Is it a restaurant? A juice bar? A yoga studio? A spa? At The Springs, a wellness center housed in a former office supply warehouse in Downtown's Arts District, it's all of the above—a multi-purpose space meant to heal your body from the inside out. Founded by Jared Stein and Kimberly Helms—who moved from New York two years ago to start this project—the 13,800-square-foot building was revamped for The Springs by local artchitecture firm Design, Bitches, and accented with large-scale murals from Venice's own street artist Christina Angelina.
There is, of course, a hefty supply of merch as well, namely in the pop-up store that first greets you when you walk through the doors. At opening, the pop-up featured mugs and tablecloths and candles from Oakland-based Atomic Garden, but new shops are set to showcase their wares in the upcoming months. Across from the collection of goods is a smattering of tables and chairs and a kitchen; this is the raw vegan restaurant, where chef Michael Falso creates nutritionally sound dishes that range from a smooth cucumber buttermilk soup ($8) to a green curry ($18) made with zucchini noodles, curried cashews and Thai chili. Can't stay for dinner? The adjacent juice bar serves cold-pressed juices in recyclable glass bottles, which you can sip on while working at their communal tables (WiFi is free here, folks!). The Evergreen ($9) may convert even the staunchest green juice-hater: somehow a mix of cucumber, celery, romaine, spinach, kale, parsley and dandelion manages to emerge without tasting like lawnmower trimmings, and instead like a healthy dose of refreshing greens. Your mom would be so proud.
Beyond the restaurant and communal area (which holds, among other things, a piano for soon-to-be-scheduled, singer-songwriter performances) lies the yoga studio (you can find Christina Angelina's murals here, too). The yoga program, designed by Gloria Baraquio, is a unique blend of classes that include both flow and restorative methods, along with Spanish-speaking classes, live music accompaniment, yoga dance, meditation and more. Drop in for $15; buy a ten class pack for $135 or a monthly unlimited for $150; or splurge on an All Springs Membership: $200 for unlimited yoga, 10% off all wellness services, food and drink, and one monthly, dry heat infrared sauna treatment.
Not entirely sure what an infrared sauna treatment is? Instead of heating you externally—as a traditional sauna would—an infrared sauna heats you internally, ostensibly drawing toxins out from within your body until you're not only glistening, but pouring sweat. Included in the wellness portion of The Springs, the sauna is part of a program that also features massages, Reiki, stone therapy, acupuncture, and gravity colon hydrotherapy, which the wellness director describes as "taking out the trash." That might not leave you with the prettiest image, but in a space as calming and on-trend as The Springs—and seriously, how does it smell so good in here?—you'll be thinking more about your next visit than anything else.