The Franklin Mortgage and Investment Co.
The retro drinks at this subterranean hideaway are inspired by those convivial pre-Prohibition days when making juleps was an art, and barkeeps really took care of their patrons. Should your mood dictate something classic, there's the rum daiquiri (served up); if it dictates something smooth, perhaps the Purple Prose (gin, dry vermouth, blueberry syrup, absinthe, orange bitters). But if your mood dictates a Red Bull and vodka, best keep moving this ain't your bar. 112 South 18th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, thefranklinbar.com.
Charlotte Ford
The problem with a lot of things classified as "fringe" or "avant-garde" is that they suck. Not so this Bryn Mawr grad, who has worked her strange magic both onstage (Welcome to Yuba City and That Pretty Pretty; or, The Rape Play) and behind the scenes (the Obie-winning Machines Machines Machines Machines Machines Machines Machines) to much acclaim. Look for her to make waves with her upcoming Live Arts Festival production, Bang, an all-female clowning piece about sex. 00000,
MakePhilly
This inventors/builders club has around 600 members of varying skill levels who gather (dues-free) on the Industrial Design Floor at the University of the Arts to listen to innovation--minded speakers (a kinetic artist, a watchmaker, a robotics professor), then separate into competing groups to build a device from scratch. The group's annual barbecue features water-rocket launches, of course. 00000, makephilly.com.
Back-to-School Classes at Ink + Mortar
Sign up for one of the intimate classes offered by this stellar branding and design studio. (They've worked with such stylish local companies as BHLDN, Maggpie Vintage and Peg and Awl.) Expert instructors will help you master topics ranging from SEO to basic photography to digital art, and hands-on brainstorming time will get your gears turning. You'll come out on the other side with new skills and a stronger brand. 125 North 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, inkandmortar.com.
The Racquet Club of Philadelphia
Dodgeball league, fiesta night, food from a former Amis chef: This isn't your father's stodgy club. Founded in 1889, the hideaway is in the midst of a youth movement, attracting new clientele (particularly Wharton MBA students, we hear) with a new fitness center and three additional squash courts. Annual membership averages $2,000. 215 South 16th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, rcop.com.
Osayi Osunde, Fit Academy
It takes nothing short of superpowers for a fitness trainer to make flutter kicks fun. So fun, in fact, that you leave the workout looking forward to doing more of them the next day, like some sort of masochist. Meaning: Osayi Osunde, who leads muscle-burning, laughter-filled boot camps at the Art Museum steps, might just be ... a superhero? Fitphl.com.
The Good Deal at Stock
Everything about this soup-focused restaurant—from the size to the decor to the menu—is intentionally pared down. It’s that way because chef- owner Tyler Akin wants to keep it focused. Kempt. And while most of the offerings rival those of more authentic noodle shops, it’s his fiery, zingy, aromatic pho (with a surprise Thai twist) that makes Stock a must-hit destination on any noodle tour 308 East Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19125, stockphilly.com.
Knead Bagels
The most tiresome phrase in the English language: "Philadelphia doesn't have bagels like New York has bagels." Now that Knead has arrived, we don't just have great NY-style bagels -- we also have togarashi bagels, za'atar bagels, and a selection of other chef-inspired combos that you can serve up to any smug New Yorker right after telling him to shut it. 725 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, kneadbagels.com.
Il Pittore
Screw you and your vegan, fair-trade, farm-to-table almond milk. There are some things we'll always do better on the East Coast, and Italian food is one of them. The ironic thing? Il Pittore looks like every taste-of-Tuscany dining room scattered across the Left Coast, but the food is so much richer, smarter and more soulful than virtually anything you'd find at any of those "lighter is better" places. 2025 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, ilpittore.com.
The Clay Studio
When the Clay Studio moved from its longtime Old City home to a new four-story facility in South Kensington, it didn’t just expand its footprint. With gallery shows, free community Saturday art workshops, kids’ summer camps and adult classes, plus way more studio space and pottery wheels, there are now more opportunities for all of us to muck up our mitts. 1425 North American Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122, theclaystudio.org.
Winsome
Things you won’t find at Alex Brenard’s Callowhill barbershop: photos of steely razor blades and motorcycles; aggressive machismo. Things you will find: skilled barbers doling out sleek cuts (they specialize in short styles); planted pothos and hanging ivy; fresh-cut flowers for sale on the weekends; and, after hours, music- and art-centered events and a book club. 448 North 10th Street, suite 100, Philadelphia, PA 19123, winsomeforgood.com.
Arrowroot Farmacy & Cafe
Arrowroot is like a playground for the health-conscious: an apothecary full of natural supplements and homeopathic remedies, shelves stocked with clean beauty products, and a cafe serving vegan, organic and gluten-free smoothies, salads, lattes and cookies. And with a newly opened upstairs space for cooking classes, herbalism workshops, facials, massages, and nutrition counseling, we can’t think of any reason to ever leave. 825 West Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010, arrowrootbrynmawr.com.
Gorilla Inc.
Hismael Salgado’s plumbing service will swoop in to save you if, say, you wake up the morning after Christmas to find a pipe geysering into your finished basement like South Philly’s Old Faithful. But the Kensington-based team can also install your new tankless hot-water heater, snake out the stuffed animal your kid lodged in the basement toilet, and cover any other plumbing issue, big or small. As for that pricey broken pipe, they offer financing, too. gorillainc.org.
Skirt
The 22-year-old destination women’s-wear boutique debuted a new look in early 2023 that echoes owner Maureen Doron’s home — a floor-to-ceiling revamp rooted in soft hues and sleek materials sourced from a bevy of local makers. Doron also called on Stephen Wilson Studio, based in North Carolina, to create custom wall art using Skirt bags from the past two decades. Shoppers will love the oversize dressing rooms for trying on new labels Loretta Caponi and Emporio Sirenuse. 931 West Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010, shop-skirt.com.
Proper Goods
Visiting Proper Goods feels like stepping into a lush jungle — if jungles happened to sprout up in cool boutiques in the middle of Fishtown. The moody outpost is packed with hundreds of houseplants (no flowers here), from philodendron and spider plants to succulents, air plants, and trailing pothos and ivies, along with all the pots, stands, soil and know-how you need to keep ’em alive. 2032 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19125, areyouproper.com.