Blockley Pourhouse

About Us

The Blockley is a 700 capacity music club and bar in University City, Philadelphia. Located on 38th Street between Chestnut and Market Sts., the venue opened in late 2009, and has established itself as a premiere landing spot for many renowned, nationally touring musical acts. Just blocks from the Universities of Penn and Drexel, eight blocks from 30th Street Station, and 2 blocks from the L subway line, The Blockley is West Philadelphia’s home for live music, and an easy destination for all music lovers in Philly.

Features include a state-of-the-art sound system, a wide-not-long dance space perfect for an excited dance party, 12 craft beers on draught, flat screen TVs for show projections and important playoff games, and prices far below competitor music venues in Philadelphia.

The Blockley is a primarily standing room venue, with a large dance floor, intimate stage, 40-seat bar, and slightly elevated landings with large, oak communal tables. Sight lines are excellent for a show from any point in the bar. There is live music 6 nights a week, an adjoining private room (Mary Oaks) for parties and events, and easy parking all around the club.

Booking

The best way to reach our booking manager is by e-mail- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Please allow for several weeks at time before a followup e-mail, as we are inundated with requests, and the process cannot always be quick.

EPK’s sent to mass venues WILL be deleted. We want to hear why you want to play The Blockley, and what you have to bring to the table. Personalized definitely helps. Include a realistic assessment of your draw in Philly, your history in the market, a description of your sound with links to music, and contact info.

The Blockley is a 700 capacity room, and as such, plays host to a large variety of nationally touring acts and burgeoning local bands. While we’re always open to new ideas, it is generally impossible to book your band unless you have a substantial draw established in Philly- it’s just too big a space to try and fill. For locals just starting out, and out-of-towners with talent looking to get their foot in the door- can we recommend some great, smaller clubs run by great people and promoters: The Grape Room, Hard Rock Café, The M Room, Legendary Dobbs, Kung Fu Necktie, to name a few.

Parties

The Blockley- with 700 capacity- and the adjoining Mary Oaks room, with 150 capacity- offer tremendous opportunities for parties of all kinds and sizes. There are abundant catering options, whether it’s a Happy Hour party, a 400-person Penn department gathering, or an Engagement Party. The layout of the two rooms (see Gallery) offers an incredibly dynamic array of options for large and small, intimate and public, musical or non-musical parties alike.

Dependent upon our music schedule, both rooms are available for private use- rates and more information can be inquired at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Directions, Parking & Hotels

The Blockley is at the corner of 38th & Ludlow Sts., 2 blocks from the L subway line, and 8 blocks from Route 76 and 30th St. Station. The main entrance is on 38th.

Enter 3801 Chestnut St. Philadelphia, PA 19104 for GPS directions, but be wary of address deceit- the entire block shares its Chestnut address.

Parking

We do not have our own parking lot. However, located in the vicinity of numerous schools and hospitals, The Blockley is within one of the easiest street parking locales anywhere in Philadelphia. The area is safe for parking, and meters are done at 8. There are several public lots within 4-5 blocks of the venue if need be.

Hotel Accommodations

The Blockley is located just 2 blocks from the Sheraton at University City- the only quality hotel on the west side of the Schuylkill. The Sheraton is located on Chestnut St., at the corner of 36th. Their website is here- http://www.philadelphiasheraton.com/.

For questions regarding rate discounts for artists and specific shows, please e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Venue History

The Blockley sits on land, and in a building, with long and rich history. The name is borrowed from the Blockley Almshouse, a poorhouse/insane asylum that stood on the site of The Blockley beginning in 1835. The entirety of West Philadelphia began as Blockley Township, and the area housed a variety of the city’s indigent population.

The Blockley opened its doors in late 2009, and has quickly built a loyal following of live music fans and acts, gaining a reputation as the best party venue in Philly. Since summer of 2010, the club has been privileged to host an incredible collection of talented musical acts, among them: Toots & the Maytals, Beth Hart, Big Gigantic, Black Thought & ?uestlove (of The Roots), Stephen Marley, Tim Reynolds (Dave Matthews Band collaborator), Conspirator, White Panda, The Psychedelic Furs, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, EOTO, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Tommy Conwell & the Young Rumblers, Barrington Levy, and many more.

The building that houses The Blockley was home to The Chestnut Cabaret from 1979-1995. The Cabaret was in the same sentence with the Spectrum as iconic music venues in Philadelphia during the 80’s and early 90’s. The longtime staple played host to The Ramones, Nirvana, BB King, Parliament-Funkadelic, The Hooters, Phish, Dave Matthews Band, Keith Richards, Iggy Pop, and countless other legends.