

Articles (29)

The best gyms and health clubs in New York
Jumping on the health and fitness train isnât a fadâitâs 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 weâve sweated through the cityâs most budget-friendly health clubs across all five boroughs to ease your search. Hereâs 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

Outdoor fitness classes 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 optionsâfitness 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

15 amazing workouts for Valentine's Day
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 weekendâif only to burn off all that chocolate and candy.RECOMMENDED: Find more Valentine's Day ideas in NYC

The five best affordable apartments in NYC (week of November 24)
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 itâs possible to get in this town for about $1,000 a person. (And we promise, there wonât be a nightmare apartment listing.) No one wants to end up in the worldâs 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 Zumperâs inventory. And if youâre still struggling, try our NYC apartments guide.RECOMMENDED: A full guide to affordable apartments in NYC

The five best affordable apartments in NYC (week of November 17)
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 itâs possible to get in this town for about $1,000 a person. (And we promise, there wonât be a nightmare apartment listing.) No one wants to end up in the worldâs 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 Zumperâs inventory. And if youâre still struggling, try our NYC apartments guide.RECOMMENDED: A full guide to affordable apartments in NYC

The five best affordable apartments in NYC (week of November 10)
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 worldâs 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 Zumperâs inventory. And if youâre still struggling, try our NYC apartments guide.RECOMMENDED: A full guide to affordable apartments in NYC

The five best affordable apartments in NYC (week of October 27)
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, thereâll be no nightmare apartment listing). No one wants to end up in the worldâs 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 NYCâbut 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 Zumperâs inventory. And if youâre still struggling, try our NYC apartments guide.RECOMMENDED: A full guide to affordable apartments in NYC

The five best affordable apartments in NYC (week of October 20)
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 weâre taking a weekly look at what you can get in this town for around $1,000 per person (and we promise, thereâll be no nightmare apartment listing). No one wants to end up in the worldâs 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 NYCâbut 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 Zumperâs inventory. And if youâre still struggling, try our NYC apartments guide.RECOMMENDED: A full guide to affordable apartments in NYC

The five best affordable New York apartments (week of October 13)
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 weâre taking a weekly look at what you can get in this town for around $1,000 per person (and we promise, thereâll be no nightmare apartment listing). No one wants to end up in the worldâs 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 placesâbut 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 Zumperâs inventory. And if youâre still struggling, try our NYC apartments guide.RECOMMENDED: A full guide to affordable apartments in NYC

The five best affordable New York apartments (week of October 6)
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 weâre taking a weekly look at what you can get in this town for around $1,000 per person (and we promise, thereâll be no nightmare apartment listing). No one wants to end up in the worldâs 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 placesâbut 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 Zumperâs inventory. And if youâre still struggling, try our NYC apartments guide.RECOMMENDED: A full guide to affordable apartments in NYC

The 5 best affordable New York apartments (Week of September 29)
New York City is a tough place to find an apartment, as we all know. Everyone panics that they arenât 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 thereâll be no nightmare apartment listing). No one wants to end up in the worldâs 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 placesâbut 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 Zumperâs inventory. And if youâre still struggling, try our NYC apartments guide.RECOMMENDED: The best affordable NYC apartments

The 5 best affordable New York apartments (Week of September 22)
New York City is a tough place to find an apartment, as we all know. Everyone panics that they arenât 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 thereâll be no nightmare apartment listing). No one wants to end up in the worldâs 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 placesâbut 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 Zumperâs inventory. And if youâre still struggling, try our NYC apartments guide.RECOMMENDED: The best affordable NYC apartments
Listings and reviews (2)

Paloma Rocket
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 isnât 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-didnât-I-think-of-that simplicityâin other words, technology at its finest. ORDER THIS: Buy a beer card from the bartenderâor rather, âbeer ambassador,â who is quick to offer recommendations or help with the gadgetryâin an amount of your choosing. (The bar is cash only at the moment.) Each of the barâs 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 deductsâan 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 thatâs as much for beer neophytes as it is for self

Strong Rope Brewery
Brooklynâs DIY culture has become something of a Portlandia-esque punch line, with the proliferation of amateur pickling workshops, guerrilla knitting collectives and âTaxidermy for Dummiesâ classes. The jokeâs 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 areaâs 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 farmsâthink of the offerings as the beer equivalent to a farm-to-table meal that lets its ingredientsâ 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 breweryâs 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 (âjust to provide a gluten-free option,â a helpful bartender explained recently), like Queens-based Descen
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We went to an adult summer campâand had a blast
I have a confession to make: Iâm not generally one for organized fun. That means things like music festivals, bachelorette parties, any get-together that includes the words âgame nightââŠyou get the idea. (You might say I have what Portlandia refers to as âearly onset grumpiness.â) But when a friend raved about Camp No Counselors, I was intrigued. I only barely did the camp thing as a kidâone week between fifth and sixth grade, and a summer science program in high school that wasnât very outdoorsyâand 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 itâtime 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 workâa 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

Get your heart pounding with these Valentine's Day workout deals
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 Itâs 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, theyâre knocked down to $25âa steal for the quality of the workout youâre getting. The only catch? You have to commit to going at least twice a week, every week, or youâll lose access to that rate. Thereâs no better motivator than cheapness!117 W 72nd St between Columbus Ave and Broadway âą 340 E 71st St between First and Second Aves âą 131 Perry St between Greenwich and Washington Sts âąÂ 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 Valentineâs Day Half Marathon (2pm). And for all of February, Thursday classes a