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I-take-beast-shits t1_j9wgv4m wrote

Legendary Jason Kelce story at this bar:

One Erin Express forever ago the bar was fucking packed, and in walks in a rather unknown football player, one of my friends whispers “I think it’s that dude Kelce from the birds.” We shrug and continue drinking.

An hour later Kelce shouts at the corner of the bar “BY THE COUNT OF 3 IF YOUR HAND IS TOUCHING THE BAR ILL BUY YOU A SHOT.”

Kelce was a man of his word, and probably 100 shots were paid for by the man.

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GreatWhiteRapper t1_j9vl6o2 wrote

My SO and I had our first date here, years ago. The bartender was new and nearly stole my license because it was out of state and they thought it was "fake" and apparently the bartender and the manager needed to hold my license hostage for half an hour while they looked for a tree or something to deem it real. I was so embarrassed and told my date, some random from Tinder, he was free to leave as 10 minutes turned into 15 to 20 to 30. He stayed, and eventually my license was given back with no apology, nothing. Just an explanation about the search for The Mysterious Connecticut Tree. Anyway, that guy and I are still together 8 years later.

City Tap was a typical messy loud college bar but it'll always hold a special place in my heart. RIP you beautiful bastard bar. I'm gonna try and go one last time with my new PA license and see if I get carded.

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FreakLipsHighC t1_j9vqndd wrote

They’re gonna call the cops on you for identity theft probably

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100891 t1_j9vrn7l wrote

Aw man. Drinks by the firepits followed by a movie across the street was a solid winter date night in the before times

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BrowniesAndMilk1 t1_j9wpzei wrote

This leaves a bar void in the area, which is odd for a college part of the city. Blarney Stone, Cavanaughs, now City Tap all closed.

Smokey Joes is there but I honestly think something’s wrong with the kegs lines, beers are all skunked and watered down.

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Geo_Music t1_j9wx293 wrote

Not cleaning the lines often enough is totally something that can happen.

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ThatWasTheJawn t1_j9yizhi wrote

Also, illegal.

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Geo_Music t1_j9ytx88 wrote

Interesting. Didn’t know that. I had friends before tell me of bars where they were certain the lines weren’t cleaned. Yuengling draft comparison. I believe at the time I agreed with them.

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BlackhawkinPA t1_j9zyx0t wrote

Doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Oscars served me the worst two pints of Guinness years ago. Felt ill all day the next day. 6 months later they were cited by the PLCB for not cleaning their lines.

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ThatWasTheJawn t1_ja03bhu wrote

Oh, I agree. Report it when you see it, imo. You can get seriously sick from unclean beer lines.

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DanHassler0 t1_j9ye00x wrote

It's quite interesting to see fewer and fewer bars in the university city area. Presumably this is the result of "young people don't drink anymore". I knew alcohol has certainly become somewhat less popular, but I'm surprised it's enough to result in almost zero bars in a major college student population. Of course there's still plenty of bars throughout the city for everyone to go to.

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pseudohipster98 t1_j9yya27 wrote

As someone who works adjacent to the undergrad population I can tell you the level of drinking has remained the same, more so that going to a bar and paying premiums for drinks has become less appealing. A massive liquor store at 43rd and Chestnut in the new development there opened last year and it’s always hopping when I walk home from work, same goes for other stores near campus. Kids are just buying in bulk and having parties/hangouts on campus rather than going to bars.

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CommunicationTime265 t1_j9zipxa wrote

It's not the drinking, its the cost of going out and drinking. Cheaper for college kids to just hit up the beer distributor on 43rd and Walnut and have house parties.

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sneeze-slayer t1_j9yaxwp wrote

I got a beer there once, took forever when there was about 8 people in the entire bar. When the beer came there was absolutely no carbonation.

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phillybeardo t1_j9waaoa wrote

I rarely frequented this spot. Seems like it was definitely catered more to a different type of clientele than I'm used to. But, I do have a memorable moment...

It was NYE maybe about a decade ago, and my live electronic duo was booked for two sets as part of the entertainment for the night. But, whoever booked us described us as "live DJs", which we definitely aren't (we use synths and beat machines and samplers.... more like live loopers/producers instead of DJs). Anyway, it was an open bar type party, so management was probably expecting a DJ to keep the vibes up for the night. And then, we set up with our crazy rig... many flashing pieces of equipment... and did our (very weird) thing for the first set.

Now, we definitely piqued the interest of some in the crowd. They were curious about our gear and our technique and all. But the manager/owner? He was NOT feeling it. I mean, he was probably expecting a DJ to play the hits, right? So, he approaches us during set break and was completely honest with us (and very professional, actually), told us that we weren't what he was expecting and asked us not to do the second set, but still kept to the contract (free drinks all night, plus our pay).

It was the first (and only) time in my music "career" where I've been cut short, so, a little embarrassing. All the same, we got paid to do half the work, and got drunk off some pretty heady beers, so not the worst night, and not the worst memory!

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nankles t1_j9w7ug5 wrote

It seemed to me that City Tap House was the only restaurant in that section of restaurants that wasn't constantly turning over. All the other store fronts there seem to cycle through constantly.

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ForkBombGoBoom t1_j9yl2u3 wrote

I used to work at a bar at 40th and Walnut. It's a weird fucking area in terms of clientele. You have: entitled Penn students, who may be from rich families but who are themselves cheap and don't know how to tip or behave; people from the section 8 / public housing a few blocks away who can also be shitty; professionals, mostly who work for Penn. The first two of these groups fucking suck from a service industry perspective. They are demanding, cheap, and can be disruptive.

I don't think that area can consistently support anything other than fast food and fast casual when the two largest groups of customers are like this. Especially when there's such a large number of competitors - there are a ridiculous number of storefronts and vendors serving food in U city.

That McDonald's was always the most consistent place in the area, and it hosted a large number of drunken fights for years while being possibly the most disgusting, awful food service establishment I've ever seen.

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GoldenMonkeyRedux t1_j9ythv9 wrote

Well said. On all points. I've lived in the area for 25 years now and couldn't agree more.

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Toidal t1_j9wmfnb wrote

Im really surprised the Jimmie Johns left. That pizza place seems to be going strong.

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DanHassler0 t1_j9ye739 wrote

Jimmy John's is over at 36th and Market. Although only open for lunch on weekdays.

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EnemyOfEloquence t1_ja5dma8 wrote

They were both operating at the same time, same owner. Worked at the Radian one for a year. Idk why they closed the one under City Tap. I heard it was one of the most profitable one's ever. We would constantly be packed until close.

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kykylele t1_j9yb4ch wrote

Will forever remember the clam pizza I got there that had actual clam shells on it

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Neilpuck t1_j9wtixh wrote

Worst service of any bar I've been to in this city.

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Ng3me t1_ja0wjoh wrote

I don’t want to trash the place but I once went there and sat at the bar. Ordered food. Waited and waited. Saw waitstaff just chilling. Everyone hanging out. Then someone finally decided to run some bad food and our stuff came out very cold. It obviously sat in the window for a while as the servers chit chatted.

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Neilpuck t1_ja16anl wrote

My running club has gone there a number of times over the years and their bartenders are really good at ignoring entire sections of the bar. I waited nearly 30 minutes and just gave up. I don't like yelling for a bartender. I know that what I should have done is find a manager and take them aside to explain the situation. If it was one time I'd write it off but it is every single time we're there.

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ThatWasTheJawn t1_j9yj2js wrote

Place has been an overpriced, poorly run excuse of a bar for 4+ years now.

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omgahya t1_j9wmbkx wrote

Aw man. This place was memorable for me, my friends took me there for my 22nd birthday. Hanging with friends, downing brews, and at the end of the night I decided to run and hop down the many stairs. It ended like most people would expect from a drunk ass idiot. I ate major shit, and scraped part of my hip/pelvis on my right side.

Bleeding, drunk, and laughing, everyone decided to go to the McDonalds close by. Got a quarter pounder for myself, napkins for my wound to eat, and that was the night. I’ll miss the outdoor fireplace, that was the best part of the place for me.

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Mind_Initial t1_j9zekho wrote

Great place for a stuffy work happy hour. Not sad to see it go, never really stood out to me despite a decent design.

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kypins t1_j9wlogc wrote

This is sad. Went a couple times and always loved the vibe. 🥲

1

porkchameleon t1_j9vwbpd wrote

I remember when they were building the whole place years ago when I was going to the 40th Street to watch movies in a movie theatre. The whole "architecture" is a vomit into the face of the immediate area, and that "bar" sounds like a proper fit for what the whole thing is (I actually walked by it numerous times and didn't even realize it was a watering hole).

My verdict: nothing of value was lost.

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Ng3me t1_j9w2rkn wrote

Yes the beautiful architecture of the boxy low rise dorm across the street, the brutalist dorm tower beyond that, and suburban style one story McDonalds at the end of the block. Someone call the historic commission!

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Polka1980 t1_j9wjjkg wrote

Are we going to talk about "vomit" architecture and not mention the monstrosity that is the parking garage above The Fresh Grocer?

That place might win out of all the crap in the entire city.

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trifflinmonk t1_j9w6jd9 wrote

They're actually redoing the McDonalds. Also if the dorm was actual housing I would like it. one of the more attractive examples of a 4 over 1 I have seen

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Ng3me t1_j9w83d8 wrote

I’m talking about the brick 4 story thing along most of the south side of that block of Walnut. It’s like a long rectangle. No entrances on the street or anything.

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trifflinmonk t1_j9x7alp wrote

Yeah the streetscape on Walnut and Spruce are both pretty bad, but if you walk on locust its pretty nice, which i guess is the intention for those dorms and all the other buildings facing locust. If anything the grey hideosity on walnut opens up the street with the setback from the second story up.

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Ng3me t1_j9y57yg wrote

I’m fine with the Radian, really. It’s good. The block is livelier now. The big steps are decent. People hangout there. It’s good. I wish Penn didn’t get rid of the park behind the library but whatever. There’s enough green space there.

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porkchameleon t1_j9weika wrote

Are you GenZ or just new around here? I am talking about the park across the street from it on the south side of Walnut, which is not there any longer from, like, 15-16 years back (take a trip down the memory lane on Google Street View).

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Ng3me t1_j9y5cf8 wrote

The park was nice. I don’t know what it has to do with the building City Tap House was in.

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porkchameleon t1_j9ykjnl wrote

I know that about 54% of adults in this great country have their literacy below sixth-grade level, but I implore you to re-read my original comment (and re-re-re-re-re-re-read if you need to, take your time).

(The English is only my fourth or so language, but I don't think the way I put it would make it complicated to connect the dots or to understand what I was saying).

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Ng3me t1_j9zpuzn wrote

Sure you’re getting downvoted on every comment because nobody knows how to read. I guess you are just too smart for this world. Good luck.

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porkchameleon t1_ja03uuk wrote

You know what - yeah, I'ma save my energy for someone on my level (I was outta pearls for awhile by now anyway).

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chumpyis t1_j9w24bg wrote

This is no loss. That bar sucked.

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