A new site called Classtivity aims to be an easy discovery portal for fitness and creative classes. It allows you to search by location, time and activity. You can book the classes you're interested in without leaving the site.
The idea is, CEO Payal Kadakia admits, a no-brainer -- though one that only became viable recently.
"Only now are the providers even realizing the value of an online presence," she says.
To build Classtivity's database, the company partnered with the operators who provide back-end software to dance studios, gyms and other businesses that provide classes. So far the site includes about 8,000 venues in New York City, about a third of which have booking capabilities. This summer, the startup plans to expand nationwide.
Classtivity offers a good alternative to multiple Google searchers, which inevitably lead to several Google map searches. It also aims to save users a Yelp search by providing a space on each venue page for customers to leave reviews.
"We want people to talk about classes the way they talk about restaurants," Kadakia says. "All the time."
