La Choza Day Spa

After working at other beauty establishments, aesthetician Angelica McCoy wanted to create a space where she could both pamper her guests and pay homage to her Mexican heritage. She has accomplished both of those goals at La Choza Day Spa. As she told KRON 4 in 2009, La Choza—which translates to "the little hut"—is meant to recreate the ambience of a cozy, south-of-the-border village. In the reception area, red Spanish-tile accents and paintings of cacti and beachside scenes promote an atmosphere of rustic tranquility.

Besides offering facials, massages, nail services, and body treatments individually, McCoy and her team bundle them into spa packages; for example, the romance package for two includes spa pedicures and candlelit side-by-side massages on rose-petal-dappled treatment beds. And there are treatments for all ages here—together with her daughter, McCoy designed a menu of teen services specifically designed to combat issues such as stress or acne caused by thinking about algebra too much.