ONLY IN PHILLY: HOLIDAY GIFTS SURE TO STAND OUT
Area Businesses Offer Merchandise Available Exclusively In Philly

PHILADELPHIA, August 30, 2004 – Edgy. Perfect. Awesome. If these aren’t words normally used by the recipients of your holiday gifts, then it’s time to go shopping…in Philadelphia. Want to buy the East Coast’s best espresso beans for the coffee lover in your life? Head to a little cafe near Rittenhouse Square. How about a custom tee-shirt studded with Swarovski crystal for the woman who has it all? Check out a hot new boutique on the Main Line. Looking for the jerseys that celebs stand in line for, the candles J-Lo can’t live without or a little something for the mom-to-be in your life? Find it all in Philly, and prepare to impress those on your holiday shopping list this season. Here’s how:

• New Release Football Jerseys for Label-Conscious Sports Fans: Discovered a few years ago by hip-hop elite, vintage authentic sports jersey company Mitchell and Ness now includes P. Diddy, Alicia Keyes and Shaquille O’Neal among its clientele. What are A-listers willing to wait for? The real deal: throwback major league football, baseball, ice hockey and basketball jerseys emblazoned with the names of the most famous pro athletes who wore them. Two that are sure to be hot sellers are Randall Cunningham’s white Eagles jersey from 1992 with a commemorative Jerome Brown patch, and Lawrence Taylor’s blue Giants jersey from the famous Super Bowl of 1990. ($225-$475) Also available online. 1318 Chestnut Street, (267) 765-0663, www.mitchellandness.com
   

• Mean Beans for Coffee Lovers: What started less than a decade ago as an experiment in inner-city coffee roasting has become a national phenomenon among four-star restaurants. La Colombe Torrefaction’s five, note-perfect coffee blends have created clients out of chefs Daniel Boulud, Eric Ripert and Georges Perrier. Available at its two shops, as well as cafés throughout the area, these truly premium roasts make a great stocking stuffer. ($11.25-$11.85) Also sold online. 130 S. 19^th Street, (215) 563-0860; 4360 Main Street, Manayunk, (215) 483-4580, www.lacolombe.com
   

• Sweet Souvenir Care Packages for Philly Expats: Ask Philadelphia area natives who’ve moved away to describe school lunch, and chances are, they’ll tell you about Kandy Kakes. Or Chocolate Juniors. Or Butterscotch Krimpets. Or any one of their other favorites in the Tastykake line. The baked goods are now available in retro holiday tins and flavors such as cream-filled Santa Snacks cupcakes and Peppermint Kandy Kakes. ($20-$40) Available online. (800) 33-TASTY, www.tastykake.com
   

• Luxe Aromatherapy Candles for the Stressed and Stylish: Aromatherapy candles are a pleasant basic of modern life. Philadelphia designer Matthew Izzo blends the waxes and fragrances like no other for his Matthew Izzo Fragrance collection. (Even Jennifer Lopez has noticed. She’s a fan and frequent buyer of Izzo’s candle creations.) This holiday season, look for new additions to his line of 21 classic scents, including “East Hampton,” “Pomegranate” and “Happy Holiday.” They’re all available in travel to spa sizes. ($8-$85) In store only. 928 Pine Street, (215) 922-2570; 117 S. 13^th Street, (215) 629-1240, www.matthewizzo.com
   

• Girlish Custom Clothes for Babies to Grown-ups: Molly Sims, Jessica Simpson and Tori Spelling are already devoted fans of designer and boutique co-owner Alexis Lazarus. Yellow Cake is both the name of Lazarus’s new Main Line boutique, and that of her line of custom-appliquéd and crystal-adorned tee-shirts, yoga pants, hoodies, tote bags, hats and onesies, designed by customers and created to order. ($25-$200) 823 W. Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, (610) 520-0685, www.yellowcake.info
    

• Live Rock Release for Music Aficionados: The annual release of “Live at the World Café,” a best-of-live-music collection compiled by syndicated radio show host David Dye, is a must-buy for holiday gift shoppers. This year’s album—number 16—includes performances by Aimee Mann, the Wallflowers, Kim Richey and Derek Trucks. ($17.98) Also available online. Main Street Music, 4444 Main Street, Manayunk, (215) 487-7732 or www.worldcafe.org 
   

• Sassy Tees for Moms-To-Be: Spare your favorite future mom from enduring endless questions such as “When are you due?” or “What are you having?” by giving her a soft and sassy tee-shirt with the words “due in october,” “not finding out,” “boy,” “girl,” “twins,” or, more to the point, “yes, i’m pregnant.” Created by two Philly moms and one mom-to-be, the maternity long-sleeved, short-sleeved and tank tops are a sure hit for the pregnant and stylish set. ($42-$60) Belly Maternity, 1600 Pine Street, (215) 985-1169 or www.dueandsprout.com

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC), Philadelphia's regional tourism marketing agency, is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to building the region's economy and positive image through tourism and destination marketing. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, call the new Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676, or visit www.gophila.com. For information about arts and cultural attractions in the region, click on the CultureFiles link.

Note to Editors: For photos of Greater Philadelphia, visit the photo gallery of gophila.com/pressroom.  

September 2004

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