• Best Place to See a Show, any Show: Proof that an elegant venue can make you feel elegant, too, the grand Academy of Music is gilded and glittery, and no matter if you're catching an opera, ballet or stand-up comedy act there, you'll know you're somewhere incredibly special.
  • Best Place to See a Show, a Rock/Pop/Hip-Hop/Ska/Punk Concert: Just a hop and a skip from the Convention Center, the Trocadero -- a well-worn former vaudeville and burlesque theater -- feels vintage and cool, perhaps because it's hosted everyone from the Dead Milkmen to Chromeo.
  • Best Show to See: The "Fabulous Philadelphians" (a.k.a. the Philadelphia Orchestra, based in the contemporary Kimmel Center) are still as fab as ever, and they promise more fabulousness once energetic conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin comes aboard in 2012.
  • Best Speakeasy: In old speakeasy style, The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Company lacks windows and doesn't have much of a sign. It also mixes libations the way they were mixed about a century ago -- and carefully serves 'em up with old-fashioned panache.
  • Best for Wine, Beer and More: Cozy Tria, with its locations on 18th Street and 12th Street, has some great vino and makes delicious panini, salad, and cheese plates to match.
  • Best Unconventional Night Out: It's not quite RuPaul's Drag Race, but at 15th and South streets, Bob & Barbara's regular, Thursday-night drag shows are a long-standing hoot -- and are best watched with the friendly dive bar's shot-and-a-beer "Special."
  • Best Place to Get your Dance on, Without Fearing Anyone will See You: Atop candlelit creperie Beau Monde at 6th and Bainbridge streets sits chic L'Etage, where local performers (often cabaret) eventually cede the floor to friendly DJs and a crowd who couldn't care less if you've learned the latest moves.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.