2008 Woodie Awards
Hours before 21 years old? No bar.
Marisa Sgroi '09
Issue date: 4/2/08 Section: Features
A 21st birthday can be a monumental event in an individual's life. Some opt to keep it low-key: a nice dinner and perhaps that first legal drink or two. However, the majority of students pull out their drinking pants and beer goggles and get ready for a night they'll (probably not) remember. When it comes to logistics, though, the local bars aren't messing around with their 21-club entrance policies.
On a March evening a few weeks ago, a lanky boy with a navy baseball hat stood in the entryway to Brownies 23 East. Holding up the line, he threw his hands up in the air and loudly yelled, "Can I get my ID back?" The bouncer, weighing in at a good 200-something pounds, glared at him and shook his head. Persistent, the boy decided to try again. "Can I come back tomorrow to pick up my ID?" The bouncer smirked and shook his head no. Access denied.
The kid was trying to have a good time, hoping to have a little fun the night before his 21st birthday but unfortunately, showing them his fake ID cost him a night on the town (though why he didn't just try with his real license at midnight is still baffling). At this coveted hot spot, don't even try to get in until midnight the night before your 21st or the day of because the bouncers don't mess around.
While you can often get away with entering most bars in Old City before the clock strikes 12 on your big night, bars in Manayunk and on the Main Line are typically tighter in terms of rules and regulations.
A junior at St. Joe's, who will be referred to as Kaitlin, has worked as a bartender at a handful of bars in the area. She notes that Top 5, a popular underage spot, is really lenient in terms of 21st birthdays. Since many of the bar's clientele use fake IDs anyway, as long as an individual has something to show, he or she is good to go and the party can begin. For those attempting to class it up in the city, the only way to get into Cebu is if you're officially 21…or are willing to pay. She said that if someone is going to spend a lot of money there, i.e. buying multiple bottles or renting out private space, then exceptions can be made.
Manayunk is home to J.D. McGillicuddy's, and Kaitlin acknowledges that although the bouncers are really strict (especially when it's the owner working the door) and won't allow someone to go in before their 21st birthday is official, once inside, anything goes.
"I've seen some [really sloppy] behavior and they haven't kicked the person out," Kaitlin said.
As mentioned previously, Brownies is no nonsense when it comes to trying to get in before one's 21st but, like McGillicuddy's, it's going to take a lot to get yourself kicked out on your big day. Don't be surprised if the bartender cuts you off, however. Kaitlin notes that this is pretty commonplace here and they "cut people off a lot."
Wherever you decide to celebrate your 21st, just remember to be smart, safe, and plan ahead, because the place you've been eyeing up might just kick you to the curb until you're absolutely legal.
On a March evening a few weeks ago, a lanky boy with a navy baseball hat stood in the entryway to Brownies 23 East. Holding up the line, he threw his hands up in the air and loudly yelled, "Can I get my ID back?" The bouncer, weighing in at a good 200-something pounds, glared at him and shook his head. Persistent, the boy decided to try again. "Can I come back tomorrow to pick up my ID?" The bouncer smirked and shook his head no. Access denied.
The kid was trying to have a good time, hoping to have a little fun the night before his 21st birthday but unfortunately, showing them his fake ID cost him a night on the town (though why he didn't just try with his real license at midnight is still baffling). At this coveted hot spot, don't even try to get in until midnight the night before your 21st or the day of because the bouncers don't mess around.
While you can often get away with entering most bars in Old City before the clock strikes 12 on your big night, bars in Manayunk and on the Main Line are typically tighter in terms of rules and regulations.
A junior at St. Joe's, who will be referred to as Kaitlin, has worked as a bartender at a handful of bars in the area. She notes that Top 5, a popular underage spot, is really lenient in terms of 21st birthdays. Since many of the bar's clientele use fake IDs anyway, as long as an individual has something to show, he or she is good to go and the party can begin. For those attempting to class it up in the city, the only way to get into Cebu is if you're officially 21…or are willing to pay. She said that if someone is going to spend a lot of money there, i.e. buying multiple bottles or renting out private space, then exceptions can be made.
Manayunk is home to J.D. McGillicuddy's, and Kaitlin acknowledges that although the bouncers are really strict (especially when it's the owner working the door) and won't allow someone to go in before their 21st birthday is official, once inside, anything goes.
"I've seen some [really sloppy] behavior and they haven't kicked the person out," Kaitlin said.
As mentioned previously, Brownies is no nonsense when it comes to trying to get in before one's 21st but, like McGillicuddy's, it's going to take a lot to get yourself kicked out on your big day. Don't be surprised if the bartender cuts you off, however. Kaitlin notes that this is pretty commonplace here and they "cut people off a lot."
Wherever you decide to celebrate your 21st, just remember to be smart, safe, and plan ahead, because the place you've been eyeing up might just kick you to the curb until you're absolutely legal.
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