Carolyn Stanley

Jumping on the health and fitness train isn’t a fad—it’s a lifestyle! A good place to start is by joining one of these NYC gyms. We understand finding the perfect fitness center that won't cost you an arm and a leg can feel like a huge feat. We prefer you save your precious energy for the gym, so we’ve sweated through the city’s most budget-friendly health clubs across all five boroughs to ease your search. Here’s our essential list of our favorite places to get our blood pumping which offer memberships among other perks like new fitness classes (and some non-traditional, weird fitness classes, too). Dive in and then go treat yourself to the best bagels in the city. You earned it. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to fitness in NYC

While gyms have finally begun to reopen, there's still some hesitation among New Yorkers about going in since the pandemic is still a reality. Thankfully, those of us not ready to return to the mat, equipment or punching bags indoors have a lot of options—fitness studios are still offering an outdoor option.   Even so, with cooler days ahead of us, you may just want to be outside as much as possible. These fitness classes offer a healthy dose of endorphins with a side of vitamin D. RECOMMENDED: Find the best NYC fitness classes and gyms

You may have already booked a reservation at one of the city's most romantic restaurants, but if you're looking for some of the best things to do on Valentine's Day, don't neglect New York City's unparalleled fitness scene. Some of our favorite boutique-fitness studios and gyms are sponsoring events like two-for-one deals, team challenges and massage workshops, or even raffling off prizes just for showing up. So whether you're rolling solo or with your S.O., check out our list to keep you moving this weekend—if only to burn off all that chocolate and candy.RECOMMENDED: Find more Valentine's Day ideas in NYC

New York City is a tough place to find an apartment. People panic about not getting enough for their money, which is why we take a weekly look at what it’s possible to get in this town for about $1,000 a person. (And we promise, there won’t be a nightmare apartment listing.) No one wants to end up in the world’s most depressing apartment, but not everyone has the cash to pay for the kind of place Obama could afford to rent if he moves to New York. So take a look at these affordable apartments in NYC but do so quickly because they will be gone before you know it. Come back next week for more of our top picks from real estate site Zumper’s inventory. And if you’re still struggling, try our NYC apartments guide.RECOMMENDED: A full guide to affordable apartments in NYC

New York City is a tough place to find an apartment. People panic about not getting enough for their money, which is why we take a weekly look at what it’s possible to get in this town for about $1,000 a person. (And we promise, there won’t be a nightmare apartment listing.) No one wants to end up in the world’s most depressing apartment, but not everyone has the cash to pay for the kind of place Obama could afford to rent if he moves to New York. So take a look at these affordable apartments in NYC but do so quickly because they will be gone before you know it. Come back next week for more of our top picks from real estate site Zumper’s inventory. And if you’re still struggling, try our NYC apartments guide.RECOMMENDED: A full guide to affordable apartments in NYC

New York City is a tough place to find an apartment. People panic about not getting enough for their money, which is why we take a weekly look at what it's possible to get in this town for about $1,000 a person. (And we promise, there won't be a nightmare apartment listing.) No one wants to end up in the world’s most depressing apartment but not everyone has the cash to pay for the kind of place Obama could afford to rent if he moves to New York. So take a look at these affordable apartments in NYC but do so quickly because they will be gone before you know it. Come back next week for more of our top picks from real estate site Zumper’s inventory. And if you’re still struggling, try our NYC apartments guide.RECOMMENDED: A full guide to affordable apartments in NYC

New York City is a tough place to find an apartment, as we all know. People panic about not getting enough for their money, which is why we take a weekly look at what you can get in this town for around $1,000 per person (and we promise, there’ll be no nightmare apartment listing). No one wants to end up in the world’s most depressing apartment (and equally, not everyone has the cash to get the kind of place Obama could afford to rent if he moves to New York), so take a look at these affordable apartments in NYC—but do it quickly, because they will be gone before you know it. Come back next week for more of our top picks from real-estate site Zumper’s inventory. And if you’re still struggling, try our NYC apartments guide.RECOMMENDED: A full guide to affordable apartments in NYC

New York City is a tough place to find an apartment, as we all know. People panic about not getting enough for their money, which is why we’re taking a weekly look at what you can get in this town for around $1,000 per person (and we promise, there’ll be no nightmare apartment listing). No one wants to end up in the world’s most depressing apartment (and equally, not everyone has the cash to get the kind of place Obama could afford to rent if he moves to New York), so take a look at these affordable apartments in NYC—but do it quickly, because they will be gone before you know it. Come back next week for more of our top picks from real-estate site Zumper’s inventory. And if you’re still struggling, try our NYC apartments guide.RECOMMENDED: A full guide to affordable apartments in NYC

New York City is a tough place to find an apartment, as we all know. People panic about not getting enough for their money, which is why we’re taking a weekly look at what you can get in this town for around $1,000 per person (and we promise, there’ll be no nightmare apartment listing). No one wants to end up in the world’s most depressing apartment (and equally, not everyone has the cash to get the kind of place Obama could afford to rent if he moves to New York), so take a look at these attractive, spacious places—but do it quickly, because they will be gone before you know it. Come back next week for more of our top picks from real-estate site Zumper’s inventory. And if you’re still struggling, try our NYC apartments guide.RECOMMENDED: A full guide to affordable apartments in NYC

New York City is a tough place to find an apartment, as we all know. People panic about not getting enough for their money, which is why we’re taking a weekly look at what you can get in this town for around $1,000 per person (and we promise, there’ll be no nightmare apartment listing). No one wants to end up in the world’s most depressing apartment (and equally, not everyone has the cash to get the kind of place Obama could afford to rent if he moves to New York), so take a look at these attractive, spacious places—but do it quickly, because they will be gone before you know it. Come back next week for more of our top picks from real-estate site Zumper’s inventory. And if you’re still struggling, try our NYC apartments guide.RECOMMENDED: A full guide to affordable apartments in NYC

New York City is a tough place to find an apartment, as we all know. Everyone panics that they aren’t getting enough for their money, which is why we take a weekly look at what you can get in this town for around $1,000 per person (and we promise there’ll be no nightmare apartment listing). No one wants to end up in the world’s most depressing apartment (and equally, not everyone has the cash to get the kind of place Obama could afford to rent if he moves to New York), so take a look at these attractive, spacious places—but do it quickly, because they will be gone before you know it. Come back next week for more of our top picks from real-estate site Zumper’s inventory. And if you’re still struggling, try our NYC apartments guide.RECOMMENDED: The best affordable NYC apartments

New York City is a tough place to find an apartment, as we all know. Everyone panics that they aren’t getting enough for their money, which is why we take a weekly look at what you can get in this town for around $1,000 per person (and we promise there’ll be no nightmare apartment listing). No one wants to end up in the world’s most depressing apartment (and equally, not everyone has the cash to get the kind of place Obama could afford to rent if he moves to New York), so take a look at these attractive, spacious places—but do it quickly, because they will be gone before you know it. Come back next week for more of our top picks from real-estate site Zumper’s inventory. And if you’re still struggling, try our NYC apartments guide.RECOMMENDED: The best affordable NYC apartments

Technology has been creeping its way into bars for a while now, with happy-hour apps and iPad menus popping up to varying degrees of success. And while tech generally aims to make our lives easier, going to a bar and grabbing a drink isn’t exactly a formula that needed improvement: No amount of digital gimmicks can replace the familiarity of a cold pint at a friendly watering hole. The innovation is neither unnecessary or obtrusive at self-service beer bar Paloma Rocket, which opened in April; it lies in a why-didn’t-I-think-of-that simplicity—in other words, technology at its finest. ORDER THIS: Buy a beer card from the bartender—or rather, “beer ambassador,” who is quick to offer recommendations or help with the gadgetry—in an amount of your choosing. (The bar is cash only at the moment.) Each of the bar’s 30 taps features a screen that displays brewery info, tasting notes and price per ounce. Choose your glassware (pint, tulip, snifter), place your card into the slot, pull the handle and your balance automatically deducts—an ounce or two for a taste, more if you find something you like. The constantly rotating selection includes local breweries and a few international imports; on a recent visit, a Montauk Belgian Wit was refreshingly grain-forward for a wheat beer, while a 21st Amendment Back in Black IPA found a middle ground between roasted-malt depth and fizzy drinkability. GOOD FOR: An interactive, egalitarian tasting that’s as much for beer neophytes as it is for self

Brooklyn’s DIY culture has become something of a Portlandia-esque punch line, with the proliferation of amateur pickling workshops, guerrilla knitting collectives and “Taxidermy for Dummies” classes. The joke’s on us, though, when a hobbyist manages to translate that made-from-scratch moxie into a full-blown business, as is the case with Jason Sahler, the home brewer and 2011 Brooklyn Wort winner (an annual homebrew competition) turned brewery proprietor. Joining the ranks of the area’s burgeoning suds scene (Threes Brewing, Other Half Brewing, ever-moving gypsy brewers Grimm Ales), Strong Rope Brewery carves out a niche with a handful of earnestly crafted beers and an admirable mission. ORDER THIS: A nuanced, locavore quaff. Ten taps dispense rotating seasonal pours ($5 to $8) that share one constant: All hops and 95 percent of malts are sourced from New York State farms—think of the offerings as the beer equivalent to a farm-to-table meal that lets its ingredients’ individual qualities shine. Darker options display impressive range, from the malt-forward and subtly char-infused brown ale Smoke Oat to the ultradry, almost savory Fat Man, Little Stout. On the lighter end, Falling Squirrel Project #8, the latest in the brewery’s series of single-hop, single-malt beers, has a citrusy kick balanced by a piney IPA backbone. The 10th tap is reserved for a rotating guest cider (“just to provide a gluten-free option,” a helpful bartender explained recently), like Queens-based Descen

I have a confession to make: I’m not generally one for organized fun. That means things like music festivals, bachelorette parties, any get-together that includes the words “game night”…you get the idea. (You might say I have what Portlandia refers to as “early onset grumpiness.”) But when a friend raved about Camp No Counselors, I was intrigued. I only barely did the camp thing as a kid—one week between fifth and sixth grade, and a summer science program in high school that wasn’t very outdoorsy—and the idea of lakeside lounging and backwoods shenanigans at an adult summer camp sounded pretty appealing. So a few weeks later, I found myself on a bus heading toward Camp Shock Top: a first-ever collaboration between Camp No Counselors and, yes, the beer brand. Four hours of sandwiches, tall boys, giant cookies and a Dirty Dancing screening later, my fellow campers and I arrived at our destination in the Adirondacks, waiting with a fully stocked outdoor bar strung with lights. This was it—time to put my outer grump away in favor of my inner child (plus booze). And it was surprisingly easy! It helped that there was a camp rule not to ask anyone about their work—a nice break when it feels like every social gathering in the city finds a way to turn into a networking event. Most people were first-time (adult) campers, too, and any over-the-top party vibes I was worried about were nowhere to be found. After a night in the bunks (strangely I had no trouble passing out in a shared room

So January flew by and the closest you got to your fitness resolutions was a marathon of Making a Murderer? Not to worry: There are still plenty of opportunities to break a sweat this February, whether you want to burn with your bae, your bestie or your bad self. RECOMMENDED: Find more Valentine's Day ideas for NYC Refine Method It’s not too late for you resolution slackers out there: Individual classes at this cult-favorite, interval-training-focused studio, founded by a former New York City Ballet dancer usually go for $34, but from now through March 31, they’re knocked down to $25—a steal for the quality of the workout you’re getting. The only catch? You have to commit to going at least twice a week, every week, or you’ll lose access to that rate. There’s no better motivator than cheapness!117 W 72nd St between Columbus Ave and Broadway • 340 E 71st St between First and Second Aves • 131 Perry St between Greenwich and Washington Sts •  Row HouseV-Day month gets a cardio boost from Row House, which opened its new Chelsea location in October. Kick it off with the bROWmance class (Friday 12 at 7:30pm), which features a (musical) sausage fest of all-male artists on the speakers (though everyone is welcome in class). Saturday 13, meet your fitness soulmate at the Row-meo & Juliet class (6pm), which includes complimentary wine afterward. On Sunday 14, offset all those chocolates and champagne with a Valentine’s Day Half Marathon (2pm). And for all of February, Thursday classes a