Oxygen Mind and Body, a pilates, yoga and barre studio in downtown Andover has relocated to a larger space at 90 Main St. above Helen Thomas and Bertucci's.
Owner Amy Langone, who grew up in Groveland and West Newbury, opened Oxygen in March 2011 at Olde Andover Village.
"We've seen exciting growth in our first year. We have a constantly expanding class schedule, have hired several teachers this year, and happily participated in many town events such as sponsoring the Krit Classic 5K [5-kilometer race], and being a part of Andover Day and Holiday Happenings," Langone reported. "This move was somewhat of a necessity, as we were previously located in Olde Andover Village, and with the new ownership we decided not to renew our lease. We opted to search for another space and have settled in 90 Main St., alongside many other wonderful businesses."
Class schedules can be found at OxygenMindandBody.com. Call the studio at 978-475-1529 for additional information.
Questions & Answers on being downtown
How long has business been downtown?
Our business has been downtown since March of 2011 when we first opened.
What do you offer and what do you believe makes your shop special?
Our studio offers pilates mat, reformer, yoga and barre group classes, as well as personal and small group training sessions. We do our best to foster a fun, friendly, fresh atmosphere - non-intimidating, yet precise in our instruction. I take my craft very seriously, but feel that if you can't crack a smile during a class... you've got to loosen up.
What brought you to Andover?
I was born in Newburyport, grew up in West Newbury and both of my parents were raised in Haverhill, so Andover was never a far-off place. My husband and I were married in Andover at the Chapel at West Parish in the fall of 2009, so Andover holds wonderful memories for us.
How big is your shop, and do you own or rent?
Our studio is roughly 730 square feet, split into two separate rooms - one for mat-based classes (yoga, pilates, barre) and the other for reformer sessions. We rent our space from L. John Davidson and he and his office have been simply wonderful to work with thus far.
Is the downtown a better or worse place for business since you opened?
I would not say that downtown is a better or worse place for business since we opened, but certainly different. The recent changes with Olde Andover Village altered our original business plans, but we feel it has been a blessing in disguise. The building of 90 Main St. is bustling all day long between the different businesses - Planet Color, Helen Thomas, and Paul Madden Acupuncture, just to name a few, have been warm, welcoming, and eager to begin cross promotions with us. We have only been here one week and the response is truly heartwarming.
What do you think of the parking situation downtown?
Parking in the downtown area appears to be very tight during regular business hours, but with many of my popular classes in the mornings, evenings and weekends, we do not see as large an impact as other businesses must see.
What are the downtown's best qualities?
Downtown Andover is home to a wide variety of creative and well run small businesses. Every new corner I find, there's yet another interesting, unique shop or business to explore.
What would improve the downtown?
Assisting new or growing businesses to fill the expanding number of vacancies in commercial buildings downtown would be an improvement to the area.
