It’s the same old story—New Year’s rolls around and New Yorkers everywhere march proudly to the gym, armed with shiny new sports gear and a can-do attitude. “This year’s going to be different,” they think. By mid-January, spirits are waning. By February, most have fallen off the wagon. By March, only the staunchest holdouts remain, much like a win-a-car competition where you must be physically touching the prize car for days to win.

If this story sounds familiar and you don’t want to feel like you’ve let yourself down this year, pay attention. We’ve located some of the best opportunities in the city to get you motivated to stay fit without breaking your budget and with the necessary safeguards to keep you going back week after week.

If it’s the pressure of all the burly athletes around you that keeps you away from the gym, but you love to socialize while getting fit, New York City Social Sports Club is your best bet.

Amy Short, president and founder of NYC Social, says the organization was established nine years ago to provide community building as well as fitness opportunities.

“The sports are all really accessible,” she said. “They’re playground sports, things you played since childhood. With something like inner tube water polo no one’s automatically really good, so it levels the playing field and people feel comfortable.”

You don’t have to be a big-time athlete to participate in the club’s leagues; in fact, you’re encouraged not to be, and the friends you make on the court will hold you accountable for showing up to weekly games.

“We really cater to free agents,” Short said. “People can sign up on their own and we’re happy to place them on a team or large groups.

“We also work really hard to keep prices reasonable,” she added.

Just be careful about indulging at the bar afterward—that’s where you risk undoing all your hard work.

If you’re worried once- or twice-a-week games won’t help you stay in shape, many teams get together for a casual practice session throughout the week, and build a foundation for lasting athletic companionship well after the season has ended.

Despite the “playground games,” Short said the club is not just for kids either.

“We recently added Gen X divisions,” she explains. “Typically clients are in their twenties or thirties. We know there are folks who are older who would like to do something fun and active and make friends, so we’ve started our Gen X divisions which cater to that demographic.”

According to Short, the club’s sports are so fun you may not even feel like you’re getting exercise (but, unless you join the trivia team, you probably are).

The new season starts in the middle of January, and those leagues run for 10 weeks.

If you’re not necessarily the club-oriented type, we’ve taken you into consideration too. Yoga to the People’s motto is “Yoga is meant to help strengthen and stretch your arms and legs, not cost you one!” YTTP makes the practice of yoga accessible to everyone, whether they’re 5 years old or 80, meaning you have absolutely no excuse not to show up to their classes.

The St. Marks YTTP studio offers a complete schedule of donation-based classes and $2 mat rentals.

Finally, Shape Up NYC is a local government program that continually provides free classes throughout the city with the goal of getting—and keeping—New Yorkers fit. Meghan Lalor of Shape Up says: “With the help of trained professionals, [people who participate in Shape Up] will be able to meet achievable goals of losing weight and staying in shape.”

Shape Up offers regular classes—from African dance to self-defense—all year long throughout the downtown area, with the accessibility and eclectic options to keep you going back well after the New Year’s honeymoon period.

By Sharon Feiereisen

The end of Labor Day Weekend and the beginning of Fashion Week may signal the end of summer for many New Yorkers, but there are still a good two weeks left to soak up the sunny weather and take part in downtown summertime shenanigans.
Here’s a look at 10 things to check out downtown before summer ends:

Kayaking on the Hudson
You may not want to swim in it, but thanks to the volunteer-run, nonprofit organization Downtown Boathouse, you can kayak on the Hudson free of charge through mid-October. Head to Pier 40, where every weekend and holiday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. and every Thursday evening from 5 to 7 p.m. you can take a kayak out for a 20-minute paddle inside the protected enclosure in front of the boathouse (no experience is required). You’ll get life jacket along with some tips on paddling, and there are lockers, a changing room, and shower and hose to rinse off at the pier.
Downtown Boathouse, Pier 40, downtownboathouse.org

Hester Street Fair
Hester Street Fair has built an incredible reputation for launching small businesses from coast to coast (they recently unveiled their highly anticipated Indie Design Market in Los Angeles), and now through October, while the weather is still warm, you can eat and shop the racks of the fair’s vendors outdoors. Expect a mix of vintage wares, up-and-coming designer brands, and niche food vendors selling everything from alcohol-laced cupcakes to specially sourced artisanal coffee.
Hester Street Fair, Essex Street, 917-267-9496, www.hesterstreetfair.com

Shape Up NYC
While there’s no denying the appeal of the likes of SoulCycle and Barry’s Bootcamp, for the days you don’t feel like shelling out $30-plus, Shape Up NYC offers free fitness classes for adults and kids—including aerobics, African dance, cardio abs, kickboxing, yoga, Pilates and zumba—at dozens of locations, with all classes taught by expert instructors.
Shape Up NYC, various locations, www.nycgovparks.org/programs/recreation/shape-up-nyc

Stargazing on the High Line
Let your inner astronomer shine (brings back childhood memories, doesn’t it?), thanks to the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York, which is sponsoring Stargazing on the High Line, every Tuesday through October at 7:30 p.m. Gaze at the stars, planets, moon—and who knows, maybe a shooting star or two—using high-powered telescopes. Astronomers from the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York are also on hand to offer insights on what you’re observing.
Stargazing on the High Line, between Little West 12th and West 14th streets, 212-206-9922, www.thehighline.org/events/all/2012/9/every-tuesday-stargazing-on-the-high-line

Common Ground
Common Ground is the Public Art Fund’s latest group exhibit, featuring 10 international artists whose work will be on display through November. The Public Art Fund has been peppering Manhattan with outdoor sculptures for over 30 years, and their latest exhibition is among their most memorable yet. The sculptures, displayed next to City Hall, reflect each artist’s interpretation of what a civic monument means today; i.e., as opposed to in the past when sculptures were predominantly heroic representations of men. Responses range from an engraved granite stone (Christian Jankowski) to a giant inflatable ketchup bottle (Paul McCarthy).
Common Grounds, City Hall Park, www.publicartfund.org/CommonGround/home.html

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Trapeze School New York
Ever wish you could soar high up in the sky? Through October you can do just that at one of the many flying trapeze classes hosted outdoors at Pier 40 (Hudson River Park) and Pier 16 (South Street Seaport) by Trapeze School New York. Whether you’re looking to fly away your worries, challenge your body with a unique workout or simply have an out-of-the-box experience, the school has you covered with classes for all levels (two hours; $50-$70), as well as intensive multi-session workshops for the most committed of flyers.
Trapeze School New York, Pier 40, 212-242-8769; Pier 16, 917-797-1872. Visit newyork.trapezeschool.com for more information.

New Amsterdam Market

New Amsterdam Market is held every Sunday through December in a sheltered outdoor site fronting the Fulton Fish Market. Their curated selection of vendors includes produce, fruit, fish, meats, dairy, breads, cheeses and a variety of specialty-product purveyors (think dry unfiltered varietal ciders and artisanal jams). The market also hosts a number of special events including Eat Your Vegetables! with chef Arthur Potts Dawson on Sept. 9 and the first annual East River Moon Festival on Sept. 30. This year, for the first time, they’ve got valet bike parking, so you can take advantage of the remaining days of summer and bike to the market.
New Amsterdam Market, 100 Peck Slip, 212-766-8688, www.newamsterdammarket.org

Madison Square Music: The Studio Series
Every Saturday from Sept. 15 through Oct. 6 at 3 p.m., you can enjoy a free concert in the park. This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the yearly Studio Series event and includes folk, blues and Americana concerts set amid the park’s breathtaking fall foliage—not to mention conveniently located by Shake Shack for those feeling indolent about packing their own picnic basket. Performers this year include Jim Lauderdale, the Honeycutters, Rory Block and Heritage Blues Trio.
Madison Square Music: The Studio Series, Madison Square Park, www.madisonsquarepark.org/news/mad-sq-music-the-studio-series-lineup

‘Ghosts in the Machine’ at the New Museum
Spread across the New Museum’s three main galleries, “Ghosts in the Machine,” which runs through September, examines artists’ relationship with technology and how technology can transform subjective experiences. Over 140 works are included, ranging from films and sculptures to paintings and drawings, all by contemporary artists spanning the last 50 years.
“Ghosts in the Machine,” the New Museum, 235 Bowery, 212-219-1222, www.newmuseum.org/exhibitions/view/ghosts-in-the-machine

Feast of San Gennaro
The 86th Annual Feast of San Gennaro, which celebrates the spirit and faith of the early Italian immigrants, will take place in Little Italy from the 13th to the 23rd of September. In addition to parades and various religious processions, you can expect the likes of a cannoli-eating competition and live musical performances along with lots of food vendors and cooking demonstrations.
Feast of San Gennaro, Mulberry Street between Canal and Houston and Grand Street between Center and Mott, www.sangennaro.org