Clarendon’s “waterless” nail studio and “athletic country club” are two examples of how the area has evolved into a hub for self-care and wellness.
Keen Self-Care, a studio, and Life Time, an athletic center, offer a fresh approach to both beauty and fitness. Life Time offers a variety of amenities, including coworking in addition to a workout area, and seeks to accommodate people’s different approaches to health.
“We want to be a place for everyone,” said Heather Wingfeld, the center’s general manager. “Whether you spend every day with us here or come two or three times a week, we want to meet people where they are.”
Meanwhile, at Keene, founder and CEO Samantha Moss sees her business as part of a larger cultural shift.
“There’s a movement to look inward and take care of yourself,” Moss says. “We’re all becoming increasingly aware of what it takes to show up in the world and how important it is to carve out that time for ourselves.”
enthusiastic self-care
Moss jumped on the self-care movement after quitting her career in the local fashion industry and human resources. According to her, her goal was to combine sustainability with luxury service.
“I decided to take a leap of faith and jump in and create something where I thought there was an opening in the market,” she said.
Keene customers should not expect to soak their hands or feet before polishing. Instead, the soaking process is replaced with treatments like homemade sugar scrubs, hot towels, and cuticle sprays.
“We’re doing a lot more behind the scenes, so it’s more than just a manicure,” Moss said.
The studio’s employees seem to offer support and comfort to their clients. The company also has a philanthropic arm, Keen Cares, which partners with women-led nonprofits Napkin Network and Aliyah in Action to provide birth and bereavement support to mothers. .
Moss said everything in the location was chosen to make customers feel valued and comfortable.
“We really care and we’re trying to make a difference and pivot the industry to do more,” she said.
lifetime
Ms. Wingfeld was appointed to lead Lifetime ahead of the Clarendon opening in 2022, after leaving her role as regional manager at a boutique gym.
“What I love about ‘Life Time’ is that it feels grown-up, elevated and luxurious,” she said. “Everyone wants to level up as their career grows.”
Wingfeld likes the many amenities the center offers to its members. In addition to the main fitness and coworking spaces, the four-story, 113,000-square-foot facility includes a rejuvenation suite, a kids academy, a spa, and a cafe.
She believes the facility’s ability to serve a variety of people is what sets it apart from other fitness areas.
“You have to experience it to know what the difference is,” she said.
the neighborhood evolves
Clarendon has undergone many evolutions over the decades.
Beginning in the 1930s, railroad and trolley lines were integrated, bringing department stores and other retail stores to the neighborhood, which declined in the 1960s with the construction of large local shopping malls.
Starting in the 1970s, the area became known as “Little Saigon” as refugees from the Vietnam War poured into the area and opened restaurants and other businesses. However, construction of Metro’s Orange Line disrupted many of these businesses, forcing many to relocate to other locations, such as the Eden Center in Falls Church.
Clarendon in the 1980s and ’90s was characterized by a bohemian and punk rock spirit, as well as quirky local businesses. That trend began to fade in the early 2000s, as the area developed, high-end national chains emerged, and the slogan “Keep Clarendon Weird” was born.
This post-9/11 period saw an influx of young workers to the region, drawn by job opportunities in national security and overall regional economic growth. Young professionals from Gen
Other signs that the neighborhood is adapting to the tastes of new arrivals include: In the early 2010s, all available Clarendon storefronts eventually sold frozen yogurt, cupcakes, burgers, salads, and more. These include times when the store was expected to be full. combination of them.
Right now, the trend is clearly toward wellness. In addition to Life His Time, Clarendon is also home to fitness businesses such as Cut Seven, Pure Barre, Orange Theory, Gold’s Gym, Bally’s, SoulCycle, Madabolic, Clarendon Personal Training, and Urban Kenpo. This also includes spas, salons and other wellness businesses such as Keene, Urban Hello, Casals Salon Collective, Salon Loft and The Beauty Clarendon.
Clarendon retains its status as a nightlife destination, but the area’s beer and fraternity has declined as some bars struggle to stay open and the bar crawls of a previous era have failed to revive. There is evidence that times may be in decline. Meanwhile, the neighborhood’s new typical resident may be someone who frequents the gym, carries a yoga mat, and seeks self-care.
The foregoing was written by Savannah Taffe, an intern who will be retiring in the spring, with additional contributions from ARLnow staff.
