Fishtown Seafood
At the new Fishtown Seafood, owner Bryan Szeliga only stocks thoughtfully sourced, chemical-free fish and shellfish, including small-batch East Coast oysters dug up from Jersey to Maine. His Monday classes will teach you the fine art of shucking for just $20 — and send you home with 15 oysters so you can hone your skills in your own kitchen. 339 Belgrade Street, Philadelphia, PA 19125, fishtownseafood.com.
Latchkey
This quirky shop owned by a former DJ is all that and a bag of chips — the best place to relive your misspent youth or buy some gifts for the millennial in your life. Browse a curated selection of vinyl records (from Britney Spears to Das EFX) as well as items like custom bath bombs and turntables. In true ’90s fashion, there’s a listening station at the front, so you can try before you buy. 1502 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19147, Shoplatchkey.com.
Red Top/Green Top Farm Markets
These side-by-side farmers’ markets along Route 70 have been run by two different families for almost a century. Green Top leans more toward the home gardener; Red Top is there for the tourists who want local goat-milk soaps and a couple pints of fresh strawberries. Bop back and forth between them to load up on everything from fresh flowers, blackberry cider and homemade preserves to local honey, herb starts, bags of clams and tiki statues. 1801 and 1811 State Route 70, Vincentown, NJ 08088, redtopfarmmarket.com.
Crown & Feather Tattoo Co.
Since opening in 2019, Andrew Robinson and Dylan Carr’s private studio specializing in fine-line and Japanese styles has earned some two million likes on TikTok and recognition at both local and international tattoo conventions. There’s a cozy area for consultations, and the team is always welcoming — and constantly booked. Can’t snag an appointment? One of their wildly cool totes or tees will suffice till you can. 2628 Martha Street, Philadelphia, PA 19125, crownandfeather.com.
Powerhouse Dance
The beauty of Powerhouse Dance isn’t just that it’s adults-only (classes are geared toward those with some dance experience) or that pricing is pay-as-you-take (what grown-up can commit to full-year tuition?), but that the Cherry Hill Artists in Motion Dance Complex hosts a rotating schedule of classes every week — from heels and hip-hop to ballet and street jazz — that’ll get any “retired” dancer back, confidently, on the floor. 1742 Marlton Pike East, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003, powerhousedancesj.com.
Glow Lab
These glow pros deliver customized full- and half-body airbrush tans — that are cruelty-free and vitamin-enriched — out of their Cherry Hill boutique and in your own home, thanks to their mobile service. Now you can look slightly sun-kissed or Miami-bronzed without those skin-frying UVA rays. Goodbye for good, baby oil! 921 Haddonfield Road, suite B32B, Cherry Hill , NJ 08002, glowlabnj.com.
La Chalupa
The only thing that can make us feel better after paying to fill up our tank at this Phillips 66 station? The divine $2.80 pupusas and $12 (for four!) taco platters the women behind the grill are slinging. Naturally, you’ll want to wash that all down with a glass bottle of Mexican Coke. Next time you’re on your way down the Shore, this is more than worth the quick-ish detour. 12 White Horse Pike, Clementon, NJ 08021, .
Ashley Span of Idle Hands Esthetics
She has some serious cred: trained with the top names in brows, like Anastasia Beverly Hills; was featured in Allure; certifications and experience galore. But there’s zero ego at her first solo spot on Antiques Row, where the architect-like Span lays out blueprints for the best shape and color for your face, then puts her plans into action. You can finally say goodbye to out-of-control brows — and your tweezers. 1116 Pine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, idlehandsesthetics.com.
Heiler Painting
So you think you can paint a wall, and suddenly you’re six hours in and you’ve barely taped off the light switches. Heiler Painting isn’t just better at painting than you; they’re honest with their pricing and — just as importantly — their timing. (No waiting around hoping the painter will show up that day.) Beyond interior and exterior painting, the company also provides stucco repair (to keep out that pesky moisture) and cabinet refinishing. And for those looking to weatherize their homes, window glazing is available. 650 Painter Street, suite 1, Media, PA 19063, heilerpainting.com.
Lobongo Kabab
What was once a long-standing Irish bar and, more recently, Delco’s umpteenth Italian restaurant is now an event hall with an attached all-day kebab cafe, owned by the same Bangladeshi couple behind Rittenhouse’s new Royal Indian Cuisine. This is one of the few places where you can find whole fish cooked in a tandoor and chili-covered (and we do mean covered) bullet naan. As for the kebabs, don’t leave without the ground lamb and ground chicken. And some goat biryani, of course. 8925 West Chester Pike, Upper Darby, PA 19082, .
Cafe Nhan
This small Vietnamese restaurant just off West Passyunk reminds us that hospitality isn’t corporate jargon or a marketing gimmick, but the backbone of the restaurants that transform a city into a place that feels like home. Whether it’s the savory, steaming pho broth paraded around the dining room, the smile from the server who quickly takes your order, the crackling-crisp chicken wings, or co-owner Nhan Vo saying hello, Cafe Nhan always has what you need. 606 West Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19145, cafenhanphilly.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.
The Triyo Fitness Triplets
The enthusiasm and joyfulness of 24-year-old Black identical triplet brothers Malik, Ahmad and Khalil Jones is infectious — they just love working out and helping you work out. (They’re also steeped in Philly’s boutique workout scene: In addition to running their own fledgling fitness company, Malik teaches at Unite Fitness, Ahmad teaches at Barry’s, and Khalil is an instructor at Rumble.) Their classes are some of the hardest in the city, and in the wake of Philly’s Black Lives Matter protests, the three seamlessly shifted their Instagram feed from playful synchronized dance videos to serious snippets on practicing meaningful allyship and becoming anti-racist. triyofitness.com.
Hudson Table
Whether your offspring aspire to be the next Top Chef or can’t even make a PB&J, they’ll have fun learning their way around the kitchen at Hudson Table. From parent-and-kiddo classes to after-school workshops (think: holiday treats and Disney-inspired menus) to week-long summer camps structured like a mini culinary school, your kids will pick up some cooking skills (including — gulp — knife work) and confidence. Heck, maybe they’ll cook you dinner for once. 1001 North 2nd Street, unit 1, Philadelphia, PA 19123, hudsontable.com/philadelphia/kids-classes.
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.