A BuzzFeed quiz predicted this...
Before social media scrolling was a thing, in the golden age of BuzzFeed quizzes, when we were invested in finding out "Which Sex and the City Character Are You" or "Which Hogwarts House Do You Actually Belong In," I remember taking one called something like "Which Bronx Neighborhood Should You Live In?" At the time, I wasn't living in the Bronx. I had no plans to move to the Bronx. I don't remember why I clicked it, but I do remember the result:
If you've known me for any length of time, you know I'm usually cooking something up.
I genuinely love opening studios. I love dreaming them up, walking empty spaces and picturing where the equipment will go, imagining the feeling of coming through the doors, watching something slowly take shape out of nothing. I love getting my hands dirty with paint and plaster, dealing with contractors and electricians, creating a schedule and a vibe.
Each studio starts the same way: eventually I become convinced there's a neighborhood where The Pearl belongs. Over the last couple of years, Riverdale kept making that case, over and over, until I couldn't argue with it anymore.
The more time I spent up there looking at spaces, the more clearly I could picture The Pearl on one of those blocks. But honestly, a much bigger part came from all of you. I can't tell you how many conversations have ended with, "When are you opening in Riverdale?" I've heard it after class, in our Instagram DMs, in TikTok comments, from clients who swear they'd come three times a week if only we were a little closer.
After a while, it stopped sounding like a suggestion. It started sounding like a plan we just hadn't made yet.
When we opened on City Island, I had no idea if a studio could make it here. It felt like a leap. Mott Haven felt like an even bigger one because we were taking on a much larger space, more staff, more overhead, and a whole new level of responsibility. Every studio has taught me something about running a business, building a team, serving a community. Every studio has made the next one feel a little less impossible. Two and a half years later, opening Riverdale doesn't feel like chasing the next thing. It feels like the natural next step, the one that was already waiting.
Somewhere along the way, without really planning it, we've started drawing this little triangle across the Bronx. City Island in the east, Mott Haven in the south, and now Riverdale in the west. I love that someone can find us in one neighborhood and know they'll have a studio nearby if life takes them somewhere else in the borough. I love that we're making Pilates a little easier to get to for more people, one corner of the map at a time.
People sometimes ask why we've stayed in the Bronx instead of opening somewhere else. The answer has always been the same: because this is home. I live here. Most of our instructors live here. Our clients live here. We're not a company expanding into the Bronx - we're growing inside of it, in the home we already know. And we're trying to do it thoughtfully. I never want growth to come at the expense of the thing that made people fall in love with The Pearl in the first place.
If anything, opening more locations has made us even more committed to keeping that small-studio feeling. I never want us to become a place where you're just another reservation on a screen. I want you to know your instructors, your classmates, the people behind the front desk. I want instructors who remember your shoulder injury, your favorite reformer, or that you secretly groan every time they say "just one more." As we grow, protecting that feeling is probably the thing I think about most - more than the location, more than the buildout, more than any of it.
So, with a signed lease, twelve reformers waiting in the wings, and an opening date getting closer every day, I'm so excited to finally tell you: The Pearl is coming to Riverdale this fall.
You'll find us on Riverdale Ave, just off W 235th St. If you know the neighborhood, it's right by Artizen, Tobala, and a ton of other restaurants and cafes that we're excited to try. If you don't, don't worry - we'll be sharing plenty of photos and updates as the space comes together.
And for the record, I'm a Miranda 🤓
P.S. If you're reading this from Riverdale, Kingsbridge, Fieldston, Spuyten Duyvil, or if you have a friend in those neighborhoods, please forward this email to them. Some of our favorite clients have come to us because someone they trusted said, "You have to try this place." We have a feeling Riverdale will be no different :)
STUDIO NEWS:
City Island: Run Club comes to City Island Sunday mornings at 10:30! Join Jessy for a 50 minute beginner friendly run/walk. Build endurance, meet people, + enjoy movement outside of the studio walls. All paces are welcome. Just $5, funds go to putting a runner from The Pearl Run Club into a local race 🏃♀️
Mott Haven: Woohoo, yoga classes are here! Teacher Reggie will be bringing her blend of flow and restore to Mott Haven on Fridays & Sundays, and a beginner Hatha class on Wednesdays.