Greensgrow
The nursery at the Kensington outpost of this urban-gardening nonprofit has the easiest-ever way to add some life to your window box or curb: Just drop off your containers in late winter, and Greensgrow experts do all the planting, watering, pruning, babying and coddling until Mother's Day, when you pick them up and put them out for your neighbors to envy. 2501 East Cumberland Street, Philadelphia, PA 19125, greensgrow.org.
Johnson's Corner Farm
The pick-your-own experience at Johnson's Corner Farm in Medford has become a bit Disney-fied (something your three-year-old probably appreciates), but the giant farm market at the end is your grown-up reward: The fruit is still warm from the sun, the just-fried cider doughnuts are legendary, and the chef's home-cooked savory items (pulled pork, lasagna, sandwiches) are unexpectedly great. 133 Church Road, Medford, NJ 08055, johnsonsfarm.com.
Il Pittore
Screw you and your vegan, fair-trade, farm-to-table almond milk. There are some things we'll always do better on the East Coast, and Italian food is one of them. The ironic thing? Il Pittore looks like every taste-of-Tuscany dining room scattered across the Left Coast, but the food is so much richer, smarter and more soulful than virtually anything you'd find at any of those "lighter is better" places. 2025 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, ilpittore.com.
The Clay Studio
When the Clay Studio moved from its longtime Old City home to a new four-story facility in South Kensington, it didn’t just expand its footprint. With gallery shows, free community Saturday art workshops, kids’ summer camps and adult classes, plus way more studio space and pottery wheels, there are now more opportunities for all of us to muck up our mitts. 1425 North American Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122, theclaystudio.org.
Vibe Fitness Studio
When Freehouse Fitness closed during the pandemic — a dagger to the heart — we all wondered if there’d ever be another studio like it. Three years later, our wishes came true when Vibe entered the chat, bringing owner Dana Auriemma’s sorely missed rebounding, resistance training, and Pilates-inspired workouts to Collingswood. Praise freakin’ be. 1028 Haddon Avenue, Collingswood, NJ 08108, vibefitness.studio.
Cuzzy's
At Cuzzy Angiolillo’s charming ice-cream parlor, you’ll be greeted by the scent of hot waffle cones and people who appear to genuinely love their jobs. Order a few scoops of rotating flavors like small-batch spumoni or punchy cotton candy grape sorbet, and add a house-made topping like Oreo whipped cream. The nostalgic scene (shelves of penny candy like Charleston Chews and Bazooka bubble gum) is just the cherry on top. 618 South 5th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, instagram.com/cuzzysicecream.
Skirt
The 22-year-old destination women’s-wear boutique debuted a new look in early 2023 that echoes owner Maureen Doron’s home — a floor-to-ceiling revamp rooted in soft hues and sleek materials sourced from a bevy of local makers. Doron also called on Stephen Wilson Studio, based in North Carolina, to create custom wall art using Skirt bags from the past two decades. Shoppers will love the oversize dressing rooms for trying on new labels Loretta Caponi and Emporio Sirenuse. 931 West Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010, shop-skirt.com.
Sylvester Mobley
Mobley has been a citywide hero for a long while, having previously been honored with the prestigious 2018 Philadelphia Award for his groundbreaking work in advancing his nonprofit, Coded by Kids. But he’s become a tech legend since launching his new venture capital fund for under-represented founders — and he continues to rack up national recognition and accolades, including being named a For(bes) the Culture 50 Champions honoree last year.
Devon Lanes
Though the arcade games and bowling tech have been upgraded since this suburban gem opened in 1959, the place still retains the charm of another era. That may be due in part to the pricing: On some nights, you can play as many games as you want for just $10, including shoe rental. Plus it’s BYO, making this one of the cheapest nights out on the Main Line. 300 West Lancaster Avenue, Devon, PA 19333, devonlanes.com.
Habitat for Humanity Restore
Would you be surprised if we told you that some well-known Philadelphians can be found scavenging for cast-off decor treasures at the new Warminster warehouse? Whether you’re intent on saving the planet or your wallet, ReStore’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it selection of new and gently used furnishings is diverse and eclectic. A single shopping haul could yield a low-slung velvet couch, a Sub-Zero stainless steel refrigerator, and enough decorative baskets to populate Pinterest. 539 Jacksonville Road, Warminster, PA 18974, habitatbucks.org.
Bernie Robbins Jewelers
It’s only fitting that the Year of the Wedding have a worthy engagement ring. Now celebrating its 60th anniversary, this jeweler is home to a ring so stunning that it may draw attention away from your partner walking down the aisle. A nearly five-carat center diamond from the namesake collection is accented by colorless step-cut trapezoid diamonds on either side and set in a handmade platinum mounting. To have and to hold, indeed. Multiple locations, bernierobbins.com.
Irina Sigal Dressmaker
Off-the-rack is so two recessions ago. Elkins Park
215-885-7547
http://www.irinasigal.com
8120 Old York Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027,
irinasigal.com.
Fishtown Flea
Leave it to Amy and Leo Voloshin (the impossibly hip duo behind Philly’s powerhouse print-design firm Printfresh) to pack 30 of the city’s best indie artisans – vintage vendors, jewelry designers, ceramists, stationers, artists and more – into rotating locations around Fishtown. In-the-know shoppers (3,000 of them came to the first one, but you can expect up to 5,000 at the next) can discover the coolest makers on the scene, then pretend they knew about them all along. Catch the next one on September 8th behind Suraya restaurant. Frankford Ave btwn Girard Ave and Oxford St., Philadelphia, PA 19125, fishtownflea.us.
Anthony Riley
After a too-long and stressful day, your walk home suddenly feels romantic. The sun's going down, and someone is crooning "Stand by Me" in Rittenhouse Square. You approach a crowd gathered around a clean-shaven 20-something busker who cycles through the Temptations, Sam Cooke and the Beatles. You notice a gorgeous stranger. Your eyes meet. And suddenly you forget why you were so stressed out to begin with. Riley is that good. (That he once took on Licenses and Inspections for the right to sing in the park doesn't hurt.) phillymag.com/news/2012/09/04/philadelphia-street-performers.
Foreign Fix Auto Center
Whenever you move to a new neighborhood, you get your bearings: grocery store, parking rules, which bar you can stumble home from. The thing you always forget to find until it’s too late is a car mechanic. That changes today. Jason Capone and the fellas at Foreign Fix will not only get you in and out in the time most shops take to get your car up on the lift; they’ll talk you through the cheapest options first. What are you going to do with all that extra money? Well, there is that bar. 822 Reed Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, facebook.com/Foreign-Fix-Auto-Center-140122042683245.