Hi Pilates of Charleston fans! Katie and Elizel here! Last week, we escaped the Charleston heatwave and headed to the Big Apple, and in true Pilates of Charleston fashion, we packed our schedules with trips to some of the city’s best pilates studios. It wasn’t all 100s and teasers though! During our weekend we had the chance to visit some Instagram worthy juice bars and tackle the 5th avenue shopping scene, stopping at favorites like Lululemon and Athleta. It’s always fun to experience the Pilates scene in different cities all across the country and New York City never disappoints! We couldn’t keep all the fun to ourselves, so we’ve curated a guide with our weekends biggest hits and can’t miss places for your next visit to the city!

Pilates Studios:

New York Pilates: “NYP” as locals call it, was a no-brainer when it came to our New York City pilates takeover. NYP has four locations throughout Manhattan and each one is more aesthetically pleasing than the next. We opted to visit the West Village flagship location and challenged ourselves to the Core Cult Jump class. We loved the cardio driven workout and definitely felt a jump to our heart rates. On our next visit to the studio, we would love to try their infamous leg shaking, core crunching class – Burnout!

Core Pilates NYC: Next, our Pilates of Charleston gals headed to the Gramercy area and added on a tower class to our agendas. Tower classes are a great way to switch up your traditional pilates regimen. The tower apparatus, attached to the reformer, is great for ab workouts and enhancing your posture. After taking the class, it was clear why this was the studios most popular!

Pilates on the Square: This studio allowed us to workout and get a front row view of Union Square. The studios large windows and bright light definitely made us feel like we were practicing in New York! This class was unique from the others as it was divided into 30 minutes of reformer work and 30 minutes on the cadillac. If you are thinking about splurging on your first private pilates session, we definitely recommend you take a stab at this class and get familiar with the cadillac machine!

SLT: If pizza is the favorite food of the city, it seemed like SLT was the city’s favorite workout. We caught on to the hype through social media and had to try it out for ourselves! Standing for “Strengthen, Lengthen, Tone”, SLT offers a combination, challenging workout of Pilates, cardio, and strength training. The atmosphere in the studio is LOUD! Music and our heart rates were pumping!

Eat & Drink:

Pre-Pilates:

The Butcher’s Daughter: Think juices and avocado toast! This is a great option for grab and go, or sit outside on the picnic tables and enjoy one of their famous juice infused mimosas.
Cha Cha Matcha: You’ve seen the spot on Instagram, and we’re here to tell you it did not disappoint! Come here for all things matcha and don’t skip on the matcha lemonade and their classic latte.
Kaffe 1668: One of the cutest coffee shops in the city…seriously, Google this place! We were obsessed with the fresh, made daily, juices and their delicious power bowls and raw bars.

Post-Pilates:

Eataly: After all of this Pilates, we needed to carb up! Eataly made us feel like we were summering in Italy. The famous Italian marketplace is perfect for everyone. There are a number of restaurants and counters that you can enjoy classic Italian fare from. Don’t miss out on their stunning rooftop for an Aperol Spritz!
Lafayatte: We loved this NOHO spot for Happy Hour! We felted transported to Paris in this beautiful brasserie…the deal on rosé and light bites helped too!
Raouls: This is about as classic of a New York City restaurant as you can get. Raouls has stood the test of time, and is definitely a favorite when we come to visit. Think Sex and the City vibes! Steak frites and a red wine kind of a night.
L’Artusi: New York is home to some of the best Italian food, and this cozy West Village spot lives up to that hype! Sitting at the bar here with a dish of pasta is one of our New York City favorites.

New York had so many amazing workout and wellness options to offer. We loved the balance that we felt during our visit there. We managed to stay active in our pilates team while also fueling our bodies with the green juices and yummy dinners it needs! We hope that this guide comes in handy and inspires you to take a new, balanced approach on a weekend getaway.