That was not, however, Woody's first appearance in the city's newspaper archives. ( Reportedly, his rewards included a 'District Attorney, Special Advisor' badge, to flash as needed.) But I was inspired to return after headlines recently mentioned the bar - or, more specifically, mentioned its co-owner since 2007, Michael Weiss - for allegedly providing lavish gifts to now-indicted Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams. It had been a decade or so since I'd last visited. That's Woody's, a Gayborhood mainstay named for Bill Wood, who founded the place. And two bartenders, spry young men in see-through black tank tops, were trading vigorous shoulder massages. It has the requisite exposed-brick walls, floor-to-ceiling windows opening onto the sidewalk, a dozen or so flat-screen TVs, and 32 beer taps pouring everything from Bud Light to Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA.Įxcept, on this particular night, only one television was tuned to basketball a second showed CNN, and the rest displayed music videos - Elton John, the Jackson Five. On a recent Friday night at happy hour, the pub looked a lot like your typical Center City sports bar.
