Harvest Local Foods
The only thing that beats a farmers market is having one delivered to your door. Owners Pam Nelson and Mary Ann Ford work with 60-plus local farmers and food artisans to bring weekly deliveries of fruit, veggies, meat, dairy and pantry items to homes throughout the Philadelphia area. Order through the website, pay a delivery fee (up to $10), and get homegrown goodness on demand. 305 Windermere Avenue, Lansdowne, PA 19050, harvestlocalfoods.com.
Pacaso
Unless you’re really going to make use of that palace in Avalon all summer, buying a slice of one using Pacaso will save you a bundle. A one-eighth ownership stake in an Avalon vacation home will likely run you less than a million bucks, and you get to use it for up to 44 days a year. Want more time? Buy more shares. And Pacaso handles scheduling and maintenance for you and your fellow owners. pacaso.com.
InMovement Gymnastics Education
If being at home with your kids 24/7 has changed your attitude toward screen time, it’s okay. Allay your guilt (if you still have any) by registering for one of the many local kids’ classes that have popped up on YouTube and across social media. See the full write up at Virtual Classes. phillyinmovement.com/virtual-summer-camp-2.
The Dogfish Head Experience in Lewes
Lewes, Delaware — a.k.a. “that town on the other end of the Cape May ferry” — is actually a charming beach resort that boasts the beer-centric Dogfish Inn. From there, you can pedal (on free Dogfish Head loaner bikes) to the Dogfish Head Brewery, where you’ll try exclusive Dogfish Head beers, and to Dogfish Head’s nearby restaurant, Chesapeake & Maine. Be sure to head home with Dogfish Head’s Compelling Gin, which has become an essential bottle in our bar. 105 Savannah Road, Lewes, DE 19958, dogfish.com/inn.
The Neon Museum of Philadelphia
Inside the Neon Museum of Philadelphia. Photograph by Jeff Fusco Len Davidson has been finding and restoring neon signs since the 1970s, and his massive collection finally has a proper and permanent home. You’ll find original neon from places like Pat’s King of Steaks, the Horn & Hardart’s 30th Street Station shop (talk about a throwback!), McGillin’s Olde Ale House and Levis Hot Dogs. 1800 North American Street unit E, Philadelphia, PA 19122, neonmuseumofphiladelphia.com.
Stove & Tap
Opened a few months back by a couple of Starr Restaurants veterans in the former home of Molly Maguire's, Stove & Tap has already established itself as an indispensable part of the Lansdale community. This is thanks to its excellent, wide-ranging weekend brunch menu, which covers everything from peanut butter and Nutella waffles and French toast made from Parker House rolls to a solid backyard burger and cold corn soup with a crab and avocado salad. 329 West Main Street, Lansdale, PA 19446, stoveandtap.com.
Clenz
These pros scrub your home the way you know you should but never actually do, using only green products and focusing on nitty-gritty details like baseboard crevices and that gnarly space behind the toilet. They also offer the rather elusive services of eco-friendly rug and upholstery cleaning and work in both the city and select 'burbs. 1215 Crease Street, Philadelphia, PA 19125, clenzphilly.com.
Graceful Gardens
Grace Wicks daughter of restaurateur and environmentalist Judy Wicks grew up in a household with a true love of nature. But that home was in West Philly with no backyard, so her family did all its gardening in pots and planters, a skill she's perfected as the owner of Center City landscaping company Graceful Gardens. Her roof decks, planters, window boxes and backyards are as artful and lush as any country courtyard. Ask her about her edible works she designed the chef's gardens for the Four Seasons. gracefulgardens.net.
All Around This World
Parents rave about dad Jay Sand's internationally themed music classes, taught weekly from his West Philadelphia home. Kids eight and under are a captive audience for what one mom describes as Sand's "wonderful songs, great singing and guitar playing, ridiculous wit, crazy dance moves, and understanding of what it means to be a child." 00000, allaroundthisworld.com.
Tim Gleeson
If you’ve ever admired a cool design element in Yowie or the Deacon Hotel — powder-coated steel shelves, floating desks, a sculptural foam display case that looks both organic and cutting-edge — chances are Gleeson built it. The contractor and fabricator works on home projects, too, using the same visionary perspective for bars, bathrooms and built-in shelves. instagram.com/gleepglop.
3rd Story Philly
If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that the people you love, dearly, can sometimes drive you up the wall. If you’re looking for a little more space, the folks at Third Story are for you. This team of architects, developers and builders does more than just plop another level on your house; they take the time to learn what makes your home special and incorporate that into the expansion. 3rdstoryphilly.com.
Yards Brewing Company
When Yards moved its flagship from Delaware Avenue to Spring Garden, we were all a little shook. We just didn’t know what to expect, and change is scary. But the new Yards feels like it always has – a beer-nerd paradise where friends and family flock to throw down on crispy pale ales, Love stouts, and wings tossed in long hot pepper sauce. You know, home. 500 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123, yardsbrewing.com.
Philly Zoo at 2
If being at home with your kids 24/7 has changed your attitude toward screen time, it’s okay. Allay your guilt (if you still have any) by registering for one of the many local kids’ classes that have popped up on YouTube and across social media. See the full write up at Virtual Classes. facebook.com/philadelphiazoo/videos/?ref=page_internal.
Omoi Zakka Shop
Some of the office accessories at Omoi Zakka Shop. Photograph courtesy Omoi Zakka Shop The supplies here are often ingenious (pen holders that clip onto notebooks, an ergonomic package cutter), clearly high-quality (Blackwing pencils, a goat-leather all-purpose carrying sleeve), and always display-worthy (brass rulers, soft leather journals). But mostly, they’re fun (see: cat-shaped paper clips, Pac-Man sticky notes). Because if you haven’t embraced the fact that your home office is possibly your permanent office, it’s time. 41 South 3rd Street; 1608 Pine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106; 19103, omoionline.com.
Yowie
Picture an of-the-moment art gallery: minimalist white walls, colorful sculptures, a painfully cool curator. Now, imagine everything is for sale. That’s Yowie—except the sculptures are eclectic homewares (Felt + Fat ceramics, Dusen Dusen throw pillows) and the curator is owner Shannon Maldonado, who opened the tiny home and lifestyle boutique after a year of buzzy pop-ups all over the city. 716 South 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, shopyowie.com.