Profile

YogaWorks began humbly in 1987 as a one-room operation in Santa Monica. Today, the chain attracts clients like Ivanka Trump and Sarah Jessica Parker and spans 23 locations in California and New York, including this 11,000-square-foot flagship in Soho, a two-floor spalike retreat above the bustle of Broadway. The 100 classes offered target all skill levels, including classes for kids, Ashtanga, Iyenga (a prop-based yoga requiring specially designed walls), Pilates, and hybrid classes like BarWorks and SculptWorks, intended to amp up your heart rate. Using feng-shui design, ecofriendly company Clodagh outfitted the three studio spaces (and one small room for private sessions) with bamboo-and-cork flooring and rattan trimmings, and incorporated copious amounts of natural light. The tranquility here is reinforced with a no–cell phone rule, two tea stations, and spacious men's and women’s changing areas, each equipped with a sauna. But if you simply cannot get away from the outside world, complimentary wireless is offered, as are computers for members' use. — Vanita Salisbury

Membership is $110 a month for unlimited classes.

Pros
Rather than having to lug your yoga mat to and from class each time, cubby space is available for $75 a year. There's also no need to bring locks for lockers: YogaWorks has high-tech electronic keypads on their lockers, which are available for free. There's a limited amount, though, so come early to snag one.

Cons
Evening classes are immensely popular, with the recurring complaint that there’s unpleasant overcrowding in the women's locker room, so try to get your workout in earlier in the day.