Most people that live in Philadelphia know that nightlife is lacking in our great city. Our outdated liquor laws have made it tough to have a good time past 2:00am. Hopefully, that will soon change as State Representative Jordan Harris announced his plans to introduce a new bill allowing businesses to apply for extended use permits allowing them to serve alcohol until 4:00am.
Below is a comparison of the top 10 U.S. cities by population versus the top 14 U.S. nightlife markets ranked by US News and World Reports. Notice the Top 5 nightlife markets all have closing times past 4:00am. Furthermore, 3 of 5 top nightlife markets serve 24 hours. All of the locations on the US News list benefit from warmer climates than Philadelphia except for 2: New York and Chicago. The evolution of Philly Nightlife will only go as far as the last call.
Top 10 US Cities by Population and Bar/Nightclub Closing Times
| City | Population (2010 Census) | Closing Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | 8,175,133 | 4:00am |
| 2 | Los Angeles, CA | 3,792,621 | 2:00am |
| 3 | Chicago, IL | 2,695,598 | 4:00am |
| 4 | Houston, TX | 2,100,263 | 2:00am |
| 5 | Philadelphia, PA | 1,526,006 | 2:00am |
| 6 | Phoenix, AZ | 1,445,632 | 2:00am |
| 7 | San Antonio, TX | 1,327,407 | 2:00am |
| 8 | San Diego, CA | 1,307,402 | 2:00am |
| 9 | Dallas, TX | 1,197,816 | 2:00am |
| 10 | San Jose, CA | 945,942 | 2:00am |
Top 14 Nightlife Cities Ranked by US News and World Report
| City | Population | Closing Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami Beach, FL | 399,457 | 24 hours |
| 2 | Las Vegas, NV | 583,756 | 24 hours |
| 3 | New York, NY | 8,175,133 | 4:00am |
| 4 | New Orleans, LA | 378,715 | 24 hours |
| 5 | Chicago, IL | 2,695,598 | 4:00am |
| 6 | Austin, TX | 790,390 | 2:00am |
| 7 | Los Angeles, CA | 3,792,621 | 2:00am |
| 8 | San Francisco, CA | 805,235 | 2:00am |
| 9 | Key West, FL | 24,649 | 24 hours |
| 10 | San Diego, CA | 1,307,402 | 2:00 am |
| 11 | Atlantic City, NJ | 39,558 | 24 Hours |
| 12 | Washington, D.C. | 601,723 | 2:00am |
| 13 | Atlanta, GA | 420,003 | 3:00am |
| 14 | Nashville, TN | 601,222 | 3:00am |
The Details of the Legislation
Who Qualifies?
The Bill is not designed for neighborhood bars to apply for the extension; rather it is designed to create entertainment zones that can spurn tourism where nightlife can flourish.
How to get Approved
Harris’ legislation requires that there be at least one public hearing for public input. The municipality would have the authority to refuse the liquor license extension if it would affect the welfare, health, peace or morals of the municipality or its residents.
Cost of the Permit
- 10% of the yearly fee Liquor license fee
- 50% of the fee going to Municipality
- 50% of the fee going to the State Store Fund
What this means for Philadelphia Nightlife
Allowing extended Liquor License permits will have several positive affects:
- Increased tourism
- Syphon market share from New Jersey, Atlantic City, and New York
- Increased Talent Booking in Philadelphia (ability to book higher cost artist)
- More established operators coming to the market
- Decreased brain drain from Pennsylvania as Top College Grads move to “cooler” markets.
Our Thoughts
In summary, Philadelphia is on its way to becoming a great metropolitan area and much of that will hinge upon the city being able to attract investment into nightlife. As the rents in the city rise, operators will need to justify the expense by creating additional revenue to cover the increasing expense of doing business in Philadelphia. Hopefully, venue owners can get past the red tape of the community organizations.
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