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Forget your typical running club or book club. New York's newest way to mingle and network isn't at cocktail hour—it's at the sauna.
Opening this fall in downtown Manhattan, Lore is NYC's newest bathhouse and promises a new experience to add to your weekly wellness routine. The bathing club will feature a large Finnish sauna, an intimate infrared sauna and a generous cold pool room with hammam-style benches.
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Co-founders James O'Reilly and Adam Elzer created the space with a goal of reimagining the culture around bathhouses and bathing clubs. The intention for Lore is as a neutral and mainstream "third space" to go and spend copious amounts of time at, while also building community and connections from it in the long run. For example, instead of meeting a colleague over dinner, why not meet up over a sauna session?
The sauna and cold plunge practice, also known as the Nordic Cycle or contrast therapy, has been around for thousands of years. The reason behind the name Lore (besides current cultural zeitgeist relevance) is to honor this history, and embody the idea of the principle that "the longer something has been around, the greater its remaining life expectancy."
The neighborhood-based, 6,200-square-foot space has been developed in partnership with Ilse Crawford of Studioilse and brought to life by Ringo Studio. The intentional use of materials in the space—travertine, walnut and deep red thresholds mirror the physiological shifts of contrast therapy and guide members through a sensory journey.
The desire to create their own bathhouse stemmed from not being able to indulge in the practice as often as they wished to. "[Typical bathhouses] aren't designed for people to go that frequently, it's an occasional indulgence," O'Reilly told Time Out in a preview of Lore. "The more you go, the more of those benefits you get. And to find one of these places you can go to three or four times a week is expensive and cumbersome." To make the practice more accessible for the average person, Lore is offering unlimited access memberships to the facilities at a flat rate of $200 per month.
The basic, well-known benefits of a sauna/cold plunge is a boost in energy levels, increased circulation and immune function, reduced stress, faster muscle repair and better skin health. But there's a psychological piece to it, as well, as extreme heat and frigid pools are not what we tend to seek out, at least not in a relaxation technique. "It's uncomfortable but relaxing," said O'Reilly. "But doing these uncomfortable things more frequently builds your comfort zone."
There's also the sense of camaraderie that goes hand in hand with each session, as a group of people experiencing the hundred-degree temps of a sauna are experiencing a truly stressful situation—your heart rate picks up, you sweat quicker and harder than you would in a typical workout. "There's this energy when everyone comes into the sauna of 'why am I here?'" But Lore is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive space by providing guidance and and encouraging guests to do what feels good for their body. The space will also offer educational experiences, like guided aromatherapy and stretch sessions.
Another reason to join this third-space: the absence of distractions once you're inside. You can't bring your phone inside a sauna without the risk of damaging it, so it forces you to put it down and sit in silence—encouraging you to take in your surroundings, escape from whatever your current stressors are and settle into being truly unreachable for an hour or so.
You can get a one-week pass to Lore for $89 or get the membership for $200 per month, both with unlimited weekday access. To go on weekends, it's an extra $25. The space will be open Monday through Sunday from 7am to 11pm, with each session lasting 75 minutes. Lore is located at 676 Broadway in Noho. Purchase your early-access memberships here.