Hey there, <\/p>\n
This weekend is for book lovers \u2014 and anyone who\u2019s ever impulse-bought a stack they swear they\u2019ll read \u201csoon.\u201d The Philly Bookstore Crawl is back with a choose-your-own-litventure across indie shops citywide. Plus: Stephen Starr\u2019s splashiest restaurant yet opens in Rittenhouse, and one of Center City\u2019s smokiest bars might be on its last call.<\/p>\n
This week\u2019s lineup:<\/p>\n
\u2014 Sam Ruland (Email me at thingstodo@inquirer.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Philly Bookstore Crawl is back this Saturday, and we\u2019ve got your guide to making the most of it. With new bookstores, author signings, and a crawl map that stretches from South Philly to Ardmore, it\u2019s a choose-your-own-adventure for book lovers. To help you prep, we rounded up the best books of 2025 so far<\/a> \u2014 from indie shop favorites to book club standouts.<\/p>\n The best things to do this week<\/p>\n \ud83c\udf5d Starr power: Stephen Starr\u2019s most ambitious Philly restaurant in nearly 20 years opens this weekend. Borromini, a $20 million Italian trattoria in the old Rittenhouse Barnes & Noble, debuts this weekend with a 100-layer lasagna, hand-painted fresco, and major hype.<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83c\udf3f Need plans? Copy this perfect Philly day: Palestinian baker Saif Manna starts with espresso and dates at Anna & Bel, wanders through Headhouse market, hits the Barnes, then ends the night with tea and friends.<\/a><\/p>\n \u2694\ufe0f Step back to 1590 at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. Jousting, turkey legs, costume contests, and Queen Elizabeth\u2019s court await in Lancaster County every weekend through fall.<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83c\udf00 McGlinchey\u2019s isn\u2019t closing this week \u2014 but it\u2019s still the end of an era. The smoky Center City dive isn\u2019t shutting its doors just yet, but the longtime owner is actively looking to sell. Whether it reopens in September or not, its days are numbered.<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83c\udf7a Get your fill of local brews at the Upper Bucks Brew Fest, featuring unlimited samples, live music, food, games, and giveaways. Your ticket comes with a tasting glass and card.<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83c\udf0a Festival of Fountains is back at Longwood Gardens. See the iconic garden\u2019s summer spectacle of soaring fountains by day and dazzling light-and-music shows by night.<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udcc5 My calendar picks this week<\/a>: Bookstore crawling my way through Philly\u2019s indie shelves, trying (and maybe failing) to snag a future reservation at Borromini, and sipping my way through the Upper Bucks Brew Fest.<\/p>\n The thing of the week<\/p>\n Aubrey Plaza showed up courtside at a WNBA game in a \u201cPhilly is a Women\u2019s Sports Town\u201d tee \u2014 and hours later, it was nearly sold out. The shirt, made by Watch Party PHL, was passed to Plaza by her sister after founder Jen Leary literally took it off her back. A viral win for women\u2019s sports, local pride, and a very Philly moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n Summer fun this week and beyond<\/p>\n \u26bd World Cup tickets, finally. The first public sale for 2026 FIFA World Cup tickets opens Sept. 10 \u2014 but only for Visa cardholders. Philly is hosting six matches, so mark your calendar and get your FIFA ID ready.<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83c\udf40 A riverside hangout with a \u201ctop-tier Guinness pour.\u201d The team behind Libertee Grounds is opening a new neighborhood bar \u2014 Lucky Duck \u2014 on the Delaware next year. Expect river views, slice shop pizza, and a cozy corner-bar vibe all year long<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83d\ude8d SEPTA cuts kick in Sunday \u2014 here\u2019s how to get around without it. With buses, trolleys, and trains on reduced schedules (and a fare hike looming), this guide breaks down your best bets: from bike shares and shuttles to PATCO, NJ Transit, and park-and-rides.<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83e\udd4a Philly\u2019s still got two Rocky statues \u2014 and now a third one might be coming. The one atop the Art Museum steps? It was only supposed to be here temporarily. It\u2019s still there. Stephanie Farr dives into the ongoing saga, Stallone\u2019s ties to Trump, and whether Philly really needs another monument to a fictional boxer.<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udc8d\ud83d\udc36 Your dog can be part of your big day \u2014 without the stress. South Philly besties Oriana Principe and Angela Agnes created Waggy Weddings, a business that drives, dresses, and cares for your pup of honor at your wedding. Packages include everything from \u201cfurry first looks\u201d to cocktail hour appearances \u2014 and yes, they\u2019ll bring the paw wipes.<\/a><\/p>\n Our critic\u2019s picks<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfb8 Thursday\u2014Saturday: Philly jamtronica legends the Disco Biscuits take over Ardmore Music Hall with a six-show anniversary run.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfa4 Thursday: Tye Tribbett headlines gospel night at the Dell, and Catbite plays a free West Philly show.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfa7 Saturday: Country-R&B star Jessie Murph hits the Met. Making Waves, a 24-hour dance party from Making Time, takes over the beach in Atlantic City.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfb6 Sunday: Lady B.\u2019s Basement Party at the Dell with Big Daddy Kane and EPMD. Also: Freedy Johnston at 118 North.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfa4 Beyond: Mavis Staples plays Ocean City Music Pier on Monday. Ben Arnold and Reef the Lost Cauze perform free at World Cafe Live Wednesday. LSD and the Search for God hits the Ukie Club Friday.<\/p>\n Read more music picks<\/a>.<\/p>\n The take<\/p>\n Philly\u2019s dating scene is a jungle of ghosting, lying, and commitment-phobia \u2014 at least according to the locals now applying for Netflix\u2019s Love Is Blind<\/a>. Our reporter Hira Qureshi talked to Mount Airy, Delco, and Fishtown applicants who are sick of being judged on looks (or left on read) and ready to test if love really can be blind \u2014 or at least less bleak. Expect $1 taco dates, chaotic ex drama, and the potential for a cast stacked with Eagles superfans and South Philly boldness<\/a>.<\/p>\n