THE WHEEL DEAL
Peloton bikes take up precious square footage as locals seek to sweat safely under lockdown
ONE week into New York’s stay-at-home order, Nicole Rosofsky couldn’t sleep. As her thoughts churned with coronavirus anxiety, the Upper East Sider focused on the one thing she could control: Her exercise routine.
“I’m a fitness fanatic, and was wondering how I would be able to function without a regular gym,” says Rosofsky, who is the strategic partnerships director at a marketing agency. “I had heard about Peloton, but I hadn’t committed before, partially because I lived in a small apartment. But then I thought, screw it, I’m buying one.”
The 32 -year-old began rearranging furniture in her studio, creating a small alley between her bed and the wall. By 4 a.m., the “Peloton nook” was ready for a bike — and she’s been riding high every day since.
Forget about shared building amenities. In pandemic times, as renters and buyers hunt for homes, they’re looking for a place to stash their Peloton — to work out, alone, within the germ-free confines of their own walls. The pricy piece of equipment, which retails for $2,245 and comes with a $39/month roster of video classes, has a relatively compact 2-by-4 footprint. So in New York City apartments, where every square inch is precious, brokers are finding ways to make space for the trendy wheels.
A one-bedroom co-op on the Upper West Side, listed for $565,000, has a “Peloton area” marked on the floor plan. (In the past, that corner might have been labeled a foyer, or nothing at all.)
“I’m a cyclist myself,” says broker Karen Burman, of Douglas Elliman. “And when I saw the owners had a Peloton, I thought, that’s the dream, to have a Peloton and a functional space to place it.” So Burman called out the corner in the 622 West End Ave. unit online and in a video tour — which features her pedaling energetically in place.
Warburg agents Susan and Michael Abrams find that Pelotons pique interest in their listings, too. The pair are repping a two-bedroom at 70 E. 10th St. in the East Village, on the market for $2.29 million, that has a windowless area with sliding doors.
Though it’s labeled an office on the floor plan, listing photos show a Peloton set-up.
“I was really leaning into the idea of the space being used as a home office, but inquiries really show how excited people are at the option of using that space for the Peloton,” says Susan Abrams.
And that goes for instructors, too, who have begun filming rides from their homes, resulting in some strategic furniture shifts of their own.
Jess King, who shares a Williamsburg two-bedroom with her girlfriend, singer-songwriter Sophia Urista, moved her bike from a second bedroom to beside their living room’s wall of windows. King’s dog Zeus sometimes curls up next to the bike; riders can see her books, plants and East River views. Everyone is sweating out the coronavirus storm together, from the safety of their homes.
“I’m on my bike, looking at my kitchen, and there’s 7,000 people riding along with me,” King says.