The Philadelphia Social City Guide

Chuck Bonfig’s just the type of guy who could lead a perfect, well-rounded tour of Philly. He’s a dad, a travel lover, a history buff, a self-described baseball dork, and a photographer. Through the lens of his feed, you’ll see many sides of this layered city.

Followers: 38.1k

Robert Perry opened his funky, bohemian bar on South Street 19 years ago, with a love for the area at the core. His wish: that it evolves into an arts district with multi-use spaces. (Think gallery-bar-community-class hybrids.) Get a sense of his vision by following along.

Followers: 14.1k

Proof that the city’s artistic south side is waking up: feeds like Austin’s. His Twitter tells you he’s been “a loser since 1987,” and that humble approach is evidenced on his feed, too—beautiful, mostly people-free photos of forgotten spots, taken by a photographer who views himself more a spectator than a participant. The wildly popular account @streetsdept reposted Austin’s photos of the final days of Mount Sinai Hospital —a legit endorsement.

Followers: 4,522

Slightly Jewish, definitely American: brunch for all at this BYO indie hub, which just opened its second location. The partners, Ellen Mogell and Jeb Woody, post the specials of their own two joints, plus those of neighbors they love.

Followers: 1,797

There are locals, and then there are locals whose job it is to know the news. David’s a photographer for the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News, so he’s almost a magnet for interesting and uniquely Philly moments. That his Instagrams are all shot on phones is a testament not to modern technology but to his sharp eye.

Followers: 47.3k

There’s no shortage of cool menswear stores in America, but few have as much visual intrigue as Ubiq, opened by John Lee almost a decade ago. The store’s wares: decidedly street (Stussy, Ubiq’s own eponymous line, Nike collabs with Pharrell), but grounded in the classics (Puma, Vans, Adidas). The shop: clubhouse-leaning, thanks to a traditional polished setup c/o designer Rafael de Cardenas, who told Refinery29 he wanted to make the store as “optically contrasting as possible.”

Followers: 73.6k

Krissy Sheehan’s at the heartbeat of Philly start-up culture—she’s the community manager for the co-working space Industrious. If she wants a side hustle, she could very well rent one of the desks to launch a photography career. Follow her to find rooftop firepits, pedestrian bridges to bike and lowkey watering holes.

Followers: 31k

The world needs more people like Femi Matti. He captures portraits of Philadelphians with incredible warmth and mystery and–in the same day–pens a moving essay on black fatherhood for Huffington Post.

Followers: 5,212

Thom Collins currently serves as director and president of the fantastic, packed-to-the-gills private art museum the Barnes Foundation. It’s a cannot-miss collection that’s in its fourth year in a glistening downtown building—a massive relocation that saw attendance grow from 60k annually to more than 300k a year.

Followers: 16.5k

Philly loves a hybrid—it seems to be one itself, butting old and new up against each other—and this hip gen store is at the vanguard of the multispace movement. Come for the classic gear and American brands, stay for the signature liquor called Root. If you’re going to a local party, bring this in a flask.

Followers: 19k

Mollie Ronson is a foodie who does the hybrid thing in her own way, mixing her original pictures with submissions from culinary enthusiasts. The result: a primer in what’s happening in the Philly food scene right now.

Followers: 43.6k