Drink Up

Everyone thinks the bar around the corner from his or her apartment is the "best neighborhood pub." Though this is probably because everyone is fundamentally lazy, we let our contributors single out what makes their favorite bars the "best" (or, in one case, the worst).

Best New Dive Bar in the Italian Market

Since its recent opening, 12 Steps Down has already seen a variety of DJ weeklies come and go -- ranging from techno to hip-hop. The steps lead down to what you may think is gonna be a dingy basement lazily transformed into a bar. But what you actually find is a clean and spacious South Philly hot spot equipped with TVs, dartboard and pool table, plus a dancefloor and sound system that is actually better than most of the systems in other venues of its size in this town.--SO

831 Christian St., 215-627-9013.

Best New Dive in Fishtown

When you walk in to the new Johnny Brenda's, it might seem like your Standard chill nightspot, in a location that desperately needed one. The interior glows redly, the wall of local beers on tap is drool-worthy, the pool table's brand-new, the vibe's good -- and now there's food! This is all swell, but stick around a while, and you'll begin to notice that this is not your average dive. Sidle up to the metal-heavy jukebox, and note how nice it is to hear a circa-'86 Salt &Mac185;N Pepa tune right after listening to something off Appetite. Then take a gander at the ladies' room: It's fit for a princess. --NA

1201 Frankford Ave., 215-634-8923.

Best Place to Wile Away an Afternoon Watching Sports

The lights are low and the after-lunch crowd is laid-back at South Street watering hole O'Neal's, making it a perfect spot for those late lunches that start at the same moment as first pitch. Even if it's a Tuesday afternoon in April and the satellite's only offering is being beamed from Detroit's Comerica Park, the beers and burgers O'Neal's serves can make up for even the most egregious on-field gaffes -- and if the game gets too lopsided, you can always ask the bartender to switch the channel to Family Feud reruns. --MJ

611 S. Third St., 215-574-9495.

Most Diverse Crowd at a Neighborhood Pub

It's no secret that McMenamin's Irish pub on Germantown Avenue in Mt. Airy is a great spot. The wings are phenomenal, the Irish stew is damn tasty, there's always a great selection of international beers on tap and you're sure to receive a friendly greeting from whomever's working the bar. What makes it even more eclectic, though, is the diverse crowd that gives it a unique character. Conversations about politics, sports, philosophy and neighborhood life are sure to be overheard from people of every age, ethnicity and sexual orientation. It's a clean and well-lit place -- Hemingway would've loved it. --MR

7170 Germantown Ave., 215-753-9911.

Best Bar to Hear Radiohead

There are only a few bars in Old City where, on a Saturday night, one can casually stroll in wearing jeans and a T-shirt, pick one of the quaint candlelit tables, order up one hell of a great hamburger and sit back and relax as Thom Yorke wails in the background. Open till 2 a.m., seven days a week, Sassafras offers a wide variety of food and drinks, and its superb musical taste is almost as good as the dishes served. Sassafras sees beyond the pretentiousness of its location, making it the perfect escape from the average creep.--KW

48 S. Second St., 215-925-2317.

Best Use of Business-Cursed Corner at 21st and South

It ought to be a really good place to drink, right? Yet the northeast corner of 21st and South has been the host of countless failed bars -- remember Route 66? Cloud 9? Copa West? Each had its own flaws, but the string of failures on that spot made it seem impossible for anything to succeed. That all changed nearly eight months ago, when Ten Stone opened. Warm lighting, lots of tables, an extensive beer list, occasional live music and good, unpretentious food (try the focaccia) all add up to make it a place to frequent. We hope it lasts a very long time.--NA

2063 South St., 215-735-9939.

Most Educational Place Mats

You're sitting at Moriarty's, sipping your pint and waiting for your extra-spicy wings. You could engage in meaningful conversation with your mates, or you could do a word-find. Which do you pick? This word-find has a theme -- state capitals, and the states are not supplied -- so engage your inner dork, grab a miniature-golf pencil (they're provided!) and revisit junior-high geography. When you finish the puzzle (one of several you'll find there, all geography/social studies-themed), you'll know the meaning of the word satisfaction. --NA

1116 Walnut St., 215-627-7676.

Best Outside Spot for Cheap Beer, Petting Someone Else's Dog and Overhearing Live Music

The corner of Fourth and Girard may not seem like a scenic locale, but when you're tired of fighting for a table outside at N. 3rd, head over to The Fire. They've got several tables outside, just about everyone brings a dog and there are bands playing nearly every night of the week. The folks are friendly, the beer is cheap and hey, you might meet a cute firefighter. --NA

412 W. Girard Ave., 267-671-9298.

Least Welcome Bar in Old City

The former bank that now houses Coyote Ugly has a rich musical history. During the late '90s and the early part of this decade, when it was The Upstage, it hosted early gigs by The Strokes and Badly Drawn Boy. Before that, it was another rock spot called Revival. But then, for whatever reason, it was shuttered in 2001. This March, after a couple of failed clubs and restaurants had spent their 15 minutes in the building, it re-emerged as the bad chain bar spun off a bad movie spun off a saloon in the Big Apple noted for its dancing-sexy-girl wait staff and debauched crowd. Lovely. The spot has already run into overcrowding issues as weekends typically bring a line of folks stretching down Third Street as they wait to get in. 'Cause, you know, Old City didn't already have enough reasons for people from Jersey to clog our streets with their SUVs and piss on our sidewalks. --JV

22 S. Third St., 215-925-9573.