SNL Vault
In April, Comcast did a limited launch of its first-time streaming service, and Peacock became available nationwide in July. Like most streaming services, it has its pros and cons, but one clear winner is the “channel” SNL Vault, which features the best clips from Saturday Night Live’s heyday. Other things we like about Peacock: all 21 seasons of Law and Order SVU, an unusually high number of classic (as in black-and-white) movies, including some Hitchcock, and … 21 Jump Street! peacocktv.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.
Vault + Vine
This shop has the four C’s: cacti, ceramics, coffee and croissants, the latter of which you can enjoy in the shop’s sun-soaked cafe. 3507 Midvale Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19129, vaultandvine.co.
Chestnut Hill Skyspace
An installation by artist James Turrell in the local Quaker meetinghouse gives you a new way to appreciate both sunrise and sunset. In a plain white room with 36-foot vaulted ceilings, an opening allows light in, accompanied by LED projections in shades of white, red, blue, and green. Tickets to attend a 50-minute viewing — sunsets on Sundays and first Fridays — are 11 bucks. 20 East Mermaid Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19118, chestnuthillskyspace.org.
Pretty Bird
When the brothers behind Yardley’s coolest dining spot, the Vault brewpub, opened a coffee shop across the (otherwise very sleepy) street, we cheered. (A place besides Starbucks for our morning koffee klatches!) But then they delivered incredible sandwiches and homemade doughnuts, expert Gibraltars, and hand-roasted coffee from their own single-origin beans, and suddenly this Little Main Street That Could has become a genuine destination. 7 South Main Street, Yardley, PA 19067, prettybirdcoffee.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.
Lakshmi Hair Studio
Apologies are in order to co-workers for all the extra tossing of hair lately, though really it's the fault of colorist John Pearce Connelly, who lowlighted and brightened our locks into a shade we never knew we always wanted. 21 North 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, .
Thos. Moser
As indie boutiques continue to shutter along this vaunted shopping row, this newly opened handmade furniture haven gives us hope. Hit it up for subtly curvilinear bed frames, leather-wrapped seats, and writing desks so inviting, they’re sure to inspire productivity. 1605 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, thosmoser.com.
Atlantic
If we had known that Chestnut Hill resident Colleen Darby Wurts moonlights as the owner of Nantucket’s vaunted Atlantic boutique, we would have begged her to open a Philly location years ago. Thankfully, she has, and her shop mixes relaxed, beachy appeal with just-edgy-enough pieces she specially commissions for her shelves. 8434 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118, .