Urban Athletics

Profile

Located close to the Hudson River Park jogging path, this mom-and-pop fitness shop hidden in the Winter Garden caters to everyone from the weekend jogger to the marathoner. The owners emphasize sleek style and favor performance-enhacing textiles from lines like Nike Dri-Fit and Sugoi TechniFine. Training equipment like heart-rate monitors, sports watches, LED safety strobes, and iPod pacing-and-distance attachments gives the efficiently-organized store a technological edge, too. The attentive staff helps customers select the kicks�from New Balance, Saucony, Brooks, and more�that best suit their running style. Once you’ve got the shoes, ask about joining one of UA’s training sessions or running classes headed by certified coaches; these focus on areas like running for kids, speed and form, and�starting each May�conditioning for marathon season. In winter, wind off the Hudson forces the training uptown, where a sister branch serves the Central Park set. — Alex Littlefield