Baked
Finding a new bathing suit can be its own circle of doomscrolling hell now that most swimwear is sold online. Adrienne Volpetti, owner of sunless tanning studio Baked, has been steadily growing her in-store selection of stylish swim labels since 2020. This season, Devon Windsor swim joins L*Space, Wave Babe and SOAH, along with Eleventh Hour sunnies and Bogg Bag beach totes. 740 South 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, bakedtanning.com.
Police and Fire Federal Credit Union
We may be a PNC town, but those l-ooking for more parochial (in a good way!) and small-town-feeling service head to Police and Fire. Not only do they have more s-urcharge-free ATMs than their larger bank competitors; even the most peripheral of police and fire relations are eligible for membership. Biggest bonus: Call and you get a live person. Like, right away. See website for locations, 00000, pffcu.org.
Juliet Hope Wayne
You wouldn't know it to look at her petite frame and cute smile, but this neurotic 35-year-old Havertown native is funny as hell-and also a masterful storyteller, which gives her the edge over her (mostly male) competition. Catch her at various stand-up spots around town or as a frequent guest storyteller at the First Person Arts StorySlams at World Cafe Live and L'Etage. 00000, twitter.com/juliethopewayne.
Bistrot La Minette
Vive la charming private back room big enough for you and 19 of your closest friends! The $45-per-person family-style French meal is perfect for those who've finally come to appreciate the classy charms of wine over Jager, leather over vinyl and gteau l'opra over Fudgie the Whale. 623 South 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, bistrotlaminette.com.
Blue Bell Inn
Chichi enough that you can bring your mother-in-law, but casual enough that you can wear shorts: This (massively renovated!) Montco standby is the ultimate crowd-pleaser. Your M-I-L will love the crab-topped Benedict, but we're big fans of the chicken and waffles and the $15 Taylor Pork Roll-topped brunch burger. Oh, and instead of a Bloody, try the michelada. 601 Skippack Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, bluebellinn.com.
Lolita
Every woman of style has her little secrets: This hot pink boutique in Greenville, Delaware, should be yours. Michelle Carini and Jill Berger the women of style who opened the place have fostered an easy L.A. vibe, with tees and tanks and flirty dresses galore, from labels you can't find just anywhere: Wildfox, LnA, Daftbird, Tucker and Parker. Cool jewelry and shoes, too. 4021 Kennett Pike, Greenville, DE 19807, boutiquelolita.com.
Jennifer Higdon
The Curtis Institute's Higdon won a Pulitzer this spring for her Violin Concerto just two months after she snagged a 2010 Grammy for Best Classical Contemporary Composition for her Percussion Concerto. She also holds the Rock Chair in Composition at Curtis, which sounds very Jack Black but is actually named for donor Milton L. Rock, alas. 00000, jenniferhigdon.com.
Bistrot La Minette
This is not the place for abstaining from a final course; chef/owner Peter Woolsey is a classically trained pastry chef who studied at Paris's Le Cordon Bleu. You'll want to try his tarte au citron served with house-made cassis sorbet; his gteau l'opra with 11 immaculate layers of almond sponge cake, chocolate ganache and coffee buttercream; and his traditional raspberry mille feuille that's better than versions we've had in France. 623 South 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, bistrotlaminette.com.
Eaves Boutique
If you think Main Line fashion is all Lilly Pulitzer and J.Crew, you havent been to former Urban exec Susan Ahns one-year-old whitewashed Wayne boutique, where Rag & Bone shares rack space with A.L.C. and Clover Canyon. Her beachier picks from Antik Batik and Ace & Jig will make you want to beeline your newfound badass-ery all the way to Avalon. 105 North Aberdeen Avenue, Wayne, PA 19087, shopeaves.com.
Sip City Mixer
Each month, 80 or so members of Philly’s LGBTQIA scene gather for refreshingly low-key happy hours at spots like the Ritz-Carlton and L’Etage. Check out the group’s Facebook page for dates and locations of the next sip-and-schmooze – and don’t be shy. Their tagline: “If you identify as a woman and queer, you belong here.” Cheers! facebook.com/sipcitymixer.
Upstairs at Vetri
What was once a storage room where chefs used to nap is now a Napa-esque private space with a giant wooden table, a beautiful demo kitchen, and glass cases that show off the wine collection. If you see it firsthand, that means you're partaking in an intimate and enviable experience: one of the regular small-group demos, classes or dinners with the region's top tastemakers. A recent lineup on the calendar? A cocktail class with L� from Hop Sing, a BYOB dinner with Vetri's sommelier, and a pasta-making class with Marc himself, which cost $300 but was sold out in mere minutes. 1312 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, vetriristorante.com.
GrimGrimGrim
Mosh-pit fiends, rejoice! You can proclaim your love for heavy metal and all the strange, delightful parts of our city at the same time with this brand’s line of ghoulish yet comic tees, posters and bumper stickers. For more than a decade, graphic designer and printmaker Jim Anderson — a.k.a. GrimGrimGrim — has been creating and screen-printing odes to local sports events, celebs and history, from Gritty to the great water calamity of 2023 to the Sixers’ recent near-win. grimgrimgrim.com.
Bloom Bold Co.
Photograph by Ta'Tra Bradshaw There’s nothing like a hand-tied bouquet to say “I’m thinking about you,” and the iterations by West Philly florist Rashawn Scarbo express that sentiment and more. Her non-traditional arrangements appeal to the more daring eye — they’re resplendent with flowers in spirit-lifting hues (she loves garden roses and dahlias) and interesting foliage. Stop by her regularly scheduled drops around the city to pick up a pre-arranged creation for anyone in your life who needs a burst of color in the day. instagram.com/bloomboldco.
Shannon Turner
This Philly cabaret performer can belt. She’s the only person we know who can pull off the biggest Broadway tunes in history, Black Sabbath, and Pink Floyd’s vocally exacting “Great Gig in the Sky,” which we once saw her sing from the roof of the Bok Bar in front of a sold-out crowd as the sun was setting on the horizon. Magical. The good news is that she’ll teach you all her secrets at your place or hers, or virtually. At the very least, your karaoke game will never be the same. instagram.com/shantasm29.
Kaz Tire Center
Tires are one of those things you don’t think about until tractor-trailers are whizzing by as you stand on the side of I-95, sweating. If, in this hypothetical, you find yourself on a stretch of I-95 near Port Richmond, call Kaz Tire Center. They’ll fix your flat, and if you need a whole new set, they’ll get you back on the road in 30 minutes. And owner Kazem Nabavi might even show you the small backyard farm where he raises chickens, ducks, and a couple of peacocks. 2400 East Somerset Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19134, .