What We Love: Gay Latin Night

Courtesy of Tierra

Every Thursday night, Tierra – a club at Fifth and Raymond Streets (a few blocks south of W. Wyoming) – celebrates Latin Gay Night. Owned by the same folks who also operate Mixto, a popular restaurant in the Gayborhood (just next door to Giovanni’s Room), Tierra has been attracting the Center City set and the LGBT community from North Philly and the Northeast to the swank late-night club.

The party gets started at 9 p.m. with a $10 cover (with a free drink ticket) and what’s described as “dress code wild,” and continues until 3 a.m. Not only is there plenty of dancing during gay nights and special weekend events – to the tune of salsa, merengue, bachata, reggaeton and house spun by well-known DJs, the club also serves up authentic Cuban and Colombian cuisine.

“It has a great vibe and open space that gives you the space to have a drink with friends and chat,” says Manny Perez, a Gayborhood regular who lives in Kensington. He attended the opening of Tierra last month when RuPaul’s drag queens Raja, Yara Sofia and Alexis Mateo performed. He says the crowd is mixed, though mostly Hispanic. “And very welcoming,” he says.

Look for fresh specialty cocktails served up from a courteous staff. The vibe is low-key earlier in the night, but definitely livens up when the dance party gets started. And as they at Tierra, “Espera lo inesperado.” Expect the unexpected.

Tierra Nightclub, 4535 N. Fifth St., 215-324-0303.