Family Piano
These graphic black-and-white blankets deserve a place on your sofa, hanging in your living room — wherever. They’re the brainchild of Merchantville artist, designer and musician Joe Kusy, who wanted to share his art in a functional way. “Everyone can use them,” he says. “There’s no sizing like with apparel.” Each 100 percent jacquard cotton woven piece is inspired by abstract natural landscapes and makes a statement, whether as your summer picnic blanket or a new foyer rug. Familypiano.myshopify.com.
Carmen Miskel
Some of us spent the pandemic honing our talents; others spent it learning the best times to access the state liquor-store website to place booze orders. (Hey, it’s a skill, too!) Miskel falls into the former category. After the New York Times announced an art contest — theme: “Coming of Age in 2021” — the teen from Bryn Mawr submitted a striking cartoon panel about loneliness during COVID that was one of just 25 winners selected from more than 4,000 submissions.
Loyalty Leather
Talk about fancy footwork: This Black-and-LGBTQIA-owned South Philly business dresses up full-grain leather loafers and Chelsea boots with a few well-placed strokes of colorful paint, creating one-of-a-kind pieces of walking art. Cheryl Ellzysmith and wife Kyra started the brand with bags in 2018, then expanded to shoes when a Spanish cobbler reached out after seeing their pieces on Instagram. A potential new addition? Hand-painted heels, for next-level style. loyaltyleather.com.
Barbuzzo Upstairs
In March, the ambitious brains behind this 13th Street favorite debuted a new, absolutely beautiful private dining space on the second floor that holds up to 65 seated and 100 standing. This ain't your average banquet space: There's a vintage piano, an open kitchen (including a chef's counter), which chef Marcie Turney uses as her test kitchen when the room isn't booked, and they'll customize your menu to include dishes from any of their restaurants, so you can get carnitas from Lolita, charcuterie from Jamonera, meatballs from Little Nonna's, and, of course, the ever- popular salted caramel budino from downstairs. 110 South 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, barbuzzo.com.
Mama-Tee Fridge
Since the pandemic, Michelle Nelson has been working to combat the city’s food insecurity problem with this Black women-led initiative that’s already garnered national buzz. The concept is simple yet powerful: Neighbors can donate and/or help themselves to the fresh produce stored at any of the designated fridges across the city. The project has seen rising success, with more than 15 fridges spread across the city, from Nicetown to Kingsessing. Donors have filled the organization’s GoFundMe coffers with nearly $80,000, which goes to stocking the fridges. Mamateefridge.com.
Hathaway Hutton
Leave it to founder Jen Risk — the Wayne designer who turned upcycled Goyard totes into wearable works of art when she launched her accessories label in 2017 — to dream up this summer’s most coveted frock. Her new line of made-to-order pool dresses transforms vintage towels from fabled maisons like Hermès into chic shifts cut from original patterns from the ’60s, designed with throwback details like vintage faux mother-of-pearl buttons and flirty front pockets. So much for inconspicuous sunbathing. 303 West Lancaster Avenue , Wayne, PA 19087, hathawayhutton.com.
Brian M. Smaul Ltd
Here, you'll find neat rows of glittering baubles (including vivid, stackable colored-stone rings you'll want to pile on until your knuckle can't bend) from names like Kwiat, Hidalgo and Simon G. You'll also meet Brian himself, the kind proprietor, who travels to Europe yearly to stock his store with eye-catching designs you won't see all over your next cocktail party, and who will custom--create any piece you can dream up. Eagle Village, 503 West Lancaster Avenue, Wayne, PA 19087, brianmsmaul.com.
Mish Mish
Along with Jeff Goldblum’s filmography and the bathroom jokes in Ulysses, this apricot-adorned spot fits into the highbrow/lowbrow category that makes daily existence more enjoyable. Mish Mish doesn’t take itself too seriously — the wine list has tasting notes like “red silk pajamas” and “gabagoolian” — yet the hospitality is as finely tuned as at any upscale spot. So if you ever need to create the illusion that you’re chill and have great taste, book a table, order some grilled octopus with muhammara, then sit by the Singing Fountain and discuss your hopes and fears and the Jawn Morgan billboards on I-95. 1046 Tasker Street, Philadelphia, PA 19148, mishmishphilly.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.
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.
Haddonfield
It's just so freakin'cute. Seriously like,How could I swing moving here? cute. But besides the ridiculously charming, friendly, bucolic atmosphere along Kings Highway East, the shopping is simply divine. There's everything from kid stuff (Pipsqueak) to women's wear (Maxwell James) to sporting equipment (Haddonfield Running Company) to jewelry (McNelis and Sherry) to art galleries (Accent Studio) to gifts (Serendipity) to home furnishings (The Upholstery Shop) to lingerie (Georgie Girl Boutique) to music (Siren's Song) to spas and salons (Salon M Design) to ... Oh, we're tired. Just go, already. 00000, shophaddonfieldnj.com.
Lancaster
You may think Lancaster is all shoo-fly pie. Not so. Take the family to the new Cork Factory, a boutique hotel downtown in, well, a converted cork factory. The adjacent hands-on Science Factory museum has plenty to kill an afternoon. Visit on a First Friday, and check out cool shops and art galleries, making sure to hit Central Market, the country's oldest farmers' market. Eat at Iron Hill Brewery for a taste of something familiar, or seek out On Orange, Lancaster's funkiest brunch spot. And by all means, if the nearby Buck Motorsports is having a demolition derby, go. The kids will go nuts. 501 Greenfield Road, Lancaster, PA 17601, padutchcountry.com.
Egan Day
Love the art of the find as much as the item itself? Jewelry boutique Egan Day is one of the most exquisite retail spaces in Philly, with the types of gems only the well-informed shopper seeks out. Here, delicate pieces by artists like Nicole Landaw, Gabriella Kiss and Maria Beaulieu are displayed beneath glass cloches: blazing-bright Australian opals, Tahitian pearls the size of marbles and slices of brown diamonds, all so lovely and subtly glam, you'll wonder why you ever measured luxury by sparkle alone. 260 South 16th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, eganday.com.
Kalaya
With palm trees sprouting from the center of a perpetually busy dining room and a bar slinging lemongrass-infused cocktails, the new Kalaya — a partnership between Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon and Defined Hospitality — certainly looks different than it did in its Bella Vista days. But in the face of the inherent Philadelphia skepticism that greets any beloved space’s evolution, Kalaya’s southern Thai dishes still pack the same delightful punch. And Suntaranon still floats around the dining room, sometimes holding someone’s baby, always representing a menu that pays exquisite homage to her heritage. 4 West Palmer Street, Philadelphia, PA 19125, kalayaphilly.com.
Black Hound Clay Studio
Bethany Rusen, founder and director of this inclusive pottery studio, says ceramics saved her life, adding, “I’m hoping I can pass that experience on to other people.” Black Hound offers affordable space to artists and sliding-scale pricing for workshops. If you just want to drop in, you can create a functional piece of art like a mug or planter in about two hours. More ambitious? Try an eight-week session in wheel-throwing ceramics. Up next: A second location is coming this fall to Point Breeze. 715 South 50th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19143, blackhoundclay.com.