If Goop was a place, it would be in San Francisco’s Marina District, probably Union Street – a several block enclave of Los Angeles style vegan eateries, health clubs, medical spas, psychics, and trendy workout studios marketed to predominantly wealthy, straight, white young women. Sitting in the window of Vegan Picnic, a cute little cafe serving up tasty but not super healthy vegan fast food fare like crispy “chicken” sandwiches, I counted hundreds of young women briskly walking by in their athleisure attire, probably on their way from gym to brunch… or brunch to gym.
I used to avoid the Marina, viewing it as a painfully non-diverse, anti-San Francisco kind of neighborhood. But recently, I’ve embraced my “inner basic” and I’ve been trying all the things in the name of health and beauty. Fom everyday shopping – there’s a Sephora in the Marina afterall- to super woo woo treatments, I dove right in.
First up: Modern Acupuncture. In the past few months, I’ve had 3 treatments in this upscale, zen center of wellness. Patients lay back in zero gravity massage chairs while calming music and imagery of nature scrolls across flatscreens above. Of course I added on the Glow option, which involves sticking needles all over your face with the hopes of increasing collagen production. I’m not sure what benefits I’ve seen from my acupuncture treatments, but there are a handful of promising studies of the practice.
One sunny Saturday, as I was walking home, I spotted the B 12 Love Lounge. “Oh God, I’m going full on Goop,” I thought to myself, knowing the science behind IV Drips and B12 shots is a little shaky. But in I went. A young health/looks obsessed couple chatting about their Peloton bike sat arms out waiting for their vitamin infused saline. I opted for a B12 shot and was taken behind a curtain. “Take your pants down just enough to show your butt cheek a little,” the nurse calmy instructed. “Oh! I didn’t know it was in the butt,” I laughed. And a few minutes later I was back to my day. I want to believe that shot gave me a little more pep in my step, having been suffering a bit of a hangover that weekend.
I recently finished David Sinclair’s book, Lifespan. I’ll spare you the hundreds of pages of sciencey gobbly gook and tell you this: the key takeaway to act on is get hungry and get cold often. In mice, those two behaviors extended their health and lives. David is the head of Aging at Harvard, and his 90-year-old dad is thriving on his programs, so I figure why not give his tips a whirl. That’s what led me to Cryo SF, where I stood for three minutes in a -200°F chamber and then laid down for a cryo facial, super cold air blasted across on my face. I gotta say, I loved it. I usually hate being cold. The cold plunge at the Russian baths feels like torture. This is very cold, but in a much more tolerable way. It’s more like being outside in the cold for a brief moment.
On my next trip over the hill to the Marina, I’m hoping to try floatation therapy at Reboot Float & Cryo. I’ll be sure to report back on that!
You’ll find plenty of shopping in the ‘hood too. Green beauty chain Blue Mercury sits among jewelry stores, big box clothing chains and mom and pop boutiques.
The Marina, like most San Francisco neighborhoods, is chock-full of great food for any taste, from sushi to tacos and beyond. One of my faves is among the city’s buzziest vegan restaurants: Wildseed offers fantastic cocktails to boot. Greens, a beautiful and longtime SF classic vegetarian restaurant with Golden Gate Bridge views is a short walk from the shops to the waterfront. And, all along Union and Chestnut streets you’ll also find protein shake bars, juiceries, and plenty of coffee and tea options. Enjoy!
Don’t leave without an old school reading!
Juice Shop and Urban Remedy are among the juice and raw food options.
You’ll find many spots to get a facial, botox, and more in the Marina.
Drip Doctors is a competitor to B 12 Love Lounge, offering personalize vitamin drips.
