B&E Sportswear
When it’s Friday and you realize your daughter’s robotics team needs high-quality full-zip hoodies with screen printing on the back and embroidery on the front by the following Wednesday, you call this friendly, family-run establishment that’s been keeping customers happy since 1983. Sports jerseys. Family reunion t-shirts. Whatever. They do it all. 1005 Sussex Boulevard, Broomall, PA 19008, bandesportswear.com.
PhotoLounge
TikTok recently introduced those disposable film cameras that once graced the table of every wedding reception to a whole new generation, which is welcome news for anyone who missed the delayed gratification of flipping through physical photos. Drop your cam off at PhotoLounge, which has been processing film since it opened in 1997. These days, they’ll also pick it up for free in Philly, scan it, and share the digitals via Dropbox. And you’ll still get to open a stack of real, beautiful photos. 130 South 17th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, myphotolounge.com.
C&C Appliance Repair
Freezer frozen over? Oven undercooking? Damp dryer? Call C&C. Last fall, our oven’s ignitor wasn’t working. We bought the part, disassembled the inside of the oven, and then … chickened out. (What if we broke the whole thing?!?) C&C came over in a split and, thanks to our own detective work, charged us only $100 for the installation. When’s the last time a repair cost you less than you expected?
Maryanne S. Ritter
A few years ago, we got a tangle in a thin gold chain, one of those frustrating kinks you know you can get out on your own but instead you put the jewelry away and forget about it until you want to wear it again. When it happened again, instead of procrastinating, we took it to this blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Queen Village jewelry shop, where the problem was fixed while we stood at the counter. We’ve since had bracelet clasps reinforced and steered a bunch of friends (and now you) to do the same. 712 South 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, maryannesritterjewelers.com.
Simagas Autodetailing
Abdoul Simaga seems to really hate dirt, grime and all sorts of filth. That’s what you’ll learn if you hire him to clean and detail your car. He goes deep and doesn’t rest until your baby looks sparklingly new. The Ivory Coast native does pop-up mobile detailing in parking lots along City Avenue, but for the best service (and so you don’t have to wait in the very long line), hire him to bring his thoroughly outfitted mobile detailing truck to your home.
Ilene "The Lice Queen" Steinberg
There’s possibly no worse message to get from your kid’s teacher: There’s lice in the classroom. But don’t despair — just call the Lice Queen. Steinberg owns the Center for Lice Control, and she’ll have the pests out of your hair in no time. Book an appointment at her Havertown salon for a quick treatment, call her seven-day-a-week hotline, or pick up some of her lice-removal products. Her panic-free YouTube channel is a great resource too. 68 West Eagle Road, Havertown, PA 19083, centerforlicecontrol.com.
Mark Horowitz
The next time you need a custom conducting baton, turn to this retired actuary and actuarial software developer. The Ambler resident (whose father was the late, world-renowned baton maker Richard Horowitz) crafted replicas of Leonard Bernstein’s originals for Bradley Cooper’s Maestro. He designed a beauty bearing a rosewood handle for the Curtis Institute of Music’s Benoit Gauthier, and has created wands for the Philadelphia Orchestra’s principal guest conductor Nathalie Stutzmann and Riccardo Chailly of La Scala. Horowitz makes only about 25 batons per year: After all, he is retired. He’s doing this for fun — which is music to our ears. Horowitzbatons@gmail.com
Justine Kelley
Photograph by Jeff Fusco You may have seen work by Filipino American designer, illustrator and printmaker Kelley around town in the form of posters for local events, or on 3D origami-inspired polar bears at the King of Prussia Mall, or as a logo for WHYY’s The Infinite Art Hunt, or even on a billboard on I-95 advertising Unique Photo’s camera show. Inspired by vibrant colors, personal narratives and humor, Kelley is bringing an unmistakably playful energy to Philly through her hand-drawn art. justine-kelley.com.
South Street Sam
Spend any time on South Street, and you’ll likely hear someone ask, “Can I take a portrait of you?” That’s Sami Aziz, who spends his days and nights chronicling the blocks’ quirks and inhabitants with his camera and posting them on his South Street Sam Instagram account. They’re a love letter to the neighborhood, yes, but they’re also … really freaking good. Want something more formal? He’s available for hire too. instagram.com/southstreetsam.
The Flower Mama
Photograph by Jeff Fusco As soon as Elkins Park florist Maeve Gavin’s pearlescent green 1959 Volkswagen flower truck, Rosebud, rolled into town, it became the centerpiece of festivals, markets and private parties. (You may have seen it at the 2024 Flower Show.) Like all the best things in Philly, Rosebud blends quirk and quality. Gavin stocks her mobile flower bar with luscious — often homegrown — blooms ready to be combined into custom bouquets that thrive for weeks. Follow @the.flower.mama on Instagram to see where she’ll be next. flower-mama.com.
Yowie
At South Street’s buzzy Yowie, interior design stans know that it’s Shannon Maldonado’s world and we’re just lucky to be living in it. The creative director’s singular contemporary aesthetic informs the property’s year-old invisible-service hotel, cafe and lifestyle boutique. Here, the 11 suites double as mini showrooms for colorful, quirky goods from local indie makers like Liz Colyar and Cloud 9 Clay. Scout out your favorites during your stay, then find the smaller items in the shop — or have the staff put in a custom furniture order, just for you. 226 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, helloyowie.com.
Knobs 'N Knockers
Look past the hilariously X-rated-sounding name, and you’ll find a treasure trove of high-end hardware for interior and exterior doors, cabinets, drawers, and, well, anything else that you might need to open in your house. You can also find gorgeous mailboxes, along with house address plaques, pretty switch plates, and all the other little details that’ll make your house feel way more luxe. Shop 22, Peddler’s Village, Lahaska, PA 18931, knobsnknockers.com.
Stump
This plant shop may have gotten its start in Ohio, but it’s put down firm roots in Philly. Since opening its first area location in NoLibs in 2018, Stump’s footprint has grown exponentially: A University City shop opened in 2021, followed a year later by outposts in Bella Vista and Devon, each one chicer than the last. Visit any one of these for houseplants, vessels, repotting services, and all the green-thumb know-how you’ll need — or just stop in for pure inspiration. stumpplants.com.
A Four Foot Prune
An ALF cake pan, a 1950s RCA Victor record player, retro dishes alongside Troll dolls … you never know what you’ll find at this whimsical vintage shop in Old City. We follow their Instagram just to get a daily dose of quirk, whether it’s in the form of mod glass canisters or pop-culture ephemera. As for its name? Savvy Muppet fans already know. 142 North 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, afourfootprune.com.
Kylie Kelce
From the moment Delco’s own Kylie Kelce (née McDevitt) came on screen in the Kelce documentary, describing her and Jason’s first Tinder date without an air of pretension, we knew we had a legend on our hands. Kylie’s rise has been meteoric, but the mother of three keeps it refreshingly real, with laid-back game-day outfits (black athleisure, jean shorts) and a makeup routine that can even be accomplished on the edge of a hotel bed (IYKYK). Of course, she can also glam it up at Milan Fashion Week and help sell out a vintage-style Eagles jacket (yes, the same kind Princess Di wore, naturally) — and raise $100k for the Eagles Autism Foundation in the process simply by signing and modeling it. But she doesn’t have to. And that kind of confidence never goes out of style. instagram.com/kykelce.