Welltodo Jetsetter: A Healthy City Guide To New York City

New York is known for being the city that never sleeps; whether there’s a concert happening by the pier, a hip gallery opening in Chelsea, or a new “it” restaurant that everyone’s checking out. New Yorkers are always on the go. So where does healthy living fit into all that? In order to answer this question, we knew we’d have to ask some locals, which is why this healthy city guide to New York has been carefully crafted by the classy ladies from ADAY (check them out if you’ve not yet).

From a Bowery fitness studio frequented by supermodels and celebrities alike to a charmingly quaint farm to table restaurant in the West Village, ADAY have compiled a list of places that make maintaining a healthy lifestyle in the big city worth it, in so many ways.

We know it as the wellness Mecca. Now listen and learn…

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I.AM.YOU Studio | Yoga Studio

Founder of I.AM.YOU yoga Lauren Imparato — former Morgan Stanley banker with a background in jivamukti, ashtanga and Tibetan Buddhism — offers a highly technical approach to yoga in her bewitchingly cool Little Italy home studio.

Charismatic to say the least, Imparato is not your average yoga teacher: she animates her classes with a deep seated passion and respect for the art (it doesn’t hurt that she was trained by three of New York’s best yoga teachers either) but isn’t afraid to use a four letter swear word to express a point either. Taught in a space surrounded by rustic exposed brick and Basquiat-esque paintings, each class marries anatomical theory with traditional mind|body|spirit philosophies and a kickass playlist curated by Imparato’s DJ-ing husband for a truly unique yoga experience.

Striving to give her students a 360-degree experience— whether that be via a moving song or a word, a challenging position, or just the distinctive class in its totality— I.AM.YOU is truly a one-of-a-kind soul searching adventure.

http://www.iamyoustudio.com

132 Mulberry Street, Suite 6E, New York, NY, 10013

Follow on Instagram @iamyoustudio

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CityRow | Cardio and Strength

A cardio and strength workout all in one, intense and damn hard but surprisingly, not damaging to your body? Welcome to CityRow.

Located on the 15^th floor of a building in the city’s thriving Union Square, CityRow offers classes based on rowing, a sport that uses “85 percent of your muscles in every single stroke,” according to founder Helaine Knapp. Removing the preppy, too-good-for-you stigma associated with rowing, the workout is challenging, sweat inducing, and a full body workout.

The studio is bright and airy, featuring huge windows that drench the space with sunlight. The sleek machines are the star of the show here— handmade from unstained ash, they glide smoothly and feature water-filled drums designed to mimic the sound and feel of outdoor rowing.

Don’t expect to leave this class simply glistening. Within two minutes it’s likely you’ll be ringing the sweat from your ponytail. Pushing you through a pyramid of circuits— 15 burpees, 15 squats with weights, 15 pushups and 150 m on the rower, before dropping down to 10 and five etc…— this is a badass workout tailor made for badass women.

As great as the free towels are, one word of warning: there are no showers and the bathrooms are shared with the rest of the floor.

www.cityrow.com

80 5th Avenue, Suite 1501 New York, NY 10011

Follow on Instagram @cityrow

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modelFit | Workout

Housed in what used to be Terry Richardson’s studio, modelFit’s Bowery space is downright dreamy. Besides the fact that the fresh scent of Diptique’s Baies fragrance fills the air, the studio’s wooden floors are framed by oversized windows, making the space refershingly open and inviting.

Founded by Justin Gelband, personal trainer to the lithe and leggy including Karlie Kloss, Miranda Kerr et al, modelFit’s philosophy is to work smarter, not necessarily harder. The goal is to use all the different angles of the body in order to lengthen, tone, and lean out those hard-to-reach muscles, tackling problem areas like that forlorn muffin top.

Not that it’s easy; the devil’s in the details—stop paying attention, and you’ll feel like you’re walking in the park; do things right, and damn are we only at eight reps?! We could’ve sworn it was more.

Class sizes are kept low to make sure everyone’s getting the attention they need. Plus, sessions aren’t one-size-fits-all; they’re conceived specifically to challenge the people participating, ensuring that you’ll never get bored with the same pre-packaged workout.

www.modelfit.com

212 Bowery, New York, NY 10012

Follow on Instagram @modelfit

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The Class | Dancercise

Held in a largely unremarkable space usually used for toddler ballet—white walls and plain windows— The Class’s space is designed like that for good reason. You need all your focus to get through this high intensity workout.

Taryn Toomey— the founder and 80’s-inspired goddess— starts the session slow, allowing you to ease into the rhythm and music. As the pace quickens, she urges her students to breath with her in loud, hearty breaths.

It doesn’t really feel like you’re exercising. Yes, you’re doing lunges, squats, planks, and burpees, but it feels more like dancing. A dance that results in sweat-drenched clothes and smiling faces.

There is a basic changeroom but no showers— something that is likely to be reworked once Taryn finds a more permanent space for the studio. We’re hoping the next location is bigger, because wait lists are long and this is one fitness gig in New York you have to try.

www.theclasswithtt.com

291 Broadway, 4th floor, New York, NY 10007

Follow on Instagram @theclasswithtt

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Two Hands | Cozy Coffee Shop

Two Hands is the kind of place you step into— and then don’t leave for about four hours.

The restaurant— located in the heart of Chinatown— is light and airy, with bleached walls and technicolour artworks. Fairy lights dance across the ceiling and laidback acoustic pop rolls over the speakers, lulling its patrons into a blissful euphoria.

Originally from Sydney, the plan by owners Giles Russell and Henry Roberts was to create somewhere chilled and relaxed, drawing on their longstanding backgrounds in hospitality. Serving “good food by good dudes”, they’ve definitely hit the spot thanks to a satisfying selection of smoothies, juices and coffee, served next to an all-day brunch menu so attractive you’d think it was designed by a food Instagrammer: goji-topped açai bowls, perfectly crispy granola or thick-cut, honey- and ricotta-smeared banana bread.

Striving to create a space that feels homey and comfortable, the shop is alive with cheerful chatter and a distinctive communal, chilled out vibe smack in the middle of the hustling, bustling city that never sleeps.

www.twohandsnyc.com

164 Mott St, New York, NY 10013

Follow on Instagram @twohandsnyc

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The Fat Radish | Farm to Table Restaurant

The expansive loft— featuring whitewash brick walls, wooden tables and a few pot plants— feels rustic and minimal, yet delightfully modern.

Ben Towill and Phil Winser, the British boys behind the restaurant, take cues from their UK heritage while employing cross-cultural sensibilities to their menu. Pot pies, scotch eggs, and duck fat chips sit next to delicate strands of hijiki seaweed that adorn our colourful heirloom carrots and the Asian-inspired sauces that accompany the Fat Radish bowl on the menu.

They don’t discriminate here—if it’s delicious, it works.

17 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002

Follow on Instagram @silkstonenyc

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Nourish Kitchen + Table | Farm to Table Kitchen

Nourish Kitchen + Table, a charming nook in the West Village, has a reputation that precedes it and no wonder—this is healthy, organic, local and seasonal food at its most covetable.

The open kitchen fosters a feeling of community. “People don’t often cook here and have very tiny kitchens in very expensive apartments, so we wanted to sort of create the feel of a kitchen away from home,” says Allegra Ben-Amotz, brand director of the charming restaurant.

And we’re so glad they decided to put this kitchen on display. It’s exciting to watch trays of colorful vegetables, vibrant greens, and grilled proteins emerge from the mid-century design-meets-West Coast minimalism expanse.

It’s not surprising that this location used to be a clothing boutique. Indeed, what makes Nourish stand out is its attainment of that holy grail of design—graduating cum laude on both form and function, delivering both substance and style.

www.nourishkitchentable.com

95 Greenwich Avenue, New York, NY 10014

Follow on Instagram @nourishkitchentable

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Dimes | Locally Sourced Café

Art school hip meets vibrant health food (think: açai bowls) in this Lower East Side favourite, and no wonder: awash in white exposed brick and white wood ceilings, Dimes attracts a diverse crowd thanks to its photogenic-ly cool properties.

With both health and visual appeal taken into consideration when designing the menu, they’ve got the perfect pairing of good food and chic décor. Even better, the menu changes regularly based on produce that can be sourced locally, so chances are you’ll never get bored of what’s available. This is one cozy restaurant that proves that its patrons don’t have to choose when it comes to taste and nutrition.

http://dimesnyc.com

49 Canal St, New York, NY 10002

Follow on Instagram @dimestimes

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Check out ADAY’s slick clothes for active women: www.thisisaday.com or get lost with them here.