Things to Do in Lansdowne
Recommended Things to Do by Groupon Customers
Charla Okewole's lifelong dedication to yoga ignited in one of the most unusual places—a Manhattan conference room. Since discovering asanas against the Big Apple skyline as part of a corporate wellness campaign in 2002, she's studied beneath several yoga and Thai yoga massage experts, including the creator of Yoga Babies, Gail Silver. Charla, a busy mother herself, infuses the unflagging energy of children into her practice, filling sessions with encouragement, laughter, and fun.
She leads a diverse team of instructors who help students of all abilities and experience levels awaken their inner spirits and sing lullabies to their inner demons during Power Yoga classes heavily influenced by the Baptiste tradition. Instead of expecting students to defy their bodily limitations, instructors blend aspects of Ashtanga, Iyengar, and Bikram yoga to create custom classes that are both challenging and uplifting. The studio's diverse lineup unsurprisingly includes children's classes, yoga integrated with dance and martial arts, and restorative yin yoga.
Become Yoga's instructors spread the good word beyond the walls and alligator-filled moats of their own yoga studio. They hold weekly community classes, the proceeds of which support local and international charities, including The Africa Yoga Project.
While the scoring may be faster and the tunes louder, Wynnewood Lanes still maintains the laidback atmosphere it had on its opening day in 1962. At the 24-lane alley guests mow down pins and snack on pizza at The Beer Frame Lounge. As weekend evenings fade into night, live DJs start blasting tunes through the sound system, inspiring guests to dance under the alley’s glowing neon lights. Simultaneously, a fog machine fills the room with a haziness that confuses bowlers into thinking karaoke singers are really the ghosts of long-gone rock 'n' rollers.
On Friday and Saturday evenings, as party songs thump in the background, lasers beam over a row of 24 lanes—each home to a rack of glowing pins—and reflect off their thin layer of oil into the fog. Of course, Playdrome Devon Lanes hosts regular open-bowling hours throughout the rest of the week, when it echoes with the sound of crashing pins and celebratory sirens from the on-site arcade. Though unseen, heard, or smelled, the signal from complimentary WiFi streams through the air as well, allowing players to post their high scores online or to look up the cheat codes that enable the bowling balls' rocket boosters. Playdrome Devon Lanes also allows customers to bring their own food and beverages.
Nestled in the heart of a scenic 45-acre expanse, Out of Reach Farm hosts one indoor and one outdoor ring, both equipped with challenging jumping courses. A covered arena juts out from the indoor ring, hosting private and small group lessons. While one of three instructors relays equestrian basics or advanced techniques to pupils aged 5 and older, parents and other spectators keep cozier than mitten-clad sheep in a heated viewing area. As the seasons evolve from chilly to sun-drenched, so do the farm's offerings, which include half-day summer camps suited to riders aged 5–15. For a more intimate peek into farm life, patrons can schedule two-hour birthday parties, with an hour devoted to pony rides for guests.
Sensory overload doesn’t begin to describe Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens. A seemingly boundless compilation of colors, textures, and shapes, the labyrinthine mosaic creation spans 3,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space. The masterpiece originated in the brain of Isaiah Zagar, a Philadelphia native who grew up in New York. During his third year of art school, he stumbled upon Clarence Schmidt’s folk-art-inspired installations—assemblages of found objects and recycled materials—and the young artist’s view of the art world changed. “I didn't know that I was looking at art,” Zagar reflects in his mission statement. Self-admittedly, Zagar has been somewhat “copying” Schmidt’s dynamic, free-flowing style ever since.
The years after art school brought Zagar an onslaught of new opportunities. He spent time as an artist in China and India, joined the Peace Corps with his wife Julia, settled in Peru for three years, and even tried his hand at ceramics in Wisconsin. In the ‘60s, he and Julia returned to his birthplace—specifically, the waning South Street neighborhood. The duo quickly leapt into action, renovating dilapidated buildings and often adding mosaics to formerly barren walls. Eventually, Isaiah’s imagination outgrew their projects, and in 1994 he began constructing a new piece in a vacant lot near his studio—the project would become Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens.
Isaiah spent 14 precious years, which he should have applied to Y2K preparations, scooping out tunnels, erecting multitiered walls, and splashing the entire space in colorful tile. The finished product stretches across half a block of South Street; the outside enclosure shimmering with vibrant tiles, the inside housing folk art, colored glass bottles, and countless sparking mirrors. Now a nonprofit organization, Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens invites visitors to enjoy its visual candy with guided or self-guided tours.
