Gowanus Bathhouse Offers Wellness Lifestyle
Sometimes our best ideas come to us at the least expected of times.
Liz Tortolani is an entrepreneur and massage therapist in New York. As she was walking down 6th Avenue to the subway station, carrying dirty sheets from the day’s work, she had an epiphany. She had always dreamed of bringing wellness and affordable preventative health care to all. She firmly believes that self-care is beneficial not only for the individual who gets treated, but for everyone in contact with that person. Tortolani decided that moment that she would open a bathhouse in Brooklyn.
Having been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at the age of 13, Tortolani had taken many different medications over the years. She found herself in and out of hospitals consistently. After a particularly difficult hospital stay in Seattle, she discovered a local wellness center which helped her healing process tremendously. She relaxed in the sauna, steam room, and whirlpool, and went for hydrotherapy and acupuncture. These life-changing therapies had a significant impact on her vision for her own wellness center.
Liz Tortolani’s “boutique bathhouse” called cityWell is located in Gowanus, and features indoor and outdoor facilities. There is acupuncture, hydrotherapy, massage therapy, and body treatments. It is a combination of a wellness center and community meeting place. There are special events such as Shakespeare readings and jazz music, which can be enjoyed while relaxing in the hot tub.
Tortolani offers reduced-rate hours, ensuring that cityWell’s services are available to all. She strives to make wellness and self-care part of everyday life, and not a luxurious splurge once a year for a special occasion.
Best of all, the center is open year-round, so you can enjoy the hammocks, cabins, showers, and hot tubs whether the sun is shining or snow is falling.
