November Project
Head to the Art Museum at 6:25 on Wednesday mornings or Franklin Field at the same time on Fridays, and you'll see a fitness flash mob: more than 100 (crazy?) people doing burpees and squats in unison. It's all part of the Facebook-and-Twitter-fueled fitness movement, now in 17 cities, that came to Philly earlier this year. The 40-minute boot-camp-style workouts are open to all and totally free. november-project.com.
Spot Gourmet Burgers, Steaks & Pork
Steve, Jim, Pat and Geno pretty much do one thing: steaks. But Josh Kim, from the confines of a food cart the size of a shoebox, whips up everything from burgers to lobster rolls. And yet his cheese-steak is still a cut above, thanks to slices of hand-cut sirloin that are seasoned well and layered with onions that have some bite. facebook.com/spotburgers.
Paint Nite
You wouldn't think a couple of hours with a drink and a paintbrush would be such a hilarious experiment in bonding, or such an oddly satisfying creative release, but there you have it. The increasingly popular Paint Nite franchise, which sends local artists and teachers to bars all over the city every single night, is a happy respite from the ubiquitous sauv-blanc-and-pommes-frites routine. You might even go home with a painting you're proud of. (Okay, probably not. But still.) paintnite.com/pages/home/index.
Fat Albert's
If you want to play a little pool while you drink with your friends, go to Buffalo Billiards. But if you want to master the art of pool and compete with some of the best players in the region, head to this formidable hall in South Jersey. As for the beers, you can BYO and stash 'em in the house refrigerators. Bonus: Play is incredibly cheap just $5 an hour on Friday and Saturday nights. 600 North White House Pike, #1, Somerdale, NJ 08083, facebook.com/FatAlbertsBilliards.
ReStore of Philadelphia
What happens to the gorgeous original finishes that are ripped out of historic Philly homes when they undergo renovations? They wind up in this two-story salvage warehouse, which is teeming with ornate crystal light fixtures, glass doorknobs, boxes of real subway tiles, carved wooden mantels and porcelain sinks and tubs. (Do with them what you will!) 3016 East Thompson Street, Philadelphia, PA 19134, re-store-online.com.
All Around This World
Parents rave about dad Jay Sand's internationally themed music classes, taught weekly from his West Philadelphia home. Kids eight and under are a captive audience for what one mom describes as Sand's "wonderful songs, great singing and guitar playing, ridiculous wit, crazy dance moves, and understanding of what it means to be a child." 00000, allaroundthisworld.com.
Headlong Dance Theater
In 1993, three local dancers got together to form this company, dedicated to creating groundbreaking original works that span nearly a dozen styles and offer commentary on the world we live in. In September, they make their fifth Live Arts Festival appearance with This Town is a Mystery, which takes the notion of site-specific work to the extreme-Headlong convinced four real Philadelphia families to perform original dances in their own homes. For audiences. 1170 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146, headlong.org.
Bennett Compost
Okay, so not the sexiest category. But we all talk about being eco-friendly, and these folks are actually making it easy. For $15 a month, they provide you with a special receptacle, pick up all of your compostables weekly, and help make the world a better place. In the spring, theyll even return some mulch to you for your efforts. 1511 Latona Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146, bennettcompost.com.
Treehouse Coffee Shop
Tongue-in-cheek Treehouse claims to grow all its produce and coffee and espresso beans on its roof and milk its own cows up there! It also includes this warning on its website: "Caution, we have lost a couple cows over the edge of the building. So heads up when you park out front." The most laid-back, kid-friendly, Bible-studying, guitar-picking mom-and-pop place to nurse a cuppa joe with some homemade pastry in the entire Philly 'burbs. 120 West Merchant Street, Audubon, NJ 08106, treehousecoffee.net.
Hop Sing Laundromat
Youve heard the hype, the rumors about mysterious owner/operator Le, the jokes about the dress code and the hidden door. But forget about that. All you need to know is that in an age in which the mustachioed and be-vested cocktail slinger has risen to the same level of cultural importance as the celebrity chef, Hop Sing Laundromat opened as one of the best cocktail bars any of us had ever been to, anywhere. And since then, it has only gotten better. 1029 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, hopsinglaundromat.com.
Terrence Feury, Fork
You won't find him on the Food Network or pressing the flesh in the dining room, but that doesn't mean Feury isn't a star. He just shines where it counts: on the plate. After making a splash nearly a decade ago at Striped Bass, Feury moved from project to project before landing at Old City's Fork in 2009. It's a match made in foodie heaven Feury's cooking up some of the city's best food and breathing new life into a beloved institution. Everybody wins. 306 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, forkrestaurant.com.
Cajun Kate's
Philadelphia natives Don and Kate Applebaum spent seven years in Louisiana before bringing their N'Awlins specialties back home. We're sure happy they did. Fridays and Saturdays, the longest lines at the Booth's Corner Farmer's Market are at Cajun Kate's, where Don's in charge of the gumbo (shrimp and sausage, duck, or slow-roasted pork, depending on the day) and Kate provides the sweets (fresh-from-the-fryer, dredged-in-powdered-sugar beignets). 1362 Naman's Creek Road, Boothwyn, PA 19061, cajunkates.com.
The Classic Dessert Company
Pastry chef Gennaro Annunziato's Dark Side of the Moon, a study in chocolate indulgence created during one long night in the kitchen, is a perennial favorite at this South Jersey bakery. Then came the Chocolate Shadow, a lighter but just as decadent version meant to transcend Gennaro's power cake. The four-layer chocolate cake is laced with Grand Marnier, filled with chocolate mousse, then iced with a rich dark chocolate ganache. We say get both. Happy birthday to you! . 1000 Smithville Road, Eastampton, NJ 08060, .
Prodigy Pest Solutions
Owner Matt Kelley worked as a service technician with one of the big exterminator companies for many years, killing every bug in sight. But the impersonal nature of the job was killing something in him. So he started his own company, specializing in treating homes infested by the notoriously hard-to-kill bedbug. Giving his cell-phone number to customers, personally answering calls well after dinnertime, and utilizing the newest, most effective heat-technology, Kelley has built a company, Prodigy, that is both folksy and, for bedbugs, fatal. 231 Printz Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19029, prodigypestsolutions.com.
South Street Philly Bagel
You'll justify waiting in the steamy, cramped, un-air-conditioned quarters for these just-baked, crunchy-crusted, doughy rounds, which put other area bagel makers to shame. Health nuts can go oat or whole wheat, and there are powder-sugar-dusted French toast and chocolate chip varieties. But true bagelphiles simply order an everything smeared with the superb whipped cream cheese and then a plain to eat on the walk home. 613 South 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, southstphillybagel.com.