Driberally tonight

Drinking Liberally is a weekly social gathering where progressives talk politics and get to know one another. In Center City Philadelphia, we meet on Tuesday nights at José Pistola's upstairs bar, where there are drink specials from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. And the more we tip the bartender, the more frequently he hands out free dishes of chips and dips. I hope to see you there!

José Pistola's is at 263 South 15th Street (15th and Spruce) in Center City, near the Kimmel Center and the Academy of Music. There's a parking garage across the street, but as filthy liberal hippies naturally we suggest public transit; both SEPTA and PATCO will get you there in two shakes of a lamb's tail.

This week's topic: Fewer than 12 hours after the new South Street bridge opened to vehicle traffic on Saturday, the police arrested a trio of knuckleheads, spraypaint cans in hand, who (allegedly) wanted to be the first to tag the shiny new structure. In other words . . .  folks in University City and West Philly are back to having an E-Z route into Center City for Drinking Liberally: the 40 bus travels on Spruce Street through the University of Pennsylvania campus, crosses the Schuylkill River on the new bridge, and then continues eastbound on South Street. Get off at 15th Street and you're just 3 blocks south of José Pistola's. Bonus! The new bridge doesn't rattle at all and doesn't drop chunks of concrete into the river, the way the old one did.

"Come for the beer, stay for the check"