BE NUE
Forget the DIY Manic Panic dye jobs of your youth. Jennifer Bisicchia Farrell and Kait Gannon, who opened this petite luxury salon in 2021, are turning out rainbow locks in contrasting tones of the same color — making bold shades like flamingo pink, shimmering amethyst and steely blue-gray look totally grown-up. A vibrant crown of emerald green strands just may leave onlookers with a hint of envy. 401 South 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, msha.ke/benuestudio.
Nuele
Imagine a world where curly-haired beauties only need two or three products for a successful wash day. Enter Nuele, a scientist-founded, 100 percent natural hair-care company with an award-winning line of serums that imbue your locks with ultra-clean ingredients. No parabens, no sulfates, no bathroom counter overflowing with useless goops. nuelehair.com.
Nude Wax + Body Studio
We keep coming back to Ashley Saracen’s new studio for the flawless, nearly painless hair removal, but it’s the aftercare, like the post-Brazilian calming vajacials (yes, it means what you think it does) and high-frequency treatments that really keep our private bits soft, smooth, and wondrously ingrown-free. 179 West Berks Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122, nudewaxphilly.glossgenius.com.
Rue Landau and Nina Ahmad
Cherelle Parker wasn’t the only ground-breaking “first” to emerge from our primaries. Landau and Ahmad made some hard-to-believe history with their victories in the City Council at-large race. Landau will become, shockingly, the first openly LGBTQ candidate to win a City Council seat. And Ahmad will become the first South Asian and immigrant elected. Both communities have fought for decades to be represented within City Hall — we’re excited to see how they’ll impact change now that they’re finally there.
South Philly Smökhaus
You can smell Smökhaus owner Eric Daelhousen’s ’cue cred before you’ve even walked through the doors of BOK. Get the chicken salad. Trust us. 821 Dudley Street, Philadelphia, PA 19148, southphillysmokhaus.com.
Gnocchi Sardi at Res Ipsa Cafe
There is literally no difference between Michael Vincent Ferreri’s gnocchi sardi (longish nubs of pasta in a chunky sauce of eggplant, tomato and chili) and the gnocchi sardi you’ll eat in southern Italy. 2218 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, resipsaphilly.com.
Oyster House
From Wellfleets on the half shell to a classic fisherman's stew to inventive specials like mint-flecked calamari with pine nuts and Israeli couscous, the Mink family has restored this Philly icon to impeccably consistent excellence. 1516 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, oysterhousephilly.com.
Pho Saigon
With immaculate herbs, terrific shrimp with sugar cane, and a dynamite bun bo hue that proves pho isn't the only noodle soup in the Vietnamese arsenal, it's no wonder this newcomer keeps drawing converts to a Columbus Avenue strip mall. 1100 South Columbus Boulevard, #22, Philadelphia, PA 19147, .
The Bike Stop
One of the last gay bars in Philly yet to be infiltrated by the straights, with gay porn images on the TVs, nearly nude bartenders in leather chaps, weekly underwear nights (exactly what they sound like), and open make-out sessions, well, everywhere. 204 South Quince Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, thebikestop.com.
Rodin Museum
Auguste Rodin spent 37 years shaping his The Gates of Hell. You can take in that 20-foot masterpiece along with The Thinker, the nude study of Balzac, and Rodin's other greatest hits in 37 minutes at this pint-size Philly treasure. 2154 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19130, rodinmuseum.org.
Ranstead Room
Walk up the dark street, go through the unmarked door, enter this den of grown-up amusements, admire the nudes on the wall, and knock back artful cocktails while reveling in the kid-free atmosphere. (We mean Penn kids, too.) 2013 Ranstead Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, .
Erin Lipinski of Wild Honey Salon
The prettiest hues to match your skin tone, the ideal lived-in root, the expertly placed high- and lowlights — Lipinski will brighten you up with color that grows out gracefully. And her always sunny vibes never fail to make the end results dazzling. 261 North 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, salonwildhoney.com.
Cookies by Diane
A mound of smooth peanut butter mousse sandwiched between two peanut butter wafers, then coated in dark chocolate and sprinkled with nuts, won our cookie-loving hearts this year. As one of our tasters put it: "Diane, you had us at peanut butter." 204 Ballymore Road, Springfield, PA 19064, cookiesbydiane.com.
Haven Wellness Center
This wellness center is exactly what its name implies. Offering myofascial release and Swedish massage, Haven’s specialists, whose backgrounds range from traditional PT and functional movement to digestive health, listen to your body’s natural cues, leaving your muscles relaxed, relieved and restored. 1639 North Hancock Street unit 102, Philadelphia, PA 19122, havenwellnessphilly.com.
Hai Thai/TechCycle
Comcast software engineer Hai Thai spends his spare time fixing up old laptops and donating them to those in need (including nuns!) through a program called TechCycle. The Upper Darby High and Temple grad welcomes donations, tech help, and suggestions for deserving recipients.