Where: Chaise23, 40 East 23rd Street, 3rd Fl, New York, NY

Chaise23: All Things Shiny and Good

I was mildly underwhelmed as I was buzzed into 40 East 23rd street and headed up the dark stairwell to Chaise23’s location on the third floor. Then I was mildly weirded out when I couldn’t actually get inside the studio because the door was locked, there was no buzzer and I had to bang and wait for someone to answer. And then I was mildly amazed when the door opened to reveal a beautiful, state of the art, shiny, super-smelling expanse of wonderfulness. Chaise23 – you are a reminder to never judge a studio by its building exterior.

First impression:

• Super welcoming staff greeted me the instant I walked in, actually standing up to show me around (which was probably not that necessary since the studio isn’t very big but was a nice gesture nonetheless).
• Shiny everything. Lights and reflective surfaces and glass doors (the sliding kind!) give the studio a bit of an edgy feel and also an air of cleanliness.
• It smells even better than SoulCycle. Yeah, I said it.

The layout:

• As you walk in (through the aforementioned locked door) the main desk is straight ahead, with merchandise for sale on either side. Nothing too fancy, just some water bottles, shirts etc.
• There are two studios to the right and left of the desk, the right-hand one facing onto 23rd Street (and, I’m guessing, giving the boys over at Credit Suisse a nice view when class is in session), and the left facing the back of the building.
• Lockers, bathrooms and changing area are over your left shoulder if you’re standing in the doorway, though its relatively open-plan.
• Yay, there are benches across from the desk which double as storage containers for the TRX equipment. It's a small thing, but I hate when there’s nowhere to sit down if I need to change shoes, etc. 

The locker area:

• Small and not sequestered from the rest of the studio, but still clean and covers all the basic needs.
• Two changing rooms, two bathrooms, a sink outside and an area to hang coats. No showers though. You've been warned.
• Lockers have individual keys with a spiral cord (I put mine around my water bottle). Touchpad locks are my favorite, but anywhere that doesn't require BYO dial lock is okay by me. 

The equipment:

• Chaise23’s signature class is “Reinvention Chair” which incorporates an updated version of the Pilates chair. Because it’s a new studio and a more modern take on an older piece of equipment, everything is still really new and in great shape, even with all the standing-on and climbing around we were all doing in our sneakers.
• The bungee cords and handles, as well as the TRX trainers I saw were also all in tip top condition.

The final word:

I thought this place was pretty terrific. As I said to Lactic over email afterwards “It was thebomb.com” (sometimes my inner 15 year old rears her ugly head). The staff was super nice - two of them asked me how my first class was before I left, and they let me tramp around the studio with a friend to get a closer look at the equipment even though they were trying to set up for a TRX class.

All-in-all the place is clean, bright, new and smells great. Don’t let the darkened hall and locked door deter you. This place is worth the three-floor climb.  

From the Chaise23 website: Looking for that long, lean, and sculpted body? Chaise23 is your answer. What is better than a workout that can actually Reinvent the shape of your body. We have fused together the sculpting power of Pilates with aerobics, strength training, and ballet, to create your next fitness solution. By mixing and matching our Reinvention Method (consisting of the Reinvention Chair and Cardio Chair) and TRX classes you will get long, lean muscles, that will resemble a body of an elite athlete. Small class sizes (max of 10 people) allow for personalized attention, you don’t have to worry about working out incorrectly or getting injured with our Chaise23 Team.Chaise23 classes are either 55 or 40 minutes fitting perfectly in your busy schedule.The Reinvention Method is specifically designed to target the deepest muscles of your core, the ones that surround and support the spine. With the help of the overhead bungee system you will automatically change your posture as you work on strengthening and toning your upper body. The chair’s resistance pedal completes your full body workout, targeting your glutes, obliques, hamstrings, inner and outer thighs.

Find out more about Chaise23 at www.chaise23.com 

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