Delaware River Trail
You can’t beat a waterfront view, and this new trail stretching from Penn Treaty Park in Fishtown to Pier 70 in Pennsport is 3.3 miles of just that. Besides connecting attractions like Cherry Street Pier and Spruce Street Harbor Park, it adds eco-friendly touches, including solar-powered lights and garden beds to help with stormwater management. Two miles of the trail have a separate dedicated bike path so you’re not busy jockeying with two-wheelers. delawareriverwaterfront.com.
Stephen Teichman
Do you own a horse? Neither do we! But if you did, you could do worse for all your horseshoe needs than the former head farrier for the U.S. Olympic equestrian team. The Unionville resident has spent the past 40-plus years hoofing around the region, hammering and forging along the way. And while he just retired from the day-to-day horseshoe business, he’s still available for consulting. steichmanfarrier.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.
70Six Boutique
With more than 15 businesses set to debut through 2022, NoLibs is in the midst of a neighborhood renaissance. 70Six, a trend-focused women’s-wear shop with a Cali-cool slant and affordable prices, was among the earliest to open its doors, in May. The first retail concept of its kind in the area is already a fast favorite for best-friend birthday gifts, self-care essentials (read: candles), and vacation-worthy going-out tops. 215 West Laurel Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123, shop70six.com.
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.
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.
Joan Shepp
Unless you’re a celebrity, you probably don’t often have the chance to rub elbows with fashion’s in-crowd – think Yves Spinelli (founder of cool-girl jewelry line Spinelli Kilcollin) and Jonathan Simkhai (founder of the eponymous clothing line). Enter Joan Shepp, which throws must-attend parties featuring the designers behind some of your favorite brands. The best part? You don’t need to be an A-lister to get in. 1811 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, joanshepp.com.
Remix Living Showroom
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.
Resting Gift Face
When coronavirus dried up their busy season, publicist Kylie Flett and event designer Donielle Powell pivoted to a new venture: rad gift boxes filled with ways to pass the time during the stay-at-home order. Their first run-through sold out, as did a second batch dedicated to moms, but the just-released ’90s kit (pictured here) is designed to make a Zoom or socially distant happy hour as fun as, well, the real thing. restinggiftface.com.
Philadelphia Film Socieity's Aquisition of the Ritz at the Bourse
We don’t normally give Best of Philly to the same business or organization twice in the same issue, but, well, when the Ritz at the Bourse closed in January 2020, film lovers shed a collective tear or 12. So we have high hopes now that the film-snobby Philadelphia Film Society has recently taken over the space, bringing the best of independent films back to the block. 400 Ranstead Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, filmadelphia.org.
Feng Shui Naturals
Last year, Abenaa Timazee, owner of eco-conscious hair- and skin-care brand Feng Shui Naturals, took her business mobile with an electric tricycle truck, bringing us the joy of shopping even when shops were verboten. This year, Timazee is expanding her mobile services and hosting beauty demos around town. You can also pick up her zero-waste natural products at Whole Foods, the Fresh Grocer and ShopRite. fengshuinaturals.com.
DanDan
Because sometimes all the people you know are busy or awful or both, there's DanDan. The menu features a long list of small plates, soups, noodles and vegetables that encourages grazing, and if you're looking to be left alone, the far-less-crowded upstairs dining room will give you space to enjoy your own company. Who knows? Maybe you'll meet some better friends while you're there. 126 South 16th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, dandanrestaurant.com.
The Craftery Market
You probably know the Craftery from its popular workshops, but if you happen to be of the buying rather than DIY-ing camp, check out their new seasonal market housed inside a rustic barn. (The next one is slated for the fall.) The $5 entry will get you access to handmade goods, fresh flowers, vintage finds, live music, and wine from local vineyards. 123 North Main Street, Suite 256B, Dublin, PA 18917, thecrafterypa.com.
Southwark
This institution—revamped last year by Chris D’Ambro and Marina de Oliveira—does it all right, from the tidy menu of casual comfort foods to the elegant cocktail list. Both are best enjoyed on the Secret Garden-like patio, where twinkly lights, soft music, and the aromatics of fresh herbs (grown by the kitchen staff) make for the chillest summer hang in the city. 701 South 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, southwarkrestaurant.com.
Alpine Arnica Deep Tissue Massage at the Logan
Ignore the dim lights, soft music and aromatic oils; you’re not here to relax. You’re here to work—or, rather, be worked on, with a massage so deep, so laser-like in its knot-obliterating precision, that you’ll leave 80 glorious minutes later feeling far less hunched and more, well, human. 1 Logan Square, Philadelphia, PA 19103, curiocollection3.hilton.com/en/hotels/pennsylvania/the-logan-philadelphia-curio-collection-by-hilton-PHLQQQQ/index.html.