The question of whether or not “wellness” has staying power has been answered with a resounding yes—through rounds of investments, an onslaught of brands, and even in the digital age we live in, an embrace of the brick-and-mortar experience. Ask the average person to describe wellness, and they might rattle off a jumble of buzzwords. Ask them to show you what it means, and they might point to any of these relatively new “wellness centers” making their home in New York City. Here’s our list of the category-defining wellness establishments in New York, and what sets them apart.
Remedy Place, 12 W 21st Street
New to the scene, with a beloved flagship in Los Angeles, is Remedy Place—the world’s first social wellness club. Membership, which starts at $595 per month, allows club members access to discounted treatments, and unlimited access to amenities like cryotherapy. Higher tiers equate to more access. Keeping the wellness club exclusive, the New York location has capped its membership at 300 people. Instead of bright colors and open-air layouts, Remedy Place plays off of the darker side of wellness, at least aesthetically. With $5 million raised, Remedy Place hopes to continue to expand under the leadership of CEO and founder Dr. Jonathan Leary.
The Well, 2 E 15th Street
“East meets West in the heart of New York City,” reads The Well’s tagline. The wellness center, which opened in 2019, has been setting the pace for other membership-based clubs in the city for years. Though the space recently evolved past their $375 per month membership model to offer access without membership, it certainly inspired a crop of others. The center offers a plethora of experiences, including yoga, pilates, QiGong, and mediation classes, a full-service restaurant, space for coworking, massages, facials, and an incredibly curated retail space. The Well even offers its own line of private-label wellness staples, like powders and skincare. Since its start, the location has lent its buzzy atmosphere to an impressive number of PR events and panels, deeming it the unofficial wellness influencer hangout spot. To date, The Well has raised $34 million. The founders, Kane Sarhan, Rebecca Parekh and Sarrah Hallock, weathered the pandemic’s affront to brick-and-mortar successfully to remain the defining wellness destination in NYC.
Sage + Sound, 1481 3rd Ave
Having opened just this month in New York’s Upper East Side, Sage + Sound is hoping to offer wellness without the pretense, offering “curated programming, products and self-care services in a revitalizing and approachable environment.” Founders Lauren Zucker and Lacey Tisch see Sage + Sound as a community-driven space, explaining the opening in their native neighborhood of the Upper East Side. The center provides its own blog of sorts online, where specialized content surrounding wellness is published frequently. In person, services like nontoxic nail care and acupuncture are offered. Even the highly sought-after IMD Lymphatic Drainage is offered, along with something called Eyebrow Therapy by Paulo Siqueira. In The Study, mental-fitness programming ranges from experimental classes to wellness staples like breathwork and meditation.
HigherDOSE, 11 Howard Street
HigherDOSE combines nature-inspired technologies to produce feel-good chemicals, like dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins. Conceptualized in 2016 as a “sauna experience like no other,” the brand has evolved and expanded to now offer both a line of popular products and in-person experiences at the 11 Howard Hotel. Centered on the power of infrared therapy, sessions are offered in 30- or 60-minute sessions. Also available are lymphatic drainage massages and facials. For those looking for a dose outside of Soho, the brand offers a line of private-label goods, including sauna blankets that retail for upwards of $600. Katie Kaps and Lauren Berlingeri, founders of the brand, have not released any information regarding fundraising. Recently, HigherDOSE shuttered its second location in Williamsburg. Their focus is on continuing to build the brand’s own wellness tools and championing female biohacking.
Chillhouse, 75 Varick St
Chillhouse founder Cyndi Ramirez opened the first location in New York City in 2017 with the goal of “modernizing the spa industry.” Five years later, Chillhouse has expanded into a line of products and an essential stop for Downtown Manhattan’s manicure inclined. The space focuses more on relaxation than spiritual practice, but the wellness effect is still there. Saunas, facials, nail services, and massages are all on the menu, as well as a bustling cafe for everyone, including the wellness curious. Private investments and loyal fans power Chillhouse’s steady expansion, including a new location that opened in Paris in spring 2022.
WTHN, 20 W 22nd Street
Ancient healing meets modern wellness at WTHN. Inspired by the concept that “holistic medicine is preventative medicine,” the space functions as a gathering place for practices such as acupuncture and goods such as supplements based on concerns like stress, detox, and digestion. Less of a watering hole and more of an outpost, WTHN is home to licensed NYC acupuncturists with a specialty in Chinese medicine. With two locations in New York City, the brand is proof positive of wellness’s staying power and popularity. Founded in 2017 by Michelle Larivee and Dr. Shari Auth, the brand raised $4.7 million in seed funding.
Modern Age, 100 5th Ave
Modern Age, a longevity clinic focused on helping clients feel their best at every age, opened in spring of 2022. The company is founded on the fundamental question of “How old do you feel?” or what’s called a “subjective age.” Services include over-the-counter topicals and supplements, prescription medications, IV therapies, in-person skin and hair care treatments and bone and hormone diagnostic tests. Melissa Eamer serves as CEO and founder, with experience as COO at Glossier and over a decade at Amazon. Architectural design created by Madelynn Ringo, inspired by the human form, elevates the space in Flatiron, begging the question of expansion. In the future, Modern Age hopes to expand its multidisciplinary offers even wider, made possible through investments from firms like Oak HC/FT and Juxtapose.
