When describing The Springs, a new wellness center that opens tomorrow in Downtown's Arts District, it may feel like you're channeling Bill Hader's beloved SNL character, Stefon. "This place has everything," you might say. "A juice bar. Kelp noodles. Bracelets that have been blessed. Gravity colon hydrotherapy."
I say this not as a skeptic (really, I swear) but as an impressed observer. At last night's press preview, we were led around the 13,800-square-foot space by co-founders Jared Stein and Kimberly Helms, who moved to LA from New York two years ago specifically to open the multi-purpose, urban oasis that was once an office supply company. Filled with plants and a sunny color scheme, The Springs holds four main components: a juice bar, a raw vegan restaurant, a yoga studio and a wellness center. At the juice bar, we tried the cold-pressed Evergreen ($9)—"It has all the vegetables," said our server, which seemed to be true. Packed with cucumber, celery, romaine, spinach, kale, parsley and dandelion, the juice was a refreshing blend that lacked the bitterness usually associated with green juice. And with free WiFi, The Springs can serve as a great place to come for a juice or smoothie while you work.
The restaurant, which serves raw vegan cuisine, has some stand-out dishes on its menu, namely the almond-zucchini hummus and falafel ($16); a smooth cucumber buttermilk soup ($8) made with almond buttermilk, cucumbers, dill (and a sliver of jalapeño for heat); and a green curry ($18) featuring zucchini noodles. Vegan food—and especially raw vegan food, at that—can be difficult to appeal to everyone, but I think head chef Michael Falso has a great start with this initial menu. The one issue: the food here does not come cheap. Desserts all hover around $14, the entrées are around $20, and salads are upwards of $18.
Photograph: Courtesy The Springs
The yoga program at The Springs, designed by Gloria Baraquio, has an impressive 45+ classes per week on its schedule, including flow, restorative, dance and meditation classes, along with Spanish-speaking classes and occasional live music. A huge mural by Venice street artist Christina Angelina dominates one wall (as well as a cinder block façade outside)—it's a jolt to the senses, to be sure, but certainly fits the Arts District's overall aesthetic. A quick mosey through the retail shop that sits outside of the studio and we were lead to the wellness portion of The Springs, where small rooms are available for massages, an infrared sauna and jade stone therapy. And, ah yes, gravity colon hydrotherapy. "Are you held upside down?" asked a woman in our group, which is a legitimate question since I was wondering what "gravity" and "colon hydrotherapy" were doing in the same phrase. But no, you are not held upside down, explained the wellness director; instead, you are lying on a table while water is flushed above you and waste is flushed below you. And tubes, of course. Tubes are involved.
The Springs officially opens tomorrow, October 18, though you can already buy yoga and wellness classes and packages on its website. It's an interesting concept, and whether you come here for a snack or a meal, to meditate or to buy trinkets from the pop-up shop, you may leave having used more of the space than you intended. Though I wouldn't pop in for an impromptu colon treatment.
Will you be checking out The Springs this weekend? Let us know in the comments below!