I have discovered tons of new restaurants, stores, and food that I want to share. It’s city life with a vegan twist.
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
Hi! I just came across this awesome vegan restaurant guide today!
http://www.friendsofanimals.org/programs/vegetarianism/restaurant-guides/NY_Guide.pdf
Check it out! There are so many places it is hard to recommend just one! I love Red Bamboo (the wings and the cheesecake), but it is in the West Village downtown.
You also HAVE to check out the Cinnamon Snail food truck, it parks all over. You can check their facebook or twitter to see when they are in midtown.
Nalini Method
Overall Score: 5/5
Facility: 5/5
Difficulty: 5/5
Class: Nalini Method
I would classify the Nalini Method as a Pilates, Barre, Yoga hybrid and a great work out! If you look around the class at the Nalini Method you can see for yourself that it produces results! Unfortunately for me I live too far from the upper west side to attend regularly, but if you’re on the UWS you should check it out!
Broadway Bodies
Overall Score:5/5
Facility:3/5
Difficulty:4/5
Class: GLEEful Class
Broadway Bodies does a great job coming up with fun alternative workouts for people who love theater and dance. I decided to try the Glee class where you dance to songs from Glee. For the first thirty minutes you follow along to a pre-choreographed easy to follow warm up routine to various Glee songs. Then for the second half hour you learn chorography to a new Glee song usually from an recently aired episode. I didn’t love the rehearsal facility, but otherwise I enjoyed the class!
Doonya
Overall Score:5/5
Facility:5/5 (Chelsea location)
Difficulty: 5/5
Class: Doonya
This class turned out to be one of my favorites, which came as a total surprise, because it was unlike anything I had ever tried before! For an hour you movie consistently to Bollywood Music with dance moves even I found easy to follow. Even with no training I was able to jump right in and got one of the best cardio workouts I have had in years. I highly recommended trying a class, especially if you are looking for a fun way to do a cardio workout!
Uplift
Overall Score: 5/5
Facility: 5/5
Difficulty: 4.5/5
Class: Uplifting: Total Body Cardio/Strength
Uplift is a women’s only gym in Flatiron that offers cardio and strength training group exercise as well as personal training. The main aspect of this gym that makes it stand out is the atmosphere! I took an 7pm class and at 8pm when the class was over girls from the 6pm class were still there! After class the girls hung around for a post exercise glass of wine and salad. The staff welcoming vibe as well as the books and magazines lining the gym wall makes Uplift a great location for a girls night.
Body Space Fitness
Overall Score: 5/5
Facility: 5/5
Difficulty: 5/5
Class: Body Camp
Body Space Fitness is primarily a personal training studio that offers an affordable personal training alternative to some of the pricier gyms out there. Recently they began offering small group exercise classes. The class I took, body camp, consisted of challenging circuit training in a small group with lots of individual attention. If you are looking for a personal trainer but can’t afford $100 plus a pop check out Body Space Fitness! The small group exercise classes are $30 each.
Sacred Sounds Yoga, Inc
Overall score: 5/5
Facility: 5/5
Difficulty: 4/5
Class: Open Unnata® Aerial Yoga
Sacred Sounds is a small studio in the lower east side that offers a variety of styles of yoga and tai chi. Naturally, I had to try out the aerial yoga class, something I had never done before. The class was really fun and totally different then anything I have ever tried. I surprised myself when I was able to do all of the poses (including the one pictured above!). It was a beginner class so the teacher took her time carefully instructing us on how to do each pose. I prefer yoga that is a bit faster paced, but I have a feeling the advanced aerial classes where everyone knows what they are doing are a bit more energetic. Overall, I would say it is worth it to go and learn a new work out style! They seem to be moderately priced as well, compared to some other places in NYC and they have student and senior discounts!
Petal NYC
Overall score: 5/5
Facility: 5/5
Difficulty: 5/5
Class: 30/30
The next class I tried was the 30/30 class at Petal NYC. Thirty minutes of high-energy spin followed by a thirty minute total body work out with their TRX system proved to be a fantastic workout. You know how at most gyms you want to show up to a spin class at least 20 minutes early to make sure you are not stuck at the bike that’s petals/seat/resistance don’t work? Not at Petal NYC. All of the equipment was expertly maintained and you can reserve classes online to ensure you have a spot. If it weren’t for their location on West End (which took me an hour to get to) I would have gone back. If you live near enough to make it work, I highly recommend it!
