Philadelphia Tango

While in Philadelphia, I attended a wonderful milonga on Friday at the Buttonwood Studio. The studio is about a mile from the central part of the city. The surrounding area has a dark and deserted feeling at night, so I don't recommend walking there alone. The entrance way thankfully has a sign clarifying that this indeed is the place for the milonga. You walk upstairs into an apartment space with a large cleared off space and wonderfully smooth wood floor. A kitchen sink and cabinets line one wall, the other is lined with velvet covered seating and in the corner was the DJ with laptop. To your left you'll find a hallway for hanging up your coat and seats to assist with shoe change. The hallway leads to a more brightly lit room with chairs and a table with food. I did not investigate this area but headed directly to the velvet covered chairs along the dance floor and observed the dancers. I was greeted by ladies and gentlemen alike, who made me feel very welcomed. The hostess, Lesley, introduced herself and was delighted to have a visitor. Such a wonderfully welcoming community! I danced the next two hours with highly competent and gracious leaders. While I did not have high expectations on the way to this milonga, it has become my favorite milonga as an out of town visitor.