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