**8 Springs Studio is the name of Jersey City’s first Megaformer gym. Megaformer workouts are designed for both strength training and toning. The new fitness center will open inside the Cast Iron Collection in the city’s SoHo West neighborhood. Scheduled to debut in May, the 2,600 square-foot facility will feature a 10-machine Megaformer room, a yoga room, TRX suspension systems, and locker facilities. The boutique health club will be located at 300 Coles Street. No word yet on membership or a la carte pricing. —8 Springs Studio
**Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian warned city officials that constructing a pair of casinos in North Jersey would cause as many problems as benefits. “If you don’t think prostitution and drugs and other minor crimes won’t come along with it, you’re being very foolish,” said Guardian, as cited by The Record. Guardian also added that the casinos would cause “extra commuting time” for everyone living in direct proximity to the casinos. However, Jersey City Assemblyman Raj Mukherji argues that a Liberty State Park casino — as proposed by Reebok founder Paul Fireman — would have “a heavy reliance on mass transit” because patrons would arrive by high-speed ferry from New York and surrounding areas. —The Record
**Downtown residents love Citi Bike. Data obtained by The Jersey Journal shows that the city’s 13 downtown bike stations are nearly three times as popular as the 22 stations located elsewhere in the city. Of the top 10 most popular stations, all but one (the Sip Avenue station) are located downtown. The most popular Citi Bike station is the one outside the Grove PATH station, which saw 16,217 trips in four months. The least popular station resides at the light-rail stop on Martin Luther King Drive, which has seen just 110 total trips. Overall, 88,518 trips have originated or ended at downtown bike stations, compared to just 32,183 trips in other part of Jersey City. Nevertheless, Mayor Steven Fulop tweeted that the city will continue to invest in Citi Bike stations outside the downtown area. —NJ.com
**Traces of lead inside city parks have caused city officials to close several parks in and around Jersey City. City officials say the lead paint chips found inside the parks were caused by construction on the New Jersey Turnpike Extension. Parks affected include Mary Benson Park and the Ninth Street Park, which includes the Enos Jones playground and Roberto Clemente baseball field. As a result, Councilwoman Candice Osborne is asking the New Jersey Turnpike Authority to suspend construction on the turnpike extension until it can figure out how to stop lead and toxic runoff from falling into the nearby communities. —CBS 2, Politico NJ
**Only 10 tickets remain for Chilltown Kitchen’s next pop-up dinner, to be held at The Citizen on Monday, March 28th. The 6-course lamb tasting is a collaboration with Graze & Braise, a New Jersey-based meal-delivery service that specializes in non-GMO, Paleo, and gluten-free meals. Tickets for the Chilltown dinner cost $65 per person. —Chilltown Kitchen
(Image: 8 Springs Studio)
