(Photos courtesy of Y7 Studio)
Williamsburg’s transition from a den of debauchery to a shangri-la of health and healing was perhaps best exemplified by 
Y7 Studio, which has locations in Soho, Union Square, Flatiron, and uptown, actually opened its original Williamsburg studio in 2013, so we can’t give it that much guff about riding a trend. With its new digs at 170 S. 1st Street, the onetime basement studio is going street-level. The new flagship is located below $2 million condos in a building whose marketing copy describes Williamsburg as “a dynamic community of artists, young professionals, and families who enjoy live music, artisanal cafes, vintage stores, organic eateries, yoga studios, trendy bars, cozy coffee shops and innovative restaurants.” Yes, artisanal cafes and cozy coffee shops! Williamsburg has it all.
But back to the yoga studios part. As you can guess from the words emblazoned on the windows of Y7 (“sweat-dripping, beat-bumping, candlelit yoga”) and the writing on the wall (“a tribe called sweat”) the specialty here is vinyasa yoga in a dark, candlelit room that’s brought to 80-90 degrees via infrared heat, with plenty of hip-hop on the sound system. Single classes are $25 each, with unlimited memberships starting at $179 a month.
Though the studio’s website claims that “showers are overrated” (maybe hipsters and healthsters can coexist?) the Williamsburg location actually does have them, along with changing rooms, lockers, a “refresh bar,” and plenty of “Brooklyn We Flow Hard” merch for sale.