Boston Globe

North End Businesses Go Fashion Forward

By Sean Sposito | Jun 2009

Boston fashion has an unlikely new address: the North End.

Since August, three new boutiques - Moda, an athletic apparel store on Salem Street; Bobbles & Lace, a Prince Street store selling designer clothing, purses, and jewelry; and Filthy Rich of Boston, a high-end jewelry and accessories store on Hanover Street - have set up shop. They join seven other fashion boutiques that have arrived in the neighborhood since 2004, and cater to young, hip professionals.

Boston Globe Magazine

Best Of the New: Moda

By Administrative User | Jan 2009

Alessandra Miele and Alicia Orr, the gorgeous (and eternally fit) duo behind North End Yoga, breathe life into workout wear at their Zenned-out shop Moda. Expect yoga tops and bottoms with psychedelic patterns and earthy icons by hard-to-find labels like Victoria Keen and Ancient Language. You'll find yourself uplifted, without ever striking a pose.

Scene Magazine

A Breathe of Fresh Air

By Aliza Kapinos | Jan 2009

Another lifestyle improvement that doesn't require sweating profusely on a bike or bench is yoga. This is a "trend" which started in India thousands of years ago and is now (thankfully) a part of Boston and Scene's North End neighborhood. I spoke with Alicia and Alessandra, the minds (and bodies) behind North End Yoga, to learn about this practice in the comfort of their beautiful new studio.

What's unique about yoga is that it incorporates both your physical and mental self. Physically it doesn't alienate the rest of your body while one muscle is doing all the work, it orchestrates every muscle for a stronger, leaner and more flexible self. Mentally, it helps control and balance the thoughts in your head by diverging attention away from your hectic day or anxieties and helps balance your body and promotes better breathing patterns.

"It definitely helped me ignore the chatter in my head. I didn't even realize it until I stopped practicing for a few weeks... it's amazing!" says Alessandra.

If you're a beginner, have no reservations, they have a class every day of the week for those of us (I'll include myself in this category) that are flexibly challenged. They also offer Pilates classes and a new addition to the family, belly-dancing which will get your abs into a pack in no time.

Boston Magazine

The Hunt: Things That Make You Go Om

By Donna Garlough | Jan 2009

The Hunt: Things That Make You Go Om
...Small but well stocked, one-year-old Moda at North End Yoga carries everything from karma-calming oils and soaps to mat bags and workout clothes. Look for harder-to-find lines such as Samamama, Anjaly, and Manduka. Bonus: Gear is 10 percent off with membership purchase.

Improper Bostonian

Presents With Class

Nov 2008

Gaiam Yoga Mat, $26
Choose a vibrant mat at Moda to accompany a threemonth membership to this North End fave for unlimited Ashtanga and Vinyasa yoga, plus pilates.   See the Full Article

Insite Boston

Yoga: In the Now

By KJ Hamilton | Oct 2008

If you live in or close to the North End (or even if you don't-you should never need a reason to head over to this amazing section of Boston), check out North End Yoga. Owned and operated by Alessandra Miele and Alicia Orr, this spacious studio encompasses everything a yoga student could fathom; a Zen-like area in which to practice, experienced, friendly teachers and a giant statue of Genesha-the Hindu elephant deity-placed in the corner. You'll feel connected to the gods and your inner self as he watches your poses from afar.

Stuff@Night Magazine

À la Moda

By Heather Bouza | Jan 2008

Who knew North End residents were devoted to more than just plates of spaghetti and the city's best slice of pizza? Turns out, there's a market for meditation, too, as Alessandra Miele and Alicia Orr discovered when they opened North End Yoga (256 Hanover Street, Boston, 617.227.YOGA). The pair has already expanded their empire, recently opening Moda, a yoga apparel and accessories boutique.

Improper Bostonian

All In The Enlightened Family: North End Yoga brings a new tradition to Little Italy

By Nick Altshuller | Jan 2008

YOU KNOW how the story goes. "It was just one of those ‘Oh my God, I'm so sick of my job' moments," says 29-year-old Alicia Orr, cofounder of North End Yoga. "I said, ‘Why can't I get up and do something I love every day?' And Alessandra said, ‘I say the same thing all the time.'" And so the dietician and former paralegal leased an expansive studio overlooking Hanover Street. Joined by two other rat racers-turned-teachers-a television producer and a financial analyst-Orr and cofounder Alessandra Miele opened North End Yoga in August, bringing the Hindu practice to the city's Italian epicenter for the first time.

"Boston has been exposed to yoga before, but there were a lot of people in this neighborhood that were curious and hadn't tried it until we were around the corner," says 28-year-old Miele, a native Italian. "Now we're the yogis in the neighborhood. That's how everyone sees us."