NYC is home to some of our favorite workouts, healthy eats & spots to unwind. After traveling quite a bit there this past year we wanted to roundup our must-visit spots in NYC for a week of wellness & feeling good.
WHERE TO PRACTICE:
The LIV Method: Lots of fitness instructors are motivating, don’t get me wrong, but to physically prove to you what your body is capable of is a rarity & it’s exactly what The LIV Method does. Makes sense given these aren’t just any fitness instructors, they’re personal trainers who guide you through a personalized workout. Where I was normally lifting 15-20lbs, by the end of my very first session I was lifting 55 lbs. The sessions are completely designed for what you’re capable of, which is likely far beyond what you think. After the class, your trainer will stretch you out & talk to you about how often you should be working with them, what do do in the interim & answer any questions you have.
Megan Roup: If you’ve been following PLSR for some time now you know we’re the biggest Megan Roup fans out there. Her workouts are hard but manageable in the sense that the upbeat atmosphere in the class pushes you to work your hardest. The results are incredible & best of all, if you do her class consistently, the results are fast. If you’re not in NYC or can’t make it to a class, she just launched her very own fitness app which brings the class to your phone making the workouts accessible for anytime, anywhere. PS make sure to check out her secret recipe she shared with us: HERE.
Walking: It sounds minor but walking everywhere in NYC adds up to a great workout, fast. In just one day, if you skip cabs, Uber’s & the subway, you’re likely to walk over 20k steps (10k is the daily recommendation). It’s a great way to feel your best while taking in everything the city has to offer. We recommend walking along the water or through Central Park.
Other spots we love are: Bandier’s Studio B for a workout with Amanda Kloots, NY Pilates for a good stretch, & Dance Body for some upbeat cardio!
WHERE TO EAT:
Rosemary’s: Hands down one of our favorite restaurants in NYC, Rosemary’s has it all: atmosphere, friendly & kind staff, the most magical rooftop garden with views of NYC but most importantly, some of the best food in all of NYC. Rosemary’s is the true farm to table experience as they grow all of their veggies on their rooftop which you can tour with a glass of wine before or after a meal! You absolutely MUST order their: autumn market salad (or whatever the seasonal salad at the time of your visit is), carbonara, cavatelli, fig prosciutto focaccia, & eggplant caponata.
Hu Kitchen: Ugh where do we begin with this place. Well for starters, Hu, can you PLEASE open in LA? It’s typically our first stop in the city for their delicious hot bar meals & alllll the snacks you could ever want. We’re addicted to their Yu Puffs, Hu Cashew Butter & Raspberry Jelly Chocolate Bar, & the pizza crackers (they really taste like pizza & are perfect for an airplane snack in our opinion!).
Brodo: We’re finally on the bone broth bandwagon & Brodo is our favorite spot in NYC to snag some. They have a variety of options, even a vegan flavor, seaweed & mushroom, which is a personal favorite. If you’re not much of a bone broth fan, they have regular soups filled with tons of veggies & flavor. Needless to say, this is ideal for strolling around NYC in the winter.
Magic Mix: Magic Mix has become our go-to last spot to visit in NYC as they have the most delicious meals that are packaged perfectly to take on the plane. We’re big fans of their roasted chickpea caesar salad, tuna snack pack & lady godiva dessert (a chocolate mousse that we are BEYOND thankful made it past security!).
Farmacy: Vegan or not, you’re going to LOVE this vegan hotspot. Farmacy has taken all your favorite comfort meals & simply cleaned up the ingredients without somehow managing to alter the flavor. While it’s only a temporary pop-up, we’re hoping this London staple will end up sticking around permanently as their mac & cheese, pad thai, & sweet potato fries are some of the best we’ve ever had.
Clean Market: This store is what we dream our pantry will one day look like. It’s filled with all the wellness necessities from GF desserts to protein powders, smoothies & lattes, bone broth & vegan chips, it’s truly your one-stop-shop for all things wellness (no seriously they have saunas in the back & allllll the clean beauty products up front too!).
Juice Press: We’ve been fans of Juice Press for years now & always find ourselves ordering the same few things here: mint chip shake & whatever snacks they have on the counter. If you’re looking for a quick meal this is another great place to stop as they have a super large menu of salads, bowls, smoothies, noodles & more!
Bonberi: We’re big snackers here at PLSR which is why we’re BIG fans of Bonberi. We like to think of them as that cool friend who knows of all the good products before they’re mainstream as they have all the better-for-you snack options that you’ve likely never heard of. They also make a killer green juice that helps you feel energized & refreshed!
The Village Den: Let’s be honest, anything Antoni does, we LOVE. He’s basically our gay Gwyneth as we know he’ll always have the best food recommendations. That’s why we’re grateful for him opening his own restaurant in the cutest corner of the West Village. Trust us: get the funfetti cake here. You won’t regret it. (PS they sell our favorite Ashapops here which is grounds for an A++++ in our book!)
West~Bourne: This Instagram-friendly cafe is a perfect spot to grab a hot drink, delicious meal & cozy up for the afternoon while getting some work done. Their over the rainbowl dish is the kind of lunch we wish we could have everyday but there is no chance we’ll ever recreate it as well as they make it.
Some spots we haven’t checked out yet but are on our list include: Le Botaniste, Baby Brasa, & Koku.
WHERE TO UNWIND:
IMD Beauty Spa: There’s a good chance you’ve seen this spa on IG as they offer the best of the best lymphatic drainage massages which are all the rage right now. Trust us when we say it lives up to the hype. Their magnesium wrap drainage massage starts with you sweating out toxins in their infrared sauna which is one of our favorite wellness activities. The bonus here is they wrap you in a magnesium wrap before your sauna which helps (like a magnet) to pull toxins from your system, increase energy levels, improve sleep, & increase circulation. From there your (sweet, sweet) masseuse will begin your lymphatic drainage massage which while it isn’t necessarily enjoyable, the results are out of this world & it’s over before you know it.
Clean Market: As mentioned above, this is our favorite spots for all things wellness in NYC. From beauty to food, treatments & relaxation, Clean Market has it all. We love a 30 minute sauna there followed by a refreshing shower & some snacks from the front.
Chillhouse: Anyone else get terrified learning about how toxic nail polish can be for us? That’s why we love Chillhouse for their dedication to providing & using only clean, non-toxic nail products. Plus, the regular mani we got there a few weeks ago lasted about 2.5 weeks which was very impressive in our book. They also offer massages, facials & a cafe for you to enjoy.
MNDFL Meditation Greenwich Village: Whether you meditate or not, you’re bound to love MNDFL. It’s an ultra-relaxing environment with guided meditation classes. Just a few minutes here & you’ll feel completely zen & centered. We also love their assortment of complimentary tea which is perfect for wintertime in NYC.
Some other spots we haven’t tried yet but are dying to get to are Flavia Lanini, Standard Dose, & Cynthia Rivas Skincare.
WHERE TO SHOP:
Bandier: Have you ever stepped foot into a Bandier? It’s heaven. They have all the sneakers, workout clothes, athleisure & trinkets you didn’t even know you needed. They also always seem to have a sale going on which is a major bonus. They have a few locations in NYC & offer some really cool brands we never even heard of until stumbling into their store.
Alo Yoga: Alo’s Soho location is unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Ok well until we visit their other stores that is… All Alo stores are absolutely stunning & a calming escape from the otherwise busy city. They also offer a “bar” in all stores which has kombucha on tap & tons of healthy treats which, let’s be honest, makes shopping all the more fun.
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