Editor’s Letter

[ EDITOR’S LETTER ]

Families can be as complex as they are wonderful.

A melting pot of different personalities, perspectives, genetic codes, backgrounds, jobs and changing life situations comes together to make every family unique in its own right and with its own set of challenges. While I came from a rather conventional home with married parents, two kids and one dog, my parents are European, and my father’s job moved us around the world, so we navigated new places, people and lifestyle changes together every few years during my childhood. The revolving door of countries, homes, schools and friends taught me to be resilient in the face of change and to be open to cultures and perspectives different from my own. It also showed me that family comes first.

In the May cover story, our goal is to help you navigate some of the challenges you might face with your own family. The prospect of planning for aging parents or adopting a child might feel daunting, for example, but Giannina S. Bedford and Amy Meadows outline what you should consider by speaking with some of Buckhead’s top experts. For others, getting pregnant or figuring out how to co-parent well during divorce might be the current, most pressing issue. Meadows reports on several of today’s cutting-edge reproductive innovations, and Michael Jacobs provides sound advice for talking through the grief of parental breakups with kids. Jacobs also pens a story on financial planning for your family, with takeaways for everyone—seriously, read it.

Of course, the word “family” doesn’t mean the same to everybody. There’s the family you choose, and the family you don’t. For some, chosen family members are close friends—or furbabies. In this issue, you’ll find pet-friendly patios where you can dine with all your buddies, a delicious Daisy cocktail recipe to shake up as you entertain at home, design inspiration from a historic Brookhaven abode to makeover your spaces, fabulous immersive art experiences in our Happenings pages for a night out and much more.

Wishing you a happy, healthy May with your family. Karina Antenucci

SIMPLY NOW

PETS

Dog Days P26

Come summer, Atlanta’s restaurants prep their outdoor patios for foodies and dogs alike.

Looking for a patio that's welcoming of your pup? Consider JCT. Kitchen & Bar at Westside Provisions District.

Photo: Heidi Geldhauser-Harris

NEWS

BY: Ginger Strejcek

SERENITY NOW

FREE THE BODY AND MIND AT A FLOAT SPA IN BUCKHEAD

Discover the therapeutic benefits of float therapy at Floasis in Buckhead with state-of-the-art float tanks and infrared saunas.

Feeling frazzled? Shut out the world for 60 minutes of bliss at Floasis on Roswell Road in Buckhead. The recently opened center offers floatation therapy, which is essentially floating inside a sensory-free pod, to alleviate stress and soothe aches and pains. Infrared saunas are also on-site.

“A lot of people don’t know quite what to expect but have been blown away at how relaxed their bodies and minds feel after a float,” says David Munn, owner of Floasis. “The float tank is the only place where you can escape the pull of gravity. You don’t realize how much that affects you until it’s been taken away.”

A 29-year hair stylist saddled with chronic back pain following an injury and multiple surgeries, Munn found float therapy as a way to help ease pain without medication. Seeing a need for this in their area, he and his wife, Tonya, a medical aesthetician, opened up shop.

The float sessions are held in four private rooms where users are lulled into a meditative state of Zen in the cocoon-like pods. The body is naturally buoyed in 10 inches of heated water infused with Epsom salt. The pod lid can be closed to fully block light and sound or left open, pending preference.

“Our goal was to create a modern facility that everyone could feel comfortable visiting,” Munn says of the space with chic, minimalist decor. Each float is $88 for 60 minutes ($69 for first visit) and memberships are available. n

FLOASIS

3655 Roswell Road, Suite 85 Atlanta 30342 404.500.3100 floasisatlanta.com

NEWS CLIPS

LUXE LINE FOR MEN

Get your street cred swagger on at Todd Patrick’s first brick-and-mortar shop in Atlanta. Designer Desyree “Des” Nicole launched the luxury menswear brand in 2016, infusing a multicultural vibe into ready-to-wear and bespoke pieces made in New York City. Shop relaxed knitwear, silk tops and cropped jackets from the vibrant Rolling Sunsets collection, along with T-shirts, lounge pants and joggers to chill at home. Some items will be exclusive to the Buckhead Village location.

toddpatrick.co

A TASTE OF ITALY

Bring home the flavors of Italy from Baffi Provisions on the Westside. An extension of Chef Jonathan Waxman’s recently opened restaurant, Baffi, the market offers freshly prepared foods and pantry favorites for savory meals at home. Pick up ricotta manicotti or eggplant caponata for dinner, stock up on ingredients such as dried pastas and farro, or opt for a five-pound farmer’s box packed with local produce. The market opens at 2 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, with a la carte menu items from Executive Chef Andrew Cacioppo after 5 p.m.

baffiatlanta.com

COOKING FOR A CAUSE

When COVID hit, residential developer Marc Pollack of Sandy Springs headed to the kitchen, whipping up meals with fresh ingredients from his wife Robin’s garden. Now he’s sharing the fruits of his labor in

Chez Marc’s Quarantine

Cookbook ($29.95), packed with food and drink recipes such as Snapper Ceviche, Spatchcocked Chicken and Watermelon, Strawberry and Pineapple Vodka Slush. Proceeds from the new cookbook benefit the Gateway Center, supporting Pollack’s advocacy work for affordable housing and homelessness. “My goal at the end of the day is to try to take the things that I know how to do and to turn them into making the world a better place,” Pollack says.

marrofoundation.org