The second week of the Overwatch League homestand matches is nearing, and fans from far and wide will be traveling to Philadelphia to watch the Fusion take the stage. Fans new to the city are sure to have some downtime between matches to explore. While there are plenty of articles around to tell visitors where to go and what to do, below is a collection of ideas for the visiting gamer.
The Fusion play this weekend at the Met Philadelphia. The Met is a newly renovated venue that will house the February and May Fusion matches. It is located on Broad street, just north of the city’s main hub.
Transportation to the Venue
The Met isn’t the easiest venue to get to, especially by car. Some fans will be lucky to find free street parking, or possibly metered parking. The best way to get to the venue is public transportation. From center city, fans can take the Broad Street Line up to the Girard stop and walk a few blocks to the venue. An Uber/Lyft costs around $8 one way from Center City. Bright red signs surrounded by lights make the Met hard to miss on Broad street.
Barcade: Fishtown
Address: 1114 Frankford Ave. Philadelphia PA
Hours: 12 p.m. to 2 a.m.
A half an hour walk from the Met, patrons will find this unique bar. Filled with both nostalgic and modern arcade games, this bar fuses games and alcohol. There are many local beers on tap, but they also sell wine and spirits, with a focus on spirits and cocktails. Hungry? There’s a wide variety of bar foods that can be shared among friends. Pulled pork, a Philadelphia staple, is found here. It is the perfect hangout for gamers who want to settle in with a brew and play some arcade games.
TAP Esports Center: Chinatown
Address: 924 Cherry St. Philadelphia, PA
Hours: Friday & Saturday: 12 p.m. to 4 a.m. Sunday: 12 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Fans staying in center city will enjoy a short walk to this new addition to the Philadelphia esports scene. Open in August of last year, many teams such as the San Francisco Shock, the Houston Outlaws and the Atlanta Reign have scrimmed there. TAP esports has an insanely cool interior. The computers, headsets, mice and keyboards are all top of the line, and fans are surely able to find their favorite game there. Along with computers, they also have PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox consoles.
Their prices are great, too. Hourly play starts at $4, then gets cheaper the longer you stay. All-day passes can also be purchased for $25 from Sunday through Thursday. Gamers are permitted to bring their own gaming gear. If visitors get hungry or thirsty, they have snacks and drinks available for purchase, but can also be brought from home.
Localhost Philly: Northern Liberties
Address: 908 N 3rd St. Philadelphia, PA
Hours: Friday: 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday & Sunday 12 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Localhost Philly, or more commonly known in the area as N3rd Street Gamers, is the official producer of the Philadelphia Fusion homestands. Fans can visit their Philadelphia location to sit down and relax with some games. They also offer tournaments throughout the year, as well as bootcamps and esports events. Visitors can play the day away at $25 for eight hours on PC or $5 for unlimited console play.
The space houses 60 high-end computers and space for console play. The venue is closer in distance to the Met Philadelphia; a short 20 minute walk. If fans come arrive to the homestand weekend early, they can catch a Path to Pro event hosted by local radio station WMMR from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m on Friday February 14.
Tattooed Mom: Washington Square
Address: 530 South St. Philadelphia, PA
Hours: 12 p.m. to 2 a.m.
For folks looking for a strong dose of culture, look no further than Tattooed Mom. A short walk from Washington Square park, this food and drink hangout is full of art, candy, and lots of food and drink options. There are tons of vegan options here, and there is even candy on every table and the bar. Enjoy the sights such as risqué pictures and an octopus themed light fixture in one of Philadelphia’s most unique bars.
Concourse Dance Bar: Center City
Address: 1635, Back Entrance, Market St, Philadelphia, PA
Hours: Friday and Saturday 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Want to get drunk and jump in a ball pit? Concourse is the place to go. This dance bar has a glowing white ball pit that patrons can jump into, assuming they abide by the “pool rules”. This is the place to be if dancing is your thing, and Concourse brings the party with nightly DJ’s, drinks, and of course, jumping into a ball pit like an excited seven-year-old. Friday nights host a TGIF dance party, and Saturday nights are 80’s 90’s and 00’s throwback hits.
Jim’s Steaks – South Street
Address: 400 South St. Philadelphia, PA
Hours: Friday & Saturday: 10 a.m to 2 a.m. Sunday: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
No one can resist a Philly cheesesteak. Ask any Philadelphian on the street where they get their cheesesteaks and every person will give a different answer. There are many places one could go for a cheesesteak, but Jim’s Steaks seem to be a common recommendation from a lot of locals. Pat’s and Geno’s are “tourist traps” as labeled by Philadelphians, so Jim’s is a solid choice for a local steak.
Of course one has to know how to order a cheesesteak while in Philadelphia. While it’s called the City of Brotherly Love, there are some exceptions to that rule, especially when ordering a cheesesteak. There are two different questions that one must answer in order to speed up the process. Start with the preferred cheese, and then decide whether to add onions or not. For example, one could order “whiz wit”. Here in Philadelphia, the h is silent, and if ordering no onions, it’s a “whiz widout”.
Looking to try all the local cheesesteaks? Below is a list of other highly rated cheesesteak outlets in the Philadelphia area:
- John’s Roast Pork
- Ishkabibbles
- Tony Luke’s
- McNally’s Tavern
- Dalessandro’s Steaks
- Steve’s Prince of Steaks
- Donkey’s Place (across the bridge in New Jersey, but worth it!)
Follow me on Twitter: @JessScharnagle and argue with me about the best cheesesteak in Philly. Spoiler alert: it’s Jim’s.
Featured Image Courtesy of Comcast Spectacor
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