Healthy New Yorkers know how to balance fit and chic better than most. This is the town that gave us Soul Cycle, Pure Food & Wine and some of yoga's most influential yoga teachers, after all. Start your day with an early morning Soul Cycle class, luxuriate over an al fresco vegan brunch, sweat it out like crazy at any Kula yoga class and dine at raw food mecca Pure Food & Wine. Grab an organic, seasonal night cap and get ready to do it again tomorrow. You can spend a lifetime in New York trying to experience all of the sweaty classes with brilliant teachers and flavorful vegan fare from the culinary's best and brightest. We suggest you take your time, enjoy every second and come back as soon as you can for more.
Breakfast
Cafe Gitane
242 Mott Street, Nolita
113 Jane Street, West Village
Mostly non-veg, Cafe Gitane is famous for it's ridiculously tasty avocado toast. Why is this simple breakfast of avocado, lemon juice and red pepper flakes so satisfying? We still can't figure it out, but we're okay with it.
Butcher's Daughter
19 Kenmare Street, Nolita
Order the Honey Bee to quit that jet lag, and the Hangover Killer to undo whatever it is you did last night after dinner. In addition to juice, they an amazing almond milk muesli, a coconut yogurt parfait and of course a killer avocado toast.
Workout
Soul Cycle
12 E 18th St, Union Square (+UWS, UES, Tribeca, Williamsburg)
101 Maiden Lane, FiDi
8 W 19th Street, Flatiron
45 Crosby Street, Soho
12 W 27th Street, Flatiron
140 E 63rd Street, Upper East Side
1470 3rd Avenue, Upper East Side/Yorkville
350 Amsterdam Avenue, Upper West Side
55 Court Street, Brooklyn Heights (Brooklyn)
196 Kent Avenue, Williamsburg (Brooklyn)
New York is where it all started. It would be a crime against the gods of cardio to not try at least one SC spin class while in town. Get ready to dance on a bike to sick playlists next to NYC's most toned. Make a reservation in advance, as these classes sell out quickly.
SLT (strengthen, lengthen, tone)
37 W 57th Street, Midtown
132 Crosby Street, Soho
201 E 67th Street, Upper East Side
137 5th Avenue, Flatiron
Pilates on crack. The good kind. What Soul Cycle is to spinning, SLT is to Pilates.
Lunch
Souen
210 6th Avenue, Soho
28 E 13th Street, Union Square East
326 E 6th Street, East Village
Opened in 1971, Souen is the best Marcrobiotic meal we've had in the states. And we would bathe in their miso tahini sauce if we could. A quiet space just outside of Soho, the clientele is a mix of friends grabbing a post-workout bite and regulars who have been coming since it opened.
Nourish Kitchen + Table
No 95, Greenwich Avenue, West Village
A casual, order at the counter kind of spot that’s totally Chelsea with its rustic but perfectly appointed communal table and urban country vibe throughout. A seasonal menu changes daily and lunch can be ordered as a combo plate combining nibbles of whatever strikes your fancy. The detox kale salad is a big hit.
Where to Juice
Organic Avenue
62 Bleeker Street, Noho
30 3rd Street, East Village
515 Hudson Street, West Village
1021 Lexington Avenue, Upper East Side
649 Lexington, Midtown East
254 Park Avenue South, Flatiron
216 8th Avenue, Chelsea
461 Amsterdam, Upper West Side
If only every city had a juice bar this delicious spring up all over the city like Organic Avenue. All of the green juices are fab, as is the recently expanded raw foods menu. Try the green love, mellow love and matcha chia glo.
Liquiteria
170 2nd Avenue, East Village
26 E 17th Street, Union Square
102 8th Avenue, Meatpacking/Chelsea
402 6th Avenue, West Village
145 4th Avenue, Union Square/East Village
The first cold-pressed juice spot in New York has grown up and is now taking over the city. What's old is new and Liquiteria is still serving up some of New York's finest concoctions in juice, smoothie and raw snack form.
Yoga
Kula Project
28 Warren Street, Tribeca
85 N 3rd Street, Williamsburg (Brooklyn)
Schuyler Grant's authentic, butt-kicking, inspiring, challenging, magical studio. When we're not in New York we dream about Kula. Classes run just over 90 minutes usually, and for the most part are for experienced (or just brave) yogis.
Pure Yoga
203 E 86th Street, Upper East Side
204 W 77th Street, Upper West Side
Pure offers ever major style of yoga out there, and has recruited the city's top instructors to lead the curriculum. It's a posh facility, design-driven and with all of the normal Equinox fitness accoutrements. But don't let that make you think they yoga isn't top, top notch.
Dinner
Ellery's Greens
33 Carmine Street, West Village
Bring your Diet Pepsi-drinking friends! A menu that is equal parts comfort and health, this artisanal, organic dinner spot is perfect for sharing a perfect West Village evening with friends. Not too loud, super cozy with a great selection of organic, biodynamic wines.
Dirt Candy
430 E 9th Street, East Village
It's small, charming, in one of our favorite 'hoods and chef/owner Amanda Cohen turns it out. The food is too good. You will eat too much and need to Soul Cycle tomorrow, but it's worth it. Note that there are around eight or so tables in the restaurant, so book in advance.
Drinks
Apotheke
9 Doyers Street, Chinatown
Seasonal, organic, thoughtful cocktails. Yum.
The Nomad Bar
10 W 28th Street, Flatiron
Sexy and dark, and conveniently located not too far uptown nor too far downtown, The Nomad Bar pays attention equally to gorgeous cocktails, mocktails and veg-driven bites.
A few tips to keep in mind
-Book a table at Dirt Candy at least one month in advance, maybe closer to six weeks to be safe.
-Don't bring your beginner yogi friends to a Kula level 2/3 class. They will not be your friend after.
-Blossom, Angelika's Kitchen and Candle 79 are great meals, they are just more traditional, 'old school' style vegan. Pure Food & Wine is raw food's flagship fine eatery, but service has been slower than usual recently. We love them and recommend them if you have more than one or two days.
-There are a million great fitness classes, go to as many as you can. Check out Barry's Bootcamp, Physique 57, 305 Fitness, the Brazilian Butt Lift series at Equinox and any others. They will not disappoint!