“It’s like a country club without a golf course,” remarked Natalie Bushaw, vice president of corporate communications and public relations at Life Time, describing the newest location of the national healthy lifestyle brand. Life Time recently expanded its footprint with the opening of its North Druid Hills location, the eighth Life Time in Atlanta and the first in DeKalb County.
“Walking in the door certainly doesn’t feel like walking into a gym,” Bushaw said, “and it isn’t a gym; it’s much more.” Members, she said, are greeted at a concierge desk, where they discuss their goals for the visit and create a plan.
The new Life Time is on the 8-acre site of the former Athletic Club Northeast, once “Atlanta’s most exclusive athletic country and racquet club, catering to high consumer desire for premier health, wellness, and social experiences for singles, couples and families,” according to Life Time’s announcement of the new location, which opened in mid-December.
Some of the people who had belonged to the old Athletic Club Northeast have joined the new Life Time facility and are impressed with the new state-of-the-art amenities, according to Tara Esmiel, lead general manager of the location. “We’re so excited to bring this top-quality lifestyle facility to the area.”
Life Time calls the North Druid Hills location “a stunning, one-level, 65,000-square-foot indoor club, complemented by outdoor spaces designed for relaxation and racquet sports. The resort-style outdoor area features a beach club and pool deck, complete with a luxurious leisure pool, private cabanas and chairs, and a bistro.”
There also is a five-lane indoor lap pool along with a courtside lounge and bar for viewing and post-match socials.
The facility features 12 outdoor racquet sport courts for both pickleball and tennis. “The old Athletic Club Northeast was known for tennis, and we want to continue that tradition,” Bushaw said. “Pickleball became popular during the pandemic and continues to be popular.” There also are three indoor pickleball courts.
Inside, there is a spacious fitness floor with what Life Time describes as “industry-leading cardio and strength-based equipment, free weights, and kettlebells” along with “five boutique studios for barre, cycling, group fitness, hot and traditional yoga and Pilates, featuring Life Time’s exclusive class collection. Additionally, there are dedicated spaces for its signature group training programs, Alpha, GTX and UltraFit. Overall, nearly 150 classes led by Atlanta’s top performers will be offered each week.”
While parents are experiencing the facility, their children can spend time at Kids Academy, where there are specially designed classes and programming for children 3 months to 11 years old. “This is a highly secure area,” Bushaw pointed out. “No one can come in or out without authorization. Parents don’t have to worry about their children getting out and wandering around other parts of the facility.”
At LifeCafe, members can get meals or snacks, including a build-your-own bowl station and grab-and-go assortments. They can order food from any place in the facility. “If, for example, someone is finishing a workout and wants to have food, they can order it and have it ready and waiting for them when they get to LifeCafe,” Bushaw said. LifeCafe also has a variety of nutritional supplements available.
“We’ve seen tremendous growth in the demand for our Life Time offerings in Georgia since we entered the market in 2006. The opening of North Druid Hills further addresses this and continues elevating our offerings with the enhanced social, training, recovery, play and relaxation experiences it delivers,” said Parham Javaheri, president of Club Operations and chief of Property Development. “With this opening, along with our recent multi-million-dollar renovation at Peachtree Corners and the scheduled 2025 opening at Perimeter—another location we acquired and are transforming into a premier Life Time destination—we’re continuing to grow our portfolio in a variety of ways.”
