All + None
Philly-based queer personal trainer Anna Claire (AC) Loper was on a mission to find new workout shorts — ones that were lined, supportive and gender-neutral. Fed up with lackluster options, Loper created All + None, an activewear brand with size-inclusive and non-gendered pieces — a compressive bodysuit, a full-coverage muscle tee, and the boxing shorts Loper envisioned — meant to make all bodies feel good, especially when they’re moving. shopallandnone.com.
Kevin O'Brien Studio and Parisa Rugs & Decor
While Kevin O’Brien Studio and Parisa Rugs & Décor aren’t producing a shared collection just yet (fingers crossed), these interior-design powerhouses known for their luxurious handmade textiles are now sharing a 3,000-square-foot showroom. The street-level first floor is stocked with Parisa’s notable assortment of rugs and arguably the city’s best collection of quirky-chic objects. On the lower level, KOB has bedding, throws, and one-of-a-kind velvet kimonos. 33 North 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, kevinobrienstudio.com.
The Sound Lab
Luna Maye’s web-based “Sound Lab” is a multi-sensory treat assembled by a killer array of Philly talent. Featuring harp accompaniment from local musician Elizabeth Steiner (and visually brought to life by photog Max Grudzinski and stylist Liz Barella), the sound meditation sessions range in mood from “Love + Longing” to “Focus + Motivation.” They’ll have you meditating yourself to a state of mind far away from your living room couch. lunamaye.com/the-sound-lab.
City Food Tours
These guide-led three-hour tasting tours (for between $29 and $55 a person) are a fun, different way for locals and visitors alike to explore all that has shaped our city and its residents (mostly the latter). Try the charming evening wine, chocolate and tea tour, or the classic "Flavors of Philly" cheesesteak-hoagie-pretzel trail that ends up at Reading Terminal for dessert. (Termini Brothers, anyone?) Hey, we didn't say it was good for your waistline. ... 00000, cityfoodtours.com.
Organic Brown Sugar Scrub at Joseph Anthony Retreat Spa and Salon
Oooh, it smellssooo good. And leaves us sooo smooth. We don't know if it's the heated Hamam bed where we get to zone out while we're rubbed down with delicious-smelling sandy stuff, or the gentle touch of the therapist, who does a truly impressive job with the delicate task of rinsing off (barely a splash!). Or maybe it's just being at Joseph Anthony which always makes us feel all is right with the world. 243 West Baltimore Pike, Glen Mills, PA 19342, josephanthony.com.
Oyster House
Honest to Jesus, we just don't comprehend how anyone can get any work done or deals made over the massive plates of red meat offered up at so many of this town's supposed power-lunch spots. Chasing a lobster roll with a couple of cold beers at Oyster House, on the other hand, leaves us with the energy and inspiration to do something other than sleep off a beef coma beneath our desks. 1516 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, oysterhousephilly.com.
Bistrot La Minette
Bistrot La Minette has a secret sanctuary. Invisible from the street and the main dining room, its newly opened bricked-in patio is the prettiest in town. Window boxes bloom over unvarnished teak tables. Tiny white lights twinkle overhead. French tunes float in the air as servers appear and disappear through the door. And free movies play on Monday nights. Order a quiche and a glass of house red, and pretend you're in Paris. It's not hard. 623 South 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, bistrotlaminette.com.
Egan Day
Staying focused is tough in Kate Egan and Cort Day's clean, relaxed jewelry boutique: You'll be admiring every last piece in Ted Muehling's case when something in Maria Beaulieu's catches your eye or the gorgeous work of any of the other four minimalist, nature-inspired designers exclusively featured here. It's where you'll find the perfect gift for your mom, sister or gal pal and a very long wish list for yourself. 260 South 16th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, eganday.com.
Tartes Fine Cakes and Pastries
We followed pastry chef Teresa Wall's cake-and-scone-and-cookie-crumb trail all over the city before finding her manning the takeout window at her tiny pink bakery in Old City. She's responsible for the tasty desserts at Monk's, Grace's Tavern, Nodding Head and Anthony's Coffeehouse, but it's at Tartes that her daily specials small layer cakes, seasonal fruit tarts, molasses cookies, red velvet cupcakes shine. And sate. 212 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, facebook.com/pages/Tartes-Fine-Cakes-and-Pastries/142359418024.
Autumn Lockwood
It was easy to watch the Birds’ victory and point to the plays that won the game: DeJean interception, Hurts-to-Smith bomb to put the game away, Milton Williams strip sack (and the ensuing Jalen Carter shot to Patrick Mahomes). What’s less obvious is all the work that led to those plays, and for that you have to thank Lockwood, the team’s associate performance coach. The Media native became the first Black woman coach to win the Super Bowl, and her skills were on wide display.
Midnight Pasta Party
Photograph by Jeff Fusco There comes a point in the night, between sips of wine and crooning along to Sinatra, when the pressure to master your pasta-making technique fades and you begin to fully embrace imperfection. Sure, your pappardelle may be misshapen, but that doesn’t matter when owner Natalia Lepore Hagan (pictured left) dramatically unveils a long table (with a red-and-white checkered tablecloth) and invites the class to sit for a candlelit Italian meal of focaccia, seasonal salad, and, of course, midnight pasta. 5401 Tacony Street, BLDG 39 at the Arsenal, Philadelphia, PA 19137, midnightpasta.com.
Farm & Fisherman Tavern + Market
Chefs Josh Lawler and Todd Fuller have unlocked the mystery of getting kids to eat well: Make their meals fun, and at least as delicious as grown-up dishes. Every kid's entree here (think fried-to-order fish and grass-fed beef burgers) is served on an old-school TV tray with a veggie that actually tastes good and a huge homemade cookie the consumption of which ought to allow you to enjoy your craft beer and smoked chicken wings in peace. 1442 Marlton Pike East, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034, fandftavern.com/home.
Mount Masala
You don’t expect to find the best korma of your life in Voorhees, in a strip mall just down the street from the weed dispensary. And yet, these things happen. Mount Masala has an enormous menu, full of delicious, Chinese-influenced Nepali and Tibetan cuisine, and if you’ve never been, you’d never expect it. But once you find the place and settle in behind plates of sizzling momo or chicken curry or a truly remarkable korma, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. 300 White Horse Road, Voorhees, NJ 08043, instagram.com/mountmasala.
City Funding of University City Townhome Redevelopment
When, in 2021, the owners of the University City Townhomes complex declined to renew the property’s Section 8 contract, 70-some tenants’ housing was suddenly at risk. After years of consternation marked by protests and an encampment, the demolition began in March. And in June, Mayor Cherelle Parker pledged $14 million in her first city budget toward Councilmember Jamie Gauthier’s plan to redevelop part of the property as affordable housing. A promising first step, though one we’d have loved to see sooner.
Bucky Body Center
Noted plastic surgeon Louis Bucky saw how the newest, über-effective technologies — micro-suction, compression, lasers, cryo — could optimize the work he’s done on patients; assist with recovery, maintenance, and the effects of aging; and offer solutions to problems people were presenting. (Hi, excessive sweating.) So he opened this innovative center in 2020 that’s more wellness-focused than a med spa but can still do something about that stubborn tummy pooch and cellulite. 1915 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, buckybodycenter.com.