Black Girl Joy Bike Ride
Photograph by Linette Messina When West Philly’s Iresha Picot realized some of her friends didn’t know how to ride a bike, she took matters into her own hands, launching this free biweekly recreational cycling group in 2023. Her aim was simple: to get more Black women and girls on bicycles. And it’s worked. A year later, Picot’s “gentle” communal rides have fostered a strong sisterhood of riders of all ages and, yes, spread a lot of joy. You can BYO bike to the meetups or rent an Indego free of charge. Head to Picot’s Instagram for ride schedules.
MVMNT Center
This small-but-mighty space is less than a year old but has quickly established itself as a go-to, with everything you need for optimal wellness: a roster of Pilates, strength training and mobility workouts plus cold-plunge tubs, infrared saunas and vitamin C showers. There are also rotating events on topics like breathwork, nutrition and skin health. Good (ahem, great) news: A second location is coming soon. 609 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19147
La Chelé Ellis Preserve
Okay, so La Chelé isn’t exactly new. The cult-favorite med spa got its start in New Hope more than 15 years ago, then opened locations in Newtown and Upper Dublin. But its latest outpost in Newtown Square, which debuted in April, just might be its best yet because this one comes equipped with a private infrared sauna and red-light therapy, plus an aromatherapy shower for you to enjoy post-sweat-sesh. 101 Squire Drive, suite B, Newtown Square, PA 19073
Hygge Facial Spa
At this Rittenhouse spa, inspired by the Danish word loosely translating to “coziness,” owner and aesthetician Tia Pinizzotto and aesthetician Bri Crosson deliver curated, uber-relaxing facials using high-quality brands like Naturopathica and Circadia, plus additions like dermaplaning, gua sha and micro-channeling at no extra cost — so you can simply float off the warm, cushy bed with your dewy glow. 1601 Walnut Street, suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Red Letter Day
Photograph by Casey Robinson Julie Featherman opened Philly’s first organic salon, Juju, nearly 20 years ago, but could never find the perfect product. So the entrepreneur and amateur botanist created them herself. Her plant-based hair washes, stylers and treatments — plus a bug spray and dog shampoo — are packed with ingredients like hydrating Kalahari melon seeds and antimicrobial reishi mushrooms, and leave out all the junk.
Studio LIT
You’ll feel it as soon as you walk in — wafts of therapeutic infrared heat from this studio’s packed roster of hot yoga classes. But Studio LIT cranks up the heat on other workouts, too. Think hot Pilates, strength training, meditation, and high-octane trampoline and cardio dance classes. For those new to yoga, all classes are dimly lit and open level, which means you’ll be sweating alongside beginner and advanced yogis. 22 Richboro Road, Newtown, PA 18940
Practice Yoga Co-Op
This Queen Village cooperative brings yoga back to the basics with a simple, no-frills studio; free mats and props to use; and a lineup of donation-based drop-in classes. (A $5 minimum is suggested.) But if the biz model is basic, the classes are anything but: Expect 60-minute Ashtanga and vinyasa practices with super-skilled, friendly teachers plus blissed-out sound-healing sessions. (Certain lyengar classes run 90 minutes and cost $20 for drop-ins.) Can’t make it in person? Take a $20 Zoom class held on Tuesday mornings. 804 South 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147
Modrn Wellness
Photograph courtesy of Modrn Wellness With its bold, moody aesthetic, this spa feels like a secret sanctuary for the très chic. Modrn’s biggest flex is alternative services like a meditative chakra-balancing crystal bed, a lymphatic drainage facial paired with a BallancerPro body massage, shadow-work therapies designed to uncover repressed emotions, and stress-alleviating hypnosis. (Take a look at other mystical winners throughout Best of Philly’s 50 years here.) 1420 Walnut Street, suite 1212, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Aqua Experience at Joseph Anthony Retreat Spa and Salon
Scrub devotees, you won’t want to miss this. You’ll lie on a heated hammam table and get a full-body cleanse and polish in the spa’s own Turkish bath — a room tricked out with overhead Vichy showers, a color-changing crystal ceiling for LED light therapy, and seriously relaxing herbal steams. Save time for a hang in the salt lounge afterward. Philadelphia and Springfield, PA
The Cat Nap Mini Facial at Herban Skin Therapy
Don’t let the duration fool you: This 40-minute facial involves serious skin care. With 20 years of experience under her belt, Kristen Bauers Alvarez steams, cleanses, exfoliates and hydrates your skin — and massages your upper body, to boot — with the utmost care and organic products, some of which she’s crafted herself. It makes coming back to reality that much easier. 143 West Walnut Lane, suite 204, Philadelphia, PA 19144
Heavy Metal Hair Salon
Photograph by Jeff Fusco This cool-as-hell salon from stylist and owner Brittany Goldberg features a lot of neon — plus a Marshall amp mini-fridge stocked with beer, and copious leather and studs, obviously. (You’ll likely hear Mötley Crüe, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden while there.) The salon specializes in vivid and creative coloring — including leopard-print–dyed hair for wrestler Joey Janela — and is a hot spot for trendy mullets and shags. 1604 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19148
Boro Piercing
The recent opening of this adorable, family-friendly boutique piercing studio in Yardley means that those of us looking to finesse our earscapes no longer need to go to tattoo parlors or take our chances with piercing guns at crappy mall stores. They’ll pierce septums and belly buttons, but ears are the primary focus here, as evidenced by the shop’s impressive assortment of pretty piercing jewelry. Not sure what you want? Owner Nicole Hiner will help you plot out a perfect piercing plan. (Tip: Gather a group of friends, and the shop will host a private piercing party just for you.) 16 South Main Street, unit A, Yardley, PA 19067
Aliesh Pierce
Amp up your self-care routine with a customized facial at Pierce’s namesake Chestnut Hill spa. The aesthetics educator, author, and former makeup artist to the stars now specializes in transformative skincare, combining clinical-grade ingredients and high-tech tools to give you blemish-free skin. Start with “The Assessment,” a 20-minute consultation paired with a gentle 90-minute facial — expect a skin analysis, a double cleanse, an exfoliation, LED light therapy and a mask. Afterward, stock up on products from Pierce’s private-label skincare brand to help maintain your glow. 92 Bethlehem Pike, studio 1-A, Philadelphia, PA 19118
Tara Giorgio
From her ethereal, plant-laden NoLibs studio, Giorgio is taking the brow game to untold artistic levels. That’s because her vision is guided by the idea that styling and structural symmetry are “deceptively simple” ways to change your entire face. And have no fear, newbies! Visit Giorgio with untouched brows — she recommends up to eight weeks of natural growth — for perfectly executed mapping, trimming, shaping and tinting. You can also find her at the Brow Bar in West Chester.
Victoria Roggio Beauty
At this serene Old City spa, expert Vicky Gray meticulously and strategically applies modest mink extensions to only 70 to 80 percent of your lashes, so you wake up looking made-up but not like Betty Boop. 219 Cuthbert Street, 6th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106
The Sporting Club at the Bellevue
Photograph by Jeff Fusco After 31 years, the Sporting Club shuttered due to the pandemic. But there was a silver lining: The Center City icon finally had time to transform, reopening this past November as a totally swagged-out health-and-fitness mecca. Its modern makeover boasts 100,000 square feet of workout, lounge and event space and is guaranteed to keep you busy, with pickleball, basketball and squash courts; a luxe pool; eight exercise studios with sleek equipment; golf simulators; a cafe and juice bar; and much, much more. 224 South Broad Street, 8th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Tameka Crawford
When the pandemic forced this hair stylist and extension specialist to pivot, she turned her unused extension inventory into custom wigs that customers picked up porch-side. (She also launched a hair product line; her PurplePearl edge-control balm is a cult fave.) While Crawford is back to in-person styling at her new salon, Six Violette, her wig clientele (which includes people undergoing cancer treatment and living with alopecia) remains fiercely loyal. Crawford hand-sews each wig based on a litany of measurements to make sure it lies comfortably and looks natural before coloring, cutting and styling. Visit her Instagram (@handsonbymek) for inspo and to inquire about appointments. 1503 Walnut Street, suite 21-B, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Wren McLean
This West Philly bodywork pro doesn’t mess around when it comes to sore, tight muscles. Sure, McLean will ask about specific problem areas and integrate a mix of techniques — from deep tissue to cupping to myofascial release — for a customized tune-up, but her hands are super intuitive, migrating to those sneaky knots you didn’t even know you needed worked out.
Honey Hollow Farm
Go with your friends, go with your mom, or simply go solo — however you arrive at this bucolic Bucks County sanctuary and National Historic Landmark, you’ll have a transformative experience thanks to host Layla Broumand, whose programs range from workshops to customizable weekend stays. Activities take place in and around the restored stone cottage and could include a cacao ceremony, cooking classes (Broumand’s soups are stellar) or garden yoga. You’ll leave with a new zest for life, and your next visit on the calendar. 2799 Creamery Road, New Hope, PA 18938
The Underground Spa & Wellness at the Logan Hotel
When you and your BFFs are in desperate need of deep pampering, head to this subterranean space for an escape. Find group packages complete with a VIP-esque private room where you can unwind and let loose over complimentary bubbly and bourbon. Take a dip in the fitness center’s heated saltwater pool after your deep-tissue massages or glow-cultivating facials. Worries? The hustle and bustle of the city above? All a distant memory. 1 Logan Square, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Remedy Spa & Wellness
Philly native Cari Young booked vacations anytime she needed self-care (relatable), then created a wellness oasis in her neighborhood so locals wouldn’t have to travel far for R&R. Her Brewerytown spa feels like a slice of Bali — think lush greenery and lots of bamboo, stone and rattan — and boasts a menu of massages, facials, peels, wraps and waxes, plus stretching and sauna sessions for days you need extra TLC. 1208 North 29th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19121
Boutique Nail Cafe
If you’ve given up on having long, chip-free nails, walk yourself into Boutique Nail’s spacious South Street spot and spring for a dip-powder manicure. They flawlessly execute whatever latest Instagram trend you bring them — from nail art to chrome powder — and that playful-yet-chic mani will last for weeks. 600 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147
Mi Cumbia
No waxing session is ever totally pain-free, but the wax-wielding magicians at this cozy Colombian-inspired salon get as close to it as possible. They specialize in Brazilians and brows here, getting even the most sensitive skin meticulously smooth with a super-gentle soybean wax. First-timers should book the Virgin — a 45-minute treatment during which owner Karina Restrepo Mitchell spends ample time explaining the process. 328 South 17th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
WellFed
Sisters Adrianna Hecht and Laurenza Giosa saw a problem with most ready-made meal companies: They were too niche. “It was more performance-based — food for gym-goers or people working toward a certain weight goal,” Hecht says. So they called upon their culinary and hospitality backgrounds to launch this weekly meal-prep service, which offers locally produced, gluten- and dairy-free meals and desserts. Order online for home delivery.
Pennsport Barbershop
At most barbershops, you can tell as soon as you walk in what kind of clientele they’re going to serve. Silver-haired Italian men, little kids who desperately don’t want even the slightest trim, guys who are about to spend $150 on whatever new style they scrolled past on Instagram. Not so at Pennsport Barbershop. Here you’ll find Mummers waiting patiently next to metalheads, fathers and sons in matching Phils gear, and restaurant industry folks getting in a cut before the dinner shift. It’s a neighborhood place — though they’ll take you no matter where you’re from. 146 McKean Street, Philadelphia, PA 19148
The TMJ Massage at Moon Rehab and Wellness
Take note: The TMJ massage at this Rittenhouse physical therapy spot is intense. Having your jaw muscles massaged from inside your mouth is a little bit weird, but absolutely worth it. Massage therapist Paulina Moon expertly soothes facial pain and kneads out the tension-filled knots in your neck and shoulders. Feeling your jaw unclench for the first time in years is reason enough to book a second appointment. 1601 Walnut Street, suite 522, Philadelphia, PA 19102