Gay Gift Guide: 27 Philly LGBT-Owned Businesses to Support This Holiday Season

Add gay-owned Analog Watch Company’s eco-friendly watches to your list.

Keep the gay dollar circulating this holiday season by checking off your gift lists in Philly’s array of stellar LGBT-owned establishments. From home stores to salons to restaurants, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite gay places to shop in and a little outside the city. Happy holigays!

CLOTHING AND JEWELRY

Cozy winter head gear on display at Metro Men’s Clothing.

Analog Watch Company
Score smiles and good-karma points by purchasing one of these handmade wooden (yes, wooden!) watches for that eco-conscious loved one. For each watch sold, Analog plants a tree! Perfect for: your green and stylish sibling. 1214 Moore St., 484-808-5831, analogwatchco.com.

Metro Men’s Clothing
Got a clothes horse on your list? Check out Tom Longo Jr.’s East  Passyunk boutique for a wide variety of men’s sportswear, including brands like Ben Sherman, Fred Perry, and Scotch & Soda. Perfect for: your fashion-obsessed significant other. 1600 East Passyunk Ave., 267-324-5172, metromensclothing.com.

Verde
You’ll be on double gift duty while you shop Verde’s women’s jewelry, accessories and clothing alongside Chef Marcie Turney’s delicious artisanal chocolates for your favorite foodie. Perfect for: your hard-to-shop-for mother. 108 South 13th St., 215-546-8700, verdephiladelphia.com.

HOME GOODS

Kelly-Cataldi Home
Help your loved ones de-boring their spaces with Kelly-Cataldi’s antique and vintage finds and quirky home décor. Perfect for: your super-chic in-laws. 280 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside PA, 215-277-1295, kelly-cataldi.com.

Open House
Well-designed, unique selections in everything from accessories and furniture to bath, body and baby. Check, check, and check everyone off your list in one store. Perfect for: Your friends starting a family. 107 South 13th St., 215-922-1415, openhouseliving.com.

ACCESSORIES AND KNICKKNACKS

Grab knitting supplies and patterns at Loop.

Loop
For knitting newbies, Loop offers classes, patterns, project packages, and all the supplies you need. Know a knitting expert? Pick up a gift card. Perfect for: your lesbian aunt who talks with her hands. 1914 South St., 215-893-9939, loopyarn.com.

Philly AIDS Thrift @ Giovanni’s Room
A compendium of literature for and by the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community from all over the country from the nation’s oldest LGBT bookstore. Plus you get the added perk of racks and bins of unique finds from Philly AIDS Thrift. Perfect for: your favorite bookworm, or one of those gag-gift parties. 345 South 12th St., 215-923-2960, queerbooks.com.

stadler-kahn
Artist Alex Stadler hawks his whimsical wares here, as well as any other fun items he’s loving at the moment. Think graphic scarves and bundles of pipe cleaners. Perfect for: your coworker who treats First Friday like a religious holiday. 1724 Sansom St., 267-242-7154, stadler-kahn.com.

Wilbur Vintage
From true designer duds to quirky old-fashioned finds, you can find gifts for every taste here. Follow them on Instagram to get a jump on new items. Perfect for: your pop-culture obsessed bestie. 716 South 4th ST., 215-413-5809, wilburvintage.blogspot.com.

BEAUTY AND FITNESS

Added bonus to a Unite Fitness gift certificate? These trainers.

Optimal Sport Health Club
With locations in Philadelphia, Newtown, and Burlington, New Jersey, Optimal’s personal training programs can keep anyone in shape. Perfect for: your dad who can’t take a hint.
1315 Walnut St., 215-735-1114, optimalsporthealthclubs.com.

Unite Fitness
Come here for the killer boot camps, and stay for the three-phase nutrition programs. Their fitness coaches take on all levels of gym goers. Perfect for: your friend who just secured a beach house for next summer in Rehoboth. 105 South 12th St., 215-733-0633, unitefitnessstudios.com.

Verde Salon
From blow-dry packages to HairSpa treatments, anyone can leave this salon feeling fabulous. Not sure where to start? There’s always a gift card. Perfect for: your significant other, because they deserve a little pampering. 4 Powell Lane, Collingswood, New Jersey, 856-858-0911, verdesalon.com.

FOOD

The Northern European cuisine at Noord will surprise you.

August
The classic Italian dishes on their mouth-watering menu combine with the intimate setting at this lesbian-owned BYOB for an intimate night out. Perfect for: the Giada De Laurentiis wannabe. 1247 South 13th St., 215-468-5926, augustbyo.com.

Gold Standard Café
Brunch, breakfast, café treats, and evening entrees–Gold Standard sets a high bar for quick and delicious food in University City. Perfect for: your cash-strapped younger sibling. 4800 Baltimore Ave., 215-727-8247, thegoldstandardcafe.com.

Jamonera
Spanish small plates and a wine bar make Jamonera Lolita’s sophisticated older sister. Pick up gift certificates, stat. Perfect for: a romantic winter date. 105 South 13th St., 215-922-6061, jamonerarestaurant.com.

Lolita
This beloved Chef Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran joint serves modern Mexican and has a new liquor license: can you say margaritas, por favor? Perfect for: a holiday night out with the crew. 106 South 13th St., 215-546-7100, lolitaphilly.com.

Hearty spread at Little Nonna’s. Photo by Jason Varney.

Little Nonna’s
Italian-American from the Turney-Safran duo? This is so not your mama’s red sauce—it’s better. Perfect for: your twink friend who needs to put some meat on his bones. 1234 Locust St., 215-546-2100, littlenonnas.com.

Menagerie Coffee
Hand-poured coffee with a full espresso bar and locally sourced bites in the heart of Old City. What’s not to love? Perfect for: your coworker with the French press. 18 South 3rd St., menageriecoffee.wordpress.com.

M Restaurant
Combine garden-to-glass cocktails with happy hour small plates or a three-course dinner and you’ve got one hell of a meal. Perfect for: your significant other with the Kimmel Center subscription–they do a great pre-show menu. 231 S. Eighth St., 215-625-6666, mrestaurantphilly.com.

Noord
Enjoy the cuisine of Holland and Northern Europe. You may not be able to read the whole menu (what is waterzooi?) but that’s hardly a prerequisite. Perfect for: your brunch-obsessed friend, or all five of them. 1046 Tasker St., 267-909-9704, noordphilly.com.

Philly Cupcake
Try one of their classic cupcakes like red velvet or go big with fancy flavors like The Coma (chocolate x 1000) or PhillyFetti with birthday cake, sprinkles, and glitter. Perfect for: your boss. 1132 Chestnut St., 215-625-4888, phillycupcake.com.

ART

Lance Pawling makes these kooky tissue covers.

Custom Line Drawings by Natalie Hope McDonald
Natalie Hope McDonald is a sought-after Philadelphia artist. Case in point: that big gay art heist this summer. Secure your McDonald piece before she gets too big by having her sketch your favorite neighborhood, home, pet, or the Philly skyline. Line drawings start at $75 for works 5×7” or larger. Her work is also available at AIA Bookstore on glasses, magnets and journals. Perfect for: your friend with the burgeoning art addiction. nataliehopemcdonald.com

Tissue Box Heads by Lance Pawling
Local performance artist Pawling, who makes wacky found object art, is selling funky tissue box heads for $25 each. Perfect for: your drag queen friend who sweats more than Whitney. Contact the artist at Lance.pawling@gmail.com.

Have a music lover on your list? We have a ton of local out musicians who have just put out some new tunes:

• Joshua Thomas’s The Harboring 
• Cory Wade’s new singles “Stay True” and “I’m Sorry“
• Jonathan Hernandez’s Sirens
• Aiden James’s single “Last Reminder.”

Additional reporting by Josh Middleton.