The Pearl District has emerged into Portland’s hub of fitness and bodywork, and the vast majority of the neighborhood’s studios have been established by female entrepreneurs. From pilates salons to holistic-oriented chiropractors, here are nine of our favorite women-owned wellness businesses. FIREBRAND SPORTS Back in the day, Linda Stimac and her daughter Sara toiled in…
Looking Good
Where to freshen up after working out in the Pearl District Lousallas Salon Once upon a time, 12-year-old Lucy Bunte dreamed of opening a salon. But, when she later became a single mom, her vision was detoured. After 30 years of being a stylist, she has finally opened the doors of Lousallas Salon, a serene…
The War on Gravity
An effective remedy for aches and pains, Rolfing can set you straight. Joachim Creten Certified Advanced Rolfer™ (1211 NW Glisan St, Suite 205, 503-515-1023) likes to keep his explanation of Rolfing simple. For this Pearl District bodyworker, it’s not a complicated paleo diet or a strict hot yoga practice that will keep you pain-free—it’s correctly…
Back to Feeling Great
Hosmer Chiropractic has been dispensing fantastic care in the Pearl for five years. Here’s their story, plus three tips for summer back care. When Hosmer Chiropractic opened their new offices in the Pearl five summers ago, they decided a celebration was in order. They opened up their big windows and fired up the grill. More…
25 Reasons to Love Summer
Emerald parks, dapper dining, and shops bursting with warm-weather fashion and gear—our favorite ways to celebrate the season By Andrew Collins, Fernando Nocedal, and Ellee Thalheimer with illustrations by Angela Southern. Click here to see the full layout of this feature in our digital flipbook. 1. Salud! to Summer Ale – Local Brewery Summer Offerings…
Get Out(side)
For an urban neighborhood, the Pearl offers plenty of fun ways to get fresh air. BIKE You’ll find more than 90 Biketown bike-share cycles at nine different stations around the Pearl. RUN With generally wide sidewalks and plenty of diversionary scenery, the Pearl is a joggers’ mecca. STRETCH The more than 3 acres of lush…
Pedal Power
It began in an unlikely place: a garage in the Bay Area where Western Bikeworks (1015 NW 17th Ave, 503-342-9985) founders Lou Doctor and Jay Torborg were selling bike tires on eBay. They began selling so many that tire manufacturers approached them and suggested they start their own company. In 2003, they heeded that advice,…
Smooth Operator
Relaxing for your waxing People often face the prospect of removing excess body hair with apprehension, but Urban Waxx (1036 NW 18th Ave, 503-219-9299) aims to end the dread. “From the moment anyone contacts us, we try to make waxing as fearless as possible,” says Shannon Conley, who founded Urban Waxx in the Pearl in…
Cloud Nine
Ever wonder what it’s like to escape from the frenetic pace of your day and relax for a while inside a soundproof float suite? We found the answer at Enso Float… Warm water—with 1,000 pounds of Epsom salts dissolved in it—buoyed my body, which lay weightless on the surface. I hadn’t known that my session…
Swag Bag
A fun new app turns the Pearl District into a scavenger hunt for great deals at shops, restaurants, bars, and other neighborhood businesses. The Pearl District Business Association recently partnered with the fast-growing local marketing and advertising technology company SWAG’R to launch an app that aims to revolutionize the way consumers and businesses throughout the…
Freeze Frame
A cool new way to reduce pain and elevate your mood In 2015, Portland firefighter Deborah Weissenbuehler stepped into a -230 degree Fahrenheit cryochamber, a chrome cylinder big enough to contain her entire body. Her head popped out of the top, as though floating in a cauldron of nitrogen vapor. That session changed her life. After…
Back to Basics
Hosmer Chiropractic Health’s dedicated approach to healing and well-being Since its founding a decade ago, Hosmer Chiropractic Health (1030 NW Marshall St., 503-227-2279) has expanded significantly and relocated into a handsome, contemporary space in the Pearl District. A highly respected provider of rehabilitory care for a wide range of injuries and conditions, the clinic is…
Skin Deep
A patient walking into the Portland Dermatology Clinic (1414 NW Northrup St, Ste 600, 503-223-3104, portlanddermclinic.com) can expect a bit more. “The doctors and staff here all have similar philosophies of putting patients first and treating patients like we’d want to be treated,” says Dr. Sam Hopkins, dermatologist at Portland Dermatology Clinic and assistant professor…
Rewind
State-of-the-art procedures are changing the face of aesthetic medicine. “Our goal is to turn the clock back 10 years for our clients,” says Dr. Anil Rajani, the board-certified owner of aesthetic medicine practice Rajani MD (1125 NW 9th Ave, Ste 108, 503-303-8313, rajanimd.com). “People don’t know it, but it’s possible.” 50-year-old Dr. Rajani, who himself…