The place- Georgie's is smack dab in the middle of Old Town Alexandria. If you take a 9 am Saturday morning class you can find parking at nearby meters. Otherwise, typical city parking woes apply. The studio is a half mile or so from King Street Metro (yellow and blue lines) and is on the corner of Washington and King so the bus or free trolley from the metro stops near its door. The door in very small and you may easily walk past the studio. It's next to Walgreens and you have to go upstairs to get there. All in all, it's easy for metro users to get to and with enough planning or willingness to pay street meters or walk a few blocks, it's not hard to get to for anyone in VA or DC. Obviously, it’s a haul for Marylanders or for those on the red line or orange line if you have to transfer in Rosslyn (which I now loving refer to as purgatory).
The space- the space itself is cute. It is very small and has an urban unfinished feel to it. The ambiance is somewhat soothing. The lights are not too bright and there is a soft glow coming from the large windows in the front of the studio that look out over King Street. There are two distinct areas in this studio although they are not separated by a wall. There is the section with the reformer machines (if you've ever wondered what it's all about, check it out) and the other is a small space with a dance bar and room for mats on an open floor. Georgie's has a nice changing area and clean restroom. They do not offer water for students but stock the changing room with hairspray and body sprays. I guess I'd prefer the water. The cubby situation here is "ehh" at best. It's off to a corner so you cannot see your goodies while you are working out. Like other places, I don’t worry about someone at this studio taking my things, but there is that risk. There are hooks and few slots to put your shoes in, one bench. All of these are always overcrowded and since the area is so tiny it’s a giant cluster before and after class. There is one leather couch near this area that you can sit on before class. For some reason, of the five times I've been to Georgie's, every time I've sat on that couch I've just wanted to go to sleep. Not sure why. I've taken only the core barre classes here. Frankly, the reformer classes look like they are a decent workout, but for the price Georgie's charges, I'm not even remotely interested. Those men and women (I've seen some dudes, but not many) are not doing anything that I can't do in any regular pilates class or mixture of classes. Right now their "package" is 3 private classes for $180 or 3 semi private classes for $135. That's insane to me. I'm not thrilled with any of the packages Georgie's offers even the best deal they have for mat classes which still comes out to $15 bucks a class, but you have to buy 5 and use them in one month. Not likely given the schedule they offer for these classes (check out my gripe this week). The core barre classes are the next cheapest at $22 a class IF you buy a package of 5 and use them within two months. Drop in classes are $25. If you have noticed the "schtick" of our blog, it's that we aren't going to spend that much money. I did ONCE at Georgie's and I still have nightmares of that $25 floating away in 50 minutes (yes, these classes aren't even a full hour!)
So, why did I ever bother going to Georgie's? Well, I didn't know any better. There weren't two awesome chicks writing a blog telling me where to go. At the time, it seemed expensive, but that was just what classes cost. I didn't realize how many better options there were. I also didn't realize that Georgie's would never be a place I could commit to because of price and class offerings/schedule. It's just not doable. Then, once Fudge and I started going all around the DMV for classes, I noticed that even the classes weren't that great. I took three different instructors: Kyoko Hull, Courtney Struthers, and a woman who is no longer teaching there. Kyoko was my first core barre instructor. She was great. I liked it a lot and felt like I had a good workout. I was certainly sore for three days after, even though I didn't break a sweat. That being said, keep in mind this was my first time working out after major surgery. I'm not so certain I would say that now. I didn't feel like my last class there was much of a work out. There is always a nice mix of light weights (2-5lbs), mat, and bar exercises, no matter which instructor is teaching. Courtney is much more vocal and aggressive than Kyoko, but both do essentially the same moves. Here is the part of the review where I have to give a big thumbs down to Georgie's: it’s a sardine can and I don’t like sardines. We are all packed in there. Even if they keep the class to ten, ten people DO NOT FIT ON THAT BAR AND DO NOT FIT ON THAT SMALL FLOOR WITH MATS. Sorry for yelling, but at $25 a person, I should be able to extend my leg without hitting my neighbor, or plié without my knees hitting Fudge's knees. There is no room at all to move. The class should be six people. That's the biggest flaw, and although I mention that I hate crowded rooms at other studios, its especially egregious here because you don’t have the comfort of your own mat at all times (meaning your own space). You literally won't be able to do the full workout moves in this studio during a "full" class. It's pilates, so it's more upbeat and there is music you can hum along to, but it's also pilates, so the instructors (especially Courtney in this case) tend to "yell and scold" more than in yoga. It's no bootcamp, but be prepared for this.
Georgie's also offers "music theme nights". Ummm ok. Still not paying that much to hear Beatles while I'm getting my pilates on unless they are playing live. What did I like? I like not being charged for mats (but really, this is so minute), I like Old Town and the fact that it is a clean studio, and essentially, I like the work out. But it's nothing outstanding or unusual. Refer to my post in the "DVDS" section to learn about a dvd workout that is just as good if not better (and cheaper). But, if you are looking for reformer classes, I understand there aren't many studios in VA (just cross the river people, there are plenty and we will get to them!) so this may be an option for you. It may also be an option for you if you are made of gold and need private sessions. There is also a substantial prenatal practice here for "very pregnant" ladies. I've been told that pilates is allowed even after yoga is not when well into the second trimester.
The space- the space itself is cute. It is very small and has an urban unfinished feel to it. The ambiance is somewhat soothing. The lights are not too bright and there is a soft glow coming from the large windows in the front of the studio that look out over King Street. There are two distinct areas in this studio although they are not separated by a wall. There is the section with the reformer machines (if you've ever wondered what it's all about, check it out) and the other is a small space with a dance bar and room for mats on an open floor. Georgie's has a nice changing area and clean restroom. They do not offer water for students but stock the changing room with hairspray and body sprays. I guess I'd prefer the water. The cubby situation here is "ehh" at best. It's off to a corner so you cannot see your goodies while you are working out. Like other places, I don’t worry about someone at this studio taking my things, but there is that risk. There are hooks and few slots to put your shoes in, one bench. All of these are always overcrowded and since the area is so tiny it’s a giant cluster before and after class. There is one leather couch near this area that you can sit on before class. For some reason, of the five times I've been to Georgie's, every time I've sat on that couch I've just wanted to go to sleep. Not sure why. I've taken only the core barre classes here. Frankly, the reformer classes look like they are a decent workout, but for the price Georgie's charges, I'm not even remotely interested. Those men and women (I've seen some dudes, but not many) are not doing anything that I can't do in any regular pilates class or mixture of classes. Right now their "package" is 3 private classes for $180 or 3 semi private classes for $135. That's insane to me. I'm not thrilled with any of the packages Georgie's offers even the best deal they have for mat classes which still comes out to $15 bucks a class, but you have to buy 5 and use them in one month. Not likely given the schedule they offer for these classes (check out my gripe this week). The core barre classes are the next cheapest at $22 a class IF you buy a package of 5 and use them within two months. Drop in classes are $25. If you have noticed the "schtick" of our blog, it's that we aren't going to spend that much money. I did ONCE at Georgie's and I still have nightmares of that $25 floating away in 50 minutes (yes, these classes aren't even a full hour!)
So, why did I ever bother going to Georgie's? Well, I didn't know any better. There weren't two awesome chicks writing a blog telling me where to go. At the time, it seemed expensive, but that was just what classes cost. I didn't realize how many better options there were. I also didn't realize that Georgie's would never be a place I could commit to because of price and class offerings/schedule. It's just not doable. Then, once Fudge and I started going all around the DMV for classes, I noticed that even the classes weren't that great. I took three different instructors: Kyoko Hull, Courtney Struthers, and a woman who is no longer teaching there. Kyoko was my first core barre instructor. She was great. I liked it a lot and felt like I had a good workout. I was certainly sore for three days after, even though I didn't break a sweat. That being said, keep in mind this was my first time working out after major surgery. I'm not so certain I would say that now. I didn't feel like my last class there was much of a work out. There is always a nice mix of light weights (2-5lbs), mat, and bar exercises, no matter which instructor is teaching. Courtney is much more vocal and aggressive than Kyoko, but both do essentially the same moves. Here is the part of the review where I have to give a big thumbs down to Georgie's: it’s a sardine can and I don’t like sardines. We are all packed in there. Even if they keep the class to ten, ten people DO NOT FIT ON THAT BAR AND DO NOT FIT ON THAT SMALL FLOOR WITH MATS. Sorry for yelling, but at $25 a person, I should be able to extend my leg without hitting my neighbor, or plié without my knees hitting Fudge's knees. There is no room at all to move. The class should be six people. That's the biggest flaw, and although I mention that I hate crowded rooms at other studios, its especially egregious here because you don’t have the comfort of your own mat at all times (meaning your own space). You literally won't be able to do the full workout moves in this studio during a "full" class. It's pilates, so it's more upbeat and there is music you can hum along to, but it's also pilates, so the instructors (especially Courtney in this case) tend to "yell and scold" more than in yoga. It's no bootcamp, but be prepared for this.
Georgie's also offers "music theme nights". Ummm ok. Still not paying that much to hear Beatles while I'm getting my pilates on unless they are playing live. What did I like? I like not being charged for mats (but really, this is so minute), I like Old Town and the fact that it is a clean studio, and essentially, I like the work out. But it's nothing outstanding or unusual. Refer to my post in the "DVDS" section to learn about a dvd workout that is just as good if not better (and cheaper). But, if you are looking for reformer classes, I understand there aren't many studios in VA (just cross the river people, there are plenty and we will get to them!) so this may be an option for you. It may also be an option for you if you are made of gold and need private sessions. There is also a substantial prenatal practice here for "very pregnant" ladies. I've been told that pilates is allowed even after yoga is not when well into the second trimester.
Will I go back to Georgie's? If they offer a better special I might, since it is close and I like roaming Old Town after class. But unless it goes to under $10 for a class (where I don’t have to commit to using 5 classes in a month...five in three months, maybe) I don’t think I'll be back.
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