Photograph by Raymond McCrea Jones
Best person to watch: Jaimee Ratliff
Jaimee Ratliff didn’t see many bodies that looked like hers in local yoga studios. As a woman of color, she wondered why yoga seemed to have become so homogeneous and, perhaps, elitist. So, she created her own hip-hop yoga class. Since it’s a pop-up, customers sign up for her email list and then get blasts with the day, time, and location. She’s led classes at Topgolf, Athleta, and City Winery Atlanta. jaimeeratliff.com
Best nail salon: Les Mains Nail Bar
Minimalism meets industrial chic at this Buckhead salon, where white walls and exposed ceilings provide a cool backdrop for manicures, pedicures, and nail art. Les Mains offers traditional polish and gel treatments, with a vegan option for manis and pedis as well, but is perhaps best known for nail art: powders, stickers, and custom, hand-painted styles, which start at $3 per nail. lesmains-nailbar.business.site
Photograph by Kelly Kline
Best cycling fad: SoulCycle
You’ll sweat, and possibly cry, while you pedal to the thumping beat at this Buckhead outpost of the New York City–based fitness cult. Exercise aficionados were begging SoulCycle to bring its beloved brand of mind and body–connected indoor cycling to Atlanta, and the 12-year-old, 80-studio chain answered their prayers this year. soul-cycle.com/studios/atlanta
Best motivational coach: Hannah Beth Millman
Some fitness instructors coddle, while others push, but few manage to balance the two as adeptly as Hannah Beth Millman, a coach and the Atlanta studio manager for Solidcore. This Megaformer Pilates bootcamp (said to be Michelle Obama’s favorite at its D.C. locations) is one of the city’s toughest workouts, and Millman is an energetic, inspirational guide. solidcore.co
Best free bootcamp: November Project
You just gotta show up. That’s the mantra for this free, twice-weekly bootcamp that has more than 40 “tribes” across the globe. Meeting at 6:27 a.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays, the local branch of the Boston-based November Project takes attendees through cardio, plyometrics, and games that might make you forget the early hour and the exertion. Locations vary; hugs are required. november-project.com/atlanta-ga
Photograph by Cori Carter
Best barbershop: The Swag Shop
Michael Render (aka Killer Mike) opened this vibrant Edgewood Avenue barbershop as a place where men could go not only for a proper shave but also for lively conversation about cars, sports, politics, and more. The idea caught on, and Render opened a second location at State Farm Arena this fall. theswagshop.com
Best splurge spa: Remède Spa at the St. Regis Atlanta
A high-end spa in a classic hotel, Remède Spa doesn’t have the midcentury-modern furnishings or selfie walls of newer, made-for-Instagram spots. But what it lacks in popular trends, it more than makes up for in service and luxury. Each treatment here is customized: Guests choose the pressure of massage, the aromatherapy oils, and add-ons like reflexology, scalp treatments, and more. There’s also a steam room, sauna, and lounge room available for use with any treatment. marriott.com
Illustration by Ryan Snook
Best race for beer: It’s a tie! Three Taverns 5K and Monday Night Brewing Westside 10
It’s tough, in a city chock full of runners who love to drink beer, to choose just one brewery-sponsored running race as the best. So, we picked two: the Three Taverns 5K (May 2019), which is still small enough to allow less-elite runners to place; and the Monday Night Brewing Westside 10 (December 8), which features a band and outdoor party to rival any Atlanta festival. threetavernsbrewery.com; mondaynightbrewing.com
Best esthetician: Amy Leavell Bransford
One of the city’s beauty pioneers, Bransford founded her ecofriendly spa and salon, Aviary, in Studioplex long before green beauty—or the neighborhood—were constant conversation topics. She offers a number of facial treatments, but the standouts are the Microderm and the Oxygen Facial, which infuses dry skin with pressurized oxygen and antioxidants like Vitamin C and green tea. In its nearly 10-year history, Aviary has also become a beauty incubator of sorts: Past employees have gone on to open Creature Studio, Kindred Studio, and Vagabond Studio. aviarybeauty.com
Best salon suites
Rising rents—and a rising focus on individual stylists instead of salons, thanks to Instagram and other social media platforms—mean many of the city’s beauty and wellness professionals are leaving big-name salons and opening their own businesses in one of the many salon-suite complexes popping up around the city. These spots, which look like apartments, are often small in size (think 100 square feet, give or take) but big in opportunity for individual stylists to customize their space and offerings. “Because we both started in large, hectic salons with a lot happening around us, we were looking for something more intimate so we could spend more of our energy focused on the person in our chair,” says hair stylist Patrick Cochran, who cofounded PAIR Studio with his wife, Blair Smoker, this spring. Here are a few other stylists who’ve downsized:
Ayisha Phillips of Mystic Lotus Salon
Salons by JC Suites
mysticlotussalon.com
Abra Weeks of Graceful Glow Spa
Beya Salon Studios
beyasalonstudios.com
Chaz Anderson of Dragonfly Salon
dragonflythesalon.net
Best hair color salon: Melrose & McQueen
This Inman Park salon has an almost cultlike following for its high-impact color options and Instagram-famous stylists, including Abby Andree and founder Kristo Willson, who built out the space himself. From platinum blonde and deep denim to fiery reds and every shade in between, Melrose & McQueen is the go-to stop for clients who aren’t afraid if their color doesn’t look natural. melroseandmcqueen.com
Photograph by Kelly Kline
Best stretcher: Estelle Harford
As the owner of Stellar Strength and Wellness in Atlanta, Estelle Harford is the only Master Trainer in Ki Hara stretching in Georgia. Stretching and pushing as you push up, she uses concentric and eccentric movements to dynamically stretch, strengthen, and lengthen your muscles. Benefits include increased flexibility, better range of motion, better posture, and fewer injuries. stellarstrength.com
Best brows salon: Tamara Samara Salon
This Sandy Springs salon offers traditional waxing, shaping, and tinting services, as well as harder-to-find treatments like eyebrow henna, in which henna powder is used to form a dye to create fuller, darker brows. Total hair removal options for men and women are also available. tamarasamara.com
Photograph by Raymond McCrea Jones
Photograph by Raymond McCrea Jones
Best new beauty concept: Creature Studio
Opened this year, Creature Studio is the brainchild of hairstylist Jenn Jones and her photographer husband, Raymond McCrea Jones, who wanted to rethink what a salon environment could look like. For the Joneses, this meant an uncluttered, minimalistic space with white walls and mobile stylist stands on the main floor (which doubles as a photography studio), where Jenn treats hair with Oway organic products, as well as an upstairs space that hosts ecofriendly nail salon Petite Sparrow and massage company Ritual Body Work. creatureatl.com
Best cardio and weight training mix: Barry’s Bootcamp
Running and strength training make up most of the 1,000 calorie–killing workout at a dimly lit, club-like Buckhead studio that’s like Orange Theory’s cooler cousin. You’ll alternate from treadmills to dumbbells for a sweat-drenched, full-body workout that tones muscle and is said to boost your resting metabolism by as much as 15 percent. barrysbootcamp.com/studio/atlanta
Best fitness influencer: Umama Kibria
As her Instagram handle and YouTube channel suggest, Umama Kibria is small but mighty, with a busy feed to prove it. Her relatable and friendly photos, videos, reviews, tutorials, and recommendations appeal to everyone from the exercise newbie to the fitness fiend. No judgments here; you can follow her gym-hopping adventures from the comfort of your own couch. rebrand.ly/smallandstrong
Photograph by Amber McDonnell
Best offbeat workout: City Surf
No ocean? No problem. You can practice surfing in landlocked Atlanta thanks to workout studio City Surf Fitness. The Dallas, Texas–based chain offers 50-minute classes that combine cardio with weight training and moves that mimic what you’d do out on the waves, all while balancing atop an unstable surfboard. A session at this Monroe Drive studio is said to burn more than 200 calories. citysurffitness.com/atlanta
Best hair stylist: Dyana Nematalla
After nearly a decade in New York styling the locks of Mick Jagger, Rachel McAdams, and other celebrities, Nematalla returned here to her hometown a couple of years ago. Her aesthetic is “New York City street chic meets Parisienne cool,” and at Melrose & McQueen, she specializes in texture—“Yes, thin hair is also a texture,” she says—teaching clients how to style and maintain their cuts. dyananematalla.com
Best running club: runningnerds
Calling itself a social forum, resource, and service for the contemporary running community, this club, founded in 2011, puts on races like the ATL Relay, 10K & 20K, and the Monday Night Brewing Westside 10. The inclusive and friendly group is also known for hosting long group runs, including the “Big Ol’ Group Run” that draws hundreds of runners and walkers. runsocialatlanta.com
Greatest hits
Best muscle blast workout
Blast (Buckhead)
theblastlife.com
Best salon and shop
Woo Skincare + Cosmetics
wooskincareandcosmetics.com
Best yoga studio
Highland Yoga
highland-yoga.com
Best hair salon
Vis-à-vis
visavisthesalon.com
Best small group training
Acceleration Fitness with Amber Ramga
accelerationfitness.com
Best brows salon
The Cosmetic Market
thecosmeticmarket.com
Best nails salon
Nouvelle
nouvellenailspa.com
Best hair removal studio
Sweet Peach Wax Studio
sweetpeachwax.com
Best green beauty store
Fig & Flower Natural Beauty
shopfigandflower.com
Best strength training
The Training Room
thetrainingroomatl.com
Check out our other Best of Atlanta 2018 winners:
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