Eclectic and edgy are words repeatedly used to describe East Village style and nightlife, and those descriptors work equally well when describing the neighborhood’s latest fitness obsessions. Not satisfied with run-of-the-treadmill group fitness and weight training? In the East Village you’ll find plenty of variety to keep your interest piqued and your heart pumping.
64 E. 4th St. between Second Avenue and Bowery
Surfset’s East Village location (Image: Surfset)
Who says you can’t get a killer beach body in the middle of downtown Manhattan? At SURFSET, full-body workouts are inspired by one of the most physically challenging sports there is — surfing. Incorporating strength, coordination, balance, and most of all, fun, the workouts take place on the SURFSET® Board, a 6-foot long surfboard on top of three balance balls designed to replicate the feeling of actual waves. Classes include beginner-level training, yoga-influenced moves and a cardio-focused class sure to torch calories. Single sessions run at $32, with introductory pricing and bulk offers bringing the cost down to $25 per class.
155 E. 3rd St. near Avenue A
Voted one of New York City’s best independent gyms by The Village Voice, Iron & Silk is an elite facility offering training and nutritional analysis for athletes, models and civilians alike. If you’re hoping to drift into the background in a group fitness class or absentmindedly channel surf while walking on a treadmill, Iron & Silk is not the gym for you. Here, owner Stu, a former bodybuilder, and his wife Christina have created a space that focuses on intense, hands-on (literally) personal training that is focused on achieving results. Members rave about the spotless facility, abundant equipment and well-appointed restrooms, even while grousing about the significant monthly fee.
Chinese Hawaiian Kenpo Academy
34 Ave. A 2nd Fl. near East 3rd Street
Women’s self-defense class at Chinese Hawaiian Kenpo Academy (Image: CHKA)
The Chinese Hawaiian Kenpo Academy is a favorite among East Villagers of all ages and the reasons are clear. This Avenue A martial arts outpost offers kids classes and summer camp, a variety of adult instruction, and uber-popular, free self-defense classes for women — a service CHKA has been offering the NYC community for more than 20 years. Run by Sifu (Chinese for “teacher”) Jack F.C. Shamburger — a third-generation Kenpo master and former Marine — the academy hosts Superfit Kickboxing, high-intensity classes aimed at increasing endurance, strength and flexibility.
12 Saint Marks Place between Second and Third avenues
Yoga to the People’s East Village location on St. Marks Place (Image: Wikimedia)
Yoga to the People was founded in 2005 with a mission to return this ancient form of physical and mental training back to its roots, with a price tag the average yogi and yogini can actually afford. At Yoga to the People studios — there are five in New York City, plus locations in San Francisco, Berkeley, and Tempe, Arizona —the recommended class fee is $10, but students are asked to pay what they can, if they can. This truly accessible price plan means that classes are usually full to capacity at the flagship St. Marks Place location with more than a hundred devotees standing mat to mat. In the East Village you can choose for from eight, 60-minute power vinyasa classes each weekday, plus 13 classes over the weekend including an extended 90-minute session on Saturday and two slightly mellower candlelit offerings on Sundays.