Nancy Floy, founder of the Heartwood Center, wants residents near the Dempster and Dodge intersection to know that this is where they want to be.

"This is our neighborhood of choice," she said Monsay afternoon.

Floy was speaking at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the center's new location, 1818 Dempster. "This is a community that's already been uplifted," Floy said. "This is our home."

The Heartwood Center opened in 1999, and in September it moved from it's original space downtown into its new location. Charlotte Christian, an acupuncturist with the center for five years says that the move "feels right. It's more physically accessible and I love the neighborhood feel."

It's little wonder that Christian feels at home. The mission of the holistic health center is to unite massage therapists, psychiatrists and other healers under one roof in a kind of collective that benefits all of them as they consult and help one another with their businesses. "It's like a physicians center," said Kim Pierceall, head of PR for Heartwood.

Also in attendance was Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl. The mayor had the honor of cutting the ribbon personally. "I'm pleased to see this business open in the face of a terrible recession," said Tisdahl as she cut the ribbon.

The Heartwood Center invites Evanston residents to an open house on Dec. 4.