The Best Midtown Village Healthy Food Spots, Workouts, and Self-Care
Kilkenny Tremblay, owner of Sanctuary Yoga and Mindfulness, weighs in on Midtown Village healthy food options, sweat sessions, outdoor fun, and more.
There’s lots of options when it comes to Midtown Village healthy food. Photograph by Caroline Cunningham.
Philly has an insanely wonderful fitness scene, but the truth is, many of us tend to stick to our own neighborhoods — we’ve all got our favorite corner coffee shops, yoga studios, healthy food, running trails, and more. That’s why we’re asking local fitness pros to give us a tour of their neighborhoods — and to spill all their secrets on the hidden gems they can’t quit.
Kilkenny Tremblay shares her top picks for Midtown Village healthy food options and workouts.
Midtown Village and Washington Square West boast some noteworthy spots when it comes to healthy living in Philly. Here to give us a tour is Kilkenny Tremblay, owner of and instructor at Midtown’s Sanctuary Yoga and Mindfulness. Below, Tremblay shares her suggestions for the best and healthiest spots for eating (and sweating!) your way through Midtown Village and Washington Square West.
Midtown Village Healthy Food and Drink Spots
Coffee shop: “I love to get my morning chai at Square One Coffee because they are made in-house and are authentic to the Indian Chai I drank growing up. I get them with Oat Milk. They also have vegan-friendly treats like white bean hummus, curried lentils, and vegan cream cheese for muffins and scones that are pretty delicious when I want something light, but tasty, with my chai.”
Healthy breakfast spot: “Green Eggs Cafe is directly across the street from the studio and our students LOVE being able to roll right out of yoga or meditation class and eat up all their goodness! I love their vegan Gingersnap French Toast as well as their Smashed Avocado toast. Also, I love going to Reading Terminal Market and walking around in the morning — where one can eat anything for breakfast, from Indian to Thai — which reminds me of traveling around the world with so many succulent flavors and varieties of food on any given day.”
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Healthy lunch spot: “FUEL is our studio’s go-to spot, where many of our instructors grab healthy smoothies and juices. I love to have their Protein Buster Shake — you can add soy milk and berries to up the ‘yum’ — as well as their Avocado Shakes to sip on while I teach. Their Ridiculously Delicious Kale Salad is unique and filled with cranberries and sweet potato, with the option to add avocado, as is their Sweet Potato Avocado sandwich, which you can get as a wrap, with gluten-free bread, or whole grain bread. Double Knot is another great under-the-radar spot. They have a lovely chill ambiance that I like to go after I teach, and unwind while munching on their delicious and CHEAP (only $7!) Banh Mi Salad with tofu that is super filling.”
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Healthy date night spot: “You can throw a baseball from our studio to Vedge. I adore their savory sauces like on their Ssamjang Glazed Tofu, which can make a tofu hater like tofu, and their Stuffed Avocado and insane desserts. Charlie Was a Sinner is another favorite spot with a fun and funky ambiance offering delicious vegan food that’s more dense and rich. I love their Korean-Style Fried Tofu, Charred Brussels Sprouts and Artichoke Frites (with an unreal saffron sauce!). However, when my man and I eat cheese, we hit El Vez.”
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Bar: “I am not a big drinker, but Indeblue has some really unique and creative beverages like their Indebluetini, which throws in mango, cardamom, lemon, and citrus into vodka. They integrate into their drinks various Indian spices such as fennel and lemongrass which makes them unique. Plus, you can get them without the alcohol too.”
Healthy takeout: “I order the Koti Rolls at Masala Kitchen for quick and flavorful Indian food and their homemade lemonade with fresh mint, which always hits the spot. I also love the healthy and huge signature salad at Hummosology with diced cucumbers, tomatoes, warm chickpeas, roasted veggies — including sweet potatoes and eggplant that melt in your mouth — and a hard boiled egg, anointed with olive oil, green sauce, and tahini. It comes with a substantial piece of warm whole-wheat pita.”
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Grocery store for healthy foods: “We picked our current studio’s location knowing that the amazing Mom’s Organic was coming and it’s a game changer. They have a fantastic array of healthy snacks that we offer participants at our workshops.”
Midtown Village Workouts and Gyms
Gym: “Unite Fitness is a super upbeat and great workout spot. I also recently discovered The Sporting Club at the Bellevue, which is huge, had great equipment and I loved the jacuzzi AND steam room amenities after my workout! It was an ultra clean and beautiful building!”
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Workout class: “The Unite Workout — their signature class featuring half cardio and half strength training — with Mark Donohue at Unite Fitness is such a blast. I like it because Mark keeps it very varied, which keeps it interesting and he watches form and alignment, which is a must for me! Plus, you sometimes roll it out on foam rollers for a few minutes at the end of class and there’s usually a final rest period like at the end of a yoga class, which is a really lovely touch.”
Nearby running trail: “While Penn’s Landing isn’t technically Midtown Village or Washington Square West, it is easily accessed from both neighborhoods, and I have been running alongside the Delaware here for my entire adult life. The beauty of the water and expansive views are some of the best in the city and they never get old.”
Midtown Village Self-Care
Meditation studio: “I like to sit and meditate outside of Independence Hall National Park. Behind Independence Hall there is a park with benches and it’s a lovely place to sit and center. It’s fun to do an open-eyed meditation here and simply watch the myriad of visitors from all over the world walk by.”
Beauty treatment: “My man gets his haircut at Cut Hair Salon by Caleb, who also does female cuts, but my hair is so long, I hardly get it cut. However, I come here for the great local vibes and facials. They do packages where you can get your hair cut with a facial too!”
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Place you go for self-care: “Dr. Jeremy at Quest Chiropractic not only keeps my spine in alignment — which supports my health in every arena from autoimmune to organ function — but he also adjusts extremities. This chiropractic care works out any tweaks from day-to-day life and helps keep my body in top condition. This, paired with a deep tissue therapeutic massage, is my indulgence that is also a necessity to keep my muscles feeling and working best for my work!”
Midtown Village Outdoor Fun
Park: “Washington Square Park. I love to jog around it in circles when I have a small chunk of time. It is rarely crowded and is a lovely place for outdoor meditation and or an outdoor oasis to each lunch in as well.”
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Annual events: “Midtown Village Fall Festival makes my heart swoon every year and is reflective of what makes our neighborhood so unique: it’s independent, entrepreneurial, open-minded community filled with colorful restaurants, inhabitants, organizations, businesses, and boutiques.”
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