Barneys CO-OP
Paul Smith. Vince. Rag and Bone. Onitsuka. Loomstate. Opening Ceremony. If you're a city dude, consider yourself edgy-natty-preppy-buttoned-up, and like to moan about commuting to KOP/NYC for your fashion fix, you'll need to find something new to gripe about. Thanks to the Co-op's well-stocked second floor, not having somewhere to shop is no longer a valid complaint. 1811 Walnut Street, 2nd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103, barneys.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-BNY-Site/default/Stores-Details?StoreID=335.
Showing With Style
If there was a collective shriek of horror from soon-to-be-moms when Manayunk's Belly closed in 2008, there was an equally loud sigh of relief when Chelsea Ivsin and Elizabeth Long, then-employees of the store, kept the lease and reopened last May all during their senior year at Philadelphia University. Their selection of flattering, easy-to-wear maternity clothes, handbag-pretty diaper bags and It strollers has us just as impressed as the story of how their shop came to be.
4321 Main Street, Philadelphia, PA 19127,
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Wawa
I used to drink fancy coffee – single-drip/hand-roasted/micro-lot concoctions that cost roughly $25 apiece. But eventually, I stopped being patient enough to wait for a latte artist to draw a tree in my almond milk foam. So I went to Wawa, the promised land of self-serve carafes, where a cup costs less than two bucks, where the bar never runs out of stirrers or sugar or creamer, and where the coffee isn’t a caffeine bomb, so I can drink it all day without getting the shakes. There’s something innately comforting about the easy routine of Wawa: press, pour, stir, pay, drink, repeat. I guess I could ask myself if I miss my rose-petal cappuccinos (not particularly), or if I really need to drink four cups of coffee a day (definitely not). But the question I actually find myself asking, as I zip in and out of Wawa in less time than it takes a hipster barista to pull a shot of espresso, is: Why did coffee become so freaking complicated in the first place? – Emily Goulet wawa.com.
Twice as Nice Productions
This one-woman company, run by local artist Connie Rea, turns your child's drawing into a huggable stuffed doll. twiceasniceproductions.com.
Mart Pretzel
Crackly crust, dense doughy insides when you break one of these open, you can feel the steamy warmth. In a city as pretzel-obsessed as Philly, you'd be amazed how rare that is. You'll be more amazed to learn it's a New Jersey pretzel shop that's showing us how it's done. 202 Route 130 North, Cinnaminson, NJ 08077, .
The Preston & Steve Show
Nick McIlwain, Kathy Romano, Preston Elliot, Steve Morrison, Casey Foster and Marisa Magnatta. Photograph by Linette and Kyle Kielinski Many shows would be stale after all these years, but this band of WMMR misfits still manages to make the world more bearable with their wacky stunts, irreverent comedy, and entertaining studio guests. Wmmr.com.
Va La Vineyards
Illustration by Sunny Eckerle La Prima Donna is a perfect gateway drug to the world of orange wines — not too dank, unexpected, and with all the complexity of wines from better-known producers. 8820 Gap Newport Pike, Avondale, PA 19311, valvineyards.com.
Harper’s Garden
A beautiful, plant-filled, twinkly-lit oasis in the middle of a very drab block of the city. The food is far better than it needs to be, and the drinks are designed to be consumed five at a time. Find a good nook and stay a while. 31 South 18th street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, harpersgardenphilly.com.
Cantina Feliz
High-end Mexican that also includes Korean BBQ tacos, crabcakes and whole-roasted suckling pigs? Just go with it-and brag to your friends that this is one of those places that make you happy you live in the suburbs. 424 South Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington, PA 19034, cantinafeliz.com.
Forno Antico
Sure, this place does great Neapolitan pizza, but these days, who doesn't? The real draw is the amazing, juicy, saucy beef meatballs. Order them as the side dish to whatever it is you're having. 417 East Main Street, Collegeville, PA 19426, fornoanticopizzanapolitana.com.
Dell Music Center
A recent much-needed rehab and a new programming push (Erykah Badu, Frankie Beverly’s Maze and the War on Drugs all play this summer) make this once-neglected city-run amphitheater a solid venue contender. 2400 Strawberry Mansion Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19132, mydelleast.com.
Fort Mifflin
Yes, it’s the only Revolutionary War-era fort in the city, and yes, you can actually camp out here overnight, but the big draw is that this tiny slice of land along the Delaware River is literally next to the airport, and there’s no better place to watch big jetliners come in for landings. 1 Fort Mifflin Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19153, fortmifflin.us.
Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival
Readers' Choice: When more than 50,000 people show up one one Saturday a year to eat, shop, drink, and hang around for some live entertaiment, it's going to end up giving every other festival a run for its money. (Even the Italians, who know how to throw a party.) 00000, rittenhouserow.org.
Boxers PHL
It's hard to say exactly what the biggest draw is at this new gay sports bar. The cheap drinks? The pool-table action? The big game on the big screen? Oh, who are we kidding? It's the shirtless bartenders wearing only the namesake uniform. 1330 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, .
Spogue Kitchens & Bath
Yes, it’ll be hard to walk past the marble countertops and custom Shaker cabinets, but keep your eye on the real prize: the collection of 20th-century drawings and paintings procured directly from renowned art markets in France and waiting for your walls. 302 West Lancaster Avenue, Wayne, PA 19087, spogue.com.