Foreign Fix Auto Center
Whenever you move to a new neighborhood, you get your bearings: grocery store, parking rules, which bar you can stumble home from. The thing you always forget to find until it’s too late is a car mechanic. That changes today. Jason Capone and the fellas at Foreign Fix will not only get you in and out in the time most shops take to get your car up on the lift; they’ll talk you through the cheapest options first. What are you going to do with all that extra money? Well, there is that bar. 822 Reed Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, facebook.com/Foreign-Fix-Auto-Center-140122042683245.
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.
Meetinghouse Movers
This company had us at their Instagram profile: “Too old or tired to ask your friends to help you move? Hire us and we’ll be your new best friends!” Seeing as we once paid friends in barbecue and beer to help us move — and then just began handing them stacks of unpacked plates — this company was made for us. meetinghousemovers.com.
Kevin Johnson
Photograph by Jeff Fusco Taskrabbit master Tasker Kevin Johnson can mount your kitchen shelves, the unwieldy flat-screen you bought without first measuring your wall, and a living room’s worth of framed artwork in the time it would take you to find your hammer and level. He can affix things to drywall, concrete, metal, wood, and probably other surfaces we laypeople don’t even know exist — all with a calm and assured attitude, which explains his nearly 2,000 five-star reviews.
Lauren Harel Photography
You can tell Harel is a former elementary-school teacher by the way she seamlessly puts your kids at ease at the start of the photo shoot. It’s one of the things — along with her organization and sharp eye for capturing every smile and wry side-eye with a natural feel — that landed her on this list. The session is way more fun than you expect, and the well-edited collection of images you get back showcases your family in a way you haven’t seen before — and you’ll treasure forever. laurenharelphotography.com.
Earthly Delights
This past spring, we walked down our block and noticed the most radiant flower boxes we’d ever seen, with pinks and purples and yellows all popping against a red brick facade. Did we know what any of the flowers were? Of course not! What are we, botanists? This is why you hire folks like Earthly Delights owner Carrie Borgenicht, who designed and planted those window boxes. earthlydelights.biz.
Joan Shepp
Joan Shepp — both the store and the woman behind it — has dominated the Philly fashion conversation since 1971. Whether filling the racks with unknown labels on the edge of global greatness (Maison Margiela) or launching a Y-3 shop-in-shop (a collab between Adidas and Yohji Yamamoto) years before the concept would go mainstream, Shepp, along with daughter Ellen, seems to always be consulting a couture crystal ball. 1811 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, joanshepp.com.
V Marks the Shop
You don’t need to be a vegan to shop at V Marks the Shop. All you need is curiosity — about upping your plant game, yes, but also about all the delectable faux concoctions you’ll find. (Hello, coconut bacon and fig salami!) The South Philly grocer is more than a tiny wonderland of meatless products; it’s also a gateway into that more-considered life you’ve been putting off, figuring it was going to be too “inconvenient.” Check and mate. 1515 McKean Street, Philadelphia, PA 19145, vmarkstheshop.com.
Salt Spa at The Reeds
There’s a reason the Reeds is Oprah’s Shore hotel of choice: bright coastal rooms, a sundeck plunge pool, complimentary water activities on the bay. But it’s the Salt Spa — complete with a Himalayan salt brine light-inhalation lounge, a tile-studded Turkish bath, a full-service hair, makeup and nail studio (we see you, bridal parties), and serene massages, facials, and flotation therapy — that’ll call to you like a Jersey Shore siren song, especially during the off-season. 9628 3rd Avenue, Stone Harbor, NJ 08247, reedsatshelterhaven.com/salt-spa.
Collective Strength
This grassroots strength-training community turned barbell gym was founded on accessibility, inclusiveness and joyful movement, especially for groups not typically represented in power lifting. How’d they do it? Through flexible pricing, sliding-scale “Badass Barbell” workshops, size-inclusive equipment, and a future co-op model, so members have a real stake in the biz. 3245 Amber Street, Philadelphia, PA 19134, collectivestrengthphl.com.
Soaked Bath Teas
This local line of bath products arose from co-founder Elán Drennon’s desire to provide her and her mother with self-care at the height of the pandemic. Luckily, Soaked’s hand-crafted bath teas provide us that, too, with calming blends featuring chamomile, hibiscus, lavender, honeysuckle and CBD that’ll make you want to waste the day away in the tub. livesoaked.com.
Ambiance Design
If you’re not a professional designer, maybe you haven’t given much thought to your window treatments — i.e., the only things that help maintain your privacy in a densely populated city. While they can elevate any room in your house, they can also be daunting to choose (a million different options) and install (so much measuring!). Family-run Ambiance Design will come to your home, help you select the perfect window coverings, and return to install them. Products run the gamut from simple Roman shades to the newfangled voice-activated kind. 718 Dekalb Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, adwindowtreatments.com.
Retro Pilates
Retro Pilates puts a blast-from-the-past spin on traditional reformer Pilates. You’ll lengthen and strengthen on one of six Allegro 2 machines to the sounds of rock, folk and blues music from the Stones era, surrounded by a mid-century modern aesthetic. After your full-body burn, chillax in a bright white-and-red egg chair. 2423 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19125, retropilatesphilly.com.
Delaware River Trail
You can’t beat a waterfront view, and this new trail stretching from Penn Treaty Park in Fishtown to Pier 70 in Pennsport is 3.3 miles of just that. Besides connecting attractions like Cherry Street Pier and Spruce Street Harbor Park, it adds eco-friendly touches, including solar-powered lights and garden beds to help with stormwater management. Two miles of the trail have a separate dedicated bike path so you’re not busy jockeying with two-wheelers. delawareriverwaterfront.com.
Cocktail Culture Co.'s zero-proof cocktail workshop
If you’re not drinking, check out Cocktail Culture Co.’s weekly zero-proof cocktail workshop, which will teach you to make mocktails with non-alcoholic spirits and liquor alternatives. 16 South 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, cocktailculture.co.