OTP’s Travel Guide to NYC for the Sporty, Fit and Athletic

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Sometimes downing several slices of pizza, partying it up at the hostel for a week straight and other general sluggishness gets you in the mood to move. OTP handpicked some of NYC’s best heart jump-starters.

Yoga to the People

Based on the idea that everyone should be able to afford the benefits of yoga, the New York branch of YTTP is a cheap way to get your yoga on. Classes are held at all times of the day (as early as 6:30 a.m.) and their 3 Manhattan locations, teaching 3 different types of yoga, are easily accessible by train. While power vinyasa and hot vinyasa are good classes to take for a sweat, the ultimate work out is the traditional hot yoga class taught at their 27^th street (between 6^th and 7^th avenues) location in Chelsea. Comparable to Bikram Yoga (the great 105 degrees, 40 percent humidity and 26 painful poses included), this class will make you sweat like a llama wearing a sweater in the Sahara. What you’ll need: $8 bucks, a towel, a yoga mat (which can be rented at $2 bucks a piece) and a willingness to hurt and like it.

OTP Tip: Wear something skimpy and bring a change of clothes as yours will be a drippy mess. Focus on the yoga itself otherwise you will pop a boner as there are incredibly hot, barely dressed chicks here.

 

The defining court of NYC streetball, this place is so legendary that the court has it’s own nickname ( “The Cage”, if you’re wondering). Now, that may sound intimidating and well, it is. This court is smaller than regulation and enclosed within a fence box which cuts down on personal space (meaning: fouls will hurt more, less space to navigate the ball and sidelines are usually ignored). Another interesting feature is since the court is located off a busy train stop (West 4^th off the ABCDEF and M trains), you should be prepared for groups of rotating spectators.

OTP Tip: West 4^th Court has its own league and celebrity players and current NBA superstars step in for pick-up games. As such, players are good (and some are from the Bronx), so if you’re just testing out your new Jordans and have no actual skills, it’s best you watch the action from outside The Cage.

NYC is huge on alternate forms of transportation as there is limited street space to accommodate the 8 million plus residents. For this reason, miles of bike paths have been drawn onto the streets. OTP’s favorite ride is across the Brooklyn Bridge (from Brooklyn to Manhattan). The view as your bike arches over the top of the bridge, the skyline outlined by the old construction of the bridge, is breathtaking. The only drawback is pedestrians walking, stopping, gawking and picture-taking all over the place (mostly in the bike path). You will want to hit them; instead, get a sound-making device or make a cool noise (our favorite is the dog bark) to get their attention so they can get the fuck out of your way. As far as skateboarding goes, every bike bath can easily be used as a skateboard path (or roller skate path if you’re pretending to be an extra in Boogie Nights). If it’s skate parks you’re after, try these guys on for size.

Like reenacting the opening sequence of Stallone’s Cliffhanger? In NYC, you can push your upper body to new heights. Both Brooklyn and Manhattan have several walls for you to climb to your heart’s content. We scoped out the cheaper places so that you can climb budget-worry free.

Manhattan

Manhattan Plaza Climbing Wall

For $20, get a day pass and you’ll have access to 5000 feet of twisting, turning, wall complete with caves, squeeze chimneys (which sound sexy) and challenging routes to get your arms burning and heart pumping. If you’re a virgin climber, you can get a package that introduces you to the sport for $60 (includes instruction, day pass, shoes and harness).

Brooklyn

Brooklyn Boulders

…or, for the same price, trek to Brooklyn Boulders for your rock climbing needs. These guys have dedicated 18,000 square feet to nothing but climb. Like a tricked-out skate park, Boulders has neon rocks jammed into every elevated crevice of their expansive outdoor, graffiti-decorated, space. If you like hanging on for dear life upside-down, this is definitely the place for you. For all the lady climbers, Boulders offers a discounted ladies night the third Friday of every month.

Once your arms are all jacked up (and you’ve lost all sense of equilibrium), take the gun show to NYC Best Backpacker’s Bars and brag about how sporty you are with pride.

NYC is the ultimate urban scenic running terrain (weather permitting; unless you’re one of those bad ass snow/rain/cold resistant humans). Below are some trails that are sure to make the treadmill-tied losers jealous:

Central Park

The famed oasis in the middle of Manhattan’s concrete, skyscraper urban jungle, Central Park’s entire loop is about 6.1 miles long and takes you through winding, beautiful greenery with little peeks of the lake, reservoir and old architectural wonders like the Dakota. With this handy running trail map, let your feet take you around one of America’s most interesting, joggable, landmarks.

Chelsea Piers

Take your running up a notch by learning Parkour. Think of this as Rambo meets Usain Bolt-type running where your goal is to get from point A to point B the quickest while working through (not around) any obstacles that may be in your way (i.e. rails, benches, old ladies). At Chelsea Piers, you can learn the basics before you conquer the streets by taking a Parkour Class.

Arguably (not because it’s actually up for debate but just because New Yorkers like to argue) THE sport of New York City, baseball here is a big, big deal. On any given day, New Yorkers are screaming about either the Yankees or the Mets. To show your support, head out to any of the three fields in Central Park for a pick up game. If you’re feeling adventurous, put down the pipe, pick up a bat and head out to the Crack is Wack Playground in Harlem where you can check out this historic mural after hitting a few into the outfield.

Have no bat-to-ball coordination?

Take a trip to the Yankee Stadium in the Bronx to see where all the magic happens (make sure to leave your Red Sox gear at home).

Watergun Assassins

Alright, so you want to be the baddest of the bad, taking NYC by storm with your athletic ability and cunning precision? This here is a sport to the water gun death. Basically, you are assigned a “mark” (person you must hunt and drench); at the same time, you are assigned as somebody else’s mark. Although there are some rules, mostly you’re running around like a paranoid secret agent all summer. Sign up and get the rules at www.streetwars.net.

Bonus: Summertime rain got you down?

Don’t fret. Mid-summer/early-fall rains are a perfect condition for starting up a game of tackle football. Since NYC is full of parks (ranging from a small patch of grass to miles of greenery), a slippery good time is usually a short walk from your hostel. Grab a ball (this one glows in the dark), gather up some willing hostel mates, put on clothes you don’t mind throwing away later, read up on the official rules and start kicking some muddy, sloppy ass.

Written By: Anna Starostinetskaya

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