Can a Mani/Pedi be Masculine? Committee Member Franco LaMarca Shares his Secrets to Looking and Feeling Good.

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Committee Member Franco LaMarca Shares his Secrets to Looking and Feeling Good

January 31, 2020 by

Frano LaMarca Frano LaMarca

The answer to that question is YES and I will tell you more. Working 60-70 hours a week between my day job and my philanthropic activities requires me to focus most of my self-care on the weekend. More specifically, I try to get it all done in one day, Saturday. I live in Andersonville and I love the convenience of walking to everything so allow me to map out a self-care walking tour of my neighborhood.

SIR Spa

On the corner of Clark and Foster, you’ll find one of my favorite Saturday spots. SIR SPA is a Men’s Only full service Spa. Here I enjoy their deep tissue massages, facials, and their Hand & Foot Detail. That’s “masc” for mani/pedi. I enjoy getting my hands and feet done there to avoid the busy nail salons filled with cackling gal pals sipping on chardonnay and trading old issues of People magazine. At Sir Spa, the Foot & Hand Detail is done in a quiet semi-private area where you can add a scalp massage, relax, and sip on a beer. I recommend asking for Christian!

Hardware Crossfit

One of the best places to focus on your athletic and nutritional goals is at Hardware Crossfit. What’s the one rule of Crossfit? ALWAYS talk about Crossfit! Hardware is more than a gym, but a community. This is an inclusive space where workouts can be adapted for people at any age and level of fitness. They even hosted a PRIDE Workout in celebration of PRIDE Month. While Crossfit can sound intimidating, Hardware is exceptional at welcoming all. If you’re in need of some 1:1 attention and private coaching, I highly recommend Coach Anthony Nguyen aka Coach T. He has experience working with athletes of all levels, including people with extreme weight and health issues, and helping them transform their lives. Proud to say, Coach T has transformed mine!

Restoration

A Tim Weber Salon: Tim Weber opened his Andersonville salon in 2008. As they say, “Our Focus is on Hair. Our Goal is to restore.” With a handful of hair professionals on staff, it’s easy to find someone who meets your style. For me, I visit my girl, Romy. She’s highly trained, skilled, and fun. Romy keeps me looking and feeling great. The salon itself is fresh, comfortable, and not pretentious. What I love about Restoration is their website. You can easily make online appointments and peruse the bios of their staff to help you pick the right stylist for you.

Be Yoga

When it’s time to practice stillness, I go to Be Yoga. There, they practice a hot yoga, but hotter. 105 degrees to be exact. The instructor talks you through a flow of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises. Be Yoga provides a peaceful atmosphere for all skill levels working to detoxify and oxygenate blood to every cell in the body. I come here to ground myself, detox, and leave extremely sweaty.

Categories: Chicago,
Photography by: Courtesy of Franco LaMarca












Committee Member Franco LaMarca Shares his Secrets to Looking and Feeling Good

January 31, 2020 by Frano LaMarca

The answer to that question is YES and I will tell you more. Working 60-70 hours a week between my day job and my philanthropic activities requires me to focus most of my self-care on the weekend. More specifically, I try to get it all done in one day, Saturday. I live in Andersonville and I love the convenience of walking to everything so allow me to map out a self-care walking tour of my neighborhood.

SIR Spa

On the corner of Clark and Foster, you’ll find one of my favorite Saturday spots. SIR SPA is a Men’s Only full service Spa. Here I enjoy their deep tissue massages, facials, and their Hand & Foot Detail. That’s “masc” for mani/pedi. I enjoy getting my hands and feet done there to avoid the busy nail salons filled with cackling gal pals sipping on chardonnay and trading old issues of People magazine. At Sir Spa, the Foot & Hand Detail is done in a quiet semi-private area where you can add a scalp massage, relax, and sip on a beer. I recommend asking for Christian!

Hardware Crossfit

One of the best places to focus on your athletic and nutritional goals is at Hardware Crossfit. What’s the one rule of Crossfit? ALWAYS talk about Crossfit! Hardware is more than a gym, but a community. This is an inclusive space where workouts can be adapted for people at any age and level of fitness. They even hosted a PRIDE Workout in celebration of PRIDE Month. While Crossfit can sound intimidating, Hardware is exceptional at welcoming all. If you’re in need of some 1:1 attention and private coaching, I highly recommend Coach Anthony Nguyen aka Coach T. He has experience working with athletes of all levels, including people with extreme weight and health issues, and helping them transform their lives. Proud to say, Coach T has transformed mine!

Restoration

A Tim Weber Salon: Tim Weber opened his Andersonville salon in 2008. As they say, “Our Focus is on Hair. Our Goal is to restore.” With a handful of hair professionals on staff, it’s easy to find someone who meets your style. For me, I visit my girl, Romy. She’s highly trained, skilled, and fun. Romy keeps me looking and feeling great. The salon itself is fresh, comfortable, and not pretentious. What I love about Restoration is their website. You can easily make online appointments and peruse the bios of their staff to help you pick the right stylist for you.

Be Yoga

When it’s time to practice stillness, I go to Be Yoga. There, they practice a hot yoga, but hotter. 105 degrees to be exact. The instructor talks you through a flow of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises. Be Yoga provides a peaceful atmosphere for all skill levels working to detoxify and oxygenate blood to every cell in the body. I come here to ground myself, detox, and leave extremely sweaty.

Categories: Chicago,
Photography by: Courtesy of Franco LaMarca