Neverland Virtual Reality
Always wanted to fly around the Earth? Get in a ring with a heavyweight boxer? Drive an Indy 500 car? Snap on one of this arcade’s high-tech headsets and you’re anywhere but here. (Pack Dramamine if you’re prone to motion sickness.) 209 East Market Street, West Chester, PA 19382, neverlandvr.com.
Kids 'N' Kribs
Shopping here is like going into one of the big-box kiddie stories with your been-there-done-that mom friend and having her point out the exact products you'll love, from cribs and monitors to car seats and teddy bears. 112 North Wayne Avenue, Wayne, PA 19087, kidsnkribs.com.
North Brigantine Beach
We've pulled out sharks, flounder, stripers and blues at the northern tip of this beach. Cast from the pier or sand and you'll never need a fishing license; if you snag a permit for your car, you can pull right up to the coastline.
El Diablo at Six Flags Great Adventure
It's not the biggest. It's not the fastest. But this new ride is absolutely terrifying. Your car rolls backward and forward on a 360-degree looped track, slowly building up enough momentum to send you hurtling upside down over and over again. 1 Six Flags Boulevard, Jackson, NJ 08527, sixflags.com/greatadventure/attractions/el-diablo/overview.
New Jersey Motorsports Park
Third-party companies like Cloud 9 Living and Rusty Wallace Racing Experience show up with really fast cars — sometimes Ferraris, sometimes NASCAR — at this South Jersey racetrack. The cost varies, but expect to pay $498 for three laps in that Ferrari. 8000 Dividing Creek Road, Millville, NJ 08332, Njmp.com.
Chariot Valet
If you're throwing a soiree that happens to need valet service, this Main Line company parks your cars and expertly directs traffic (using white cones for corralling instead of garish orange) -- and its offshoot, Chariot Services, rents out photo booths and bouncy houses to boot. 19406, chariotvalet.com.
11th Street Auto Repair
Respectful. Honest. Punctual. Frank Sauer and his small staff at 11th Street not only keep your car fit enough to slalom the Schuylkill; they do it with the sort of professionalism one rarely sees anywhere these days. Service-people of Philly, a gauntlet has been thrown down. 820 South 11th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, .
Don's Auto Repair
When you realize your stickers expire tomorrow, drive directly to Don’s, where they’ll take your car on the spot or find a time to get you in and out quickly. And if you need parts or service to bring it up to snuff, this husband-and-wife team won’t overcharge or oversell you. 1132 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19147, .
Locust Rendezvous
Does any neighborhood bar have more flat-screens per square inch than 22-year-old 'Vous? Plus, drinks are cheap, the crowd is fiercely phanatic, and you're mere feet from Broad, for easy access to the celebratory car-flipping. (Oh yeah: Park a few blocks away.) 1415 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, locustrendezvous.com.
Girls Auto Clinic
Manned (um) by women, catering to women—and you can get a manicure at the Clutch Beauty Bar while you get your wheels fixed. Your car will run better than new, plus they’ll teach you auto care, so you can save big bucks down the line. 7425 West Chester Pike, Upper Darby, PA 19082, girlsautoclinic.com.
Matchbox Road Museum
Owner/curator Everett Marshall III calls it a “mini-museum.” But we’re not sure the term “mini” applies to a place that holds more than 60,000 little die-cast cars and all sorts of Matchbox advertisements and ephemera. Regardless, if you’re going to have a collection of 60,000 of anything, you might as well share it with the world. 15 Pearl Street, Newfield, NJ 08344, facebook.com/matchboxroadmuseum.
ShuttleBee
Look, when you’re transporting children around the city, there are bound to be problems – traffic, sick kids, busted cars. But this new start-up is still providing a smart, sorely needed solution for Philly parents by getting their little ones safely to and from school and after-school programs – and beyond – with ease. Services greater Center City. shuttlebee.net.
Snap Custom Pizza
After recruiting a gaggle of tasters to dig into all the new quick-serve pizza shops that have opened around town (you know, those Chipotle-style, assembled-just-for-you spots), the results were unanimous. Snap is fresh, well-priced, has a sweet crust and will travel back to your desk (or car) really well. 4 Station Road, Ardmore, PA 19003, .
CHOP Safety Center
Baby gates. Cabinet locks. Outlet covers. And all the other gear you need to baby-proof, well, your entire life. The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia sells everything at cost, which means you can pick up a car seat for $50 or a bike helmet for $10. Here's to totally Bubble Boy-ing your tiny cherub. 3401 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, chop.edu/centers-programs/safety-center.
Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine Tour
This guided mine-car tour of an old horizontal drift mine two and a half hours northwest of Philly might seem like it's going to be kids' stuff. But then you're more than a quarter-mile inside a mountain. (And yes, they turn the lights out.) Bring a sweater, because the tour lasts for half an hour, and temperatures inside the mine average 50 degrees. 2001 Walnut Street, Ashland, PA 17921, pioneertunnel.com.