History, McGillin's, and the theater-district Irish.
Midtown Village — the blocks around 13th Street between Walnut and Locust — is home to McGillin's Olde Ale House, Philadelphia's oldest continuously operating tavern.
A little more grown-up than Rittenhouse. Great food scene surrounds the bars.
McGillin's opened its doors in 1860 — the same year Abraham Lincoln was elected — and it's still pouring pints down a tiny alley off 13th Street. If you drink one pint of Guinness in Philadelphia on St Patrick's Day, drink it here.
The wider Midtown Village neighborhood — Moriarty's and the 13th Street restaurants — is a great alternative to Rittenhouse for a slightly quieter, food-forward St Paddy's Day.
It's also the most walkable neighborhood from anywhere. Every SEPTA line ends up within four blocks of McGillin's front door.
SEPTA: Walnut-Locust (Broad Street Line) or 13th Street (Market-Frankford Line). Two blocks either way to McGillin's.
Philadelphia's longest-running St Patrick's Day bar crawl. 30+ bars, free cover, free t-shirts.