Pick-Your-Own Hydroponic Garden/Fitness Studio Opening in South Philly
Sketch of pick-your-own prep area at Hydropose Studio | By Jacinthia Clark
“When you come in, you’re greeted by a raised lawn area. You see the herbs, you smell the space,” Hydropose owner Billy Mestichelli tells me. You probably wouldn’t guess he’s talking about a yoga/dance/Pilates studio, but he is. Hydropose Studio, opening at 1903 South Broad Street September 12th, will offer yoga, Pilates and dance in a studio filled with hydroponically grown plants, which members of the studio can pick themselves. Think: rosemary, chocolate basil, lavender, mint, micro greens, lettuces, and more.
Yeah, it sounds kind of like a dream, right?
So, how’d this magical dreamland end up in South Philly? Well, it all just sort of happened, Mestichelli tells me. He, his sister and his father bought the building on South Broad Street three years ago. His father, a dentist, set up shop downstairs, and they soon realized they needed to put the top two floors to good use. As Mestichelli, a former contestant coordinator for Survivor, explains, “I thought, wouldn’t it be really nice to have a place where I can go to breathe, relax and take some yoga classes?” And then he realized he had the perfect space for it.
He returned from a work trip mid-yoga-studio construction and was struck by how large the space was; they could do more than just make it a yoga studio, he realized. And that’s where the hydroponic herbs came in. As Mestichelli, who travelled for work for years and would often seek out herbalists on his work trips, explains, “I’ve always been into herbal remedies. The power of it really suits me.”
So, not only will the studio have walls of pick-your-own herbs and produce, they’ll also have an apothecary-type area with tons of dried herbs and dried flowers, and in-house herbalists who can whip you up a tea blend.
But enough about herbs, what about the whole studio part of it? Well, the studio will offer a range of yoga and mat Pilates classes plus a Sunday morning dance class called Sweat the Sabbath, essentially a 90-minute long dance party. Your first class will run you $5, and single classes after that will cost you $10. They’ll also offer five-class packs for $40, 10-class packs for $70 and monthly unlimited memberships for $100. Anyone who takes a class at the studio is welcome to pick their own herbs and produce once they’ve taken a pick-your-own tutorial from someone who works at the studio. The produce and herbs will be priced by weight.
And soon, there will be even more produce to pick from: The studio will be laying down the foundation for a large rooftop garden this fall, which will be available to members come spring. They’re also hoping to turn the second floor of the studio into a members’ lounge of sorts, and hopefully bring in some Pilates machines.
I know, I know, it’s a lot to wrap your head around. So to see it for yourself, go check it out: Hydropose’s grand opening will be held Saturday, September 12th, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and everyone is welcome. You can learn more about the studio here.
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