Flywheel Sports
Last spring, we finally got to see what all the fuss was about when this NYC-based fitness brand opened not one, but two brand-spanking-new indoor cycling studios in our area. Then it finally clicked: the DJ-curated music, the tiered stadium seating, the TorqBoard stats to see, in real time, how you stack up against your neighborthis is why New Yorkers are so addicted. Were in. Multiple locations, 00000, philadelphia.flywheelsports.com/memberships.
Publetters
Standard Tap, Doobies and Pub On Passyunk East host these semi-regular nights at which you pen letters — like, actual handwritten letters — while drinking. The bars provide the stationery, envelopes and postage and will even drop your letter in the mail, since you know you'll forget. Now if you could just remember how to make a cursive "Q." 627 S. 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146, publetters.com.
CyclePhilly
Download this Philly-made app and you can map your bike routes, plus anything else bike-related: a huge pothole on your ride to work? Map it. How about a lack of bike parking at your destination? Map it. Other bikers can use this intel to improve their own commutes, and the city can use it to make Philly a more bike-able place. Neat, huh? cyclephilly.org.
Avalon Bistro
There are lots and lots of bars on the Main Line, but it’s surprising how few serve a proper cocktail. That’s not the case at Avalon. Whether you’re in the mood for a boulevardier, an old-fashioned, or a Hendrick’s three-to-one martini, extra-cold, served up with three olives and made with Dolin vermouth (one of our staffers is very particular), they always seem to come out perfect here, and both the stemware and the vibe are impeccable. 818 Lancaster Avenue , Bryn Mawr, PA 19010, avalonrestaurant.net.
Inner Light Aura
In the 15 minutes you spend getting your aura (the unique energy you give off) photographed by Sara Silverstein, you’ll feel like you’ve simultaneously affirmed and discovered the kind of person you are. Silverstein dissects the captured psychedelic colors surrounding your portrait and offers insight into your strengths, your aspirations, and how you make others feel. Go forth, you kaleidoscopic goddess. innerlightaura.com.
The Color Run
READERS' PICK: Here’s how the Color Run works in a nutshell: You start the race dressed in head-to-toe white and leave looking like a walking rainbow. Organizers shoot colored powder at runners at each kilometer, which makes this run as visually striking as it is fun. It’s no wonder our readers can’t get enough of it. thecolorrun.com/philadelphia.
The Tweeny at Richel D'Ambra Spa and Salon
The goal of this adolescent-targeted treatment isn't just to leave tweens with clean, clarified skin it's about teaching good skin habits and discussing the diet, stress and sleep factors that could directly affect just how many OMG-this-is-the-biggest-zit-ever nightmares they'll have to endure through their rocky-enough formative years. The Ritz-Carlton, 10 South Broad Street, 3rd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19102, richeldambra.com.
Chris Kearse, Will
In this era of charcuterie, rusticity and guilty-pleasure food thrills, it takes a lot for a chef to make a name for himself for playing with tweezers rather than a cleaver. But Kearse, with his immaculately composed plates, understanding of how to balance art, modernity and flavor, and bone-deep knowledge of the classic French canon, has everything it takes to shine in any company. If you havent been to Will yet, make reservations now, to see the beginnings of the future of American fine dining. 1911 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19148, willbyob.com.
Towne House
Wanna know how to make Delco natives freak out? (No, not close their neighborhood Wawa, though that will work, too.) You take an iconic but well-past-its-prime see-and-be-seen restaurant and reopen it five years later with $15 old-fashioneds, $19 burgers, and $55 meat-and-cheese boards. But hey, it works, and this is one of the few places in Delco where you actually feel like a mook for wearing a t-shirt and a Phillies cap. 117 Veterans Square, Media, PA 19063, townehousepa.com.
The Modern Republic
Sometimes it can feel like there’s too much art, both vintage and new, with which to decorate your house. How to decide? The Modern Republic, a mid-century modern retailer in Fairmount, is a great place to start: With vintage Alexander Calder and Herman Miller prints at reasonable prices, there’s something for every kind of house (plus great vintage furniture, to boot). If your walls could talk, they’d be thanking you. 1600 West Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19130, etsy.com/shop/TheModernRepublic.
Ela
Oysters with strawberry vinegar, gnocchi tots with black truffle dipping sauce, homemade Cheetos, bar nuts spiked with curry powder and, on top of everything else, a crazy burger topped with Cabot cheddar and shitake mushrooms on a black sesame bun? Philly has always been an eat-at-the-bar kind of town, and Ela is the best example of just how good we've gotten at it. 627 South 3rd Street, Queen Village 627 South 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, elaphilly.com.
The Craftery
If you want to learn how to hand-weave those wall hangings you see at Anthropologie, design wedding-worthy flower bouquets or build a wooden six-pack caddy, Bucks County designer Jessica Jackson will teach you at her one-year-old crafting boutique. There are weeknight workshops, and you can rent it on weekends for an actually productive girls' night out. 123 North Main Street, Dublin, PA 18917, thecrafterypa.com.
West Philly Porchfest
More than 100 DIY front-porch stages featuring 300-plus performers in genres ranging from bluegrass to classical to hip-hop to heavy metal — all 100 percent free. The bad news? You have to wait until June for the next one. The good news? Somebody is organizing a spinoff in Roxborough-Manayunk this October. And you can set one up in your neighborhood, too; visit porchfest.org to learn how. We’re looking at you, South Philly. We’ll call it Stoopfest. westphillyporchfest.com.
Crisp Chik'n
So you’ve been boycotting Chick-fil-A for God knows how long, but you’re really craving one of those fried chicken sandwiches and some waffle fries. You need to get to know this Delco spot that’s just over a year old. The food is strikingly similar to Chick-fil-A’s, but better. 27 North Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, PA 19050, crispchikn.com.
My Little Redemption
The clothing here ranges from whimsical to aggressively modern, but it's all refreshingly different, in part because all the items are from Israeli designers -- including Kidem Sassoon, Assaf Pelleg and Mizo -- so talented that they give Paris a run for its money. 126 North 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, facebook.com/MyLittleRedemption.