![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4F757AC8-0760-4E7D-BCAA-62AA8E4CC1FB-1-1.jpeg\")
Former roommates Alexis Mendias and Jaqueline Padilla bonded as recent transplants to New York, craving caffeinated walks and connection with other Latinas \u2014 a vision they turned into City Se\u00f1oras. Credit: City Se\u00f1oras<\/p>\nFor Alexis Mendias and Jaqueline Padilla, it\u2019s always women\u2019s month \u2014 a time of se\u00f1oras. The self-care social club they created, City Se\u00f1oras, empowers Latinas and women of color to embrace a mindset that resists always being \u201con.\u201d<\/p>\n
Being in your se\u00f1ora era may include heading to bed earlier, gardening and being a \u2018plant mama\u2019 surrounded by flowers in your home. It can mean\u00a0 making the home remedies your mom used to shove down your throat, choosing wine night with the girls instead of clubbing and generally slowing down enough to taste the cafecito. It\u2019s a wellness take that embraces roots, life changes and balancing self with community.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For the two Californians of Mexican descent, City Se\u00f1oras was as much about meeting other Latinas as it was about self-care. \u201cIn a place like New York, you can just be so go, go, go that we wanted the things that we did to gather together to be a little slower and intentional for people to connect,\u201d Mendias said.<\/p>\n
Not just a lottery game\u00a0<\/p>\n
Former roommates Alexis Mendias and Jaqueline Padilla bonded as recent transplants to New York, craving caffeinated walks and connection with other Latinas \u2014 a vision they turned into City Se\u00f1oras. Credit: City Se\u00f1oras<\/p>\n
In March 2022, Mendias and Padilla were recent transplants and roommates in Brooklyn. They bonded over shared homesickness and a desire to speak Spanglish with their tribe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2018I miss my walks with my primas,\u2019\u201d Padilla recalls telling Mendias one day in the kitchen. \u201c\u2018We both see other Latinas. I see them every day as I\u2019m on the subway. How do we create a space where we get together? How do I find my people?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Their first trial: a game of Loter\u00eda<\/a> (Mexican lottery) in McCarren Park. Only the two of them showed up, but they made the most of that Loter\u00eda session, including an impromptu photo shoot. They posted the pictures online as a vision of what their community could look like: intimate, with women open to activities rooted in their culture and ideally in nature.\u00a0<\/p>\n When brainstorming early on, the founders wanted something that captured the feeling of slowing down without withdrawing from the world. Being a \u201cse\u00f1ora\u201d meant embracing calm while staying active in the city. They had already seen such natural forms of self-care modeled by women in their families. \u201cI definitely saw even making coffee super slow in the morning, that being sacred time to connect with yourself before giving to others,\u201d Mendias said. \u201cI see even dancing on the weekend while you\u2019re cleaning as a form of expression and self-care.\u201d<\/p>\n How to grow a community<\/p>\n Two weeks later, the roommates organized a second event: trivia night at a nearby woman-owned brewery. This time, a few more people showed up. The following month, they kept their expectations low as they planned their first community cafecito and walk in the park. Even as the RSVP list grew and messages poured in, they thought maybe five (or at most 15) women would come.<\/p>\n Instead, nearly 80 women arrived at the coffee shop asking the same question: \u201cIs this for City Se\u00f1oras?\u201d<\/p>\n The turnout \u201cblew us away,\u201d Padilla said. Caffeinated walks became their \u201cbread and butter,\u201d simple events that felt natural. \u201cIt\u2019s already part of our culture: you start the day with coffee and then go for a walk,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat made it successful is other people also realizing, \u2018There\u2019s other people like me and this is where we can find them.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n The concept of \u201cCity Se\u00f1oras\u201d also resonated with many young professionals, especially first-generation women navigating big cities while balancing ambition and personal wellbeing. Leveraging social media and representation helped spread the word. \u201cJust showing people what it looked like to be at our events \u2014 that visual of \u2018That person looks like me, that person does what I want to do or what I already do or want to do more of,\u2019\u201d Mendias said.<\/p>\n Some therapists even started recommending City Se\u00f1oras events to clients who were struggling with loneliness. The lack of Latina representation in mainstream wellness spaces compounds the need for something more, Mendias said: \u201cHow many studios do you go to and you don\u2019t see yourself?\u201d<\/p>\n How to co-build<\/p>\n As attendance grew, twice-monthly events expanded to yoga, sound baths and creative workshops that included pairings such as rum tasting and journaling. Even simple gatherings included playful activities to help attendees meet new people, informed in part by\u00a0 Priya Parker\u2019s \u201cThe Art of Gathering.<\/a>\u201d They were all shaped by community feedback via Instagram, newsletter surveys and website inquiries.<\/p>\n Some members even helped connect the founders to spaces and facilitators. A coffee shop employee partnered on a fundraiser, and the Dominican owner of a yoga studio hosted hot yoga for what was many participants\u2019 first class.<\/p>\n Scaling down and balance\u00a0<\/p>\n Mendias eventually moved back to Los Angeles to close the distance in a long-distance relationship, which became an opportunity to start a second branch of City Se\u00f1oras there. Operating in two cities required constant texting and adapting events to local realities. Outdoor yoga and sound baths in parks worked better there.\u00a0<\/p>\n The co-founders have begun embracing City Se\u00f1oras\u2019 ethos of slowing down. Hosting two events a month became overwhelming, so the founders scaled back to one. They also took December off to focus on family and rest. Organizing fewer events allowed them to create intimate experiences and still participate fully.Today, City Se\u00f1oras operates as an LLC, with most events costing about $25 and more involved workshops (such as an upcoming floral design and photo session in Los Angeles<\/a>) priced up to $85. Fees largely\u00a0 cover facilitators, venues and materials. The mission remains helping people step out of isolation and into shared experiences. And while it all started with homesickness in New York, the founders are exploring ways to expand to other cities.<\/p>\n \u2014<\/p>\n City Se\u00f1oras<\/a><\/p>\n Check out events and more on their website<\/a>. <\/p>\n Follow on @citysenoras<\/a>. <\/p>\n Follow on TikTok at @citysenoras<\/a>.<\/p>\n \t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_1827-1-1-scaled-e1773719869284-1024x819.jpeg\")
While City Se\u00f1oras offers workshops ranging from sound baths to guided rum tastings, caffeinated walks are its \u201cbread and butter\u201d for connecting women and encouraging them to slow down. Credit: City Se\u00f1oras<\/p>\n