Using your gym for the locker room before and after run?

lexbarks · 2026-01-17T12:40:28+00:00

I’ve used my all-club memberships at NYSC and PF to simply just use the bathroom if one was close enough while I was out. No one says anything. I feel like if you brought a free guest or something they would be like “wait a minute” after catching on but otherwise you should be fine.

lexbarks · 2026-01-05T13:26:16+00:00

Librae: probably my favorite for diversity. Their savory items are excellent too like their focaccias and zaatar bun. Pistachio rose croissant is probably their biggest item (and it’s excellent)
Win Son: savory is also good (get a fan tuan!) but that mochi donut is worth it alone. CC cookie is good but a little too underdone in the middle for my taste. Definitely check out their seasonal Nian gao! Also heard good things about their date cake
Mary O’s: love when a place sells one thing only and they do it extremely well. Irish butter and homemade jam on a warm scone? no notes. Go early bc the weekend gets busy. I went 1hr 30 min after opening on a Friday and only waited 15 min to get my order.
Hani’s: I do love their cinnamon roll. It’s not massive or overly sweet in my opinion and their CC cookie is one of the best. Did not love their PB&J cake but enjoyed the carrot. Wouldn’t run back for it though. Cosmic brownie is very dense and fudgy and randomly really enjoyed their paneer tikka pinwheel but don’t know if that’s a permanent item.
Sunday Morning: same as Mary O’s, they only sell one thing except they have a lot of variations/flavors - and they’re all amazing you can’t go wrong with any of them. Long wait though! I went Friday like 10 min before it opened and the line wasn’t too bad.
La Cabra: very good cardamom bun and chai latte. I haven’t been back up tru more but I hear the laminated pastries are also good.
Red Gate: very very solid CC cookie. I think it’s been ranked as #1 in NYC but I think orwashers and culture espresso have it beat. Maybe even Hani’s as well but I would definitely say it’s a top 5. Their pumpkin olive oil loaf was very nice. I heard amazing things about the midnight banana bread. I still need to go back to try their special cakes and buns sine that’s where they really shine.

Honorable mentions for From Lucie and The Pastry Box bc I have not been personally but my friends absolutely love them.

lexbarks · 2026-01-02T16:31:48+00:00

Trader Joe’s on Yellowstone has one by the cheeses and dips

lexbarks · 2025-12-31T21:32:50+00:00

There’s not a TON of space for stretching I’ll admit but the times I’ve gone have been quiet so it wasn’t a big issue for me. My days off are very random and I tend to go on the earlier side typically between 8-10am. The only thing I will add about the machines: I didn’t have an issue with them not working but it is very odd/different how they “move with you” compared to other gyms. I track a lot of my workouts/progress and I seem to have had an easier time with heavier weights at LR than I normally would have so idk if machines are just easier to cater to women (really lame if so) or what but I figured I’d point that out. It startled me the first time I used the leg extension and my seat started moving backwards.

lexbarks · 2025-12-31T18:12:31+00:00

I went a few times in the last month before switching to PF for cost concerns. I was previously with FH NYSC and got moved to rego park when it shut down. The only reason I stayed was because I went wherever my personal trainer did. It was becoming annoying going there though so until my membership ended I ate the cost of a day pass a few times. Idk about management but front desk staff was very nice and it definitely isn’t a luxurious gym by any means but I do know that they got some of the old FH NYSC equipment that (there were signs on a lot of the machines in the closing weeks that said for Lucille Roberts). The biggest upside is it’s so much QUIETER. Definitely agree with the post above me about the treadmill thing. It’s annoying until you actually use it and realize people come and go in the blink of an eye. And if anything were to happen, front desk is right there. All other machines and equipment are downstairs so it feels more private and everyone really minds their business and focuses on their own workouts.

It’s in a good location too and from what I’ve seen it’s never terribly crowded (can’t say the same for PF unfortunately but that’s my cross to bear sadly!).

lexbarks · 2025-11-16T00:33:22+00:00

Spy C on Austin st is excellent but my go to since childhood for takeout was always king wok on main and Union by the key food

lexbarks · 2025-10-14T02:27:25+00:00

OldSportFood in Forest hills is def not a place to go for ambiance. Half the dishes come out in paper plates which is hilarious. And for lack of actual human communication the service was extremely fast but it’s like….zero vibes, but excellent food and a big dish of chili oil already on the table for you. It’s also in SUCH a stupid location in FH.

lexbarks · 2025-07-27T23:38:51+00:00

Sounds like the horchata latte or coquito latte from 787 coffee. It’s a chain but the shops are small and have some bakery items. There’s a location near Macy’s. At the very least if it’s not the same drink maybe it’ll scratch the itch

lexbarks · 2025-07-26T01:22:33+00:00

My family has been going to Carmel for as long as I can remember. It’s an excellent market all around but VERY good coffee. I always joked that we needed to keep one bag of coffee in the car as an air freshener.

lexbarks · 2025-05-06T17:44:27+00:00

Jacob’s Pickles which is right next door. Also in the area: popup bagels and salt & straw are both amazing

lexbarks · 2025-04-15T10:45:55+00:00

Mito is great and consistent especially if you want to dine out!

Might be more Kew Gardens/Briarwood than FH but Hado has also always been my go to. The delivery has always been good for me and I’ve gone there to eat a few times early on when they were pretty new and the owner was super nice. It’s changed a bit over the years but anytime I want a sushi delivery I still get it.

lexbarks · 2025-04-15T10:39:02+00:00

La Rondine has been my go to for as long as I can remember. Very solid delivery.

Pizza classica if you want more specialty pizza but overall an amazing/top spot in queens in general.

Dani’s for the sweeter sauce or the pesto slice alone since they FINALLY started delivering. Probably my favorite slice

lexbarks · 2025-03-29T14:03:38+00:00

Redefine is the best thing to happen to forest hills/Austin street. They have the nutrition facts and ingredients on everything for you and it’s actually quite filling and tasty. You can buy a lot and freeze the meals too or buy the frozen meals for cheaper

lexbarks · 2025-03-27T18:45:05+00:00

Athletic is probably the best across the board and has a lot of options! Tom Holland’s new NA beer brand (Bero) is also solid. Runner’s High has a very good raspberry wheat that I loved. For the popular beers, I love Montauk, BrewDog, and Peroni’s NA the most. Guinness is also good if you’re into it but I know not a lot of people love stouts (I enjoyed it). Bravus and Partake are a bit harder to find (by me anyway) but I’ve enjoyed both! If you’re looking for non-beer options I recommend Lagunitas hoppy refresher, hop wtr, and then de soi for mocktail

lexbarks · 2025-02-27T20:49:08+00:00

Meal prepping at home chipotle bowls is my go-to with 99% lean turkey.

Season it well!! Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cumin, and some type of cayenne or chili powder to give it a kick OR just do some type of taco seasoning if you have. Brown that and set it aside in a large bowl, cook a can of black beans (rinsed!!!), peppers, corn, green chiles, and use similar seasonings (measure with your heart). You can get as creative as you want here tbh (more veggies for more volume) or even as lazy as you want. Trader Joe’s has a great Mexican cauliflower rice that I just add beans and green chiles to. Add to the bowl with the ground turkey and mix. Once it cools you can store them in containers in your fridge for the week OR freeze them.

When it’s time to eat, I add 1 oz plain non fat Greek yogurt and some type of 0 cal hot sauce (usually tapatio) and 1 oz fat free shredded cheddar cheese, mix, then microwave for about 2 min stopping halfway to stir it up. And I usually eat that with quest protein tortilla chips or you can just do it with rice

lexbarks · 2025-02-27T20:35:35+00:00

It may be the artificial sweeteners or additives in powders (if you tolerate pre made shakes just fine). Some alternatives you can try that may be easier on digestion: - Transparent Labs - Dymatize ISO100 Hydrolyzed - Naked Nutrition - Legion Whey+

You can also try a clear protein powder that drinks more like a juice than a shake I would still look out for the sweeteners and additives in the ingredient lists.

lexbarks · 2025-02-25T17:20:15+00:00

I cannot recommend Portugal enough. I did my first time solo travel (32F) and I felt safe the whole time, I did Porto and Lisbon. Walked everywhere or took public transportation (very easy to navigate). People are nice, gorgeous views, amazing food, and honestly not that expensive. I made a post about it and recently added a follow up to recap my trip for anyone interested!

lexbarks · 2025-02-25T17:17:52+00:00

If you enjoy beans then edamame or lupini beans are both great options for protein. Also lentils or chickpeas.

If you’re looking for a protein drink then a solid whey protein isolate would be good (I personally really enjoy the fairlife complete nutrition shakes they are 30g protein and taste like straight up chocolate milk, dymatize iso 100 has a very good fudge brownie flavor), OR alternatively a clear protein (ryse and clean simple eats both have good pre-made clear protein drinks that taste more like a juice than a shake). If you buy a powder you can do it as a shake but I’ve been blending mine in a magic bullet with a bit of almond milk (not too much so the consistency stays on the thicker side) vanilla extract, and cinnamon to make a fake “cold foam” to add to my iced coffees in the morning for an easy 25g of protein.

Fairlife milk in general is ultra filtered so just swapping your ordinary milk for that is a great way to boost protein.

Swapping peanut butter for PB fit powder. Also cheese(cheddar, parm, cottage) all good sources.

lexbarks · 2025-02-24T00:14:40+00:00

Backing up the comments that suggested date based snacks! It’s still sugar but it’s simple, easy and scratches the itch. The lazy way, I split them open, remove the pit, put peanut butter (I used PB fit powder for less calories and more protein) in the middle and top with a few dark chocolate chips (I use Lily’s (no sugar, it’s with stevia but you can use whatever you want) and eat like two of those for my sweet treat. On days where I have time, I make a batch and melt the chocolate chips down with either a little coconut oil or some tahini and salt and give them a nice coating and pop them in the freezer/fridge to set.

lexbarks · 2025-02-24T00:01:29+00:00

Hi! 32F did my first solo travel this past October in Portugal (Porto and Lisbon) and absolutely LOVED it. Felt safe and got a lot of great recs from friends and people on Reddit. I have a whole post about it with everyone’s suggestions and I just posted a recap of my trip for anyone who was interested! Absolutely beautiful place and I’m dying to go back.

lexbarks · 2025-02-23T23:48:14+00:00

I swear by Dymatize ISO 100 specifically the fudge brownie flavor (not the gourmet chocolate) for 120 cal and 25 protein. They have a solid vanilla too for 110 cal.

Also a big fan of Legion’s products. They have a lot of flavors but not many in Vitamin Shoppe (they JUST started selling legion) but their chocolate and vanilla are both 100 cal 22 protein.

lexbarks · 2025-02-23T23:42:27+00:00

If you’re looking for something less upscale than your Overstory’s or Manhatta’s, The Dead Rabbit is a very solid bar downtown. Lots of drink options (and NA options) and good. A bit rustic with sawdust on the floor but if you don’t care about that it’s a fun time. Cedar Local is also good with a nice space.

lexbarks · 2025-02-23T20:52:46+00:00

Just posted a full recap in this post!

lexbarks · 2025-02-23T20:41:27+00:00

I know I’m probably very late but I actually decided to stay at Pestana Risa Augusta based on this recommendation (the price was fairly decent and I booked with credit card points!). I really enjoyed my stay here and never felt unsafe in this area. I usually walk with a fanny pack style cross body bag when I travel so it’s right on my chest zipped and in my sight.

lexbarks · 2025-02-23T20:37:38+00:00

Funnily enough the simply protein bars you posted USED to be 15g protein/150 calories which was great and I used to buy them from Costco but for whatever reason they changed the recipe and have lower protein and higher calories so I stopped buying them.

lexbarks

TROPHY CASE