Rochestarians are a long-suffering lot. We endure endless winters, followed by pothole season, followed by approximately 4 weeks
of “summer” weather whose temperatures run the gamut from stifling to barely-above-freezing.
And this spring? Wettest on record since the 1920s. The rare appearance of the sun over the last few days has made me weep tears of joy.MORE
If history is a good indicator, April 1st in Rochester will be chilly.
The average high temperature for an April day in our fair city is around 55 degrees. The average low is 35 degrees.
But the water in the Midtown pool will be a warm and inviting 80 degrees, and the energy on the pool deck will be even hotter because there’s an awesome party planned for opening day.
First, a little perspective. I know of no other outdoor pool in the area that’s ever opened for the season this early in the year.
This makes the fact that our pool is opening pretty incredible.
Aquatics Director Tim Auerhahn is working tirelessly to get the pool ready for the big day. In fact, he’s chronicling his efforts every few days on our Facebook page.
On April 1st, there might be snow on the ground and icicles hanging from the roof of the Adirondack Lodge.
But the pool will be open for swimming regardless, and of course, there’s going to be a party to celebrate.
Free for members and guests, the big party to kick off the swimming season will feature a signature drink – the Blue Whale, of course – beer, wine, and light appetizers.
Everyone that’s brave enough to get in the water is entered into a drawing to win the Grand Prize: a two-night stay at the Del Monte Lodge.
Other great prizes will be raffled off as well.
Non-member guests are more than welcome at the party. In fact, if you bring a guest, you’ll receive an extra entry into the Grand Prize drawing.
And if you post a message on our Facebook wall telling us you’re attending the Blue Whale/Blue Lips Splash Party, you’ll receive another entry!
On April 1st, it may not look like this
But the warmer weather is coming soon, and I can’t wait to spend the summer by the pool.
Are you coming to the party?
11 days from now, the tarps come down and the new retail space will open.
I’m very excited about having a shop return to the club, and the fact that the focus is expanding to offer not only gear for the sports and activities in which we all participate, but also those convenience items we always forget (ear buds, sunscreen, socks, etc.).
The shop opens on Tuesday, March 1st, at 9am, and Jen Snyder, Retail Space Supervisor, has a full day of fun planned.
Here’s what you can expect.
Food!
Visit the shop in the morning, and you can enjoy coffee and pastries while you check out the goods. In the afternoon, fruit and cookies will be available, and in the early evening hours, the club is providing veggie trays, cheeses, and wine.
Giveaways!
Make a purchase and you’ll receive a free Midtown tshirt and a pair of Midtown logo sunglasses
The winner of the iPad, which you were automatically entered to win if you completed the club communication survey last fall, will be announced.
You can enter to win a Wilson tennis bag.
On-site Product Reps!
A representative from Babor, the skin care line available in the spa, which will also be available in the shop, will answer any skin care questions you might have.
An Ambassador from Lululemon will be available to answer product questions.
Jen tells me that she is so excited about the retail space functioning as “so much more than a pro shop.” She is completely open to member product suggestions (remember, she hosted a fantastic giveaway last month so she could gather all your ideas), and wants you to communicate them both to the shop staff, and via our Facebook page, this blog, and the front desk.
She says, “My hopes for the shop are that members can easily find what they are looking for, and some things pleasantly unexpected as well. I hope to keep things fresh, exciting, and completely convenient for all members. Feedback will be taken with great care and put to the best use.”
Are you stopping by the shop on opening day?
If you’re like me, you’re dying for a peek behind the sheets covering the opening to the space where Bell Racquet Sports used to operate.
In the Winter issue of Spirit, the manager of the new retail space, Jennifer Snyder, hinted at what’s to come. When I sat down with her last week, she dished on even more secrets.
The store has a name, but it’s being kept under wraps for now.
She did share it with me, and I will tell you that it’s smart, creative, and captures the essence of the club perfectly.
The look and feel will be much different than that of the previous shop.
Jennifer has an inspired vision for the shop. She wants the space to be warm, inviting, and alive – a place you will want to enter and stay awhile. She envisions more of a high-end gift shop environment and less of a sports store. Soft music will play, plants will enhance the space, and the merchandise will cater to members’ varied needs.
The focus is on lifestyle …
The retail store will blend tennis and other athletic gear with lifestyle merchandise. You will still be able to purchase racquets, strings, grips, and workout clothes, but the store’s product line will also include casual wear and other non-athletic clothing, including high-end dresses and shirts to wear outside the club. Jennifer was the manager at L’avant Garbe & Men-tality, so if anyone knows about fashion, it’s her.
You can check out the lines the store will carry on our Retail Space page.
And convenience.
I’m sure I’m not alone in arriving at the club only to realize I’ve forgotten my iPod’s earbuds. Jennifer wants the store to cater to members’ last-minute shopping needs, and as such, the store will stock things we typically forget until it’s (almost) too late. Gifts, greeting cards, padlocks, earbuds (yay!) and other convenience items will appear on shelves.
Opening Day is
Tuesday, March 1st!
Hours of operation are:
Monday-Thursday: 9am-8pm
Friday: 9am-6pm
Saturday: 9am-5pm
Sunday: 9am-3pm
Opening day will be a big deal at the club. Specials, giveaways, raffles, and great food and drinks are all on tap for the big celebration.
Now here’s where YOU come in.
Jennifer stressed often during our talk that communicating with members is very important to her. After all, this is our store, and she wants to stock it with items we want and need.
So, leave a comment below to let Jennifer know what you would like the store to carry. Have a favorite brand of athletic socks you want stocked? Always forgetting your tie or cuff links and want to grab them on your way out the door to work? Let us know that too.
One lucky current member who leaves a comment suggesting a product idea or line for the store will receive a $100 Spa Gift Card – perfect for you, or perfect for a loved one as a gift for Valentine’s Day.
I will select one winner via Random.org on Wednesday, January 26th, at 5pm, and post the name of the winner on our Facebook page and here on the blog on January 27th.
So, what do you want carried in your new retail store?
* Congratulations to Heather Gagnier, who has won the $100 gift card from the Spa at Midtown. Thanks to everyone who submitted such awesome ideas for the new retail space. I will be passing on your suggestions to Jennifer Snyder, the store manager. The store opens in just over a month!
Thanks to everyone who entered the latest giveaway by sending in their feedback on this blog and the club’s Facebook page. And congrats to Steve Sullivan, whom random.org selected as the winner of the Midtown logo sports bag.
My primary goal in running the giveaway was to ensure that the Facebook page and the blog are both useful and interesting. Based on the feedback I received over the past few days, it sounds like you’re enjoying both.
So, what did members have to say about Midtown’s social media?
Here are some of the comments I received, followed by my response to each:
I like how you have been able to bring a fresh perspective to the happenings at Midtown. Keep on writing, especially about classes you’ve personally experienced. I would love to hear more about Kinesis!
Thanks! I plan on writing about my class experiences more this year. I will shamefully admit to being a primarily Fitness Floor girl (what with the half-marathon training), but I’ve taken a Pilates Reformer class (amazing) and also Cardio, Strength, and Conditioning (high-energy and intense). I also want to try the new MXT class (Midtown Xtreme Training) very soon. You can check out my post on Spinesis, which includes Kinesis, here. I will definitely add a post on Kinesis to my plan for the blog.
I love the blog the way it is, but would like to see more entries on weight loss and nutrition! Also, more contests/giveaways!
Great ideas! I am looking into interviewing some Midtown staff members with nutrition and weight loss expertise. If anyone reading has lost weight and would like to share what worked/didn’t work, I would love to hear your story. Feel free to email me.
Oh, and more giveaways and contests are coming soon!
What I like best: Updates on my Facebook feed about new programs/classes that I might not otherwise hear about (ie Psyclewerks, holiday bootcamp), even if I don’t end up attending. I’m no good at reading the print material. It used to stink when I’d hear about something *after* it happens and assume, “I would have gone if only I had known…” Now I have no excuse!
I’m really glad you find the Facebook updates useful. I like all my information online as well, and in my house, paper tends to get lost in the shuffle (or covered with crayon).
I love your writing – insightful, clever, and personal.
Thanks!
How about posting a “workout/challenge of the week”. Post in the beginning of the week and have people post their results….
An example: “Do as many pull-ups as you can in 3 minutes…resting as much as you want with the clock running”
Two things it will do.
1. Start a dialog between members on the page.
2. People might see each other doing it at the gym and do the challenge together.
Image courtesy of Spencer Olinek
I love this idea. I’m going to get in touch with the trainers to see if they’d be willing to share some ideas for the challenges.
I’m fairly new to Midtown and constantly run into members I know that give me tips and such about Midtown. Maybe have a “Did You Know?” section on the blog or website and direct new members to it. That way we can utilize all the great things Midtown has to offer and perhaps do more know more.
Another great idea! Over the spring and summer, I posted “Fun Facts” on the Facebook page. These “facts” were little-known tidbits of information about Midtown that many members might not know about. For example, in the wintertime, the “mineral” in the Mineral Soaking Tub is actually salt from the Dead Sea imported via California.
You can find all these facts by searching back through the Facebook page, but I will compile them on the blog in one area.
I like both the FB page and the Blog, but one thing makes reading and digesting the post a little difficult for me: The posts are longer than most and would benefit from having a title or key word category so that I can scan the page and easily find the posts that interest me. I’m not sure if it would work, but if the posts had all caps or bolded titles including TENNIS, RUNNING, GROUP EXERCISE, INSPIRATION, FEEDBACK, etc. then I might be able to quickly find the info I’m interested in reading.
This is a compelling idea. I wish Facebook provided users with text formatting tools (bold, color, or underline) but unfortunately, it doesn’t. I would fear that because using all caps is akin to “shouting” in the online world, people might read the posts that way. Plus, some posts pertain to multiple categories and some don’t pertain to any one category.
I will give this idea more thought. If you have ideas on how to categorize the posts or how to make them more readable, please let me know.
Keep the feedback coming. The contest may be over, but I’d still love to hear from you. Remember, this is your blog and it’s your Facebook page. Anytime you have an idea for a topic you’d like to see covered on the blog, or a way to improve our Facebook page, please email me at kristi@meetme-atmidtown.com.
2010 is coming to a close. Newspapers are printing their “Best of” and “Worst of” lists, Time has named its Person of the Year, Merriam-Webster has selected “austerity” as its Word of the Year (no surprise there), and people everywhere are reflecting on the year’s top stories.
I thought Midtown should get in on the action, so here are some of the club’s 2010′s highlights:
As for me, the year has been a mixed bag. I’m wrapping up my first year as a member, and I have nothing but positive things to say about my member experience. That’s the good.
The bad? Well, the Rochester Half-Marathon I spent months training for in the spring and summer never happened. Sidelined by a double calf strain, I enjoyed a pity party for one on a weight bench in the club as I watched the clock tick over to 7:45am on September 12th, the time the race was beginning.
However, eight sessions of ART (Active Release Technique) in the fall, followed by a strict regime of stretching put me back in the running business. And I plan on rocking the Flower City Half-Marathon on May 1st of next year.
2010 also marked the debut of this blog and the re-launch of the Midtown RochesterFacebook page.
What have you liked about the posts I’ve run on Meet Me at Midtown? What haven’t you liked? What would you like to see more of, or less of?
We also want the club’s Facebook page to be as useful for you as possible, so please let us know what you’ve liked and haven’t liked, or would like to see more of on Facebook as well.
One current Midtown member who submits their feedback in the Comments section or emails it to me at kristi@meetme-atmidtown.com will win this high-quality Midtown Sports Bag!
I will select one winner via Random.org on Tuesday, January 4th, at 5pm, and post the name of the winner on our Facebook page and here on the blog on January 5th.
Happy and healthy New Year!
One thing I’ve learned since joining Midtown in January is that the people who work there are genuinely interested in high-quality service.
And now, to improve their member service even further, they want to know about how best to communicate with you about events, programs, classes, and activities.
By now, you should have received a member survey in your email inbox. This survey was designed to gather information as to how you would like to have Midtown communicate with you.
This survey asks how you would prefer to learn about club happenings. Would you like more information on the website, or on Facebook? Maybe you like reading the posters in the club, or grabbing the flyers from the rack on the way out the door. Make sure you take this survey. One lucky member will win an iPad, just for answering it.
Now, they’re offering another prize, just for answering one more question.
Leave your answer in the Comments section, and you can win a Midtown “Prize Pack for Two.” Included are your choice of two of the tshirts shown below, two water bottles, and two hats. Make sure you leave me a way to contact you (an email address is fine) if you’re the winner. This giveaway will end on Monday, 11/15 at 5pm. I’ll choose a winner via random.org, and announce the winner on our Facebook page on Tuesday morning.
And the question is…
How do you currently learn about events, programs, and activities at Midtown? Do you reference Spirit frequently? Surf the Midtown website or the Facebook page? Read every email the club sends you? Check out the posters in the club?
This contest is open to current Midtown members only.
Let’s hear it!
*Random.org has selected Tim as the winner of the prize pack! Thank you so much to everyone who answered the survey question. Your feedback is valuable, and the management team is reading through your suggestions as they determine how best to keep you up-to-date on everything that’s happening at the club. More giveaways are coming soon, so stay tuned to this blog and the Facebook page.
