January 11, 2006
Gettin' Fit Downtown
Former Mayor Clarence Harmon used to have a famous line, towards the end of his tenure, that he would know downtown was back when he could look outside and see someone walking her dog down the streets of downtown at 10 o'clock on a Wednesday night.
We've been watching for subtler signs of gentrification and population growth, and are here to tell you the moment is nigh: Downtown St. Louis has its first Curves, the wildly popular circuit-gym for women. It's next to Espresso Mod, on 9th St., so you can indulge in a gelato and then go huff it off.
But Curves is just one of several new developments (curiously, just in time for the New Year's crowd) in downtown's fitness frenzy: the Marquette YMCA just had its grand opening after more than $400K in upgrades, Gold's Gym moved from Wash Ave. into St. Louis Centre (hey, they've got the space!), and She's the One Fitness has morphed away from women-only to become coed and, in the process, acquire a way more testosterone-laden name: Ironworks Fitness. Hopefully soon their website will make the jump, too.
So. Now what's your excuse?