Bus Stop Boutique
The quirkiest, coolest collection of footwear around, from the teeteringly high (Jeffrey Campbell) to the bow-and-flower-bedecked (Irregular Choice) to the sensible(ish) (Matiko). In short: footwear worth leaving your Loubs for. 727 South 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, busstopboutique.com.
Nordstrom
Just a touch smaller than KOP's, Nordstrom's shoe department on the Jersey side is reliably stocked, and feels just a little less rushed and more boutique-y than its older sibling. Plus, the parking is much, much easier. King of Prussia and Cherry Hill malls, 00000, shop.nordstrom.com.
Mason Dixon
The cutest footwear we've ever seen comes from Mason Dixon, a collection of kids' booties and derby shoes by Fishtown's Heather Holiday. Hand-cut leather laces, hand-sewn soles, whimsical color pairings and adorable styles make you wish she made them in adult sizes. (Wish granted: She finally does.) Philadelphia, PA mason-dixon-made.myshopify.com.
Art Star Craft Bazaar
Each spring, we gladly brave the concrete heat of Penn's Landing to check out the 150 or so artisans selling the coolest presents we've ever laid eyes on. Now in its sixth year, Art Star cops to being a craft show, but feels like a shopping bonanza of handmade stationery, irresistible knickknacks, and a bunch of other stuff that keeps gift closets stocked into winter The Great Plaza at Penn's Landing, Philadelphia, PA 19106, artstarcraftbazaar.com.
Black Moth Tattoo & Gallery
Think tattoo shop and art gallery is an unusual pairing? It’s not for owner/tattooist Steve Martin, who has a BFA in painting and graphic design. Wander in and you’ll be blown away by the amazing fine-art shows he curates, which range from classic oil landscapes to pop-culture commentary collages to printmaking abstracts — often done by local talent. All art is available for purchase online, too. 18 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, PA 19003, blackmothtattooandgallery.com.
<i>Fat Ham</i>
Last year, South Philly playwright James Ijames won the Pulitzer for this play in which he deftly transports the story of Hamlet to a Black family’s cookout down South. This year, the show opened on Broadway to positively rave reviews, both from critics and from theater tastemakers like Lin-Manuel Miranda. It also scooped up five Tony noms. And next, you can see Fat Ham on Broad Street at the Wilma, where it runs from November 24th through December 17th. Assuming you can score tickets, that is. 265 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, jamesijames.com.
Bar 1010
Mike Fitzick tinkered with his pizza techniques and dough particularities for years at Bakeria 1010 in Linwood, New Jersey. Then he moved along to this Northern Liberties spot with a wood-fired oven and an arsenal of thin, bubbly-crusted pies that show restraint and know-how. The margherita — sweet from San Marzano tomatoes; structured and sturdy enough that your slice sticks out straight when you pick it up — can hold its own against the city’s best versions. 701 North 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123, bar1010.com.
Heatlhy Bites
Can you turn your little sprout-spurner into a good eater? No doubt about it, says registered dietician and chef Katie Cavuto, whose Picky Eaters Program can include everything from a joint grocery-store run to kitchen tricks and prepping tips for molding a more adventurous eater. She'll also show you how to make family-friendly, healthy recipes like broccoli roasted with pesto, and soba noodles with veggies and peanut sauce. Mmm. katiecavuto.com/nutritionalservices.php.
Century 21
There are plenty of things that aren't worth a second look (e.g., the lackluster shoe section), but do some digging and you'll find coveted brands (from the likes of Missoni and Armani to Vince, Theory and DVF) at prices worth the hunt. Bonus points for the luxury vintage shop-in-shop and the stellar athletic-wear department. 821 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123, c21stores.com/Philly_.
Marshall Roy
His specialty is strength training, so if you want to get ripped, Roy's the guy to show you how. The KOP-based trainer and owner of RISE Gym, whose résumé includes a stint at Equinox NYC, takes on one-on-one clients who are willing to work hard to reach their goals. And then he helps them chisel their bodies into muscled submission. 485 South Henderson Road, King of Prussia, PA 19406, risegym.com.
<i>Studio 2</i>
When WHYY and Marty Moss-Coane decided to end the long-running Radio Times last year, we wondered what would fill the microphone-sized hole in our midday hearts. In stepped station stalwarts Cherri Gregg and Avi Wolfman-Arent with a new idea, Studio 2, which is as much a news program as it is an introspective dive into the Delaware Valley’s collective psyche on any given day. The co-hosts’ easy rapport suggests they’ve been running this playbook for years, not just a few months.
<em>Hamilton</em>
Yes, the Broadway smash already came here. But that was at the Forrest Theatre. So we can’t wait to see it under the big chandelier when it visits us at the Academy of Music from October 20th through November 28th. 240 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, kimmelculturalcampus.org/Hamilton.
Brad Ingelsby and <em>Mare of Easttown</em>
Guy Pearce and Kate Winslet act in Mare of Easttown. Photograph by Sarah Shatz/HBO The appeal of Mare of Easttown (the wild success of which landed Berwyn-native showrunner Inglesby a three-year HBO deal) transcends Kate Winslet and Jean Smart talking in our peculiar patois. While Mare was yet another detective series centered on a dead teenage girl, it was the only one the whole world was glued to this summer. We loved it for more than the accent work, but it’s also hard to overstate how validating it was to hear Winslet’s Mare utter, of the wet cast on her wrist, “Et arready etches like crazy en et smells like shet.” hbo.com/mare-of-easttown.
Vetri
There arent many places left where the mere mention of having been there still makes people sit up a little straighter and listen a little closer. Oh, you went to Vetri? What was the occasion? Vetri remains the best of a very exclusive list of high-end dining experiences, and without fail, dinner there does what dinner at one of the best restaurants in the country is supposed to do: leaves you with a memory that will sustain you far longer than anything that was on the plate. 1312 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, vetriristorante.com.
Bibou
Pierre Calmels doesnt just do right by the classics (escargots, terrines, veal sweetbreads); he shows how fresh contemporary French cooking can be. (Think shellfish bisque with pomegranate seeds, or seared foie gras with a lime-tanged plum chutney.) Meanwhile, his lovely wife, Charlotte, turns the dining room into a home away from home for Phillys French expats. 1009 South 8th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, biboubyob.com.