Premier Baby Concierge
Whether you want to whip up homemade baby food or find the perfect nanny, child-proof your home or idiot-proof your, uh, self, Shannon Choe at Premier Baby Concierge is your girl for no-judgment, comprehensive pre- and post-birth panic-proofing. 00000, premierbabyconcierge.com.
Shane's Confectionery
Readers' Choice: We told our nominees to bring their best. The diversity was exciting rare Peruvian cacao, caramel highlighted by salt and pretzels with peanut butter. Shane's Confectionery's Whirly Berley Bars (chocolate nougat with salted chocolate caramel and Mast Bros. Nibs) took home the top honor but it came down to one vote! 110 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, shanecandies.com.
We Love Junk
During a home reno, this junk removal company will take everything you want gone — from drywall and unusable bricks to leftover concrete and shingles — and then recycle and donate anything salvageable. It’s all stuff the regular city dump won’t touch, and these guys whisk it away quickly and cleanly for a very reasonable fee. welovejunkphilly.com.
Edwin’s Glorious Gardens Etc.
Twenty-plus years ago, Edwin Peake gave his college side hustle–landscaping on the Main Line–a real go. Today, his team of experts designs, installs and maintains the stunning green spaces at fancy private schools and modest homes alike. Services Philadelphia, Delaware, Bucks and Montgomery counties. edwinsgloriousgardens.com.
Green Pest Solutions
What’s grosser: cockroaches laying siege to your house, or the chemicals used to kill them? If your answer is “All of the above,” you’ll be beyond thankful for these West Chester-based pros who rid your home of pesky vermin in the most environmentally friendly ways possible. (And they’ve got a guarantee.) greenpestsolutions.com.
Leahy Learning
It’s not all Harvard and Hopkins: Founder Meghan Leahy homes in on your children’s strengths, weaknesses, interests and goals in order to get them into a college that most suits their needs. Along the way, she’ll teach them skills – independence, time management – to thrive on campus once they get in. 50 East Wynnewood Road, Wynnewood, PA 19096, leahylearning.com.
The Market at DelVal
Delaware Valley University’s locavore campus grocery stocks produce from the school’s fields and nearby Shady Brook Farm; it’s also home to a full-service bakery and a deli counter that slings hearty sandwiches. 2100 Lower State Rd, Doylestown, PA 18901, themarketatdelval.com.
PackagePost
Though still very much in start-up mode, PackagePost connects you with a nearby business that will keep boxes safe while you’re not home. Don’t yet see your ’hood in their area of service? Make a request via their website. mypackagepost.com.
Rotelle Development Company
The Chester County builder will produce “a home that fits your everything” for you from a mix-and-match menu of layouts, styles, configurations, features, finishes, options and add-ons. You can have it built on your own lot or choose one from their developments. Need ideas? Peruse the showroom to see many examples. 1011 Ridge Road, Pottstown, PA 19465, rotelle.com.
Golden Nugget Antique Market
Get here early Sunday morning (6 a.m.), bring lots of cash (small bills are best for bargaining), wear old shoes (the open-air gravel lot is dusty), and, if you're smart, rent a U-Haul to lug home your treasures. 1850 River Road (Route 29), Lambertville, NJ 08530, gnflea.com.
Rob Mahon
Why do people speak of this musculoskeletal therapist in hushed, reverent tones? In a two-hour appointment, he pinpoints the source of a patient's pain; resolves it with stretches, massage and realignment; and sends him or her out the door with instructions for at-home maintenance. Just like that—poof!—the pain is gone. The Bellevue, 200 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, robmahon.com.
Skirt Stone Harbor
The satellite location of this Main Line fashion mainstay brims with coffee-table books on seaside living, beachy Jonathan Adler home accessories, shelf upon shelf of colorful jewelry, and enough Calypso, Pink Pineapple and Alice and Trixie for you to stylishly out-prep anyone at the yacht club. 272 96th Street, Stone Harbor, NJ 08247, shop-skirt.com.
Instacart
Sign on, pick out whatever you want from Whole Foods, Super Fresh, Green Aisle Grocery or even the liquor store, and have it in your hands at the office, at home in about an hour. It sounds indulgent, but it's not — free to sign up, and just a few bucks a load, plus tip. instacart.com.
Philly EyeWorks
This new Rittenhouse-based start-up is taking on Warby Parker: In addition to sending at-home try-on pairs (the collection includes more than a dozen frame styles with Phillyistic names like "Yo Adrian" or "The Jawn"), they'll even get your prescription from the optometrist, so you don't have to. 131 South 18th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, phillyeyeworks.com.
Cleo Bagels
From humble beginnings in a basement kitchen, Alex Malamy has been on a bagel-making odyssey that has captivated us for years. What began as Dodo Bagels, a beloved pop-up sensation offering surprising toppings like lavender and togarashi, has now found its brick-and-mortar home as Cleo Bagels. He’s still churning out inventive bagel creations like the Ramen Thing sandwich, but the more conventional plain bagels and savory bialys are just as delicious. 5013 Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19143, cleobagels.com.