If you are reading this, THANK YOU! I know it’s been a while since I wrote here, but I am very excited to announce that I have a real domain and website, completed designed by yours truly. Check it out there and considering this my “Moving Away” party.
Catch you there!
If you didn’t already know, I was in Southeast Asia (SEA) for a few weeks this June/July. It was amazing. Track flights now; you should go! (More on that later, we’re talking hair right now!) I had a buildup of buildup (ha) and “hairmergencies” while I was abroad and needed some TLC, STAT. I had to think fast and rely on a very resourceful friend in order to feel like a functioning curly girl yet again.
I have naturally wavy/curly hair, which I have been trying to understand and build a healthy relationship with since last September, when I first started following the “curly girl” method. My biggest takeaway (ok, second biggest takeaway) is that the curly girl method can be CRAZY EXPENSIVE! (My first takeaway is that you need to eliminate parabens, sulfates, and silicons from your hair products, like yesterday. Read those ingredients carefully.) You want some tips for curly girls on a budget? Stay tuned!
Because of those 2 details, I had to be very strategic packing for SEA. I only took a carry-on bag and a backpack – which means 3 oz/100mL liquids – but I didn’t want to resort to using hotel shampoo that is either a) full of harmful substances for these curls, or b) has a foreign ingredient list (although even in English, I don’t understand half the ingredients in labels!). Therefore, I took three 3oz bottles: shampoo, conditioner, and gel, and one 1oz container of DevaCurl’s B-leave in, as well as an old T-shirt to dry my hair. That should be enough for ~3 weeks on the equator, right?
WRONG. Biggest regret – my lifesaving hair potion of B’Leave In was all gone after just 1 wash – seriously, my thick hair left that container bone dry. I don’t LOVE hair gel, and it wasn’t doing me any favors in the humidity (despite its sole purpose). Imagine mixing a few days of sweat with volcanic ash & dust from hiking to the top of a volcano. I then dunked my head in the volcano’s natural hot spring, let my hair air dry, then rode into the sunset on the back of a motorcycle (dreamy story, I digress).
If what you’re imagining now is a grimy dreadlock situation, my imagery is working. As you may know, the water in Indonesia is very different than New York – the water isn’t filtered and it’s very hard. My hair, post-wash, was just as residual feeling as before and smelled a lil funky. (See: post’s featured image for 2 days of beach hair that may look good, but feel disgusting.) What’s a girl to do?!
I have TWO solutions to share with you all: 1 that helped while in Asia, the other for when I returned to NYC.
The next morning, I woke up 2 hours early and started making my DIY hair mask. I scrubbed a lot of the oil into my scalp (for MINUTES, and yes my hands got tired!), and used a less liberal amount throughout the length of my hair. I prayer-hand-motioned the oil down the hair, and then worked it between pieces to get out all the knots. Then I aggressively stuffed my hair into the plastic shower cap, laid a towel on my pillow, and went back to sleep. Two hours later, I took a very hot shower and washed out the oil with ~2.5 applications of shampoo. I skipped conditioner and product, just scrunched my hair with a t-shirt. I then let my hair air dry.
Benefits: softened my hair, got rid of the residue, & eliminated the weird scent – even in Bangkok’s pollution and humidity!
Approximate Cost: Full-size bottle was equiv. 6USD in Bangkok, so I definitely regret not buying this there! I would say it’s definitely a little more expensive for a non-travel size bottle here, but not by much. Don’t get something specifically branded for hair/beauty because it’ll probably be upcharged for the extra ~bennies.~
Approximate Cost: $10 for hair mask, $19 for leave-in. Compared to all the other curly/natural hair product lines I’ve found, this is the most bang for your buck, without breaking the bank. (Alliteration for the win.)
A couple things to note: You may be wondering where the before/after pics are, right? As I mentioned, I was sweating ALL THE TIME and tied my hair up constantly. I am kicking myself for not taking any awful photos (NOT) but am pretty bummed I was TOO BUSY HAVING A BLAST to take pictures of my jojoba-saved curls! So sorry, friends. I guess you’ll have to believe me… or try this yourself!
As I self-promised… I am going to do a curly hair on a budget blog post soon, where I will dive into uncharted waters (missing the island life, I had to!) and lay out all my best tips for you. Even if you’re not curly (or self-identified curly – maybe you straighten your hair), I promise these tips will be helpful for anyone trying to have a healthy head of hair AND a healthy bank account. Stay tuned, follow @howtobebrokeinnewyork on Instagram, and share with a friend! Tried any tips? Have any suggestions or stories? I’d love to hear! Xo.
Happy birthday to YOU! I may be a little late or perhaps a little early, but your birthday is always coming up!
I have good news: I’m not the only one who thinks you deserve celebrating. A bunch of businesses around the city will give you a gift for your birthday – some physical, some experiences, some awesome discounts, all wonderful.
Pro-tip: I am on the listserv for a ton of places, so they know to reach out to me on my birthday. If you’re not yet on the lists for these places, they won’t know to reach out to you. Go give them business now and you’ll be rewarded later, in many ways!
I hope this post encourages you to support some of the great businesses in our city! Join their mailing lists, go to classes, check out their sales, and get pampered on your birthday. You deserve it!
I ask that if you go to any of these places, please let them know how you found out about their birthday special – just mention my name or @howtobebrokeinnewyork!
Am I missing your favorite store or studio, or have you had any fun birthday experiences at any of these places? Let me know in the comments below!
xo
If you can get to the west side of Manhattan after work, you are golden – there’s something about the Hudson River that makes everyone want to get healthier! And if you’re like me and absolutely love Williamsburg, I have a great option for you too!
I have an option for you nearly every day of the week, and I will update as I find more for you.
The Meatpacking District’s Sweat Sessions offers 3 classes Tuesday evenings, each class offered by a different local fitness studio. You need to RSVP for those in advance, and they fill up quickly. When you arrive, there will be a line to check in- which consists of you turning in your printed ticket to the event, so set a reminder now to make sure you print out your ticket! – and to sign a waiver. After the class, there is some free recovery food offered.
When I went to the 7pm ((305)) Fitness class (read more about that here), we were given drinkable strawberry yogurt after class. I’ve seen every kind of fitness offered for this – pilates, yoga, HIIT, Zumba, you want it, they offer it! I have signed up for classes based on my ability to arrive in time from work, but if you finish at 5pm, I encourage you to try all the classes you can! The last chance you have to participate is on August 29th, with either yoga, dance cardio, or HIIT. The HIIT class is with Fhitting Room, who I’ve taken a free class before and LOVED, but the RSVP for that is currently closed. If it reopens, you have to jump on it! Sign up for one of the three classes now!
Christine’s boot camps are the most perfect way to kick start the last day of the weekend. These outdoor tush-kickers take place at Pier 46 along Hudson River Park at 11 am on Sundays. The workout was intense, and the view ain’t half bad either. (See the group photo at the top? So many happy exhausted faces, thanks to Christine!)
You are supposed to sign up through ClassPass, but I just DM’ed Christine on Instagram and she told me to just show up with a mat, water, towel, and sunscreen. I would also suggest sunglasses and a hat to prevent the discomfort of having the sun in your eyes during core work. There are bathrooms and a water fountain right at the pier, which is super important and convenient for a hot outdoor workout.
The class was broken down into four sections: the warm-up, core work on the mat, interval training stations, and stretching/cool down. The class felt very personal, with Christine’s fiance participating and taking photos, her friends cheering her on, and her mini Bluetooth speaker pumping the jams as loud as it could. Christine and her supportive fiance are getting married quite soon (congrats, you two!) so her fabulous weekly workouts will be on a brief hiatus soon, but don’t worry – I will let you all know when they resume, and we will go together! The next one will be on Sunday, September 3rd. Make sure you are there!
To take these ClassPass Community Bootcamp classes, you are supposed to sign up using your ClassPass account, technically… but I don’t have ClassPass. I just found out there are more free ClassPass Community Bootcamp classes for us to explore! In the same spot as Christine’s, you can find Michael Ringer’s HIIT classes Thursdays at 7 pm and Saturdays at noon.
From here on out, all classes/events are offered by lululemon, who is KILLIN’ IT as a company, offering all the free fitness my heart desires. Thanks to all the money saved for fitness classes I feel like maybe I can almost afford some clearance leggings!
HOTH has a partnership with lululemon for classes in Hudson River Park on Tuesdays and Wednesdays until the end of September. They are giving me so much hope because everyone else is making me feel like Labor Day is the end of all the fun! Tuesday nights are offered at Pier 46, which is by Charles Street west of the Village. This is the same location as Christine’s Sunday boot camp classes! Similar to the Sweat Sessions, Healthy on the Hudson’s Tuesday night classes feature a different fitness studio for each class. Wednesday nights are off Moore Street in Tribeca, at Pier 25. All of the upcoming Wednesday night classes are taught by an instructor from Mile High Run Club. For either night, you have to sign up in advance (both nights share the same Mind Body sign-up). All of the classes are from 6:30-7:30pm.
The new lululemon Williamsburg has partnered with the jaw-dropping William Vale Hotel to bring us lucky folks rooftop workouts, overlooking the East River and all of Manhattan and Queens. The view does not compare. It is incredibly gorgeous. The roof has “grass” which I think is really AstroTurf, but it feels too real. Lululemon partners with a different Williamsburg fitness studio each week to bring a 1-hour 10am workout on Saturday mornings. You are supposed to sign up in advance on their weekly Eventbrite page, although I’ve only been checked in once. I’ve found that the Eventbrite page has “sold out” before, but not everyone shows up. If you run into this issue, just contact the event organizer via Eventbrite and request to be added to the list.
They provide the mats, towels, a water jug, and sometimes, post-workout fuel from a local business in the neighborhood. I love these classes so much. They are so relaxing with this most amazing view and the classes have all been spectacular. My favorite so far was a pilates class, although I have also had great yoga and HIIT classes too. The William Vale Hotel is located near McCarren Park, and yes there are Citibike docks a block away. When you enter the hotel, go through the lobby to the elevator and ask to be taken up to the Westlight roof. When you get there, go back towards the bar, go outside, and take the stairs up one flight to the roof.
Hudson River Park’s 14th Street Park (10th Avenue between 14th and 15th Streets)
Pier 46, 412 West St, New York, NY, 10014
Pier 46, 412 West St, New York, NY, 10014
Pier 25, West St & N Moore St, New York, NY 10013
Westlight @ The William Vale Hotel, 111 N 12th St, Brooklyn, NY 11249
As you all saw in my July post, 305 Fitness offered free mock classes with new instructors. I took a class with a new instructor named Ivy – a fellow Floridian!—and I had the most amazing time. Although 305 Fitness is all about dancing, they pride themselves on offering classes that don’t require a dance background, just a desire to have fun. However, I danced for most of my life, so I was ecstatic to be in this class!
For some reason, my class only had two other students in it. At first, I was a little worried, but it ended up being great because there was more space to move and a more intimate one-on-one fitness experience. The class that came in after mine was PACKED, so this seemed like quite the rarity! The room is designed with Miami club vibes, with a mural of a 305 hand sign, and there is a live DJ who also controls the lights. Just like a Miami club, but way cleaner.
Our instructor was so fun – I strongly recommend a class with her! Her choreography was exhilarating, interesting, yet easy to follow. Although there is a lot of dance, the class starts off with more calisthenic-based movements, like jump squats, high knees, and jumping jacks. There was a break in the middle of class for strengthening with weights, which for us was booty and legs, but the muscle group changes with each class. After that, there was a more intense hip hop choreo section to end the class before cool down. I don’t usually take cardio classes because I get a lot of cardio from my frequent bike rides, so I really enjoyed the change of pace. I couldn’t stop smiling during class I was having such a great time! I may actually purchase a small membership here in the future, as the sales associate at the front desk said they are currently offering a new member special: 10 day unlimited for the price of a single class!
I also attended a second non-traditional and free 305 Fitness class earlier this week, as a part of the Meatpacking District’s Sweat Sessions. If you have not yet heard of Sweat Sessions, I am sorry to have let you down – but there’s one week left for you to go! Every Tuesday, Sweat Sessions features a different fitness studio for an hour long class for each hour: 6pm, 7pm, and 8pm. I went to Tuesday’s 7pm 305 Fitness class. All of the workout classes are outside at Hudson River Park’s 14th Street Park. I guess our music was so fun for those not participating in the class, as little kids in the park stood near the instructors and freestyled and breakdanced! It was the cutest thing!
This class was the opposite of my in-studio experience: the entire lawn was PACKED with fellow fitness enthusiasts! There were five 305 Fitness instructors there, but even still, there were so many people, I kept losing the instructors! (This definitely did not get in the way of having fun or dancing my booty off, don’t you worry!) Although Tuesday was incredibly hot, the weather was perfect during sunset for my workout class by the water.
I have included a separate post about Sweat Sessions to make sure all my followers make it out to the final week! Don’t miss out – summer is the best time for free outdoor workouts!
LOCATIONS:
((305)) Fitness Studios:
THE VILLAGE: 18 W. 8th St, NY, NY 10011
MIDTOWN EAST: 33 E. 33rd St, NY, NY 10016
The Sweat Sessions:
14th Street Park – Meatpacking District, NY, NY 10011, between 10th and 11th Avenues
Happy August! Not sure how time has flown by so quickly, and I have SO MUCH to share with you all! I am so sorry for not posting in what feels like an eternity, but stay tuned as there is much to learn, my friends!
My favorite and most consistent free workout, as mentioned in a June post, is the weekly free classes at lululemon SoHo. Each month, they feature a different New York fitness studio and bring in one of their ambassadors from the studio to teach an in-store class. You walk into the store, sign a waiver, and watch as all the to-die-for leggings and sports bra racks get pushed to the side, clearing the floor for an intense workout. Bring a bottle of water, which can be refilled near the cash register. As if a free amazing workout isn’t enough, lululemon also provides some sort of snack or drink as a post-workout snack. Last time I was there, a beauty store across the street came by with samples for us!
Tonight at 8pm, Camille Ford of SASS Method will leading a full-body workout class that “combines intensive low impact cardio, strength training, and meditation for sustainable fitness and real results.” I am so bummed I cannot make it tonight, as her fitness class sounds incredible! If you go, please let me know, and please let lululemon SoHo know that their biggest fan Julianne sent you!
RSVP not required, but suggested.
Location:
lululemon athletica SoHo Broadway
481 Broadway
August 23, 2017 @ 8pm
I am so excited to try out the closest thing to Florida in NYC – ((305)) Fitness! This Miami-themed studio has a reputation for being an absolute blast. They use dance cardio, interval training, and isolated toning – sounds like my heaven. However, if 5-6-7-8 means nothing to you, their website says it’s great for dancers and non-dancers alike, as the teachers break everything down step-by-step. And, in true Miami fashion, there is even a live DJ to bring the party!
Well, I have some terrific news for you! The studios, located in the Village and Midtown East, are offering free classes with brand new teachers over the next few weekends. All you have to do is sign up and they will contact you by next Tuesday, July 25th to let you know your class time. This is a #steal since classes are usually $32! Who’s coming with me?!
((305)) Fitness Locations:
THE VILLAGE: 18 W. 8th St, NY, NY 10011
MIDTOWN EAST: 33 E. 33rd St, NY, NY 10016
It feels like I’ve tried a million different workouts since moving to New York, but one sticks in my mind the most: F45 Training. Imagine a playground for adults (but kids at heart) that makes you stronger. That’s what you get here. This is an Australian studio that just opened in Flatiron/Chelsea that is a 45-minute workout of functional training, meaning that you strengthen your body for everyday tasks.
They also have a great shower/locker room, fully stocked with everything you need. This is an excellent small business and I could sing their praises all day, every day.
Email flatiron@f45training.com and let them know Julianne S. from “How to Be Broke in New York” sent you for your free trial. Good luck not getting too addicted!
F45 Training: 123 W. 20th St., 1E, New York, NY 10011
What is your favorite kind of exercise? I love bootcamp/HIIT classes, but most of all, I love diversity in my fitness! That’s why finding great free fitness opportunities has been so much fun for me – I have learned so much and am so excited to share the new wisdom!
When I am given the amazing gift of a free trial at a fitness studio, I take full advantage. CorePower Yoga, a west coast-based studio, recently opened on the Upper West Side, and I barely missed a day during my two-week trial. It is seriously THAT good – and after talking to other students after class, the addiction is rampant!
I am so excited to share this opportunity with you all, and am EVEN MORE excited that CPY is going to open late summer/early fall in my lovely home of Williamsburg! *More details to come later – look out for a blog post in the future!*
If you want to try it out at their Upper West Side location, they are now offering post-opening free week trials, which you can sign up for HERE or by calling (917) 636-4440. IMPORTANT: You will have to put down your credit card information. If you are not wanting to become a member (perhaps at a discounted rate), make sure you call and CANCEL your membership before the last day of your trial.
CorePower Yoga Address: 2030 Broadway #202, New York, NY 10023
I hope you had a great July 4th! In true American fashion, you probably over-ate, right? (No judgement here!) The #FoodComa is real.
And in true New Yorker fashion, I am bringing you opportunities to enjoy summer in the city the best way — on a rooftop, of course!
For those that work or live in the Upper West Side, Lululemon and CorePower Yoga are bringing you THREE free workout events this month!
WHAT: Free yoga
WHERE: Rooftop of the Empire Hotel (44 W 63rd Street)
DATES: July 5th, 12th, and 19th
TIME: 5:30-6:30pm
Space is limited so RSVP to nmagliato@lululemon.com & let ’em know I sent you.
Enjoy! If you go and have a great time, please let me know!
How To Be Broke In New York 