Boldly Go Solo

Like every city, Philadelphia has a range of activities for single, as well as partnered residents.Though they may be geared for locals, they are a good way for solo travelers to ease any isolation they may feel while visiting a big city. Philly also offers some excellent dining and drinking options for those on their own.

Let's start with some activities. The Bicycle Club of Philadelphia has regularly scheduled free rides in the evenings and on weekends, plus special events such as barbecues, banquets and picnics.

Are you a runner? The Fishtown Beer Runners has three- to five-mile runs on Thursday evenings followed by a visit to a local pub for some quality craft beer. The motto on their blog:

"Responsible running and drinking in the interest of science. 'So, ya wanna join us?' "

Fun! I might have to drive to Philly one Thursday just to experience that.

Dancer, or wannabe dancer? Try the Society Hill Dance Academy, where $20 gets you a drop-in class with a 45-minute intro to salsa, cha-cha, foxtrot and rumba. At DanceSport Academy, the timing might be tricky for visitors. The ballroom and Latin dance socials for $10, including drinks, dancing and performances, are only held monthly.

These dance socials usually are ways for studios to sell ongoing lessons to prospective dancers. But there's no reason you can't go and enjoy the dance as an out-of-towner, then be on your way. The Peppermint Dance Club caters to an older crowd, offering beginner and intermediate dance lessons followed by a dance party, three nights a week.

Then there's food and drink. If you find dining solo at night tough, go instead to a cooking class at Temple University Center City. One-session classes are taught by renowned chefs. Either you'll meet someone there who will join you for dinner that night (or invite you home for it since they're likely local!) or you'll have eaten well enough for the day not to need dinner out.

Or, dine European style–that is, at community tables seated next to strangers–at Twenty Manning or the 24-seat shared table at Buddakan. Or cooler still, see if you can get a seat at the chef's table at Fork Restaurant for the ever-changing, prix-fixe bistro menu prepared by Chef Terence Feury.

Wine lover? Experience a tasting at Crossing Vineyards and Winery's monthly Wine Tasting for Singles. Or at The Wine School. Or at the Fermentation School at Tria.

As for beer lovers, The Foodery offers seating at large communal tables while you sip and mull one or two of the more than 900 different choices of bottle beer. And the historic Philadelphia Brewing Company has tours and tastings, where it's probably easy to strike up conversations with fellow tasters.

Two final ideas for getting out and about solo in Philly that offer the opportunity to meet others. The Philadelphia Museum of Art stays open on Friday evenings for "Art After 5," a cultured cocktail party with live music and cash hors d'oeuvres. And Single Volunteers of Bucks County schedules many activities throughout the week just for singles.

It's a great way to do good and be selfishly social at the same time.

(I also posted here in October about activities for solo travelers in Washington, though I didn't list good food and drink places. I'll have to do so in another post. Stay tuned.)

Photos:

Twenty Manning Restaurant. Credit: K. Ciappa for Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation.

Philadelphia Museum of Art. Credit: B. Krist for GPTMC