As We See It

Detox and retox: Checking out the nightlife scene at a suburban gym

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Life Time Athletic put on its Hot Havana Nights party May 23.

It doesn’t smell like socks, and my P.E. teacher isn’t calling out dance-move maneuvers from a megaphone. But I’m at a dance party at a gym. Wait, what?

That seventh-grade reality got upgraded Saturday night, when Life Time Athletic’s recently opened Green Valley location put on a party at its Poolside Bar. Juxtaposed to the lavish club’s closed, Olympic-sized pool, members and interested guests took in the gym’s second-ever nightlife-themed bash (after a recent Roaring ’20s party), ditching their spring water for wine spritzers and sweat-wicking spandex for maxi dresses and polo shirts. Partygoers might have checked in with their barcoded Life Time membership card (or paid a $20 cover charge, for non-members), but once they made their way through the locker rooms it was luxe Vegas nightlife all the way—from poolside mojitos to fire dancers and a Latin-infused Top 40 playlist spun by a DJ. This might be a bougie bash in the ’burbs, but it definitely didn’t feel like it.

“Who are we trying to impress?” said one workout gear-clad member as she eyed the bar’s complimentary cucumber- and lemon-infused H2O. With treadmills and weight equipment just yards away, some attendees were simply enjoying the club’s amenities, but the line at the bar said the majority of Life Time’s Saturday night sweaters were there to get their dance on. Life Time’s Kevin Siegel says quarterly parties are being planned at the health club, as a fireworks-packed pool palooza has been slated for the July Fourth weekend.

And if Saturday night’s MDW crowd was any indication, Independence Day should be a great one to get your red, white and booze on at Green Valley’s newest fitness mecca. So, suburbanites, how about some cardio and cocktails? It’s time to detox … and retox.

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