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Swarthmore College
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Swarthmore College - Nightlife - College ProwlerCollege Prowler2.31

Nightlife

C
Where does this grade come from?View all Nightlife rankingsReview this school to add your opinion

Comparable Schools' Nightlife Grades:

Quick Stats

Primary Areas with Nightlife
  • Delaware Avenue
  • Old City
  • Queens Village
  • South Street
Student Favorites
  • Chrome Night Life Arena
  • Shampoo
  • Woody’s Bar & Nightclub
Other Places to Check Out
  • Electric Factory
  • Kimmel Center
  • Theatre of the Living Arts
  • Tower Theatre
Local Specialties Iron Hill Brewery:
Favorite Drinking Games
  • Beer die
  • Beirut (aka beer pong)
Useful Resources for Nightlife
  • philly.cities2night.com
  • www.phillyatnight.com

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Nightlife at Swarthmore is mainly limited to on-campus activities, mostly because the SEPTA trains only run until 11:30 p.m., so getting back to campus without a car can be either treacherous (69th Bus Terminal) or expensive (Philly cabs). Those who do choose to venture off campus tend to be upperclassmen who are generally 21+ and bored with the lack of variety on campus.

On campus, Paces is usually the place to be. Alcohol is free at all Student Activities Committee (SAC) parties, and parties at the frat houses occur almost every weekend, as well. One tip: When planning your social activities at Swat, it’s a good idea to party hop because if you limit your plans to one specific place, it is quite possible that particular party will turn out to be a dud because parties here can range from “quite awesome” to “some-drunken-kid-doing-the-robot-all-by-himself-on-the-dance-floor.” Although Swarthmore may have the best party scene of the Tri-Co family of colleges due to the relaxed Public Safety policy, don't forget to visit Bryn Mawr or Haverford also, and if you can, head to University of Pennsylvania, Villanova, or any of the other bigger colleges in the area for larger parties.

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Swarthmore Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Nightlife at Swarthmore College

tomcat

'12

Philosophy

0.0
F

Repetitive.

There are no bars in Swarthmore. The free alcohol at the school parties just gives people a disincentive to go to good parties at other schools. You'll see the same people at every single party sticking with their same friends. Lax bros at swat like to pretend to be real athletes but they're posers.

Nov 27, 2011

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Nightlife at Swarthmore College

collegedarling14

'14

Political Science and Government

2.7
C+

Swattie, Wanna Get Down?

Oh parties at Swat. You have high expectations coming in, but honestly the parties here tend to be repetitive. Free booze and decent music is what you get at Paces or the Frats. But honestly, it's fun going out to them especially once you establish a good group of friends to go out with. Although you will find yourself complaining that there is nothing to do on a Friday night, you'll come to realize that you gotta use that intelligence that you got you in to Swarthmore in the first place in order to have a good time.

Feb 07, 2011

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Nightlife at Swarthmore College

kalsjockgal

'14

English

3.5
B

There Are Parties Every Weekend but No One Is Obligated to Attend

Swarthmore parties are mostly centered on drinking but you are not forced to drink and can have fun without consuming alcohol if you have friends who will do the same.

Nov 20, 2010

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Page 1 of 6

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

Rate the off-campus bar and club scene on the following topics

What is the party scene like on campus?

What’s the best way to get to the popular nightlife spots?

Facts

Club Crawler

Swatties rarely venture off campus past 11 p.m. because parties at Swat are free and usually quite enjoyable. For the more adventurous among us, Philly can provide a needed escape from the Swarthmore bubble.

Closing Time

2 a.m.

Cheapest Place to Get a Drink

Swarthmore! It is free. Or, you can pay $4 dollars to drink beer at pub night on Thursday at Paces.

Organization Parties

Student Activities Committee (SAC) hosts free parties.

Club ListingsWhat's This?

Solo Nightclub

Solo has three different rooms—a main room that plays house, dance, and hip-hop, the old school room, and a 21-and-over lounge that plays hip hop, reggae, funk, and soul.

520 N. Columbus Blvd.

Philadelphia

(215) 627-3030

Woody’s Bar & Nightclub

Woody’s is Philly’s premier gay club and a Swattie favorite. Stop in on Wednesday night when tons of gay college students pour in.

202 S 13th St.

Philadelphia

(215) 545-1893

www.woodysbar.com

Shampoo

Shampoo features eight bars, several dance floors, and an outdoor dance area. Saturdays host guest DJs who spin until the wee hours of the morning.

417 N. 8th St.

Philadelphia

(215) 922-7500

www.shampooonline.com

Fluid Nightclub

Fluid combines a Mediterranean décor with an authentically Philly, urban feel.

613 S. 4th St.

Philadelphia

(215) 629-3686

www.fluidnightclub.com

The Roxxy

Some celebrities do visit The Roxxy. It's 17 to enter, 21 to drink.

939 N. Delaware Ave.

Philadelphia

(215) 931-0101

www.theroxxyphilly.com

Bar ListingsWhat's This?

Pod

Pod is the coolest place in town for sci-fi lovers. Get your sushi on a conveyor belt while you sit in a restaurant straight out of a 1950s sci-fi movie.

3636 Sansom St.

Philadelphia

(215) 387-1803

www.podrestaurant.com

Smokey Joe’s Tavern

Smokey Joe’s is the hot spot in University City, and it’s a great place to meet Penn students.

210 S. 40th St.

Philadelphia

(215) 222-0770

smokeyjoes.companygoods.com/applications/smokeyjoes/store/

Monk’s Café

Monk’s offers a good selection of beer and decent food, although it can get a little pricey for the average college student. It is rated among the 10 best Philly bars.

264 S. 16th St.

Philadelphia

(215) 545-7005

www.monkscafe.com

Alma de Cuba

Alma is a very chic, very trendy bar with a Latin flavor. Drink prices here are quite cheap.

1623 Walnut St.

Philadelphia

(215) 988-1799

www.almadecubarestaurant.com

The Continental

The martini bar here has been featured in Food & Wine Magazine, Playboy, and MTV’s Sex in the 90s.

134 Market St.

Philadelphia

(215) 923-6069

www.continentalmartinibar.com

What to Do if You're Not 21What's This?

Game Pit

Play video games in the Swarthmore College Computer Society (SCCS) game Git. People are usually playing Rock Band or FIFA.

Tarble Basement

Swarthmore Campus

www.sccs.swarthmore.edu

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Most Recent Student Author

College Prowler guides are in the hands of students throughout the entire process. Because you can't make student-written guides without the students, we have students at each campus who write, edit, and survey their peers for every guide that we publish. Thanks to our most recent student author at Swarthmore

Name: Sudarshan Gopaladesikan

Hometown: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Major: Math and Engineering

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