’s something for Seattle. Hell, even they average only about half that much in their wettest months of the year!
But it was all worth it after the last of the storm passed overhead, and the sun finally came out. The sky was a dazzling blue, and the air was crisp like in autumn. It was as if the earth had been scrubbed clean by the storm, and everything was brighter and shinier than normal.
That’s what change is like. You might have to go through some difficult times, but when you get to the other side and look around, you realize that it was all worth it.
A brand-new Woody’s
The workers have swept away the last of the dust and the drywall nails, and phase one of the big Woody’s bar renovations is now complete.
When you step into the first floor, you won’t believe your eyes. The transformation is astonishing. Someone told me it reminds them of Sidetracks in Chicago, and I didn’t think that could be right, but they hit the nail right on the head.
The original bar on the far left is temporarily off limits. The middle bar and what used to be the café on the first floor have been combined to form one vast space with brick walls, a big, central granite-topped bar and exposed ceiling beams that make it feel open and cavernous in a way it never did before. There is plenty of space to move and mingle, and there are flat-screen TVs everywhere you look. It’s stunning.
As impressive as the new room is, the biggest change of all is behind the bar itself. Woody’s now has 32 beers on tap. Overnight, it’s positioned itself to top the list for gay beer lovers in Philly.
Its plan is to stock the taps with a selection of popular local craft beers to start and then to add more creative brands and adventurous flavors over time.
Next up is a brand-new dining room for Tommy D’s Café, which will be housed where the original bar used to be. Then somehow they’re planning to incorporate outdoor seating, my guess is with an upstairs deck.
I started hanging out in Woody’s before a lot of the clientele was even born. I was a college freshman in 1985. To be honest, I don’t go there very much anymore, mainly because of how it’s changed over the years. I miss the tiny neighborhood bar it used to be, when it was just the main bar downstairs and the second-floor bar directly above it.
Now it’s been transformed into a completely different place, which is a little sad, but it’s also kind of great. Change is a good thing. Bill Wood has moved on with Knock, and there’s no reason why the Weiss brothers shouldn’t charge ahead and finally make the Woody’s brand completely their own. I can’t wait to see the rest of the place when it’s done, which is funny because I haven’t been excited to go to Woody’s since Reagan was in office.
Bottoms Up at The Bike Stop
Speaking of change, The Bike Stop is changing things up and launching a brand-new party called Bottoms Up every Friday from 5-9 p.m., starting Sept. 9.
You might think this is just another happy-hour theme party with a cute and cheeky name, but you’d be wrong. Sure, it has drink specials, and of course there’s no cover. But this is more than just a theme party.
With Luke Dow behind the bar and both Robert Drake and John Stanley spinning retro-rock and new wave (which has never sounded better), this party has a built-in audience: their followings, which are not insignificant. At the party’s soft launch a couple of weeks ago, these guys pulled in a crowd that was new, young and literally shoulder to shoulder. When was the last time you saw that at The Bike Stop during happy hour?
It’s just one more step in the evolution of The Bike Stop since Robert and Carmela took over. They’ve already earned back the loyalty of the bears and leathermen who became disillusioned and abandoned the joint. Now they’re reaching out for a whole new crowd, and this party is one more smart business decision that’s taking them in the right direction.
Questions, comments or news about upcoming events? Contact Jim at [email protected].