Soothing Facial at Green City Beauty
There are so many aggressive skin peels and chemical-laden masks out there, so it’s refreshing to see a spa offer an effective alternative. The perfect amalgam of medi- and holistic-spa expertise, this facial tames redness, purges impurities, and hydrates with rose water, jasmine flowers, and heaps of skin-friendly ingredients. 1036 Pine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, greencitybeauty.com.
Head and Tails Beauty Boutique
Theres no way, really, to completely eradicate pain or indignity from a bikini wax, but Heads & Tails makes the whole process a lot less scary. The spot is bright, energetic and clean, and the French hard wax they use is loaded with oils that make the end result a lot less red with a lot less ouch. 265 South 19th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, headsandtailsrittenhouse.com.
Moneyline Bar & Book
You can now legally bet on games at nine A.C. casinos, but the best is the Borgata’s new $12 million sports book, with its giant LED video wall, a 35-foot-long bar and a VIP lounge. Because if you’re going to put a grand on the Eagles to win it, you might as well be comfortable. 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, NJ 08401, theborgata.com.
Juju Salon and Organics
If you must get a gel mani, go to Juju Salon & Organics in Queen Village, where they use Bio Seaweed gel (as durable as other lacquers, but sans toxins), then set it with LED instead of UV, so you get two weeks of perfect polish without any nail-stripping after-effects. 713 S 4th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147, jujusalon.com.
EcoGardens LLC
Elevating the ground around your house from Lawn to Statement is an art. Dan Cleary and Steven Shirley are experts in creating outdoor spaces that are as smart as they are beautiful: Edible garden beds put forth bounty year-round, rainwater is stealthily used to your advantage, and native plantings are virtually carefree and attract butterflies. 409 Bryn Mawr Avenue, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004, ecogardenslandscaping.com.
Hardena's #NotPizza
Diana Widjojo’s innovation spurred copycats from Boston to the Bay Area. But the original — a banquet of up to 18 separate dishes, from coconut-infused collard greens and spicy mie goreng noodles to whole fried fish, painstakingly piled onto a bed of banana leaves inside a cardboard pizza box — is still the greatest. 1754 South Hicks Street, Philadelphia, PA 19145, hardenaphilly.com.
Estia
We’re not saying you must go here. Because if you did, we’d no longer be able to walk in and get a table, a drink, a plate of grilled Mediterranean sardines, some langoustines and dolmades whenever we want. So no, seriously. We hear the Hard Rock Café on Market Street is super good. Go there instead. 1405 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, estiarestaurant.com/philadelphia-pa/philadelphia-pa.asp,.
Riverside Tool & Dye
We’ve noticed Riverside’s subtly dyed clothes popping up at local boutiques, but the bedding from this on-the-rise Fishtown brand – indigo shibori-dyed sheets, hand-dyed raw silk pillows, watercolor-dyed duvet covers, hand-painted African mud-cloth throws – is still what has our hearts. riversidetoolanddye.com.
Wagsworth Manor
Day camp at this six-acre, $6 million Chester County pooch paradise includes four to six hours of play, a two-hour nap, and lots of optional extras pool time, spa visits, training. For sleepovers, the Suites -complete with beds and TVs (tuned to Animal Planet, natch) give Fifi quite the vacation. 27 Spring Mill Drive, Malvern, PA 19355, wagsworthmanor.com.
Sooo Delicious Soul Food Cafe
After running a popular truck in Southwest Philly, Aminah McDaniel and Angel King debuted their own sit-down spot this spring. It’s the sort of place where sides are the stars, like the soft, onion-y yellow rice packed with shards of red pepper. But no meal would be quite right sans the expertly fried chicken. 1112 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, instagram.com/sooodelicioussoulfoodcafe.
Kári Skin's 24-Karat Golden Hour Facial
Designed by Kári Skin founder Tirzah Blair and introduced this past January, the Golden Hour facial stamps a 24-karat gold serum into your upper dermis (it doesn’t hurt!) for firming and plumping, then maximizes your red-carpet-worthy glow with a gold-leaf hydration mask. Move over, Botox: This is the new royal face-lift. 325 Cherry Street, second floor rear, Philadelphia, PA 19106, kariskin.com.
Janice Stein at AME Salon and Spa
It’s no wonder sugaring has taken the hair-removal world by storm: It hurts less than waxing (the sensation is more tug than riiiip), it leaves fewer angry red bumps, and the results last longer. Janice Stein is the lady to see—clients drive all the way from Bucks to the Main Line because of her expertise. 111 Waynewood Avenue, Wayne, PA 19087, amesalonandspa.com.
Aqua Experience at Joseph Anthony Retreat Spa and Salon
Scrub devotees, you won’t want to miss this. You’ll lie on a heated hammam table and get a full-body cleanse and polish in the spa’s own Turkish bath — a room tricked out with overhead Vichy showers, a color-changing crystal ceiling for LED light therapy, and seriously relaxing herbal steams. Save time for a hang in the salt lounge afterward. Philadelphia and Springfield, PA josephanthony.com.
Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve
The name is fairly self-explanatory: acres upon acres of positively gorgeous wildflowers. Plus, fun nature activities like the Shinrin-yoku nature therapy walk on August 11th and a family-friendly look at spiders on August 25th. Like what you see growing in the beds? Visit Bowman’s Native Plant Nursery to buy some for yours. 1635 River Road, New Hope, PA 18938, bhwp.org.