In recent times, New Hope, Pennsylvania, has been grappling with a brand new actuality: Their secret’s out. The picturesque city has at all times been a draw—good luck parking on a Saturday—however the vibe has additionally at all times skewed bohemian. Its oddity and enchantment retailers, punky classic shops, biker-friendly pubs and quaint bed-and-breakfasts have lengthy appealed to artists, musicians, witches, Harley-Davidson fans, previous hippies and younger creatives. Maybe the city was at all times primed to be found by a slicker set—in any case, it’s a mere 90-minute drive from Manhattan. However it will have been onerous to foretell the present wave of curiosity from luxurious vacationers and frequent topics of Deuxmoi. At this time, multimillion-dollar condos are bobbing up, as are $600-per-night accommodations. The New York Times dubbed New Hope a rival to the Hamptons at the beginning of 2025, noting celeb settlers just like the Hadids and Bradley Cooper alongside guests like Justin Bieber and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Within the midst of a altering New Hope, although, a longtime coronary heart of the group nonetheless beats sturdy. You possibly can’t miss it: John & Peter’s bar is painted royal blue with pink and yellow trim. When the climate’s good, you’ll see the gang on the aspect patio—regulars hunker down at stools close to the road, and weekend guests can’t appear to withstand the pleasant dialog or the aroma of “one of the best burgers in New Hope.” Personally, it was the craft beer choices—a rarer discover in 2008—that first drew me to John & Peter’s. That, the eclectic dwell music roster and the best way that the employees treats first-time guests like cherished regulars has stored me coming again.
John Larsen based the enterprise as a espresso store with dwell music in 1972—no booze, no drums. In 1974, his first spouse’s brother, Peter Worth, got here on board; a liquor license and drum tolerance adopted. The homeowners’ real curiosity in nurturing expertise made the bar a sought-after vacation spot for musicians. Standing in entrance of the low stage within the bar’s again room, a musty, creaky place, feels such as you’ve been transported to one of the best basement occasion ever circa 1975; it has hosted George Thorogood, Ween, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Tiny Tim, Norah Jones and Arlo Guthrie.
“The area has this uncooked, unfiltered vitality,” says David Fehnel, co-owner of 13 Classic, a 20-year-old store down the block from John & Peter’s. “Whether or not you’re there for a present, a drink or simply to meet up with locals, it seems like dwelling.” Framed pictures of famed musicians who’ve performed the bar hold alongside these of employees and regulars previous and current like captured household reminiscences in a dad and mom’ basement. In the course of the day, it’s simple to unintentionally spend hours on the patio, the place nobody ever appears to be on their telephones. Seasoned locals chat with vacationers, and a minimum of as soon as, a person with a cockatoo perched on his shoulder; practically everybody drinks lagers and IPAs. As bands take the stage, the area fills and the temper turns into electrical.
In 2018, Larsen and Worth handed the torch to Chris Williams (a musician who had performed on the bar), Mike Wieners (an everyday turned bartender) and Kevin Rauch (a chef and bar supervisor at one other native institution). The John & Peter’s group, who had been nervous in regards to the destiny of their treasured third place, had been relieved to see the reins handed to 3 of their very own.
“It was a promise we made John and Peter,” Wieners says. “So long as there was air in our lungs, we’d protect their legacy.” The one noticeable adjustments they’ve made are enhancements to each the meals and beer packages. “The microwave was one among their favourite cooking devices,” jokes Wieners about Larsen and Worth. Rauch has expanded the bar’s variety of faucets each inside and on the patio, incessantly visiting Pennsylvania breweries to remain updated. Alongside macro staples and extra nationally recognized craft choices like Sierra Nevada, he pours native crafts from breweries like Vault Brewing Firm and Neshaminy Creek Brewing.
Reserving supervisor Lauren Williams works seven days per week to uphold John & Peter’s music repute, valuing each brand-new and well-established artists equally. The sheer breadth of genres you may catch on any given evening has helped constantly appeal to new clients. Mike DiAlto, who hosts the bar’s open mic and comedy nights, recollects “an Appalachian string band all in regards to the satan” enjoying at John & Peters, with an ’80s dance occasion the subsequent evening.
As for the brand new guests New Hope has come to anticipate, the John & Peter’s crew is completely happy to ask them in. For one factor, says Wieners, persevering with to develop the bar’s viewers is simply good for survival. However for an additional, the homeowners and employees know it will go towards that welcoming ethos of New Hope and the bar to gatekeep the particular place they’ve nurtured. “After I began, it was … your artists, your blue-collar employees,” says Nathan Leventhal, a employees member for 34 years. “Then you definately additionally had your yuppies and folks coming in from out of city, and it was the sturdy homosexual inhabitants, and a wider mixture of those who this city was a protected area for.” Newer generations could be pouring in, however the end result—variety—is one thing that’s been part of the bar’s DNA since its begin. Alongside longtime regulars, John & Peter’s will proceed constructing its group—the bar turns into a brand new favourite for everybody from vacationers to established musicians.
“One among my favourite reactions is to see [an internationally touring act] stroll within the again door, go searching, and say, ‘Oh, God, why are we enjoying a basement?’” says DiAlto. “After which by the top of the present, they’re hugging our employees … and saying, ‘[We’re] enjoying this place each time we’re on the East Coast.’”