The Sporting Club at the Bellevue
Photograph by Jeff Fusco After 31 years, the Sporting Club shuttered due to the pandemic. But there was a silver lining: The Center City icon finally had time to transform, reopening this past November as a totally swagged-out health-and-fitness mecca. Its modern makeover boasts 100,000 square feet of workout, lounge and event space and is guaranteed to keep you busy, with pickleball, basketball and squash courts; a luxe pool; eight exercise studios with sleek equipment; golf simulators; a cafe and juice bar; and much, much more. 224 South Broad Street, 8th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19102, sportingclubbellevue.com.
Civil Stock General Store
Whitney Bennett’s year-old general store feels like it’s always been there, welcoming you in to pick up functional but fun goods — a folding shovel, a brass fox-head letter opener, Victorian stocking-leg tweezers. She’s got the must-haves, too (tampons, shelf-stable groceries). Bennett — who sourced the wood furnishings, switched out the lighting to make it more rustic, and exposed a brick wall — says she wants it to feel like a mercantile of the 1800s. We say, well done. 1912 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19148, civilstock.com.
Adam Blackstone
Blackstone has been the maestro behind some of TV’s biggest musical moments, in recent years directing ceremonies for the Oscars, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and the NBA All-Star Game. And the musician’s musician is starting to get more mainstream recognition for his pursuits, which include directing Super Bowl halftime and pregame shows over the last several years (including that 2023 Rihanna banger). And this year, he received two Grammy noms in the jazz category. All recognition long overdue. adamblackstone.com.
Patrick McNally Accounting
A few years ago, with a pile of W-2s and 1099s and LLC forms and other tax documents we still don’t understand, we wandered down to Packer Avenue, walked up to the second story of a strip mall, and met a man whose calm and generosity of spirit can only be described as saintly. Since then, we haven’t entrusted our taxes to anyone else. McNally also handles payroll and bookkeeping services for small businesses, and if his tax work is any indication, you’d be in good hands there, too. 1546 Packer Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19145, mcnallyaccounting.com.
Beekeepers for a Day
Sure, you could meet at a bar or try to get a table at the best new restaurant in Philadelphia. But if you really want to see what your possible future better half is made of, both of you can don some beekeeper outfits and spend half a day delving deep into bees and their hives with South Philly apiarist Mark Berman. Bonus: You get to take home a bottle of backyard honey. What you do with that honey after this segment of your date ends is your business. instagram.com/annabeeshoney.
Salt & Vinegar
The next time you’re looking for a gift for someone who loves food, beeline to Salt and Vinegar for small-batch coconut jam, local cheese CSA pickups, locally made masala spice packets, gluten-free pop-tarts and more. Jen Honovic Herczeg’s newly opened provisions shop has a mission to stock its shelves with products from women- and minority-owned businesses. This is exactly the kind of happy place where you can spend $50 without even realizing it. 905 Christian Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, salt-and-vinegar.com.
The Jim
To be fair, Philly isn’t flooded with new dive bars, because it’s potentially not the wisest business decision to open a place without gimmick or pretense. But the Jim is so much more than that. With (ostensibly) no natural light and a “Hang out here if you want to; we don’t really care” energy, Fergus Carey and Jim McNamara’s South Philly spot feels like the kind of precious neighborhood gathering place that cities are losing, not gaining. Don’t leave without an order of the twice-fried, napkin-destroying chicken wings. 1701 South 8th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19148, thejimphilly.com.
SHIFT
This woman-owned business is so much more than a simple full-service refillery: It functions as an entire community’s eco-friendliness resource, providing sustainability education and events, drop-off of hard-to-recycle materials (those pesky batteries), and, of course, a vast menu of bulk products and self-care items, including Epsom salts and shower steamers. Originally operating as a pop-up at the American Family Market, it’s now a recently opened brick-and-mortar just doors down from its former digs. 252 Haverford Avenue, Narberth, PA 19072, mainlineshift.com.
Remix Living Showroom
Dominique Calhoun of Remix Living Showroom. Photograph by Jonathan Pushnik Prolific interior decorator Dominique Calhoun and her team are busy for a reason: They absolutely nail the mix of glam and function, fun and form. Every item they put into a home has something special, whether it’s the sexy curve of a powder pink settee, leopard-print club chairs, or a side table made up of gold and cream spheres and cones. And a whole lot of it is for sale at Calhoun’s Northeast showroom and on her Instagram feed. Look for the items that were used to stage homes — they’re sold at a nice discount. Globe Dye Works, 4500 Worth Street, Philadelphia, PA 19124, remixliving.com.
1812 Productions
Its hard to be funny all the time, but Philadelphia's all-comedy theater company, stationed at Plays and Players, does just that. Last season,Cherry Bomb was, well, the bomb. Their annualThis Is the Week That Is show is always a (smart) hoot. And they changed it up a bit by throwing in a musical cabaret about marriage, to critical acclaim (masters of comic timing, raved theInquirer). Next season, were looking forward toThe First Day of School: A Soccermom Sex Farce (opens 10/1) and April'sAn Evening With(out) Woody Allen. Independence Studio on 3, Walnut Street Theatre, 825 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, 1812productions.org.
The Barbary
Convincing arguments have been made for the homey kitsch and time-honored cred of the 700, but we take umbrage with the relentlessly throwback soundtrack of the place. In the end, when it comes to a dance-heavy good time, the Barbary is a surefire bet. True, a select breed of douchebaggery occasionally infests this two-floor hipster haunt, but the place is big enough to avoid the types (both human and musical) you want to and still have room to spread out and dance. Check Facebook for monthly theme nights and special events. 951 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19125, thebarbary.org.
Dhwani Saraiya
What would public art in Philly be without sports? If you’ve been to Citizens Bank Park lately, or outside, or on any social media platform, you may have seen Dhwani Saraiya’s comic-inspired work heralding the triumphs of Philly’s beloved sports teams. Despite donning Mets merch growing up, Saraiya found a muse in the Sixers in the late 2010s, then the Super Bowl LIX-winning Eagles, and finally the Phillies. As Nick Foles said upon being presented with one of her custom prints, the illustrations are “truly special.” instagram.com/dsaraiyart.
Izzy's Cocktail Bar
It’s easy to find Izzy’s. All you have to do is look for the crowd of people milling around on the sidewalk next to Ardmore Music Hall, waiting to get a seat at this small, dimly lit, and tightly packed izakaya. This is a place for grazing — for crowding up at the loud bar, knocking down plates of excellent hand rolls and birria bao, washing them down with custom cocktails from the Japanese-influenced list, and then moving on. If you need a place to rally the troops for a night out or to grab a bite before a show, Izzy’s is exactly what you’re looking for. 35 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, PA 19003, instagram.com/izzys_ardmore.
KMT Consulting
For those of us who break out in the math sweats at the mere thought of calculating a tip, tax time can be particularly challenging, but KMT Consulting will make you dread April a lot less. Led by experienced CPA Kirsten Toler, the whole team knows the minutiae of small-business finance. Emails are answered lickety-split, without even a hint of condescension. They take care to make you feel like a collaborator, like you’re capable of understanding your taxes, and maybe, maybe, even like you’re pretty good at math. kmtconsultingllc.com.
Philadelphia Diamond Company
Photograph courtesy of Philadelphia Diamond Company Gemologist Ken Black and wife Nicole have been in the business for just over two decades, taking abstract nuptial jewelry ideas and turning them into works of wearable art. The couple uses both lab-grown gems (a lower-carbon-footprint option) and natural stones for their genderless engagement and wedding rings, which are all certified by the Gemological Institute of America. For added sparkle: They have a design patent pending on a star ring band with five points of contact on the finger, which helps with comfort and fit and ensures that your huge rock stays upright. 421 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, philadelphiadiamondco.com.