Paloma House opens in north St. Pete as a women-centered hub for fitness, co-working, and community
/Paloma House, a women-centered community space, is now open in north St. Pete | Paloma House
A new women-centered community space has debuted in north St. Pete with a mission rooted in connection, support, and the realities of modern womanhood.
Paloma House is now open at 10787 Oak Street NE, bringing together co-working, wellness programming, play-care, and onsite providers in a Mediterranean-inspired setting designed to feel more like a home than a traditional workspace.
Founder Sophie Moenter, a St. Pete local for more than 25 years and professional wedding and family photographer, said the idea for Paloma House emerged after becoming a first-time mom to her son, Remy, and realizing how difficult it can be to find genuine community during that stage of life.
“When I became a mom, I realized how essential community is—and how hard it is to find one that feels real, welcoming, and inspiring,” Moenter told St. Pete Rising during a tour of the property. “I wanted to create a space where women could show up fully, without feeling like they had to choose between who they are and how they live.”
Owner of Paloma House Sophie Moenter and her son Remy | Paloma House
Initially, Moenter began hosting informal coffee dates and small gatherings for local mothers, many of whom were navigating early motherhood without nearby family or established support systems.
Those meetups quickly grew into a community known as The Mom Collective, with attendance steadily increasing as word spread.
As the group outgrew Moenter’s downtown photo studio, she began envisioning a permanent space that could support connection, work, wellness, and family life under one roof.
To bring her vision to life, Moenter teamed up with one of her most trusted childhood friend Melissa Darr, the founding director of Paloma House, to create the 8,000-square-foot, 1.8-acre destination built to support women through every season of life.
Inside, the space includes a playhouse, a social lounge, a light-filled co-working area, a wellness studio, a café, and a huge backyard.
The playhouse at Paloma House | Paloma House
Optional onsite play-care allows mothers to attend a fitness class, focus on work, or meet with a provider while remaining onsite and closely connected to their children.
“The goal is to bridge that gap for mothers after maternity leave but before their kids enter preschool,” Moenter said. “For women who work remotely or have flexibility, it gives them a way to get things done outside of the house while still feeling close to their little one.”
Programming at Paloma House runs throughout the day, with a steady calendar of events designed for both women and families.
Daily offerings include Mommy & Me meetups, Music & Me, and Sensory Studio sessions for kids, alongside fitness and wellness classes such as Sweat-Lift-Roll, mid-day HIIT, mat Pilates, Tiny Dancers (a babywearing dance class), prenatal yoga, and stretch and restore.
The space also hosts networking events for women in business and entrepreneurs, movie nights, family picnics, and other community gatherings.
The backyard at Paloma House | Paloma House
In addition to shared community spaces, Paloma House serves as a home base for a range of women- and mom-owned providers offering services that support families from pregnancy through postpartum and beyond.
Onsite providers include Sophie Natalie Photography, Moenter’s own business focused on motherhood and family storytelling; Florida Birth Movement, which offers birth education and movement-based prenatal and postpartum care; Lactation Loop, providing evidence-based lactation and infant feeding support; Haven Pelvic Health, specializing in pelvic floor physical therapy for women; Therapy By Her and Natalie Schneider Counseling, both offering women-centered mental health care; Speech Therapy of Pinellas, which supports children with speech, language, and feeding development; and House Calls for Kids, a pediatric practice offering in-home and telemedicine care.
The property also includes Bean Wandering, a St. Pete-based coffee company serving canned iced lattes onsite.
Moenter said bringing these services together in one place was intentional, with the goal of making support feel accessible rather than overwhelming.
The fitness studio at Paloma House | Paloma House
“I wanted women to be able to walk into one place and feel supported in multiple ways,” she said. “These are trusted providers doing really important work, and Paloma House gives them a shared home where community can naturally grow around that care.”
The design and philosophy behind Paloma House were inspired by Moenter’s travels through Greece and Italy, where slow mornings, shared meals, and spaces designed for conversation shaped the rhythm of daily life.
“Those places were built for lingering,” Moenter said. “They were designed for connection, and Paloma House was imagined as a way to bring that feeling home.”
Paloma House will host a grand opening celebration on Sunday, February 22nd, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., inviting the community to tour the property, meet onsite providers, and enjoy food, drinks, music, activities for kids, and more.
The lobby at Paloma House | Paloma House
As Paloma House opens its doors to the St. Pete community, Moenter hopes it becomes a place women return to again and again—not out of obligation, but because it feels grounding, familiar, and supportive.
“I want women to feel like they belong here,” she said. “Modern womanhood is layered and ever-evolving, and Paloma House exists to support all of it.”
Membership options start at $50 per month, with additional tiers available, though drop-in pricing is also offered for individual classes and events.
Paloma House is also available for private events, from baby and bridal showers, kids birthdays, weddings and more.
More information about Paloma House, including memberships, programming, and upcoming events, can be found through the organization’s website and Instagram.
The outdoor patio at Paloma House | Paloma House
