Pedestrians walking along Frank E. Rodgers South in Harrison lately may have noticed a new storefront open up this summer fronted with palm trees, flowers and Adirondack chairs. The welcoming appearance of this new space is just the beginning of what the Stretch Studio has to offer.
Stretch Studio and Café, 209 Frank E. Rodgers Blvd. South, is a wellness center offering yoga and meditation classes for all levels, massages and freshly squeezed juices including organically farmed local wheat grass, salads and smoothies at the juice bar. Developed not only as a healthy place for local residents to do yoga and eat right, it is also a place where artists, musicians and movements can collaborate.
A resident of Harrison for more than 14 years, owner Rebecca Gregory said, “The Town of Harrison desperately needed a place like Stretch, so when my tenants moved out, I converted the space into some thing functional and beautiful for everyone to enjoy.”
Stretch Studio’s wide array of yoga classes includes classes in Spanish and Portuguese and a guided meditation class (Yoga Nidra). There are plans to include more diverse classes, such as chair/adaptive and restorative yoga. Chair/ adaptive yoga is particularly suited for adults and those with physical restrictions. Restorative yoga encourages a deep state of relaxation.
Besides yoga, Stretch plans to expand its reach to include health-based programs and workshops and to feature a “Speaker Series” on a variety of topics. Stretch hosted its first kids’ yoga workshop in July and currently offers a summer music series. Next up on the series is Josh Reyes and Dangerously Close on Sunday, Aug. 17, at 7:30 p.m. A fall program is currently being planned in conjunction with artists featured on Jersey City’s WFMU.
Gregory added: “I am very excited to have a place to host local artists and showcase their talent for our community of all ages to enjoy – though I can’t deny that we enjoy the after parties next door at The Harrison Greenroom.” Similar to Stretch, she and partner Anthony Magnani found a need for good late night food (besides the diner), diverse music, specialty cocktails and beers in the area and opened “The Greenroom” some nine years ago.
“Before moving to Harrison, we lived in Brooklyn, New York City and New Brunswick, and felt that if we built a place you would typically see in these locales, people would come. All of these years later we’ve continued to bring this forward-looking attitude to Harrison and we’re still in business, but I’ve decided to take the next step towards my passion for yoga and overall wellness and build Stretch.”
Some upcoming events at Stretch Studio include: Restorative and relaxation yoga Wednesday, Aug. 20, at 7:30 p.m., and a free yoga class Friday, Sept. 5, at 7:30 p.m. Visit Stretch Studio online at www.stretchstudionj.com.
