Winsome
Winsome's Alex Brenard with a client / Photograph by Courtney Apple Things you won’t find at Alex Brenard’s Callowhill barbershop: photos of steely razor blades and motorcycles; aggressive machismo. Things you will find: skilled barbers doling out sleek cuts (they specialize in short styles); planted pothos and hanging ivy; fresh-cut flowers for sale on the weekends; and, after hours, music- and art-centered events and a book club. 448 North 10th Street, suite 100, Philadelphia, PA 19123, winsomeforgood.com.
Arrowroot Farmacy & Cafe
Photograph by Jillian Guyette Arrowroot is like a playground for the health-conscious: an apothecary full of natural supplements and homeopathic remedies, shelves stocked with clean beauty products, and a cafe serving vegan, organic and gluten-free smoothies, salads, lattes and cookies. And with a newly opened upstairs space for cooking classes, herbalism workshops, facials, massages, and nutrition counseling, we can’t think of any reason to ever leave. 825 West Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010, arrowrootbrynmawr.com.
Gorilla Inc.
Hismael Salgado’s plumbing service will swoop in to save you if, say, you wake up the morning after Christmas to find a pipe geysering into your finished basement like South Philly’s Old Faithful. But the Kensington-based team can also install your new tankless hot-water heater, snake out the stuffed animal your kid lodged in the basement toilet, and cover any other plumbing issue, big or small. As for that pricey broken pipe, they offer financing, too. gorillainc.org.
Skirt
The 22-year-old destination women’s-wear boutique debuted a new look in early 2023 that echoes owner Maureen Doron’s home — a floor-to-ceiling revamp rooted in soft hues and sleek materials sourced from a bevy of local makers. Doron also called on Stephen Wilson Studio, based in North Carolina, to create custom wall art using Skirt bags from the past two decades. Shoppers will love the oversize dressing rooms for trying on new labels Loretta Caponi and Emporio Sirenuse. 931 West Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010, shop-skirt.com.
Proper Goods
Visiting Proper Goods feels like stepping into a lush jungle — if jungles happened to sprout up in cool boutiques in the middle of Fishtown. The moody outpost is packed with hundreds of houseplants (no flowers here), from philodendron and spider plants to succulents, air plants, and trailing pothos and ivies, along with all the pots, stands, soil and know-how you need to keep ’em alive. 2032 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19125, areyouproper.com.
Family Piano
These graphic black-and-white blankets deserve a place on your sofa, hanging in your living room — wherever. They’re the brainchild of Merchantville artist, designer and musician Joe Kusy, who wanted to share his art in a functional way. “Everyone can use them,” he says. “There’s no sizing like with apparel.” Each 100 percent jacquard cotton woven piece is inspired by abstract natural landscapes and makes a statement, whether as your summer picnic blanket or a new foyer rug. Familypiano.myshopify.com.
Carmen Miskel
Some of us spent the pandemic honing our talents; others spent it learning the best times to access the state liquor-store website to place booze orders. (Hey, it’s a skill, too!) Miskel falls into the former category. After the New York Times announced an art contest — theme: “Coming of Age in 2021” — the teen from Bryn Mawr submitted a striking cartoon panel about loneliness during COVID that was one of just 25 winners selected from more than 4,000 submissions.
Loyalty Leather
Talk about fancy footwork: This Black-and-LGBTQIA-owned South Philly business dresses up full-grain leather loafers and Chelsea boots with a few well-placed strokes of colorful paint, creating one-of-a-kind pieces of walking art. Cheryl Ellzysmith and wife Kyra started the brand with bags in 2018, then expanded to shoes when a Spanish cobbler reached out after seeing their pieces on Instagram. A potential new addition? Hand-painted heels, for next-level style. loyaltyleather.com.
Heavyslime
Philly is, perhaps, the most hardcore of any city over its sports teams, and it deserves an indie sports apparel scene that’s equally extreme. Enter artist Eric Kenney’s Heavyslime. His locally focused and often comical punk designs caught the attention of Jason Kelce, whose Underdog Apparel brand tapped the artist for a limited-edition sweatshirt bearing an Eagles helmet — and the Grim Reaper. Kenney’s other items include water bottles, prints, tees, and a calendar where every day of the week is Saturday. heavyslime.com.
Barbuzzo Upstairs
In March, the ambitious brains behind this 13th Street favorite debuted a new, absolutely beautiful private dining space on the second floor that holds up to 65 seated and 100 standing. This ain't your average banquet space: There's a vintage piano, an open kitchen (including a chef's counter), which chef Marcie Turney uses as her test kitchen when the room isn't booked, and they'll customize your menu to include dishes from any of their restaurants, so you can get carnitas from Lolita, charcuterie from Jamonera, meatballs from Little Nonna's, and, of course, the ever- popular salted caramel budino from downstairs. 110 South 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, barbuzzo.com.
Mama-Tee Fridge
Since the pandemic, Michelle Nelson has been working to combat the city’s food insecurity problem with this Black women-led initiative that’s already garnered national buzz. The concept is simple yet powerful: Neighbors can donate and/or help themselves to the fresh produce stored at any of the designated fridges across the city. The project has seen rising success, with more than 15 fridges spread across the city, from Nicetown to Kingsessing. Donors have filled the organization’s GoFundMe coffers with nearly $80,000, which goes to stocking the fridges. Mamateefridge.com.
Hathaway Hutton
Photograph by Claudia Gavin Leave it to founder Jen Risk — the Wayne designer who turned upcycled Goyard totes into wearable works of art when she launched her accessories label in 2017 — to dream up this summer’s most coveted frock. Her new line of made-to-order pool dresses transforms vintage towels from fabled maisons like Hermès into chic shifts cut from original patterns from the ’60s, designed with throwback details like vintage faux mother-of-pearl buttons and flirty front pockets. So much for inconspicuous sunbathing. 303 West Lancaster Avenue , Wayne, PA 19087, hathawayhutton.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.
CJ And D’s Trenton Tomato Pies
Take a walk down East Passyunk Avenue and you’ll likely miss CJ and D’s the first time. But if you squint through the garage doors of Cartesian Brewing at just the right angle, at just the right time, you’ll spot them: gleaming, crispy Trenton-style pies, popped right onto the bar. It’s only open three days a week, and they sell out fast. Our recommendation? Grab a few pints of Cartesian’s low-ABV brown mild — and when the opportunity arises, pounce. 1326 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19146, instagram.com/cjdtomatopies.
Brian M. Smaul Ltd
Here, you'll find neat rows of glittering baubles (including vivid, stackable colored-stone rings you'll want to pile on until your knuckle can't bend) from names like Kwiat, Hidalgo and Simon G. You'll also meet Brian himself, the kind proprietor, who travels to Europe yearly to stock his store with eye-catching designs you won't see all over your next cocktail party, and who will custom--create any piece you can dream up. Eagle Village, 503 West Lancaster Avenue, Wayne, PA 19087, brianmsmaul.com.