The New Workout Plan... all those mocha lattes you gotta do pilates

So this morning I woke up at 5 :30 ( yes in the morning- and no the sun was not up yet) to go to the grand opening of my school's new fitness center at 6! Yes I am slightly insane, but I hated our old gym so much, that I couldn't wait to get my first peak at the new machines and weights! But get this, by the time I arrived at 6:05 the gym was packed! I was forced to wait on line to even enter, and then forced again to wait for my stationary bike. But trust me, by the time I had those brand new dumbbells in my hands, it was SO worth it.

The thing is, I find going to gym extremely refreshing. It allows me to blow of steam, and to get rid of my stress in a healthy manner. But during my Freshman year of college, I actually ended up dreading the gym. Our old fitness center was a mess ( and that's putting it nicely!) . Although less then 20 years old, it was cramped, and unorganized. The cardio machines were haphazardly placed throughout the room, and you were forced to do all of you ab workouts in a hallway barely 2 feet wide! I found myself with no place where I could comfortably work out!!

Luckily for all of you currently living in New York- this is never a problem!! The city is filled with plenty of workout spaces.  And those who are living within its boundaries are constantly bombarded at every street corner with advertisements in windows for new aerobics classes, spinning, or even karate. You name it, the fitness opportunities are endless.

However, there is only one place in the entire city worth mentioning that offers you everything in one convenient location. And in case you haven't already guessed it, that would be The Sports Center at Chelsea Piers. Chelsea Piers provides members with both breathtaking views of the Hudson River, as well as state of the art athletic facilities, including an indoor swimming pool, running track, climbing wall. sand volleyball court, regular volleyball court, boxing ring, and basketball court... if you can imagine it, it's there. Trust me!

But what's really important here is that we all exercise. Whether you belong to Chelsea Piers, or some other gym out there, as long as your comfortable, and you're staying healthy that's all that matters!

Until next time... stay active New York!

title: "The New Workout Plan" - by Kanye West

DASH has arrived...and with it, a new reality show

The Kardashian's are taking New York, or at least they claim to be on their new reality show "Kim and Kourtney Take New York" which premiered on E! last Sunday night. The fabulous twosome, infamous for their appearances on "Keeping up with the Kardashians" -possibly the most addicting reality show based upon nothing ( and don't lie you watch it too!!) - have left their warm digs in sunny LA to brave the cold and wintery mix that seems to be pounding New York City this winter.

In the first episode we find Kim and Kourtney planning the opening for the third installment of their designer store DASH in a boutique in Soho. And although I am super excited to see what impact the Kardashian girls might have on the New York fashion scene, I can't help but think back to the other reality shows that have chosen New York as the backdrop to their crazy and quite ridiculously unreal adventures.

Kim and Kourtney might think that they're stealing the show in New York, but really they're nothing new to the Big Apple. Reality shows come and go, but New York remains the star.

So here's a look back on some of those other reality shows and stars, that at one point of another we did LOVE, who payed tribute to NYC.

Kim and Kourtney Take New York

Kim and Kourtney sit front row at the Jill Stuart fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 2011( left) and stroll in Central park (right)

The City

We all loved and rooted for Lauren ( or as i stil affectionally call her LC) Conrad's friend Whitney on "The Hills" - mostly because she appeared to be the only sane one on that show- but when Whitney made the decision to star in her own reality show, it came as no surprise that it would be set in the Big Apple ( just about as far away as you could get from Speidi ).  However, Whitney truly made the City her own. Working at DVF, most of the show was shot either down in the Village, Soho, or the Meat Packing Industry, places that don't regularly make it onto television. Plus throw in a little socialite drama, thanks to Olivia Palermo, and you've got the perfect concoction for reality success: cat-fights, fashion, and New York City. 

Real Housewives of New York

The Real Housewives of New York, which airs on Bravo, follows the lives of 5 middle-aged women who make their living in the Big Apple. Although I wasn't a big fan of this season ( really nothing competes with the Housewives of New Jersey, and Danielle Staub), there is no shortage of drama, fights, and NYC parties.  

Real World: Brooklyn

7 strangers living in a house in New York- enough said. 

NYC Prep

Ahh NYC Prep, the short lived, yet so insanely addicting reality show on Bravo, that followed the lives of 6 adolescents growing up in Manhattan. The kids basically portrayed that rich New York Stereotype perfectly. Taylor, the only character who attended public school, was completely obsessed with hanging out with the right crowd, while the cameras followed Camille looking for community service opportunities as a way to buffer her all so important resume ( while still only in 10th grade!). The cast of privileged prepsters, made you squirm in disgust while at the same time kept you wanting to know more. Hey, it's a kids dream to have the freedom New York provides. 

Project Runway

And finally, the last worth mentioning would have to be Heidi Klum and the mega hit that is Project Runway. Where else would you expect a reality show involving fashion designers to take place, then the city with Parsons, and Fashion Week. 

The City that Never Sleeps

New York City. The Big Apple. The Greatest City on Earth... Ok, so that last statement might just be my opinion, but its an opinion I hope to share with every single one of you through this blog. People say that you can fall in love at first sight, and that's sort of what has happened to me with New York. Born and raised in Manhattan for 11 years, I live and breath New York. From the sports, to the fashion, to the entertainment, to the politics that envelop this city and make it what it is.

Sinatra said it best when he sang that New York is the "city that never sleeps." This city thrives because of the people who inhabit it, from the artists in Williamsburg to the socialites of the Upper East Side. And there is never a dull moment.

I decided to take up the venture of creating this blog as a way to express my undying love for this city. And maybe, if someone out there reads this, they'll learn to share my ridiculous obsession as well.