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Featured

DOWNTOWN’S Valentine’s Day Gift Guide 2022

 
Let us endeavor to make 2022 the year of Love, for there has been no greater time when love is so very needed.
 
“Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments; Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O, no! it is an ever-fixed mark,
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.
Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom. 
If this be error and upon me prov’d,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.”
-William Shakespeare, Sonnet 116

 

 
 
 
 
We love Valentine’s Day, especially when we celebrate at Ladurée. This year, book take your sweetheart for a special breakfast for two, consisting of two rose lattes, two pains au chocolat, two boxes of three custom macarons, and a NEW heart-shaped rose croissant. This is the perfect Valentine’s Day gift to share with that special someone.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fly XO to Aspen and experience world-class skiing while staying at five-star resorts. Use the XO mobile app to book an entire charter or select individual seats on a private jet at a fraction of the cost.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Get you and your sweetheart back on the right track to fitness with a membership at Asphalt Green. Say ‘I love you’ with fitness for 2022. Their memberships offer top-notch fitness centers and pools. Book one of their instructional classes or programs for both children and adults. Throughout the year, winter, spring, summer, and fall, no excuse. Asphalt Green includes everything from infant swim, diving classes, youth basketball leagues, and private Pilates Reformer classes.
 
 
 
 
 
LIPS Embellished Throw by Jonathan Adler. Sexy, seductive, saucy—a kiss of glam in bold red and glittering gold to chic up your comfy spot. Hand-embroidered by artisans, their unbelievably soft and luxurious throws are just the accents your abode deserves.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dr. Amy Lewis  Give the gift she will love you all year, natural lip filler. Big is out, going back to the natural look Expertly done by Dr. Amy Lewis. 
 
 
Tokyo Totepack. This premium leather upgrade to our Tokyo Totepack adapts to your day, with two carry modes and surprisingly sorted storage.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Flex Pro Denim Jacket GOOD MAN BRAND A classic-style denim jacket made from comfortable stretch denim is a surefire staple for your casual wardrobe.
 
 
 
 

 

Our CEO’s favorite everyday brand is PhilanthroBee’s®️ skincare. Bee Body Bar saved her from itchy skin. As a daily swimmer, chlorine eventually got to her angrily inflamed skin. Until she tired, PhilanthroBee’s®️ skincare. The last thing you want is to layer chemically treated thick creams on top of your skin. That’s why the BeeCause Body Bar works with your body heat to melt into your skin, using the power of natural bee products to soothe, replenish moisture, promote skin health, and protect against damage.

Another favorite of hers is the Bee-Ch Facial Clarifying Mask. Every week (sometimes more), she enjoys the BEE-ch facial mask cleanser. It gently draws out toxins and debris that accumulate in our pores throughout the week. Living in New York City, taking care of your skin is extremely important. 

 

 

Maybe a little self-love this year try Ascention, a blend of red currants and strawberries, laced with delicious vanilla and musk. Infused with an authentic, fair-trade Rose Quartz crystal. Ascent to Love with the perfect gift for those in need of some self-love this Valentine’s Day.

 
 
 
 
 
 
Full of Mediterranean character, Corvo is produced with the use of modern technology, to preserve the integrity and naturalness of the ingredients, always ready to offer a simply perfect tasting experience. Corvo Grillo Sicilia DOC and, Corvo Nero d’Avola Sicilia DOC. Both restyled clean, with a harmonious design delivering the freshness and fruity aromas of Sicily to the table. Be sure to give the first wines bottled in Sicily in 1824, and now one of the most appreciated wines.
 
 
 
 
One of our favorite places downtown to relax and take in the views, The Greens invites you to cozy up with your loved ones in your own private and cozy winter cabin. Enjoy a menu of regional delicacies and hand-crafted cocktails, along with a complimentary bottle of Rosé and a Valentine-themed dessert included with your reservation.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Scapegrace Black is the world’s first naturally black, color-changing gin by The New Zealand-based Scapegrace Distillery. Scapegrace Black begins, like all quality gins, with intense juniper and the addition of premium, exotic botanicals. The master distiller used a combination of local sweet potato, aronia berries, pineapple, and saffron, as well as Butterfly pea flower, which they sourced from Southeast Asia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Give her the gift from Christian Lacroix For Swiminista, a sarong in Josephine print, then whisk her away on an impromptu holiday to her favorite sunny locale. 

 
 
ICON Roland Sands Signature 2254 Chronograph. 43mm 316L Stainless Steel Case and Fixed Bezel with IP Antique Gold Plating, Stainless Steel Push Crown, and Screw-In Caseback. K1 Flat Hardened Mineral Crystal. Japan Quartz (Miyota 6S21) 2 Eye Chronograph with Date Movement.
 
Larroudé Vail Boot is a brand to add to your wardrobe. Marrying the comfort of Montana with the functionality of a lace-up boot to give us the Vail. Ready for the mountains, the faux shearling interior is super soft-to-the-touch while the all-weather exterior is all about function.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Larroudè and Her Highness – Valentine’s Day, customers will be gifted with a “highly orgasmic” pleasure oil as a gift with purchase (while supplies last). We are excited to have our clients treat themselves to the perfect pair (shoes + pleasure oil) this Valentine’s Day! 
 
 
 
 
 
 

For the side sleeper, this Scrumptious Side Sleeper Pillow is unique, with a curve that supports your neck and shoulders whether you are on your side or your back. Their design is meticulously from the degree of its curvature to the height and firmness of the fill inside it.  The perfect give for your side sleeper.

 

Take your sweetheart on one of New York’s historical treasures, with a memorable horse-drawn carriage tour of Central Park. The tour includes a bottle of sparkling wine, a bucket of roses, and photographs.

 
 
 
 
 
Wish your love off to Las Catalinas is a new beach town on the Guanacaste coast of Costa Rica. Its purpose is to create a way of life that is healthy, sustainable, fulfilling, and fun. Las Catalinas consists of houses, shops, restaurants, small hotels and inns, plazas, parks, and recreational facilities. Las Catalinas in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Check out the new outdoor beachfront gym there, CORE by Chakfitness, and sign up for a week of personal training and unlimited gym and class access — including a personalized take-home program designed by owner Chakiris Menafacio.
 

 

Categories
News Sports

Inspiring Young Women to Pursue Careers in Sports

The middle school girls who came together at Asphalt Green in Battery Park City earlier this month received more than advice about keeping fit by playing sports. They learned about how to break into careers in the sports industry.

On February 7, the WNBA held a basketball clinic at Asphalt Green in celebration of 2018 National Girls and Women in Sports Day. The event also included a panel featuring WNBA stars Swin Cash and Tina Charles, and other professional female leaders with sports backgrounds.

“Through sports, I learned leadership skills, how to collaborate, and how to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Much of my career success is due to having the confidence to overcome challenges,” said Sarah Bennett, Chief Marketing Officer at Asphalt Green.

The WNBA’s National Girls and Women in Sports Day campaign empowers female athletes and promote the continued expansion of opportunities for girls and women to play sports and live physically active lives. In addition to Bennett, the panel included: Jay Parry, Chief Operating Officer of the WNBA; Erika Wachter, Fox 5 News Sports Host and Reporter; Katie Barnes, writer for espnW; and, Adele Jackson-Gibson, Editorial Consultant for Player’s Tribune — all of whom shared stories of how playing sports positively impacted their careers.

In the audience were girls from Asphalt Green’s Community Sports Leagues at Public School 180 and St. Hope, and students from the Dual Language Middle School.

Community Sports Leagues, one of Asphalt Green’s free Community Programs, provide middle schoolers from low-income communities with opportunities to play organized sports as part of a school team. More than half of the 50,000 Community Programs participants are girls, and more than 3,000 girls play on Asphalt Green’s competitive and recreational youth sports teams.

WNBA star Tina Charles and her fans at Asphalt Green in Battery Park City.

Said Bennett, “Asphalt Green is proud to have hosted this event, which reflects our mission to empower all New Yorkers to achieve health through a lifetime of sports and fitness.”

Categories
Featured Fitness Health

Fitness Friday: Swimming, Fitness and Sports at Asphalt Green

For this week’s Fitness Friday, we’re taking a closer look at Asphalt Green. A nonprofit organization with two locations in Manhattan, one in Battery Park City and one on the Upper East Side, with a wide range of group fitness classes, great swimming and gym facilities and sports for all ages.

Both locations feature a 25-yard indoor pool, making it the perfect spot for swimmers of all skill levels. First-time swimmers, recreational, and even Olympic swimmers to-be! There are even swim classes for young and old and water aerobics. It might be especially beneficial for children to take some swim classes to address fear of water or other obstacles right away.

All throughout the week, Asphalt Green’s fitness schedules read everything from Cardio Kickboxing and Pilates to Bodypump, Spin and Yoga, so there is a class for everyone. All the instructors bring great energy and make sure that your form is correct to avoid injuries. Each season they switch up their class schedules, and both facilities are now offering new group fitness classes that include Yoga for Athletes, Boxing, Bollywood Dance and Salsa.

Asphalt Green recently remodeled the Upper East Side fitness center, which spans the top two floors of the building. Improvements include all new strength, cable and cardio machines, plus a brand-new Pilates studio which offers both private and small group specialty training. Coming soon: over 500 square feet of turf with new athletic performance training equipment. And their Downtown facility has a teen fitness initiative, which will kick off in January 2018 with a teen fitness open house and small group training classes that are progressive, fun, educational and geared toward youth ages 13-17.

What especially makes Asphalt Green stand out is its dedication and commitment to the community. Patronage at Asphalt Green helps support their community programs, which again helps provide free services and scholarships to New Yorkers in need.

Asphalt Green offers different memberships, but if you’re just visiting you can get a guest pass for $35 a day. The membership benefits include access to the above, 360-degree fitness assessment with a personal trainer, one free pilates reformer small group class, an on-site juice bar and full-service luxury locker rooms, to name a few. Find out which ones suit you here.

Our advice? Don’t hesitate. Now is the perfect time to join a gym! The temperatures are dropping fast, so exercising outside isn’t as easy, and the holidays are coming up. And we know what that means. There’s often a little more food involved, which isn’t a bad thing at all! It just means you can let all that delicious food go straight to your muscles. If you sign up now, Asphalt Green is even offering you the last of 2017 for free. How’s that for motivation?

Venture up to the Upper East Side location at 555 East 90th St. or stop by the Battery Park City right here in Downtown at 212 North End Ave.

Categories
Health Living

Fitness Friday: 5 Classes Inspired By Pilates and Ballet

There are many ways to get your fitness in each week, or even daily, but finding something you thoroughly enjoy doing while staying active can be tough. But little did you know, there’s a class out there for you.

There are different classes offered all around the city, from boxing to zumba to yoga to pilates and so many more. Finding a class you consistently go to each week, and enjoy it, is a difficult task. However, there are so many unique classes you can do and not even feel like you are working out.

Downtown Magazine put together a list of 5 workout classes that sculpt and tone your body using movements from pilates and ballet.

Pilates Reformer Class

Photo courtesy of Asphalt Green

Asphalt Green recently announced the addition of two new Pilates Reformer classes at the Battery Park Campus, Thursdays at 5:30 pm and Sunday’s at 11:00 am. You can find the full schedule here. These classes are structured for small groups which allow their Pilates instructors to provide individualized attention. When you purchase any Pilates package, you receive a free pilates reformer session.

Address: Asphalt Green at the Battery Park Campus  at 212 North End Ave, New York, NY 10282

Barre Fusion

Photo courtesy of CompleteBody

Along with others, CompleteBody offers Barre Fusion classes throughout the week for those who enjoy Ballet and Pilates. Exercises are done at the barre, on the floor, and on the mat to target every muscle to sculpt a long, lean body. You can find the full group fitness schedule for the Financial District here.

Address: CompleteBody at 10 Hanover Square, New York, NY 10005

Pure Barre

Photo courtesy of Pure Barre

Pure Barre has become extremely popular, probably due to its effective technique, which transforms the shape of a woman’s body in record-breaking time, in a friendly, high-energy atmosphere with fun and motivating music. They offer plenty of classes throughout the week and have the same flow each session, but with changing music and exercises, so that your experience is never the same. You can find the Financial District’s schedule here.

Address: Pure Barre Financial District at 80 Pine Street, First Floor, New York, NY 10038

Barione

Photo courtesy of Bari

Barione is the Bari Studio’s taste-of-everything intro class. It features dance, trampoline, and toning all within a 55-minute class. In this class, you will learn the sequences, become comfortable with bari, all while breaking a serious sweat and on your way to earning “bari rockstar status.” This class is offered every Sunday at 12:15 pm. You can find the full TriBeCa schedule, and the other classes offered here as well as the rates for the TriBeCa location here.

Address: The Bari Studio TriBeCa at 23 Leonard Street, New York, NY 10013

WundaBar Pilates

Photo courtesy of WundaBar

At the only New York location, WundaBar offers its reinvented Pilates class throughout the week. Their team of educators lead focused, high-energy core-shredding workouts taught at a cardio-intense pace with the integrity of Pilates biomechanics. It is the first class to combine the Reformer, Wunda Chair, Ballet Bar and Jump Board all into one unbelievable machine. You can find the WundaBar schedule for SoHo here.

Address: WundaBar SoHo at 21 Thompson Street, B, New York, NY 10013

Categories
Health Living

Summer Swimming with Asphalt Green

It’s summer! Which means hot temperatures, and for all the families to their nearest available pool for a day of fun in the water. With swimming comes the fear of your child’s safety as a parent or guardian. Along with safety, it can be a difficult situation trying to get your children involved in this activity.

Downtown talked to Asphalt Green’s Director of Aquatics, Craig Charlson, about safety tips and how to get your children involved with swimming.

As for getting your children started in swimming, it is crucial you start them young and keep swimming a family activity. Fear of the water is a common speed bump to a new stimuli; however, it can be abetted by empathy, patience, persistence, and consistent positive reinforcement.

Safety is always a concern, and Charlson gave Downtown his top tips for a safe swimming environment.

“The very first step to staying safe near the water is learning how to swim. No matter what your skill level is, adequate supervision, like designated lifeguards, are essential. Swimming pools are high-risk environments, and even the most skilled swimmers can find themselves in dangerous situations, which is why it is important to always bring a buddy or surround yourself with others. Never swim alone,” Charlston urged.

“On a more positive note, swimming, especially to children, is something they look forward to and thoroughly enjoy. Although it is a high-risk environment, it is important to note that swimming comes with unlimited amounts of benefits, especially health ones. While the ultimate health benefit of learning to swim is drowning prevention (drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death to children ages one through 14), additional benefits include motor skill development and promotion of a healthy lifestyle. Swimming is a great exercise for all ages, from the youngest of swimmers to those still young at heart,” he explained.

Asphalt Green is a non-profit organization with two locations in Manhattan, the Upper East Side and Battery Park City. For all ages and skill levels, they provide a diverse selection of services throughout the year, but specifically, summertime is full of activities full of fun events, which has been a hit in the past years and ensures a safe environment.

Swimming is a huge part of Asphalt Green’s summer camps and throughout the year activities – click here for more information on these camps and here for the member pool schedule.

“We are a group of passionate, like-minded individuals whose goal is to educate and challenge children to swim smarter,” Charlson stated.

Don’t forget Asphalt Green’s free Sprinkler Day event on July 15th, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm, offering summer fun by cooling off and getting soaked for all ages (children and adults) at the Upper East Side campus! Let’s beat the heat.

Photos courtesy of Asphalt Green

Categories
Living

Asphalt Green To Hold An Open House For Its Summer 2017 Season

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Though summer may seem far away with fall’s cold winds sweeping through the city, now might be a good time to start thinking about summer camps for your children. Living in downtown New York, summer day camps are a great way for city kids to stay active and meet new friends without having to spend entire summers away from their family. But they are also very popular and will fill up fast!

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Asphalt Green’s Battery Park City Campus recently opened up for its Summer Day Camp 2017 program. Located right at 212 North End Avenue, it is a great spot for parents who do not want their children to travel too far every day to get to the camp — and to make it easier, Asphalt Green offers bus service with several pick-up spots throughout the nearby areas that will take the children straight to the camp.

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Stacey Decter & Kathleen Duffy

“We live in the time now, where parents don’t want to be far away from their kids, because in any moment something could happen,” said Stacey Decter, Camps Manager at Asphalt Green.

“I just love that Battery Park City is the opportunity for families, from Brooklyn, Battery Park and TriBeCa, the West Side — and even families from New Jersey — are able to come together in such a historic part of New York city,” she added.

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“It’s a great alternative for the people who want to have a traditional camp experience, but are not ready to send their children outside of the city — to Westchester or Long Island,” noted Kathleen Duffy, Director of Camps at Asphalt Green.

“The parents want to have a program that will give their campers the same type of community-feel, special events, camp culture, without leaving home, essentially without being too far away,” Duffy further explained.

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Asphalt Green has offered Summer Day Camps for 29 years, starting at its Upper East Side location. When it opened up their Battery Park City location in 2013, Summer Day Camps were a must. And they have been a great hit for families all over the city, especially due to its easy accessible location. More than that, it is also a great opportunity for the campers to meet new friends from different neighborhoods in the City.

“Camp is the place, where I thrive. It’s where I learned to try new things, made new friends, built confidence in myself — and I have always wanted to be able to inspire others to do the same,” said Decter.

IMG_1579At Asphalt Green, three age-based camps are offered: Pee Wee, Junior and Senior. But it is also made sure that the whole camp gets together through socials and a lot of social engagements throughout the summer. The campers also often build a stronger skill-set and stronger relationships with both each other and the counselors, because Asphalt Green offer programs that are session-based. This means that the campers are there for a minimum of four weeks, often for six or eight, and it helps the children become comfortable with each other because no one just comes in and out.

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“They really get to know each other and counselors get to build confidence in the campers,” Duffy said. She continued: “The activities that we are doing, to get to really work each week at new martial arts scalar, swimming every day and because they have that continuity and stability, they grow and they become confident campers and this becomes their home, which is such a great thing to see.”

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At their Summer Day Camps, Asphalt Green puts a great emphasis on the single camper. It keeps a low ratio of kids to counselor — six kids to one counselor for the youngest, and up to seven kids to one counselor for some of the older groups — to ensure that each camper gets the attention then need to thrive and grow whether it is in the pool or on the soccer field.

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Jennifer Coccia

“Seeing those little guys coming through the hallway and watching tiny little babies swimming all day long is a daily joy,” said Jennifer Coccia, Director at Asphalt Green, Battery Park City about watching the campers evolve and learn.

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With a wide range of activities from everything to swimming and a variety of different sports such as tennis and baseball over creative activities like theater and arts and craft, the campers are sure to keep busy all day and find something to keep them entertained. Much helped by the engaging staff that are there to help the campers and oversee every activity.

At Asphalt Green, it is also made a point to include everybody — so much so that it has scholarships to help families and children who may not be able to afford the camps.

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“Seeing those kids and knowing that we are able to help some of them get an opportunity that they would have never had before, that always makes me feel really good and very proud of what we’re doing,” said Coccia.

Want to find out more? Stop by its open house on Tuesday, Nov. 15 between 6:00PM and 7:30PM and learn more about the camps and meet some of the counselors.

Learn much more about rates, scholarships and dates on their website as well as all the activities. But don’t wait too long — we’re betting that the spots will go fast!

Photography by Philippe Reynaud