<i>Studio 2</i>
When WHYY and Marty Moss-Coane decided to end the long-running Radio Times last year, we wondered what would fill the microphone-sized hole in our midday hearts. In stepped station stalwarts Cherri Gregg and Avi Wolfman-Arent with a new idea, Studio 2, which is as much a news program as it is an introspective dive into the Delaware Valley’s collective psyche on any given day. The co-hosts’ easy rapport suggests they’ve been running this playbook for years, not just a few months.
Philly Pumptrack
Thanks to the moxie of Heidi Grunwald, an avid biker and a deputy director at Temple, a corner of Fairmount Park (near the Mann) is now a BMX-style course with more hills, bumps, turns and dirt than any kid could wish for. But there's more to this year-old spot than just good biking: It's a free place for kids to get some fresh air, make new friends and accomplish goals. You'll find a fleet of high-quality bikes and helmets for the borrowing, knowledgeable staffers, and programming like the "Ladies Only" Sundays, when girls and women can ride without the boys. Phillypumptrack.org.
The Street Art Uprising Against Minor Figures Oat Milk
The latest installment in Philly’s ongoing fuck-around-and-find-out chronicles pitted London oat milk purveyor Minor Figures against the city’s legion of street-art lovers. When posters promoting the plant-based coffee lightener went up over existing works, the backlash — on social media and IRL — was swift. As the company clumsily backpedaled, Philly street-art legend Kid Hazo weighed in with posters of his own: “Major Failures Clown M*lk.”
Maisha Kelly
This West Mount Airy native, who graduated from St. Joe’s and went to grad school at Temple, last year was named athletic director at Drexel — the first Black woman AD at any of the city’s D-1 colleges. Stints at Rutgers, Vanderbilt and Bucknell prepared the mom of two young kids — her husband’s with Temple’s track and field program — for the role. “I know that my pathway was formed by others who have been first,” she told the Inquirer of her rarefied status. But there haven’t been many: Of 248 open NCAA college AD positions between 2010 and 2019, only 11 were filled by Black women. Go, Dragons!
Paradigm Gallery + Studio
Unpretentious Paradigm showcases about-to-make-it-big artists from all over the world but has a special focus on locals like Hunter Stabler, whose exhibit of mesmerizing paper-cuts opens in September. 746 S 4th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147, paradigmarts.org.
Continental Midtown
This haystack of Chinese-mustard-soaked shoestrings almost begs to be eaten in hands-behind-the-back pie-eating-contest style, but try to contain yourself. 1801 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, continentalmidtown.com.
Carriage Trade Cleaners
The pros at Carriage will remove your buttons to clean (then sew them back on), de-fuzz your cashmere and wool, and make red wine stains disappear. Plus, they pick up and drop off. 1108 Bustleton Pike, Feasterville, PA 19053, .
Samwich
Everyone is getting in on the fried-chicken-slapped-on-a-bun game these days, but this one rises above the finger-lickin' fray. A spice-blended, crispy-skinned, buttermilk-brined bird is topped with house-made bacon, pepper jack cheese, ranch dressing and sweet and sour pickles. You'll need two hands and about 20 napkins. (Northern Liberties and Bella Vista.) 1040 North American Street, #1101, Philadelphia, PA 19123, samwichphilly.com.
Vox Populi
Climb three floors through the graffiti-festooned stairwell into this experimental art gallery, where there's something oddly delightful around every corner. The best times to visit are on First Fridays or for the sporadic live band shows, at which the music tends to be as strange and fun as the art that's on the walls. 319 North 11th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, voxpopuligallery.org.
Fleisher/Ollman
This unassuming gallery near Chinatown is a gem for connoisseurs and nascent collectors alike, with a fantastically diverse selection that ranges from contemporary mixed-media pieces to the 20th-century masterworks that put the place on the map. Plus, prices are reasonable. 1216 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, fleisher-ollmangallery.com.
Doro Bet
We’re not sure what we did to deserve such amazing chicken, but our stomachs thank Doro Bet on a regular basis. Two-day-marinated. Buttermilk-dipped. Teff-battered. Gluten-free, and exceptionally crunchy. Need we say more? Ever since this Ethiopian spot opened its doors in late 2022, its turmeric-lemon and berbere-spiced birds have made run-of-the-mill fried chicken seem like something is missing. 4533 Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19143, alifamilyrestaurants.com.
The Chicken Biscuit at Percy Street
Loosed from Percy Street's Texas-style barbecue roots, Erin O'Shea is showing her talents across the menu. But there's no better bite right now than her fried chicken biscuit, made with crispy fried chicken thighs, cheddar cheese, hot sauce, pickled jalape�os and house-made buttermilk ranch. It's only available during happy hour -- but if you order a trio of 'em, they make a damn fine meal. 900 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, percystreet.com.
J. Brite Cleaners
All the convenience of a suburban spot — one-day turnaround, friendly workers, on-site cleaning, after-hours drop-off, a drive-through, parking! — but in the thick of the concrete jungle. 617 South 5th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, .
Carriage Trade Cleaners
The story goes something like this: A beloved blazer was mistakenly tossed on a candle (it was a Jewish holiday), and the garment gods at this third-generation-owned shop performed a Miracle of Passover and made it whole again. 1108 Bustleton Pike, Feasterville, PA 19053, .
Bud & Marilyn’s
There’s no screwing around with clownish garnishes at Bud & Marilyn’s. Here, it’s just a tall glass of tomato-y tang and spice, courtesy of a nice heaping of horseradish and herbs, and a spear of celery and guindilla peppers. 1234 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, budandmarilyns.com.