Bathing is New York’s latest wellness obsession – Lore is making waves in the space

In New York City, a new wellness craze seems to materialise almost weekly, and the latest obsession for those seeking mind, body and spirit rejuvenation is bathing. Those in the know will be doing it at Lore, a new bathing club opening in NoHo in September 2025.

Founded by James O’Reilly and Adam Elzer, Lore is reimagining New York’s historic and multicultural bathing culture. The city’s bathing roots run deep – from the public bathhouses of the late-19th and early-20th centuries to the schvitzes brought by Jewish immigrants and the hammams introduced by Turkish and Middle Eastern communities.

Lore draws from these traditions and reinvents them for a new era. At the heart of the experience is contrast therapy, the practice of alternating hot and cold exposure. Widely used in physical therapy and sports medicine, contrast therapy is proven to reduce muscle soreness, stiffness and swelling, while improving circulation, mobility and tissue oxygenation. It also feels great.

‘While it’s been around for millennia, science now confirms what tradition always knew: regular sauna and cold water immersion sessions enrich health. The key isn't longer sessions but greater frequency – at least twice weekly,’ explains O’Reilly.

To that end, Lore operates on a membership model, offering unlimited access seven days a week, from 7am to 11pm. Early access pricing starts at $89 per week or $200 per month, encouraging members to visit regularly to fully unlock the benefits of contrast therapy.

Importantly, Lore isn’t a luxury spa – and doesn’t aspire to be. You won’t find high-touch treatments or à la carte add-ons here. Instead, it’s a return to essentials: rhythms and rituals rooted in human history and biology. The goal? Making bathing an intentional, habitual part of modern life. Central to Lore’s model, therefore, is the affordable fee, which is made possible by forgoing the over-programming of larger facilities.

The 6,200 sq ft space was designed in collaboration with Ilse Crawford of London-based Studioilse and realised by New York’s Ringo Studio. Described by the founders as a ‘sensory journey’, Lore uses warm travertine and textured floors to define the cold plunge areas, while rich alder wood and chocolate tones cocoon the saunas, and saturated red corridors create a bold transition between temperature zones. Natural materials and sculptural forms throughout evoke an elemental calm.

Lore taps into a broader cultural shift: the rise of experience-driven social spaces that aren’t bars or restaurants, and which ideally incorporate health and self-improvement. In this way, it captures the essence of sociologist Ray Oldenburg’s ‘third place’ – somewhere that is neither home nor work, and which is increasingly relevant as the boundaries between the two blur.

To call Lore the culmination of a trend is perhaps incorrect. It is a timely evolution of an ancient practice, allowing you to tune out the noise and into the body. As Elzer puts it: ‘In the heat, everything softens and it is easier to listen. And in the cold, everything sharpens, allowing you to surrender and overcome.’

Opening September 2025. Pricing starts at $89 per week or $200 per month.