Fishbox
Porch pirates be damned! Fishbox is like a way more convenient version of a P.O. box, but for your packages. Pay $29 a month or $5 per package, and they’ll collect all your Amazon Prime deliveries and send texts as they arrive. Pick up within 30 days. 737 Bainbridge St, Philadelphia, PA 19147, getfishbox.com.
Little Sicily II
It’s a regular pizza place – slices, steaks, beer fridge, the whole deal. But look to the left of the register and you’ll find a small sign labeled “Spicy Food Menu.” That’s your ticket to the wonderful world of Indo- Philadelphian eats: fiery chicken cheesesteaks with onions and cilantro, grilled veggie hoagies spiked with hot pepper and ginger, masala fries. Heat-seekers, take note: When you order something “extra-spicy” here, you get exactly that. 1600 South Christopher Columbus Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19148, .
Hiro’s Gates of Hell at Hiro Ramen House
You’ll sweat a little while you’re eating it, and that’s fine. Your mouth will be aflame, too, but you’ll keep going like a masochist, slurping the chewy noodles – swimming in an aromatic Berkshire pork broth slick with chili oil – until you’ve finished every last bite. Bring a light beer (it’s BYO), and make sure it’s cold. You’ll need it. 1102 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, hiroramen.com.
Tattooed Mom
Long after every other happy hour has ended, this spot revs back up with half-off drafts from 10 to 11 every night, so you can wash down a platter of 50-cent pierogi with a $3 locally brewed gose. 530 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, tattooedmomphilly.com.
El Merkury
Other than its touchscreen ordering kiosks and friendly counter service, El Merkury doesn’t look or act like your typical fast-casual restaurant. No grain bowls, no assembly lines, no smoothies. But authentic Central American street food is both fast and casual, and if pupusas and churros aren’t part of your diet at least once a week, you’re lunching all wrong. 2104 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia , PA 19103, elmerkury.com.
The Bar(n)
Sometimes you want a trendy bells-and-whistles bar (see below for that), and sometimes you want a low-key neighborhood joint with $2 draft beers, plenty of fried food, a busy pool table, and a crowd of friendly regulars who would never dream of spending their Friday night in a boozy ball pit. 4901 Catharine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19143, facebook.com/TheBarn4901.
Han Dynasty
Yes, you read that right. Han Dynasty has some of the best cocktails in Philly right now thanks to Lê of Hop Sing Laundromat, who swooped in and upgraded the bar menu with a handful of new, truly inventive elixirs. You’ll have almost as much fun sipping on the green matcha and vanilla Phat Phuc as you will ordering it. 123 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, handynasty.net.
Dalessandro’s Steaks
Nominated by Megan Dugery and Gianna Leflar of Instagram’s SwagFoodPhilly 600 Wendover Street, Philadelphia, PA 19128, dalessandros.com.
Mike’s BBQ
A daytime-only BBQ spot is a tough sell in this town, mostly because this town doesn’t really take BBQ seriously. But Mike’s is dead serious about its brisket (bright pink under its heavy crust), chicken (perfectly smoky) and spare ribs (as sweet as candy). 1703 South 11th Street, Philadelphia , PA 19148, mikesbbqphilly.com.
Broad Street Run
Nominated by Cecily Tynan, meteorologist at 6 ABC broadstreetrun.com.
X-Force
Kudos to anyone who can work out and shower in a single lunch break. For the rest of us, there’s X-Force. The Swedish-designed system of negative-force training uses machines that flip the weight stacks to add extra resistance to the second half of a rep. You’ll work out harder in less time – 30 minutes, to be exact. The Graham Building, 30 S 15th St, Philadelphia, PA 19102, xforcephiladelphia.com.
Torque
Three workouts under one roof – spin, barre and TRX – means you’ll never want to leave; $2 for child care in an on-site playroom stocked with toys means you’ll never have an excuse not to go. 328 North Lewis Road, Royersford, PA 19468, thetorquemovement.com.
BalletX
No dance troupe has done more to put Philly on the world stage than this contemporary ballet company, which has earned unprecedented–and well-deserved–national press and recognition. The next season kicks off in November with three world premieres, including one from Sonya Tayeh, who has worked as a choreographer for Kylie Minogue, Miley Cyrus, and Florence and the Machine. 265 S Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19107, balletx.org.
CorePower Yoga
With an outrageously accommodating class schedule, gorgeous locker rooms you'll actually want to shower in, and a boutique stocked with everything from Lululemon yoga mats to lust-worthy leggings, a yogi could happily camp out forever in this nationwide studio's first Philly outpost. Well, except to join in on the studio's weekly run club, of course. 1616 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, corepoweryoga.com.
Pad Porter
File this one under Services You Never Knew You Desperately Needed. Via start-up Pad Porter, Wharton grad Nonya Collier and her crew handle pretty much every moving task you could ever hope to outsource: booking the movers; packing and unpacking; stocking your new fridge; cleaning the old place; even waiting for the Comcast guy. Services are arranged �_ la carte, with prices starting at a (totally worth it) $25 an hour. padporter.co.