El Techo
Philly doesn’t do rooftop bars well. We have so few of them, and many are owned by the hotels, so they’re kinda lame. El Techo? With its perfect pitchers of margaritas? And its retractable roof? And its squid and long hot pepper tacos? Not lame. Not lame at all. 1826 Ludlow Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, instagram.com/eltechophilly.
Lucky Snake
Philadelphia mega-developer Bart Blatstein thinks big. Really big. So it’s no surprise his new arcade inside Showboat, the Atlantic City property he bought for pennies on the dollar, is big. More than 65,000 square feet big, in fact. You’ll find all the arcade classics (we spent way too long on Frogger one recent summer day), mini-bowling lanes, Skee-Ball and other Boardwalk-style action, vintage pinball, a gamer’s room for those into Minecraft and Fortnite, the world’s largest Pac-Man, and an absolutely dizzying array of virtual reality games, putting all the other arcades at the Jersey Shore to shame. 801 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ 08401, theluckysnake.com.
Cloud 9 Clay
Peyton Flynn is something of a ceramics legend in Philly, making vibrant home and kitchen wares for brands like Madewell. Add her extra-shiny vases with squiggly handles to your collection to give your house an instant mood boost. cloud9clay.com.
Epic Mobile Detailing
On their days off, Philly firefighters Tyrone Thomas and Cleveland Jones bring their industrial-strength vacuum and half a dozen crates of potions and polishers to you. They’ll spend hours erasing coffee spills, buffing out the evidence of a swipe with a suburban mailbox, and whisking away every last speck of dirt, making your ride as close to perfect as it’s been since you drove it off the lot. epicmobiledetail.com.
Maleek Jackson Fitness Boxing Gym
Boxing trainer Maleek Jackson. Photograph by Colin Lenton Looking for a healthy way for your kid to release some of the past year’s stress? At 4 p.m. every weekday, this NoLibs fitness space gets youth ages seven to 17 practicing gloved punches. Jackson’s upcoming after-school program will serve those needing mentorship and positive community ties. 926 North 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123, maleekjacksonfitness.com.
D'Iyanu
D’Iyanu. Photograph by Colin Lenton Life’s too short for boring clothes, and Philly’s own D’Iyanu is here to help you live it up again. African-inspired prints of all kinds complement crop tops and high-waisted shorts, with ruffles and puff sleeves galore. diyanu.com.
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.
Ceramic Concept
Last November, Stefani Threet opened this storefront in the West Philly neighborhood where she grew up. You’ll find pieces by nearly 120 artists, many of whom are makers of color, women and/or Philly locals. A mug wall provides a tangible way to compare cups; we’re eyeing the collar necklaces from Melted Porcelain. 5015 Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19143, ceramicconceptphl.com.
La Canasta
La Canasta opened deep in the heart of South Philly’s Whitman neighborhood doing a classic taqueria menu with a rotating list of specials (mango-glazed chicken sandwiches! Short-rib burgers!). But the thing to order here is the namesake tacos de canasta — tortillas stuffed with pork or beans and steamed in hot chili oil and onions, only available on the weekends. 2341 South 4th Street , Philadelphia, PA 19148, philadelphiamexicanfood.com.
DB Cleaning Services
Just admit to yourself that you’re never going to get around to cleaning everything — and hire this team, you cheapskate. They’ll scour your home, from the cabinet tops to the baseboards, and leave you wondering what took you so long. mydbcleaning.com.
Artistic Pools
Has your backyard turned into a weedy dumping ground for bikes and unfinished home-improvement projects? Try something new. Illustration by Liam Eisenberg It’s hard to spend a few minutes on the Artistic Pools website and not walk away thinking, “Why don’t I have a pool?” If you’re trying to scratch that itch, look no further. Designs here stretch from tiny 14-footers all the way to 45 feet. 2312 Wallace Boulevard, Cinnaminson, NJ 08077, artisticpoolscorp.com.
Donald "Guy" Generals
In the year of the Great Pandemic, a dozen area heads of school decided to decamp, retire, or become the ambassador to Germany. (Higher ed is complicated!) Yet Generals, president of the Community College of Philadelphia since 2014, shone for his public service and community engagement, including CCP’s “Enough Is Enough” initiative to help students work through the trauma sparked by George Floyd’s murder. “I don’t think you should be a one-beat drummer if you’re a college president,” the jazz drummer and education-access activist says.
Expect Lace
Shaw Lewis launched Expect Lace to provide an inclusive, safe space in which to shop for intimates. The store carries sizes from 30A to 42J, whether they’re fancy underthings or workhorse basics. Also on offer: sequined one-piece swimsuits and travel-size vibrators. 4403 Main Street, Philadelphia, PA 19127, expectlace.com.
Ray's Reusables
From East Falls to Clark Park, across the bridge to Wenonah and down I-95 to Wilmington, Ray Daly brings her van stocked with soaps, shampoos and other cleaning goods anywhere the people are; the people can then bring their reusable jars and fill ’em up, again and again and again. raysreusables.com.