New Yorkers strip down for a night out

NEW YORK, July 21 (UPI) -- A number of New York businesses are hosting clothing-optional events for patrons who prefer to exercize, dine and be entertained in the buff, organizers say.

"We want only to do things that other people do in the way that we are most comfortable doing them," said John Ordover, 46, who rents restaurants around the city for nude dinner gatherings. "That, for us, is without clothes."

The Phoenix Temple, a New York yoga studio, holds Naked Yoga classes twice a week, The New York Post reported Monday.

"I had such a transformative experience on my own when I did yoga naked rather than clothed. I wanted to share that," Naked Yoga teacher Isis Phoenix said.

The People's Improv Theater hosts a Naked Comedy Showcase once a month for comedians who prefer joking around in their birthday suits.

"The first time I tried comedy naked, it was the best thing ever," the showcase's founder, Andy Ofiesh, said.