Pure Barre
There are only about 50 items at the mini-shop inside this fitness studio, but you'll want every single one of them. The well-curated collection includes hard-to-find brands like Splits59 and Karma Wear, with a special emphasis on pieces equally suited for class and happy hour. And, yes, this is where to get those Pura Vida charm bracelets all your yogi friends are sporting. 1701 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, purebarre.com.
The Breakfast Den
Ditch your usual BEC for one with house-made pickles, herbs and eggplant pâté on a baguette, a.k.a. a banh mi op la. Come back again and again to this homey spot showcasing American Vietnamese breakfast comfort food, for the chao ga (a rice porridge dish with a poached egg, bits of crispy chicken skin and fresh herbs), Momma’s egg rolls, and Caphe Roasters Vietnamese coffees. 1500 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146, thebreakfastden.com.
Iffy Books
Solder your own guitar cable. Build a solar-powered synth. Make weird little circuits that do strange little things. Iffy Books isn’t just a bookstore — it’s a portal to odd, brilliant skills you didn’t know you needed. Their DIY workshops are part science fair, part zine fest, part beautiful chaos. Show up curious; leave with a new obsession. 404 South 20th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146, iffybooks.net.
Sheri David, Jay Michael Salon & Spa
The seasoned brow maven has fixed so many botched wax jobs that after one look at you in her chair, she'll announce (correctly): "Small room, low light, aesthetician was on your left." Luckily, David's gift is her uncanny ability to just know where your ideal eyebrows should be, and in 10 minutes, you'll leave looking like you've gotten an eye-lift. 595 East Lancaster Avenue, St. Davids, PA 19087, jaymichael.com/our-salon.
Dress Right Tailor
Here are the three things you need to know about Dress Right's Richard Chae: He's an impeccable dresser, so you know he knows what he's doing. He can restructure and rebuild anything from ripped jeans to ball gowns. And he can take an off-the-rack suit and make it feel custom after just one round of alterations. Any questions? 142 South 15th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, .
Starlux Boutique Hotel
The recently renovated property a block from the Boardwalk successfully marries Wildwoods nostalgic doo-wop style and architecture with upscale comforts, modern Service and Help, and one of the best pools at the Jersey Shore. Once you add in all the freebies like bikes (throwback Boardwalk cruisers) and beach gear (dont bother bringing chairs, umbrellas, buckets or pails), youd be silly to stay anywhere else. 305 Rio Grande Avenue, Wildwood, NJ 08260, hotels.moreyspiers.com/starlux.
Queen of Wands Tarot
What Jenna Matlin is not: a hocus-pocus street psychic charging $100 to fix “curses” found during $5 tarot card readings. What Jenna Matlin is: an intuitive woman with a master’s in organizational psychology who dispenses insightful life advice, balances chakras, and even provides spiritually guided business consulting. And you don’t have to travel: All her sessions can be done via phone or webcam. Queenofwandstarot.net.
Lauren Leavell
Mount Airy-based trainer Lauren Leavell rose to internet fame via her upbeat fitness classes, strong anti-diet-culture stance, and commitments to making fitness inclusive and striving for racial equality. During Black History Month, she launched Black Womxn Wellness events with other prominent Philly wellness pros, and her Insta story updates range from funny and charming to reflective and inspiring. laurenleavellfitness.com.
Lacquer Lounge
The fast yet thorough Express Mani at this Barbie-pink nail salon clocks in at 20 minutes, so you can grab lunch afterward and still make your one o'clock meeting. They offer a huge selection of top-shelf polishes, but your best bet is the CND Vinylux line, a rare-in-Philly polish that has a special top coat and leaves nails lacquered for up to two weeks for no extra charge. 2051 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, lacquerlounge.com.
The Pennypack Park Music Festival
Where else can you see the Grateful Dead, Heart, the Rolling Stones, the Eagles, Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pink Floyd and the All-Catholic Jazz Band in a Northeast Philly park — for free? Okay, so they're not the actual artists (except for the All-Catholic Jazz Band), but these evening concerts are a ton of fun. Be sure to bring a lawn chair or blanket and a well-stocked picnic basket. Welsh Rd at Cresco St, Philadelphia, PA 19136, pennypack.org.
Jeff Kirby at Tires Etc.
With more than 18 years of experience, Jeff Kirby has seen (and can explain) it all. And if his waiting area's 42-inch flat-screen TV, cushy leather chairs, grime-free bathroom, wi-fi and icy sodas aren't enough to make you feel welcome in the strange and gritty land of auto repair, his joking banter, crush-worthy dimples and no-B.S. advice definitely will. 515 West Baltimore Pike, Clifton Heights, PA 19018, tiresetc.com.
Cajun Kate's
Philadelphia natives Don and Kate Applebaum spent seven years in Louisiana before bringing their N'Awlins specialties back home. We're sure happy they did. Fridays and Saturdays, the longest lines at the Booth's Corner Farmer's Market are at Cajun Kate's, where Don's in charge of the gumbo (shrimp and sausage, duck, or slow-roasted pork, depending on the day) and Kate provides the sweets (fresh-from-the-fryer, dredged-in-powdered-sugar beignets). 1362 Naman's Creek Road, Boothwyn, PA 19061, cajunkates.com.
Vision Plus Fitness
You’ll find everything at Charles Knowles’s Conshy gym: a robust schedule of group cardio, circuit and resistance training; results-driven trainers who’ll kick your ass but leave you smiling; one-on-one coaching; an open gym for solo lifting or treadmill running; a new active-recovery space with hot yoga and mobility; and a community that’ll uplift you, whether it’s a 5 a.m. or post-work sweat sesh. 701 East Elm Street, Conshohocken, PA 19428, visionplusfitness.com.
Solar Myth
It’s worth celebrating any experimental jazz club that manages to feel accessible rather than insufferable. It’s especially worth celebrating one that serves a dynamic and considered wine list sans pretension. With concrete floors, an expansive, trippy vinyl collection, and metal folding chairs, Fountain Porter’s Evan Clancy and Ars Nova Workshop’s Mark Christman have transformed the Boot & Saddle space into a place that’s quintessentially Philly-cool. 1131 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, solarmythbar.com.
Patti Brett at Doobies Bar
Photograph by Jeff Fusco Bartenders like Brett are a dying breed. She’s run Doobies since inheriting the business from her mom in 2003, and she holds court each night, serving craft beer, chatting with regulars, and curating an ever-changing jukebox full of Maggie Rogers, Sly & the Family Stone, and Brett’s beloved David Bowie. Her openness and easy conversation are reminders that connection, however casual, is as sustaining as a Citywide at the end of a long day. 2201 Lombard Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, doobiesbarphilly.com.