There are lots of things I miss about living in the West Village. Even seeing pictures of the cobblestone little side streets and cute little store fronts (NOT of the new wave of Marc Jacobs and other upscale pricey places) that feels like looking at photos of an ex, like major pangs of missing that neighborhood.
But one of the things I miss specifically is my old gym, the West Village Workout. The place had all the charm of church basement and almost everyone who worked out there was a senior citizen. So not fancy, which I frigging loved. The owner Joel often checked in guests at the front desk, and when I was going through my long phase where I would only go on the treadmill for ten minutes before losing all motivation, he would give me grief on my way out.
“Really, Tina? Ten minutes? That’s it?”
And I’d mumble something about feeling tired or being busy. The worst was when Kristen Johnson from “Third Rock from the Sun” started working out there, not that she was so outlandish in her workouts, but she’s a celebrity and that upsets the equilibrium of any normal space. Do you know how distracting it is to work out when someone famous is there? (Even if you’re only running for ten minutes?)
Unfortunately, once the West Village and Meat Market area started gentrifying, commercial rents quadrupled and poor Joel had to close his gym, and the tranny hookers are like now in front of Baby Gap b/c there’s no where else to hang.