THE SCENE

[Read: A place so effortlessly cool that weary, middle-age adults can convince themselves that they still have a beat on what all the hype’s about.]

Call it middle age, but I’m exhausted by the mere thought of the drive to Philly for a night out. Or maybe it’s all the logistics that go into the planning anymore. Ten years ago, the destination(s) was almost always inconsequential. As long as we were all together and the booze flowed freely, it was a party. Now, dates need to be reserved a month, sometimes two, in advance. Babysitters need to be hired, budgets and ground rules established—don’t mention baby weight, job searches or house hunting. Every nuance only adds to the weight of expectation, to the point that it starts to feel like a burden. Which makes Xlounge, the new bar at Parx, a godsend. The drive’s cut in half, parking’s a nonstarter, and once inside, we’re back to being the savvy twentysomethings we always imagined ourselves as (and never actually were), entering a room with all the swagger of the “Entourage” crew (seasons one and two). Settling into a nook of velvet-and-leather lounge chairs and sofas, a round of craft cocktails and beers slipped into our hands like it was choreographed, it looks effortlessly cool, we look so effortlessly cool. Not like we’re a bunch of homebodies masquerading as cool kids who will be crippled with hangovers and responsibilities come the morning light. —Scott Edwards

Xlounge,  Parx Casino, 2999 Street Road, Bensalem

Photo courtesy Parx Casino