Haason Reddick
Photograph by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images We were excited when the Eagles inked the Camden native/Temple alum edge rusher ahead of the 2022 season. Then he went on a sacking spree (19.5 between the regular season and playoffs!) that led the Birds all the way to the Super Bowl, and we lost our minds. No pressure, but we’re expecting similarly big things from another local product: onetime St. Joe’s Prep star D’Andre Swift, whom the Eagles stole in a draft-day trade in April.
Reset by Therabody
Hybrid and full-time WFH-ers know all too well about aching backs, stiff necks, tender joints, and being always-on-call. It’s why Reset in Fishtown ups the recovery game from a hand-held massage gun to comprehensive wellness services like cryo, cell-boosting PEMF therapy, compression technology, LED facials, muscle stimulators, sound meditation and more. This just may be the best excuse to sneak away from your desk for an afternoon. 1424 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19125, therabodyreset.com.
Delaware River Trail
You can’t beat a waterfront view, and this new trail stretching from Penn Treaty Park in Fishtown to Pier 70 in Pennsport is 3.3 miles of just that. Besides connecting attractions like Cherry Street Pier and Spruce Street Harbor Park, it adds eco-friendly touches, including solar-powered lights and garden beds to help with stormwater management. Two miles of the trail have a separate dedicated bike path so you’re not busy jockeying with two-wheelers. delawareriverwaterfront.com.
The Prime Rib
Photograph by Jeff Fusco Last year, the Prime Rib relocated from Rittenhouse to deep South Philly, inside the Live Casino. You can still feast on seafood towers showcasing shrimp as big as your fist, classic wedge salads, and the platonically perfect signature cut. And you can still pair these things with a double old-fashioned or dirty martini. Only now, the meal happens in a buzzing bastion of glitz. And you know what? It’s so much better this way. 900 Packer Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19148, philadelphia.livecasinohotel.com/dine-and-drink/the-prime-rib.
Primavera Fund
This arts org, named for former longtime Philadelphia Youth Orchestra music director Joseph Primavera, provides mentorship, instruction, instruments and more to promising young, local classical musicians who otherwise lack means. “If you told me years ago that I would be traveling to Vancouver, Canada, and being a guest performer at a TED Talk conference, I wouldn’t believe you,” says violinist Akili Farrow, who in 2018 toured with the National Youth Orchestra of the USA. primaverafund.org.
AmberNoon
Erum Ilyas is a dermatologist, has her master’s degree in bioethics, and is a published author and mom of three. The last thing she needed to do was start a clothing line, but her desire to keep people safe in the sun led her to found AmberNoon anyway. The collection of chic maxi dresses, wide-leg pants and half-zip tops (there’s also stuff for kids and men) proves that SPF apparel can go well beyond the golf course and beach. 503 West Lancaster Avenue, suite 630, Wayne, PA 19087, ambernoon.com.
Union Transfer
The vaulted ceilings that once sheltered the red-sauce carnage of Spaghetti Warehouse are now reverberating with the beats of the city's hottest new mostly-indie music venue. And though with three full bars, a balcony and a sizeable standing-room floor, Union Transfer may seem as cavernous as the restaurant that preceded it, the space feels surprisingly intimate: It's plenty big enough for writhing around to Neon Indian, but also small enough for you to enjoy the folksy delicacy of Gillian Welch. 1026 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123, utphilly.com.
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.
Jake Blumgart, the <em>Inquirer</em>
Blumgart doesn’t have the flashiest beat (Eagles) or the most headline-grabbing (cops), but we’d argue that he has the most important beat in the city right now: real estate. With so many changes in the real estate market — post-pandemic blues, empty office buildings, shifting federal funding — we count on Blumgart to guide us through it. And he does it with a reporter’s eye for details and a novelist’s sense of narrative. If you’re ever wondering “What’s happening there?” Blumgart likely has the answer. inquirer.comauthor/blumgart_jake.
In Flow
When you step into Alli Cavanagh’s Fishtown space, you’ll catch your breath over its high-ceilinged industrial beauty. But there’s way more than meets the eye with this wellness incubator: a schedule of invigorating and grounding Pilates and yoga classes, journaling, meditation, and a candlelit sesh that incorporates somatic dancing, plus rotating holistic workshops in everything from cold-plunging to cacao ceremonies, led by local practitioners. We’ve been especially loving the just-opened heated pop-up studio. 1811 Frankford Avenue, #206, and 2019-21 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19125, inflowwstudio.com.
The Retreat at the Vault
Photograph by Jeff Fusco One floor above Matt and Sabrina Kelley’s dynamic Brazilian jiu jitsu school stands the Retreat. The aptly named, appointment-only recovery studio — home to state-of-the-art saunas, cold-plunge tanks, red-light therapy panels, and 6D massage chairs powered by AI — is so tranquil you’ll forget how much time has passed since your arrival, and that takedowns are happening right below you. Who knew a slice of Delco could feel like such a serene escape? 25 South Morton Avenue, Morton, PA 19070, vaultretreat.com.
All That Jazz Sound & Security
It’s right there in the name: All That Jazz Sound & Security. This Lancaster Ave shop has spent its entire existence keeping Philadelphians’ trunks thumping and vehicles secure, but the electronic expertise here has kept pace with the trends, too, with remote starters, backup and dashboard cameras, LED lighting, whatever. While these might seem like bells and whistles — hey, they do custom horns, too — adding undercarriage lighting to your motorcycle is an increasingly popular way to stay safe on your bike. 4977 Lancaster Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19131, allthatjazzphilly.com.
Philadelphia Table Company
Sure, you could click around West Elm’s website to buy an overpriced table that most of your friends also have in their kitchens. Or you could buy a table right here in Philadelphia from Paul Mencel and his team of professional woodworkers, who make each beautiful piece to order, by hand. Visit the boutique furniture company’s Old City showroom and choose your shape, size and finish. Despite the name, they make other furniture, too, including custom beds and desks. 158 North 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, philadelphiatablecompany.com.
The Farm and Fisherman
Okay, we know the phrase farm-to-table has been boring you to death for five years now. But check out F&F, one of the restaurants that defined the style in Philly, and see how exciting Josh Lawlers tiny temple of head-to-tail, hedgerow-to-hedgerow, you-know-its-fresh-because-the-place-barely-has-a-refrigerator cuisine can be. Start with the bloody beet steak, but dont use that as an excuse to skip a grass-fed real one because when they have it, its the best in town. 1120 Pine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, thefarmandfisherman.com.
Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas and Kiran Musunuru
These two physicians led the CHOP and Penn Medicine team that, in May, made medical history by successfully using CRISPR gene-editing therapy to treat an infant born with a rare metabolic disease. Baby KJ was only months old when the team started administering the individually tailored therapy for his CPS1, or severe carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 deficiency. The landmark gene-correcting approach spares KJ the need for a liver transplant down the road and prevents neurological damage that could prove fatal. Doctors say he’s now growing well and thriving.