A Day in the Life of the San Diego Well-Heeled

The pristine high-rise on Tenth Avenue, DiamondView Tower, has quickly become a powerhouse of modern luxury.

With generous vantage points into PETCO Park from all posh corners of the upscale commercial building, tenants are few but mighty, and slowly filling the much anticipated space.

Pioneering the expansion is Well-Heeled, a now well-known spa and salon that epitomizes understated luxe. While originally marketed for men as the first gentleman's spa to hit San Diego, Well-Heeled has officially opened its doors to women, a new transformation only enhancing the masculine allure.

In 19th century aristocratic European society, elite stature was ultimately defined by the quality of one's shoe heels. While this culture's many tiers prided themselves in finely tailored clothing, the economic divide revealed itself in the details, specifically the shoe heels. Those fortunate enough, or driven enough, to refine all aspects of appearance, the well-heeled, were invited to the top tier - a regal realm showered in the utmost elegance.

San Diego in 2008 offers a fresh perspective on aristocracy, yet the upper crust of society still commands the lap of luxury. Only now the elements of divide are sprinkled throughout the avenues of modern culture. From escalading nightlife to gourmet dining and supreme splurges in designer boutique shopping, the locally upscale know how to live it up in San Diego. Of course, it still all starts with a delicious pair of Christian Louboutins.

Well-Heeled is the chosen spa and salon of the local affluent array. While this East Village locale is one of the few venues in which you will often find a group of middle aged men sipping Black and Tans, lounging in black leather spa chairs, enjoying a weekly pedicure and predicting the upcoming Padres season - this spa and salon no longer caters only to a male clientele.

The recent partnership with the AVEDA skincare line in early 2008 spurred a new vision within the supremely Well-Heeled visionaries, Mario Vigil and Alex Mendez. Well-Heeled now services both men and women, embracing the power of the pair, while forever keeping the individual in mind. In the ultimate haven for top of the line AVEDA spa and salon services, the well-heeled elite of San Diego come together as one.

A Day Escape to the World of Well-Heeled

Busied by the everyday demands of the working world, San Diego professionals hardly have time to experience a day of true pampering. Today, DiscoverSD.com makes time for a day at Well-Heeled. Discover the all-new AVEDA Well-Heeled, from a male and female perspective - CEO, Jeff Smith and Editor-in-Chief, yours truly.

Meet DiamondView Towers on the East Village end of Tenth Avenue. Guests enter the marble floored lobby and stroll to the furthest left entryway where the strong Well-Heeled lion crest nods an earnest, sophisticated greeting. A modest reception area houses an AVEDA product display, and here Well-Heeled staff welcome and lead new guests to the waiting lounge and bar.

Sitting in large chocolate brown leather lounge chairs neighbored by a chic weathered wood coffee table topped with sprawled magazines, we sip AVEDA herbal tea and gaze out the tall window panes overlooking PETCO Park. The internal bar hosts cocktail hour from morning until evening, featuring select beers alongside neat cocktails. While guests await the touch of luxury, they can sit at the corner bar or lounge in leather and browse the magazine display expertly selected for him and her.

The north end of the venue houses the signature Porsche designed salon with a handful of deep brown salon seats facing oversize vertical mirrors. Suspending hairdryers hang overhead and soft steel accents subtly enhance the predominant black and brown hues. An edgy stylist with a flash of brilliant pink running through her black bob performs a gentle scalp massage and prepares for an expert cut. Two seats down, a slightly older male client appears sublime post straight razor shave, while his shoes are shined and detailed with care.

Well-Heeled's south side is a dual feature nail salon and spa. Grayish-blue walls adorned with subtle metallic framed designs starring various shades of blue soften the black and steel industrial ceiling. The signature lion crest peers over the spa, sitting confidently between two chrome encased lanterns, protecting the stark black lineup of leather spa pedicure seats below. Nail service booths and salon sinks also fill the room, while a walkway reveals the rest of the spa waiting behind an unassuming door.

Escorted to the individual spa services sector of Well-Heeled, the DiscoverSD.com CEO, Jeff Smith, opts for a Deep Tissue Massage. According to AVEDA, "a well-balanced massage ... increase[s] flexibility, circulation and muscle tone... Mentally they enhance your ability to manage stress, improve quality of sleep ... and even aid in memory improvement." Each Well-Heeled massage is infused with specific AVEDA Nature Formulas to evoke and restore the body to a natural state of being.

The Deep Tissue Massage caters to the more active man or woman, and aims to relieve lactic acid build-up and keeps your muscles in a relaxed state to prevent muscle strain. The knowledgeable Well-Heeled esthetician inquired about Jeff's lifestyle and related problem areas in order to tailor the Deep Tissue Massage to meet his specific needs. As Jeff spends long hours behind a desk, his muscle strains are completely different from a more active businessman that travels about town. Well-Heeled understands the diversity of their clientele, and takes every extra step to meet individual demands.

The AVEDA aromas soothed Jeff into a peaceful state, and he was grateful not to be disturbed by the "standard 'whales underwater' music most spas play." In addition to the subtle, pleasant music, Jeff appreciated the consistent tone throughout the spa and salon. Through male eyes Well-Heeled is "a luxury relaxation refuge for guys, and feels uniquely like somewhere a guy can comfortably hang out and get pampered."

Across the spa, my esthetician performed a custom facial with natural AVEDA products. The gentle touch of the AVEDA line transforms a facial from a necessary but unpleasant experience to a truly rejuvenating hour of indulgence. As I relaxed cocooned in warm towels, I explained my skin state, trying to keep my ignorant comments to a minimum. My esthetician happily translated and fancied up a custom facial to suit my skin's winter needs. Combining mild exfoliation with light Microdermabrasion and revitalizing masks and moisturizers, my skin left Well-Heeled soft and radiant, and surprisingly unscathed.

As most women (and men) can attest, there is a less-than-glamorous side of spa rituals, and busy professionals simply do not have time to accommodate appearance glitches during a long day of work followed by dinner meetings and social events into the evening. I can confidently say your personally - and professionally - important skin is safe in the hands of the Well-Heeled estheticians.

Following the Well-Heeled lead in DiamondView Towers is FIT San Diego, the up and coming luxury fitness center making a steady move into the Tenth Avenue high-rise. While already open for business as of late February, 2008 - FIT has big plans for every inch of the 46,000 square foot two-story, multi-faceted space, including an outdoor pool and spa lounge, outdoor yoga loft overlooking PETCO Park, a 70 foot waterfall wall, independent studios for spin, aerobics, martial arts, and oh, so much more.

Recalling what Jeff and I buzzed about while browsing through the emerging epicenter of downtown luxury - DiamondView Towers is destined to quickly become a hotbed for San Diego's young professional network and industry elite. On only the second day of business, industry leaders from the Keating Hotel were toning on the state of the art equipment while making plans for the night to follow.