firstlook

The Original I. Goldberg.

The Original I. Goldberg

The Original I. Goldberg opened its new location last week, and within minutes old friends were dropping by. A diminutive older man decked out entirely in military surplus gear asked for a pile of business cards that he could hand out on the street to let everyone know about the opening. A woman in a Navy coat peppered co-owner Nana Goldberg with questions and gushed, "It's been so boring without you!"

Philly has been Goldberg-less since last spring, when the 83-year-old business closed its location at Ninth and Chestnut to make way for a parking garage (don't even get me started). But Nana was intent on re-opening in Center City, and ultimately landed at 13th and Chestnut. The new home is much smaller, but in a far better location. (In addition to what's aleady nearby, a Borders Books & Music will open soon at Broad and Chestnut, and an Olive Garden restaurant is under construction on the same block.) Right away, Nana says, she met many people who had never been to the old store.

But those who had could not help but notice that, for better or worse, the opening marks a new era for Goldberg. A cleaner, better-lit era. The merchandise is the same, but the peeling paint, strange smell and cluttered-warehouse look are gone. There are even cool, fencelike dividers marking off different sections. It's weird. Nana promises, however, that the as-yet-unfinished lower level, where the surplus gear will be sold, will be reminiscent of the old store. "Give us a little time to get that lived-in look," she asks. Frank Lewis

I. Goldberg Army & Navy, 1300 Chestnut St., 215-925-9393.

Kiehl's

On a block of big name designers like Lagos and Burberry, adding one more shouldn't cause much hoopla. Yet, on a Friday morning at 10 a.m., with crowds hovering, mouths (honestly!) agape, the opening of Kiehl's on Rittenhouse Square's prime corner at 18th and Walnut summoned the type of joy reserved for Christmas morning or lungs-full-of-weed highs. Kiehl's -- a Manhattan apothecary turned hand-made skin/hair care giant -- is, like their packaging, a no-frills, information-heavy operation (their labels are mini-pamphlets on usage) where individual customer service is job one -- just try to leave without a salesperson handing you samples specific to your needs. Kiehl's is dedicated to creating and selling -- without advertising -- the finest, silkiest moisturizers, cleansers, toners, etc. available. What sells Kiehl's' luxury is what its name represents: a simple, elegant product -- from thick, super-hydrating Creme de Corps to petal-filled French Rosewater Body Rub -- that does what it says it will. Like its East Village home base, this Kiehl's (only their fourth freestanding shop) is resplendent in simplicity in its limestone building with a glazed brick facade, bronze framework and huge windows overlooking the Square.

The space inside, designed by Kiehl's creative director Victoria Maddocks and architect Chris Harrelson of Brand and Allen, is long and narrow with a tin ceiling, wood floors and white brick walls lined with gray wooden cabinets and glass shelves with brushed stainless steel accents that hold Kiehl's containers in a clean, linear fashion. Like NYC, there are touches of sportiness -- ski team photos, a genuine 1920 Harley Davidson motorcycle. As with its other offshoot shops, there's a dedication to the locale that Kiehl's sees as crucial to maintaining community. So there are paintings of William Penn as well as tributes to Philadelphian fathers of science, education and mathematics Benjamin Franklin and David Rittenhouse.

Along with the scientific theme -- charts, brass microscopes and wide glass beakers filled with opaque-colored soaps -- each of the store's front windows is lined with bottom-up light boxes stacked with shelves reflecting rainbow prisms. All the better to check out Papaya Facial Scrubs and Avocado Eye Cream. A.D. Amorosi

Kiehl’s, 1737 Walnut St., 215-636-9936.