When I first rolled into New York City on a Greyhound from the Martha's Vineyard ferry terminal back in 1981, I never dreamed I would spend at least the next 26 years of my life here. I was crashing on the floor of my former college roommate's studio apartment in the far West Village and I hoped, as I meandered about those maze-like streets, that downtown Manhattan would someday be my home. After protracted periods of life on the Upper East and West sides, I finally settled in Greenwich Village with my family of five. With an office in Soho, downtown is pretty much my full-time stomping ground.
Mornings are perfect at Balthazar in Soho, where the locals meet for blazing hot coffee, bread, and pastries baked at the Balthazar Bakery next door. Farther west on 12th Street, the new Cafe Cluny has a quiet neighborhood feel and plenty of free newspapers to peruse while ... [more]
Andy Arons, Gourmet Garage
Sixty well-spent minutes
Behind his sunglasses, he quickly appraises your fitness. Running alongside you, he compliments you on your form, while noting a small unevenness in stride, and a tendency to lean forward. Leading you through simple but exhausting drills, he finds your strengths and weaknesses in an instant. He is your personal trainer. If you are lucky, his name is Christof Prus.
With a master's degree in coaching and conditioning from Jagiellonian University in Poland, Christof is well-schooled in sports. As a successful triathlete and a personal trainer for twelve years, Christof is well-sported himself. He still takes individual clients while also maintaining a business helping clients set up personal gyms. For the casual and more serious athlete alike, Christof recommends training along the lines of his "3-D" training regimen: an alternation of strength and endurance training, ...