My boyfriend and I went to see Ali Wong’s Milk and Money show in Philadelphia, and Lokal Hotel’s Fishtown location was conveniently just a 10-minute cab away the venue. Regarding Ali Wong’s show – it was funny! We were victims of some of the craziest lines I’ve ever seen though. At one point we were packed like sardines when the line turned into a free-for-all crowd trying to get into one of three metal detector gates. Aside from the intense anxiety we suffered for a good half hour out in that chaos, we had lots of belly laughs during the actual show. As both a woman and an Asian American, I am so proud of how far Ali Wong has come.
A bit of background on the Lokal Hotels – they are self check-in hotels. You don’t see a human around, thus making it feel very much like a home and an Airbnb. They have an iPad configured to conveniently help you order food delivery that gets added on to your tab, as well as an extensive guidebook for anything else you need. I loved all the little props and objects spread around the room.
One of the best things about Lokal Hotel’s Fishtown location is the dining options around. There were so many good restaurants to pick from! I ended up going to La Colombe to bring back coffee and a breakfast to share while we worked a bit from the hotel. It was a lovely 5-minute walk, with street art and other artsy things to see on the way to the coffee shop.
Good to Know
- There’s a train outside the hotel, so knowing this and out of precaution, I picked a room that would be further inside, which worked out as we didn’t hear anything.
Eats Around the Hotel
Here is a list of the two places we visited for food, along with other places I’ve saved to visit next time!
- La Colombe Coffee Roasters
Solid coffee and hearty breakfast/lunch options to take out or eat-in with ample room inside to eat. - Suraya
Came here on the recommendation of my boyfriend’s sister, who used to live in Philadelphia. It’s a beautiful Lebanese cafe with a little market in the front with some gourmet grocery and home goods for purchase. I may or may not have went a little crazy there buying rose jams and Middle Eastern spices. I loved the chai here–a specialty of theirs! - Wm. Mulherin’s Sons
An Italian restaurant with a gorgeous brick-exposed space and wood-fired pizza, inside another notably beautiful hotel of the same name. - Nunu
A Japanese dinner place that I was really hoping to go to except we had arrived too late to eat before the comedy show. I was eyeing (and still am) the yakitori and the milk bread toast with miso and cheese. - Weckerly’s Ice Cream
But those ice cream sandwiches! Next time for sure…
