Heads Up for Philadelphians!

Here are some of the things I plan to enjoy in this beautiful city over the next few weeks:

• May 30-31, at Penn’s Landing, the Art Star Craft Bazaar! 11-6 both days, with live music, and also gift bags to first 250 attendees. Come check out some of our fave local crafters and artists!

• You’ve seen the posters (seriously folks, they’re EVERYWHERE! Even PATCO!), now see Philadelphia Theatre Company’s Philadelphia premiere of the award-winning musical, Grey Gardens, at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre on Broad Street. Opens May 27 and runs through June 28. After that: Second City, straight from Chicago!

• Odunde! This year it’s June 12-14, assuming the organization can raise enough money to offset cutbacks in city services like sanitation, fire and police services, and other expenses that have threatened both the Mummer’s Parade and the TDBank Bike Race already. Check out the food, music, and vendors in this annual summer kick-off.

And some of my favorite haunts for a variety of things, and a variety of reasons:

• The basement of Anthropologie. I know, it’s one of your favorites too!

• Fitler Square. Smaller and quieter version of Rittenhouse, with cool turtle statues to rival the Goat for kid appreciation.

• House of Tea, on 4th just south of South (between Bainbridge and Fitzwater). Best leaves in Philly!

• Betty’s Speakeasy Fudge Shop, 23rd at Gray’s Ferry and South Streets. My favorite’s Lava (with a chipotle kick); what’s yours?

• Spool fabric shop and their sister yarn shop, Loop, on South Street. Bright, airy, and full of beautiful colors, textures, and patterns. A treat for the eyes!

• The community garden at Schuylkill River Banks Park, at Spruce Street. The iron gate alone is worth seeing, and this time of year is glorious with irises, roses, and other floral explosions.

• La Citadelle, my favorite coffee shop on the corner of 16th and Pine, where Said knows my name and speaks to me in French, some of which I understand. Runners-up: Chapter House on 9th and Bainbridge, LaVa Café on 21st and South, and Good Karma Cafe on 22nd and Pine.

• The rooftop garden at the Kimmel Center. Yes, it’s ungodly hot up there. But still, it’s pretty neat, and my son likes to run around the trees and tell me how high up we are as he stands close enough to the windows to give me vertigo. A bonus: lovely public restrooms!

• Smith Memorial Playground and Playhouse, in Fairmount Park. Imagine a mansion devoted entirely to children, with floors devoted to certain age groups, and a giant wooden slide out back. So great!

• Pure Design, on the corner of 22nd and Lombard, has a small but very nice selection of indoor plants, none of which (so they claim) are poisonous to house pets. I’d double check to be sure. But I’ve got my eye on the Lipstick plant, the Prayer plant, and the Crown of Thorns. Pretty!

• The Rosenbach Museum and Library is modestly tucked in a rowhome on the 2000 block of Delancey. You've missed the Maurice Sendak exhibit (which was amazing!), but come for a glance at selections from the manuscript of Joyce's Ulysses, Marianne Moore's papers, and original notes for Bram Stoker's Dracula. Don't forget Bloomsday on June 16th! This will be the Rosenbach's 17th annual celebration, so check it out!

See you around town, Philly friends!