David J. Witchell
Remember the montage from Pretty Woman where Vivian goes from gaudy to glam in a Beverly Hills minute? Had she been in Newtown instead, she could have come here for a soothing scrub in the grotto-like spa, a conditioning treatment and blowout in the bustling salon (if David's booked and he always is request Jack), a whirl through the lovely makeup bar, and a twirl into the super-secret upstairs boutique, which she'd find stocked with essentials from Theory and James Perse, plus the show--stopping frock required for her night at the opera. 25 South State Street, Newtown, PA 18940, davidjwitchell.com.
Beans Beauty
The products here are so good, they can almost make you believe that, Yes, I could look like a picture in a magazine. We can't promise you will. But the unending selection of nifty products and tools will get you closer than you ever dreamed possible. 1733 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19127, beansbeauty.com.
John Doyle
Imagine a sweet old grandpa. Now imagine that sweet old grandpa pouring you a pint of Stoudt's while telling a dirty joke from behind a 150-year-old bar. Head over to McGillin's on a Friday night and you'll find just such a gent: the delightful John Doyle, who's been behind the stick at Philly's oldest bar for 35 years. If you'd like to buy him a congratulatory drink, he'll take an Irish Mist on the rocks. 1310 Drury Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, mcgillins.com.
McGlinchey's
I remember the first time I went to McGlinchey's, the notoriously divey (and smokey) dive bar on 15th Street. It was just after my 21st birthday (I'm 39 now, egad!), and I heard that the beers were some of the cheapest in the city, which is all I needed to know. Given that these were the days before Philadelphia was Beer Town U.S.A., I ordered a Rolling Rock. Within minutes, I managed to get screamed at by the prickly bartender and have a beer spilled on me. On a later visit, a blonde bartender pegged me in the eye with an ice cube, and a girl puked on my shoes. Little has changed. Unlike most dive bars in Philadelphia, which go through waves of cliques and trends (Bob & Barbara's is a good case in point), McGlinchey's is still the same old school McGlinchey's it was back in the good old days when every bar in the city allowed you to light up. And the cast of regulars that bellies up to the bar each night hell, each lunchtime, at this place is a study in colorful characters, so much so that Philadelphia photographer (and former McGlinchey's bartender) Sarah Stolfa won a New York Times photography contest for The Regulars, her series of pics of some of McGlinchey's most dedicated drinkers. You can have your gastropubs and trendy dive bars that have to actually try to be dive bars. Gritty, no-frills McGlinchey's is the real deal. Oh you can find all sorts of fancy beers here now, that's true... but don't worry; they still have the $3 Rolling Rock 20 oz. draft. And the jukebox is now one of those irritating play-anything models. But the bathrooms are still filthy and graffiti-covered, with barely enough room to stand up and pee (and God forbid you have to do more). You can still get a 75-cent hot dog from a crock-potted pool of questionable liquid. And if you so much as let a finger dangle into the waitress's service space at the bar, she will put a verbal beatdown on you. But that's okay. It's McGlinchey's. It's always been that way, and I, for one, hope it never changes. 259 South 15th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, mcglincheys.com.
Amuse at Le Meridien
A sexy, sophisticated hotel bar with spot-on service, sultry house music, provocative art, potent cocktails and, yes, delectable amuse-bouches. Room reservation upstairs, anyone? 1421 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, amusephiladelphia.com.
South Street Philly Bagel
Weve come to accept the fact that New York has better bagels. They just do. But this South Street institution is the closest weve found to New Yorks greatness nice and crispy on the outside, just the right amount of soft chew on the inside and the $7.75 lox special on a toasted everything with pickles on the side will sustain you for most of the day. 613 South 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, southstphillybagel.com.
Steven Rosenberg
If you haven't had success losing weight, kicking the cancer sticks or getting over your fear of flying, it may be time to try psychotherapist Rosenberg, who will hypnotize you on your first visit and send you home with a CD recording of your session that speaks to your subconscious, upping your willpower while you snooze. "I lost 65 pounds in six months," says one Bucks County devotee. "I went in with the mind-set I couldn't be hypnotized, but after three sessions, it really worked." 8080 Old York Road, Suite 206, Elkins Park, PA 19027, .
Izakaya
While many A.C. spots emphasize quantity over quality and table-turns over service, and others suffer from Absentee Owner Syndrome (i.e., Bobby Flay), this snazzy Asian small-plate offering at the Borgata enjoys the proximity of semi-star chef Michael Schulson, who recently brought Sampan to Philly. The robotayaki, sashimi, king crab tacos and sake cocktails are stars, and if you happen to be dining on a Monday night, take advantage of the $7 plates-and-drinks specials. 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, NJ 08401, theborgata.com/dine/fine-dining/izakaya.
Le Virtù
It's hard to believe that any single bite can pack as much pleasure as one crisply fried olive at Le Virt. Each fruity green specimen is crammed with a potent mixture of three types of slow-braised meat (beef, pork and chicken), then breaded and fried for the ideal amount of crunch. The tangy-meaty-briny babies are a specialty in Marche, the Italian region that chef Luciana Spurio calls home, and theres no better place to taste them stateside. 1927 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19148, levirtu.com.
The Empty Air: A Rittenhouse Square Sound Walk
Download this ingenious 99-cent app by local musician and sound designer Michael Kiley, and stroll around Rittenhouse Square while listening on your iPhone or iPod Touch. Your location (as determined by your phones handy GPS) triggers the original compositions and soundscapes that Kiley wrote for the different areas of the park. A whole new 21st-century way to appreciate our 100-year-old gem. 00000, themuralandthemint.com/the-empty-air-a-rittenhouse-square-sound-walk.
The Mushroom Festival of Kennett Square
Kennett Square will celebrates its status as mushroom capital of the world with this quirky, nationally lauded tradition. Included: a parade, a 5K run, a food-and-wine festival, and a street fair. Bonus: Festival tix are a recession-friendly $2 a person. There's also a mushroom soup cook-off, a baby photo contest, and all sorts of other fun(gi). (Sorry, we had to.) West State and Union Streets, Kennett Square, PA 19348, mushroomfestival.org.
Plays and Players' Quig's Pub
Known as the "actor's speakeasy," this chill private club inside Rittenhouse's Plays and Players Theatre is popular with the local thespian crowd, so there's always an interesting scene. Memberships are $35 for the year or $5 for a night. 1714 Delancey Place, Philadelphia, PA 19103, playsandplayers.org/about/the-theatre.
The Republican
Common sense will tell you to avoid this place: It's dark. It's grimy. There are two poles and a mirror, and they're used frequently and with varying degrees of skill. But come 2 a.m., this place fills up with an almost glorious assortment of humanity. It's South Philly, folks; embrace it until the wee hours. And if you get too skeeved/drunk/hungry, the Melrose is mere steps up the street. 1734 Snyder Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19145, .
3rd Ward
The adult night-school world in the Philly region has been turned on its head by the brand-new outpost of the Brooklyn-based education company, which the New York Times has deemed a DIY utopia. Whether you want to learn how to develop a documentary, fabricate metal structures, cast jewelry molds, build an urban garden, create comic strips or design Web pages that look like they're from 2015 instead of 2005, you can do it here, at the wide-open learning space. Say goodbye to basket-weaving forever. 1227 North 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122, philly.3rdward.com.
Lauren Buckley Acupuncture
You get all the benefits of regular sessions like headache relief, or treatment for infertility but in a space shared with other patients. Pop into Buckley's Queen Village office anytime during her regular hours (Wednesdays 3 to 8 p.m.; Fridays 5 to 8 p.m.; Sundays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) for $20-to-$40 treatments. 1532 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19147, southphillyacupuncture.com.