Best Independent Bookstore: The small, inconspicuous Joseph Fox Bookshop offers a selection of excellent titles, and the friendly, helpful staff will help you find your next favorite.

Best Vinyl Selection: The Philadelphia Record Exchange is a must for all record lovers. Three full floors in a row house just off South Street are stocked with rock, jazz, soul, punk, R&B, and more.

Best Sports Gear: For more than a century, Mitchell & Ness has been providing quality sporting gear to Philadelphia teams and locals. Today, it draws crowds from far beyond the city for its classic throwback jerseys.

Best Shoe Store: Benjamin Lovell Shoes proves that you don’t have to sacrifice comfort for style. Offering men’s and women’s shoes in three different locations, the store carries the top brands in the world of high-comfort shoes.

Most Unique Home Store: PHAG (an acronym for Philadelphia Home Art Garden) offers a wide array of unusual home, garden, and gay-themed specialty items. From stylish home accessories to bachelor-party kitsch, it has a little bit of everything.

Best Gift Store: AIA Bookstore and Design Center is run by the American Institute of Architects, so it makes sense that it carries an excellent selection of architecture and design books. However, you’ll also be impressed by the unique gifts, cards, and other diverse specialty items.

Prettiest Paper Shop: For gorgeous stationary, journals, and other paper products, Details is top-notch. Embossing, calligraphy, and all types of paper services are provided along with a wide variety of elegant paper designs.

Best Place to Get a Handmade Messenger Bag: R.E. Load Baggage, Inc. is the place to go for durable custom-designed bags. This grassroots company is 100 percent Philly.

Best Bath and Body Shop: Duross & Langel offers soaps and all sorts of body, face, and hair lotions and potions in every delicious scent you can imagine. Made using natural ingredients crafted on location, the items at this independent shop are lower-priced than at most of the upscale cosmetic chains.

Best Place to Take a Break: Terme Di Aroma offers a calm, soothing haven in the heart of bustling Old City. Take a break from sightseeing to be pampered with an aromatherapy massage or facial.