Magazine founder dedicated to city

Tayyib Smith, one of the founders of two.one.five, gives some of his favorite Philly locations.

The two.one.five magazine tagline says it all: “In Philadelphia, it’s worth a million bucks.”

A Bible of sorts for the city’s young, hip, restless, and reckless, two.one.five covers everything from music to fashion to sports to social issues to Philadelphia history – in a way that is smart, relevant and funny – not to mention, free. The quarterly publication can be found scattered around the city in coffee shops, restaurants, bars and boutiques – and online, at twoonefivemagazine.com. The mag’s Web site is, in some ways, better than the print version, with frequently updated features and reviews, a nifty street style blog and photo galleries from all of the city’s hottest parties. What more could the city’s pretty young things want?

Tayyib Smith, 38, is one of the magazine’s publishers and founders. Smith said he and co-founder Matthew Bacine wanted to create a forward-thinking publication that catered to, as he put it, “the Philadelphia we know.” So they teamed up, using Smith’s marketing experience and Bacine’s vision, and with a little love and a lot of hard work, two.one.five was born.

Smith, whose family has been in Philadelphia (specifically Center City) since the 1920s, said he hopes that the magazine can offer its readers consistence and quality in content.

“I think that ultimately two.one.five should be a brand that people trust and value,” he said. “Like all media outlets, old and new, we’ve tried to figure out how to manage our Web and print publications, and I think we’ve succeeded in creating a superior product.”

So where does someone with his finger on the pulse of the city spend his time and money? Check out Smith’s picks:

EAT

My favorite restaurant in Philly is Dmitri’s. There’s one at 3rd and Catharine [streets] and one at 23rd and Pine [streets]. I love it because everything’s fresh, it’s small and intimate, and the food is always good. I also love Silk City for both the food and atmosphere – there’s always a good, diverse crowd there, young and old, and they book good DJs and talent.

DRINK

Johnny Brenda’s is probably my favorite place to drink in Philly – they have one of the best sound systems in town and a good selection of beer. I also like North Bowl in Northern Liberties. They’ve got a great atmosphere. The staff is always friendly, and I really like the design and layout of the place. It’s also one of the largest venues in the city, so you can meet up with just one person to chill or get a big group together and go there.

SHOP

I really like Made to Order, a clothing store on 2nd Street between Brown and Poplar [streets], because they have a lot of brands that other stores in the city don’t carry, and I like to support independent businesses. Unfortunately, my favorite record store, Cue Records, just closed, and I haven’t found a replacement yet.

PLAY

I like going down to Penn’s Landing. It’s a great view, it’s a quiet place, and there are always lots of good things going on there in the summertime. I also like going to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Rodin Museum, and I love hanging out at Fairmount Park and reading, picnicking, barbecuing.

Anna Hyclak can be reached at anna.hyclak@temple.edu.