Damari Savile
Here’s your chance to cop the style of a professional athlete. Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins teamed up with business partner Jay Amin on a new men’s shop where they stock immaculate ready-to-wear pieces alongside expertly tailored custom suits. 709 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, damarisavile.com.
Solidcore
The dim lighting and loud music at these sleek studios in Washington Square, Rittenhouse and Bryn Mawr serve a purpose: They hide the winces and grunts the Pilates-inspired workout—50 minutes on a giant resistance machine that burns the whole way through—provokes. The upside: You’ll leave with a newfound confidence to rock a crop top. Multiple locations, solidcore.co.
Anima Iris
Last August, start-up accessories designer and recent Wharton grad Wilglory Tanjong opened Instagram and spotted a familiar item in Beyoncé’s latest post: her very own raspberry Zaza bag. And with that, a new must-have handbag brand was born. animairis.com.
Penn Museum
The joints on the Parkway get more play due to their central location, but for people who like old stuff, this repository, stuffed with its 10 millennia of artifacts, is a must-visit. For years, the museum was left to more or less rot, but it’s in the midst of a dramatic transformation thanks to Christopher Woods, its first director of color. 3260 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, penn.museum.
Anthony Guerrera at 02 Skincare Lounge
Fellas, here's the thing: The days when your gender was exempt from skin care are looong gone. Visit aesthetician Anthony Guerrera, who understands where you're coming from microdermabrasion sounds scary, but it doesn't hurt; extractions are a must; quality product is essential and will soothe and refresh your skin without breaking your bank. (Seriously, his almost constant discounts make a facial cheaper than a fill-up.) 1735 Chestnut St, 2nd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19102, skincareloungespa.com.
Black Landlord
Funk meets hip-hop meets punk in this Philly octet composed of time-tested veterans of the local music scene, most prominently pimped-out-large-and-in-charge front man Maxx Stoyanoff-Williams, who leads his tight entourage through edgy, fierce horn stacks and beat breakdowns like James Brown on steroids. Buy the band's first full-length album, Addicted to Distraction, which came out earlier this year, or better yet, check out one of its energetic live performances. 00000, blacklandlord.com.
All Around This World
Parents rave about dad Jay Sand's internationally themed music classes, taught weekly from his West Philadelphia home. Kids eight and under are a captive audience for what one mom describes as Sand's "wonderful songs, great singing and guitar playing, ridiculous wit, crazy dance moves, and understanding of what it means to be a child." 00000, allaroundthisworld.com.
Mask and Wig Club
If you haven't seen a performance by the club's all-Penn, all-male musical-comedy troupe, buy yourself a ticket (this fall, Conquistadora the Explorer). Until then, book your next birthday bash, class reunion, rehearsal dinner or anniversary celebration in the cool rathskellar-style Grille Room, with its beer-stein-adorned walls and Maxfield Parrish frescoes. 310 South Quince Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, maskandwig.com.
The Free Library’s Digital Resources
If your relationship with the Free Library of Philadelphia has simply been one of borrowing a book and returning it, you’re really missing out. From the comfort of your couch, you can delve into the library’s digital resources. Our favorites: the vast American Music archives; the 35,000 songs in Smithsonian Global Sound; and two different movie streaming services (Hoopla and Kanopy). freelibrary.org.
Delco Quarantine Open Mic
Musicians love to play for other people, but once bars and music venues closed, that wasn’t exactly possible. Enter the Facebook group Delco Quarantine Open Mic, which quickly grew to more than 14,800 members — many from Delco, but plenty from other areas, too. The page hosts several shows a week and features some seriously talented people who might make you think about pulling that old guitar of yours out of the attic. facebook.com/groups/524677775121227.
Style Box by Skirt
Skirt the fashionable Main Line mainstay has answered our busy-women prayers with its new service: Log onto the site, answer a bunch of style questions, and within a day you'll get the most exciting delivery of your week a pretty printed box packed with complete outfits pulled together just for you, plus an accompanying custom booklet explaining how to build each look. Pay only for what you keep. styleboxbyskirt.com.
Head House Books
As Philly’s local bookshop scene shrinks — Shakespeare and Co. and Joseph Fox Bookshop both shuttered this year — Head House Books is turning the page on 17 years in business. Owner Richard De Wyngaert’s self-proclaimed “fiercely curated” selection resonates with his fiercely loyal customers, who line up for the latest thought-provoking titles and author events from the likes of Jennifer Weiner. 619 South 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, headhousebooks.com.
Brood Coffee Truck
Let’s just state the facts: Brood Coffee Truck is the best mobile coffee-slinging, fresh-pastry-making business around town. The usual coffee suspects are all done well here, using Càphê Roasters beans. Similarly, the mochi doughnuts and sweet cronuts will have you wondering which neighborhood you can find the traveling truck in next. 2201 Brown Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130, broodcoffeetruck.com.
Du Soleil Photographie
Vietnamese-born Minh Cao didn’t learn professional photography until after she’d started her business as a side hustle in 2015. “My parents never deemed photography fit for a profession, so studying it never crossed my mind,” says the Ridley Park resident. She self-trained online, took some in-person classes, and today is known for snapping weddings through a dreamy, tender — almost wistful — lens that makes you never want to leave that moment. dusoleilphoto.com.
Clover Market
Now in its 14th year, Clover has exploded from its beginnings as a 25-vendor pop-up market in Ardmore to a roving shopping extravaganza with four locations, eight different events, and a curated roster of nearly 100 different small-biz vendors, artists and artisans, plus live music and food trucks. In short, it’s the happiest treasure hunt around. theclovermarket.com.